Devil Reborn Redux Volume 1
by Shirou Fujimura
Summary: "It's a promise from your Senpai that I will pay back the life you saved..." Those were the last words that the human, Shirou Fujimura, heard in his dying moments before his life came to an end. And it was that day that his fate changed forever. Enter, Shirou Fujimura, Devil servant of Rias Gremory. (IsseixHarem; OCxHarem). [VOLUME 1 COMPLETE!]
1. Opening 1 - Believe

**Devil Reborn Redux**

 **Song: Believe (Medaka Box Abnormal)**

 **Singer:** **Minami Kuribayashi**

 **[10 Seconds Instrumental]** In the depths of an empty sea, a figure in the distance slowly descends into the darkness before a close-up reveals Shirou. He slowly opens his eyes, waking from his slumber, the screen being covered in bubbles created by a heavy current before blacking out and revealing the title:

Devil Reborn Redux

 **[Tsuyoi kaze no mukou]** Shirou raises his head from his desk, having fallen asleep in class.

 **[Yume no hikari tobashitara]** He yawns, stretching his arms before turning his gaze towards the window next to him.

 **[Mune no oku de mou ichido chikaou]** Shirou leans on the back of his seat with his arm, smiling softly as he looks at the sun sinking in the distance.

 **[Hashiridasu kimochi wa]** All of the Occult Research Club's members (with the addition of Kiyome) gather in the clubroom, Shirou resting on the couch next to Koneko across from Kiba and Rias, Akeno setting a tray with cups of tea on the table between them.

 **[Dare mo oikosenai kara]** Shirou kicks his feet up onto the table, saying something with a smug look on his face. A tic mark appears on Koneko's head.

 **[Kibou utsushidasou hitomi ni]** There is a flash of light before Koneko suddenly has Shirou in a headlock, painfully crushing his neck, Kiba, Kiyome, and Rias sighing with Akeno giggling to herself.

 **[Shinjite iru koto wo]** In a black void, Shirou stands back-to-back with a womanly silhouette, a melancholy look on Shirou's face.

 **[Motome tsuzukete]** Shirou stands at the forefront, hands in his pockets with a wolf's silhouette in the background.

 **[Yowasa wo koeta]** Shirou walks alone through a faceless crowd, melancholy on his face before his expression changes into one of irritation as he pulls his hands from his pockets.

 **[Kimi ga habataku tooku e]** He increases his pace, slowly changing from a passive walk into a furious run. He screams out, reaching his hand out towards the direction he's sprinting in.

 **[Kimi ga iru kara]** The ORC are surrounded by a mob of faceless thugs, Koneko beating up three that charge after her.

 **[ikite iku imi wo shitta]** Kiba speeds past her, creating a powerful gust with a slash from his sword that blows a way a large group of the faceless figures.

 **[Dakishimete itsuka kono omoi wo]** The faceless group lunges at Rias only for Akeno to step in the way, unleashing a powerful burst of lightning from her fingertips that electrocute their attackers.

 **[Kinou no watashi ga kyou wo tsukutte iku no]** Shirou runs through the streets in the pouring rain, reaching out his hand desperately for Kiyome in front of him before the ground collapses and crumbles beneath their feet and they fall into the abyss.

 **[Sekai no kanata de]** Eliade sits in an empty, destroyed mansion foyer before revealing her malicious serpent form.

 **[Motto kirameku hoshi wo tsukamitai]** Opposing Eliade, Shirou raises his fist, cloaked in the a glowing blue light as the visage of a wolf spirit appears behind him. Shirou lets out an inhuman howl towards the heavens, the wolf visage behind him giving a bestial roar, unleashing a powerful whitish-blue energy that whites out the screen. The final image that flashes across the screen is Shirou standing in front of his friends on a sunny day in front of Kuoh Academy.


	2. Prologue: The Expected Unexpected Event

**Here is what I hope will be considered the TRUE successor to Devil Reborn. Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan will not be discontinued, but I'm sure we all agree that it has about as much in common with Devil Reborn that a rock has in common with a potato.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything!**

* * *

 **Prologue: The Expected Unexpected Event That Marks the Beginning**

The young man whistled a cheerful tune as he casually walked down the alleyway that acted as his shortcut, strolling without a care in the world. He wasn't even concerned with whether or not he was late to school or not. He just kept on strolling, stopping once or twice along the way to examine his watch with those blue orbs of his. He had plenty of time, but he had yet to deduct the time spent on his "morning ritual" from said remaining time, so his count was probably off.

The young man in question was seventeen years of age, possessing snow-white hair that grew down to his ears, over which he wore black headphones with red straps (it was one of the Seven Wonders of Kuoh if he was ever actually listening to music). He wore a student uniform, his black jacket open to reveal a white dress shirt with the bottom three buttons undone. His entire left arm from his elbow down was covered in protective bandages.

He was noticeably in-shape for his age. He enjoyed training his body. It was a hobby of his when he had free time. He wasn't obsessive, but it paid off to be well-built. And even if it weren't for his training, he had plenty of challenges in order to keep in physical condition.

"Hey, Fujimura!"

Speaking of challenges.

Shirou Fujimura turned to the person who shouted out his name.

He was just your regular street punk...surrounded by several similarly dressed thugs. Seriously, these guys needed to have some kind of law to keep such events from seeming so cliche.

Shirou sighed, already bored with their unremarkable appearances.

"You guys again? You're more persistent than people who stalk celebrities." He dug his hands into his pockets, a tired expression on his face. "You know, you can still back out if you want. I'm not very hungry for small-fries this morning."

"Shut up!" One of them shouted, brandishing a heavy baseball bat at Shirou. "Because of you our boss is still in the hospital! You must be a dumbass if you think we're just gonna let you walk away after that!"

The snow-haired boy pinched the bridge of his nose, yet again sighing to himself. "Oh my God..." He retracted his hands from his pockets and pulled his headphones down around his neck, politely giving the cliche delinquent ambush his attention. "Well, sorry to say, but I don't recall beating up anyone named "Boss". Give me a name or a face, and I might just remember."

"Oh right. Here you go." Going against Shirou's expectations, one of the delinquents actually approached him in a calm and civil manner, pulling a picture out of his pocket-

"OH MY GOD, HE'S MESSED UP!" Shirou backed away in horror, trembling from the image the photo. "No wonder you guys hate me! I didn't know I messed him up that bad! I'm sorry! I am SO sorry! Oh my God! No! NOOOOO! I never meant to fuck up his face like that! I'm sorry!"

"That's his normal face. DICK!" The one delinquent in front of him narrowed his eyes, folding up the photo and putting it away.

Shirou pursed his lips. "Oh...Well, look on the bright side..."

"What bright side!?" He screamed. "You put Boss in the fucking hospital!"

"Gimme a sec." Shirou turned his gaze towards the sky, a pensive expression on his face as he considered the question. After a few minutes, he looked back at the delinquent in front of him. "Well...At least he's fuglier than you guys. You should have great pride in that. Good job!"

"Oh that's it! You're so fucking dead!" And that was the breaking point judging from the fact that the thug in front of him raised his crowbar ready to strike. "Nobody messes with us and gets away with it! We can't be beaten!"

"Jeez." Shirou scratched his head. "You're just full of common grunt phrases aren't you?"

Apparently that had been the LAST last straw because the next thing he knew, a 42-inch long piece of iron slammed right onto the front of his skull, causing Shirou's body to jerk. When the crowbar was removed from his head, a trail of blood started to run down the front of his face, slowly dripping off his nose. If it weren't for the fact that Shirou's eyes were still open, you would have thought that blow had knocked him unconscious. He eyed the grunt in front of him.

And then he laughed.

A wide, almost child-like grin broke across his face. "I'm impressed. That almost hurt a little."

The delinquent who just struck him backed up uncertainly, unsure if he had heard Shirou right. All of the other attackers possessed equally uneasy looks, shifting nervously as a result of Shirou's completely cheerful expression. For a brief moment, they doubted this person's humanity.

Shirou cocked his head to the side, smiling in a disturbingly pleasant fashion. "Now how about I return the favor?"

"I-I...you...DIE, FUJIMURAAAAA!" Half-afraid/half-angered by Shirou's lack of care towards the grievous blow dealt to his head, the delinquent with the crowbar rushed forward again, violently swinging his weapon. There was another heavy thud as the crowbar smacked the right side of Shirou's head. But still, the almost albino young man refused to fall. However...

It would be incorrect to say there was no effect whatsoever.

When the crowbar was removed from his face, Shirou's expression became darker, his eyes glaring at the person in front of him.

"H-Hey...w-what are you-?!" Shirou immediately lunged out and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him a foot off the ground. When he looked into Shirou's eyes, those orbs practically burning red with rage, the faint scent of urine slowly but surely filled the air. "...m-mercy..."

But Shirou's gaze remained resolute. "You...YOU DICK!" He pulled out his dress shirt, revealing drops of red staining its previously white color. "You got my blood on my perfectly clean shirt! You know how much of a bitch it is to get stains-ESPECIALLY BLOODSTAINS-out of white clothes?! Last year, I stubbed my toe and bled into my sock and that spot is STILL a light shade of pink!"

"L-Look, man! I-I'm sorry! I-GAK!" His words were cut short when Shirou started violently shaking him back and forth.

"Seriously, man! What the fuck!?" Shirou screamed. "How the Hell do you expect me to walk around in a partially pink shirt!?"

"You're going down, Fujimura!" Another of the thugs had snuck up behind Shirou, lunging with a baseball bat poised to crack the young man's skull open.

"Hm?" As if by instinct, Shirou spun on his heels, the sudden momentum being transferred to the person he had held in his hands shortly before letting go, resulting in him being shot like a cannonball towards his associate with roughly the same results, both of them being sent flying and crashing into a nearby wall as a result. Shirou stared with a blank expression on his face. "Whoops. My bad. I fully intended to kick your asses individually."

"Eat this!" Shirou didn't even turn his head before smashing his fist into the face of the next thug who thought they would have better luck, breaking his nose with a satisfying crunch.

"Oh well. At least it saves me time." Shirou frowned at the blood that coated his fists and scowled at the blood that stained his shirt. "Geez. You guys always find ways to royally piss me off." He turned around yet again to face the remaining bulk of the group, mentally counting the number. "...nine, ten, eleven...Eleven more added to the ones from before."

"What are you doing, Fujimura?!" One of them demanded to know. "Could it be you're...erm...that you're..." However, a witty or scathing remark eluded him, leaving him with a confused expression. "What ARE you doing?"

Shirou jerked his head to the left and right, cracking his neck, raising his arms into the air afterwards in order to stretch. He rotated his left arm clockwise, and then his right arm counter-clockwise. Then he proceeded to crack his knuckles, uncaring of the growing frustration of his would-be assaulters.

When Shirou raised his head, he was smirking. "A simple answer for a simple question: I wanted to know how many ambulances I would need to call after this is over."

One of the thugs gave a throaty growl. "You're a cocky sonnuvabitch! I'll show you what-for! RAAAAAAH!" This one was wearing brass knuckles, so his range was limited to how far his arms could stretch. For Shirou, who had longer arms, this was no challenge. Shirou dodged the first blow, then the second, and then he delivered a powerful right hook to the thug's stomach, causing him to hunch over shortly before Shirou dropped a powerful elbow on his head, knocking him out cold.

"You idiots! Get'em!"

"Attack all at once!"

"He can't get all of us at once!"

Shirou rolled his eyes, disinterested in their comments. _"Well, at least they're learning."_

"I think it's about time I repay all of you for your hospitality." He clenched his fists, his confident smirk changing into a blood-thirsty grin. "I'll show you why I'm called the [Demon King of Kuoh]!" He charged forward, driving his fist deep into the face of the first idiot who thought they could take him, sending him sprawling across the ground, his face flat against the pavement and his butt sticking in the air.

Another tried beating Shirou with a wooden sword. Shirou ducked under the first swing, delivering a powerful uppercut that easily knocked the sword out of his hands shortly before Shirou drove his knee into his gut, Shirou quickly running behind him before driving a sharp kick into his back, sending him to join his compatriots on the ground. He grabbed the fist of another thug who tried to take advantage of the second-long gap in Shirou's defenses, Shirou easily flipping said thug over his shoulder. Shirou rushed forward, smashing his fist into the next unlucky delinquent's face followed by jabbing his elbow into the nose of the now-recovered idiot he had just flipped over on his back a moment ago.

Another one had a monkey wrench (of all things) and swung it desperately at Shirou, seeming more desperate than the others, either because he was more weak-willed or because he sensed the quickly changing tides of their battle which was obviously beginning to seem in Shirou's favor.

Shirou showed no trouble in swiping the wrench, swinging his leg around into the fool's side with enough force to create a large dent when the thug's face smashed into the nearby dumpster.

The snow-haired boy sighed. "You know, this is really starting to get boring, you guys. Wanna call it quits?"

And still, one of them retained the lack of brain cells needed to fuel their stupidity-driven arrogance.

"What? Is the so called "Demon King" getting tired?" He taunted. "I get it. You talk a big game, but you're actually just a giant pussy! Maybe you inherited it from your bitch mother!"

There was a long pause after that, a sharp silence penetrating the air with intense fury.

"You know, for a moment there, I was willing to let bygones be bygones," Shirou hid his eyes behind his bangs, "but now? You guys SERIOUSLY pissed me off." Despite his calm tone, his words were punctuated with a fury that only a rage beyond rage could possibly cause. A rage so powerful that he became calm, as if a powerful storm was just about to break out. "Now...WHICH ONE OF YOU BITCHES WANNA DIE FIRST?!"

The rage-filled silence was punctuated by the tears of one of the remaining delinquents, having begun to break down in tears in the face of this undeniable fury.

"S-Senji, w-what are we supposed to do now...?" One of the trembling-but-standing thugs whined. "He looks really pissed!"

"Does this really change our plans?! We-!"

"You're looking at ME, assholes!"

The delinquent known as Senji had his sentence cut short for a drop kick that was well-aimed at his face, knocking him out cold on impact.

The Demon King of Kuoh then turned to the remaining five delinquents, said delinquents now being on the verge of wetting themselves. Shirou's grin increased in intensity, becoming almost manic, tinged with almost insane rage.

"Alright! Let's spice things up with a little quiz show!" Shirou said in a way that almost made it sound as if he were asking. "I ask a question, and you jackasses try not to fuck up the answer!"

"But-" The first protester was rewarded by punch to the face and unconsciousness. A powerful chill went through the air.

Shirou held up one finger. "What's the twenty-third letter of the alphabet?!"

"..."Q"?"

"NOT EVEN CLOSE!" The incorrect answer was rewarded with a roundhouse kick to the delinquent's face (courtesy of Shirou), the faint sight of a tooth being knocked out of the poor bastard's mouth being visible for a brief moment.

Shirou raised a second finger. "What's the name of the protagonist of Gurren Lagann?!"

Another one of the daring thugs frowned, scratching his head. "K-Kamina?"

"WRONG ANSWER! EVERYONE KNOWS HE'S THE FALSE PROTAGONIST WHILE SIMONE IS THE DEFINITION OF BADASSERY!" Shirou grabbed him by the ankle and threw him into the air, throwing a punch at a random spot on his body, causing him enough pain to pass out midair before he slammed right into the open lid of the nearby previously-mentioned dumpster, falling in along with the rest of the trash.

The two remaining delinquents desperately clung to one another, sobbing as the demon they had dared to enrage trudged over to them.

"Alright! What was the saddest death in anime history and what anime were they from!?"

One of the remaining two raised his shaking hand. "U-Um...S-Shizuka from Queen's Blade...?" Shirou immediately pulled back his leg. Then he unleashed a MASSIVE kick to the poor bastard's crotch, sending him flying into the stars AND most likely preventing him from ever having children in the future.

Shirou huffed, deeply annoyed. "Asshole! I'm only halfway through the second season! I hate spoilers!" Then something occurred to him. He raised his head and called out. "Oh! And it's Shirley from Code Geass by the way!"

"WHAT?!" The final delinquent cried, shock written on his face. "SHIRLEY DIES?!"

A depressed expression completely overtook all of Shirou's previous rage, sorrow filling his heart as he remembered the tragic last moments of one of his favorite characters.

"Yeah...You remember how things turned to shit near the end of R1?"

The delinquent nodded.

"Well...Shirley's death kind of kicks off something akin to that for R2. It's not pleasant." Shirou clenched his fists, rage being born from his new-found sorrow and pain. "SHIRLEY, WHYYYYYYY!?"

The final delinquent wiped his tears. "Yeah...I know how you feel man...I feel exactly the same way after Hare died in Guilty Crown-"

"ASSHOLE! I said NO SPOILERS!" And he was met with the same, agonizing fate as his previous companion, being given a one-way trip into space along with his crushed family jewels.

And with that, the battle was over. Every single one of them was felled by the hand of the one and only Demon King of Kuoh, the supposed "Strongest Delinquent".

Using his bandaged arm, Shirou wiped off the remaining blood that had begun to dry on his face. It was a normal occurrence, so much so that THIS was the reason why Shirou always wore bandages: So they could act as a towel for when he started bleeding during his fights...well, one of the reasons at any rate. It was never that Shirou was weak, but rather, he tended to stop caring until he started bleeding, sometimes forgetting that his opponents were trying to fight him in the first place. In Shirou's eyes, they were garbage no stronger than lowly dogs.

"Now then-"

Shirou's words were cut short by the sound of a garbage can being knocked over. Shirou turned his head halfway to see one of the previously felled delinquents struggling to get up on all fours. The fallen fighter froze when he saw Shirou's gaze on him, turning over onto his back and crawling backwards like an upside-down crab or insect.

"W-Waaaah!" He kept crawling until he slipped and fell flat on his back, whimpering and whining in pain. Shirou casually approached him, the victorious delinquent shoved his hands into his pocket. The fallen thug raised his hands in panicked surrender.

"I-I'm sorry! I n-never wanted to get involved in the first place but these guys talked me into it! Pl-Please! Have mercy!" Comical tears rolled down the sides of his face. He then threw himself at my feet and began begging once more. "PLEASE HAVE MERCY ON ME!"

It was so embarrassing that Shirou felt embarrassed FOR him.

He looked down at his watch, mentally cursing to himself. "Honestly, I'm done with you guys, so you're off the hook for now." Shirou casually waved goodbye to one of the numerous fools who had, only moments ago, attempted to crack his skull open like an egg. He turned and walked back down the alleyway, turning his back to the last conscious thugs. The thug didn't have much common sense however.

"DIE, FUJIMURA!" Shirou then felt something hard slam against my skull. He jerked forward and almost considered falling over, but he simply stayed where he stood, barely acknowledging the latest wooden sword that was used as the latest tool to try to break his cranium.

Shirou slowly turned to face his attacker. "Last question: Who just fucked up here?"

The final delinquent swallowed hard, his face paling as sweat pour down the sides of his face in waterfalls.

"M-M-Me...?"

Shirou grinned. "Right answer."

Girl-like shrieks were rumored to completely envelop the area, the cause being unexplained but numerous unnamed and unimportant teenagers being found in the alleyway adjacent to the local general store.

And so began a normal day in the life of Shirou Fujimura.

* * *

"I can already imagine everyone's reaction to this one." Shirou mused to himself, noting the blood (only a few drops of it his own, the rest being that of his enemies) spilled on his shirt, jacket, and his bandaged arm. "I really wish those guys would at least leave me alone in the morning."

That was Shirou's daily ritual, always being attacked by idiots like those guys who could not figure out that they could not defeat him. If it's not one group of delinquents it's another. Everyone wants a go at the [Demon King of Kuoh]. Shirou honestly felt insulted that losers like those would-be gangsters were even considered proper delinquents. If you were gonna be a delinquent, you should do your best to actually be GOOD at being a delinquent.

Shirou finally got back on the main path to school, knowing it to be correct due to the other teens he saw walking in the same direction, all of them wearing the same uniform as Shirou.

Even with that little "interruption", he still had ample time to get to class bar any further "interruptions" or complications.

But he still sped up his walking pace, easily passing by several of his fellow students, his hands shoved into his pockets so nobody could see his bloody, bandaged fist, his gaze averted towards the ground. All eyes, no matter how far away, were on Shirou, everyone having something to say.

"Oh geez. It's that Fujimura again..."

"Just look at him. He's clearly been duking it out with those idiots from the other schools."

"It's only a matter of time before he drags his own problems over to our school."

"Yeah, I see a lot of shady guys around whenever Fujimura is out and about."

"How did a brute like that ever get into Kuoh Academy?"

"Sshhhh! He's looking this way!"

"Yeah! We might want to hurry! I heard his brutish eyes have the hidden power to violate you from a distance!"

"Haha! That sounds a lot like a power that a pervy gorilla like him would have!"

The people who were speaking immediately started running the moment they noticed Shirou's eyes on them, wisely avoiding him out of fear.

Rather than feel hurt or insulted by these remarks, Shirou simply smirked, putting a bit more energy into his walking, everyone making sure to stay out of arm's reach of him, forming an almost perfect circle around Shirou as they all kept at a steady pace, trying to avoid being involved with the snow-haired boy in any way.

That was the way of things. Just as nobody really questioned why the wind blew, nobody questioned why Shirou would walk alone. Everyday, he would walk along through the front gates of the most prestigious institution that this town had to offer known as Kuoh Academy-

"You idiot!"

Shirou's head jerked to the left as a harsh hand smacked him across the face, creating a loud slap that could have been heard over a continent over for how quiet the courtyard had become. Shirou fell to the ground, knocked off his feet solely by the shock.

"Ow!" Shirou rubbed the burning red, hand-shaped mark that now lived confidently on his right cheek. "The fuck is wrong with you, yo spiral-haired psycho?!"

Said question was directed at the girl in front of him. It was impossible to mistake to whom he was speaking because the blonde-haired girl in front of him was the only with with her hair styled in drills. If not for that, it would be plainly obvious to whom he was speaking to because she was the only woman standing in front of him who possessed eyes that made her look as though ready to bitch-slap him again.

She placed her hands on her hips, clearly prepared to give some sort of scolding. "What on Earth happened to you?-Wait no! Let me guess! You've been getting into fights again!" She leaned forward, her ample bosoms swinging generously in front of her. "And now look at yourself! You're covered in blood!"

Shirou averted his gaze. "Actually, it was the other guys'. The only blood that's mine is the blood on my face." He said it with such a serious voice that made it clear he actually thought that this somehow vindicated him from being punished by the furious blonde.

"That doesn't really reassure me, Shirou." The blonde-haired girl, Kiyome Abe, sighed to herself while rubbing her temples. "I tell you again and again: you can only get into so many fights until the Student Council gets involved. The moment one of your fights follows you to campus, you're in deep trouble."

For a brief moment, Shirou arrogance, his anger, his cockiness, they all faded away, giving way to an odd emotion that everyone who was passing by had to suppress in their memory to avoid dying from the shock of it all. Point is: Shirou wasn't acting as high and mighty as he once did.

"It won't come to that." He answered halfheartedly. "These are my fights." Then his cocky grin returned in full force. "They trying coming at me on my turf, I'll beat a motherfucker with another motherfucker and that's only after I beat another motherfucker while making another motherfucker watch. Nobody-and I mean NOBODY-messes with my turf."

At that, Kiyome opened her mouth, no doubt prepared to say something else in response, ready to scold Shirou so hard that he would have trouble hearing anything but her angry words for weeks to come...

But then his head started bleeding again, blood tricking down the front of his face, forking at his nose and dripping down his chin.

It was at that moment that Kiyome's gaze finally softened. "Look at yourself, Shirou...What am I going to do with you?"

"Tch!" Shirou clicked his tongue, turning his head away. "I never asked you to do anything."

Completely ignoring the harsh words in response to her worry, Kiyome offered her hand to Shirou, hesitating before she went ahead and grabbed him by the arm, helping to pull him back to his feet.

"Come on. Let's go get you to the nurse's office to get you cleaned up." But Shirou immediately yanked his arm out of her grasp.

"H-Hey now!" Shirou objected, dragging his feet as Kiyome started dragging him along with ease. "I never said-How did you even get this strong?" At first, Shirou just didn't feel like knocking a girl off her feet, but even after putting forth some of his actual strength, Kiyome still proved capable of pulling him along with ease. "How are you so strong?"

Kiyome paused for a moment, putting a finger to her lips. "Well, let's just say my line of work requires me to exercise a lot to deal with rather chaotic existences."

"...What?"

With that incredibly vague response, Shirou resigned himself to being brought to the nurse's office for proper treatment for his head wound. He honestly didn't feel in the mood to get shit from everybody for knocking a girl down (at the moment). He could have, he just chose not to.

* * *

Shirou groaned in pain, rubbing the new bandage on his head. After he had gone to the nurse's office with Kiyome, she had started rummaging through the cabinets, looking for some sort of disinfectant so he wouldn't get some kind of illness from the surprisingly light damage he was inflicted by a crowbar.

Putting alcohol on the wound hurt like a bitch.

He was an unstoppable force of destruction that could deck at least thirty thugs at once...but he still could not grow accustom to treatments for his injuries...that and needles. Shirou REALLY hated needles and shots.

"Fujimura-kun, can I get an excuse as to why you're late today?" That was the first question the teacher asked the moment Shirou entered the room.

Shirou entered the room, his hands in his pockets and a dull expression on his face. "You COULD."

For five seconds, there was a tense stand-off between Shirou and the teacher, Shirou narrowing his eyes at the authority whom he was clearly defying.

Then Shirou handed the teacher a slip of paper. "Nah. I was at the nurse's office." The teacher took the slip of paper, nodding in understanding after she took in the sight of Shirou's bandages that were for actual medical use.

"You might as well just ignore it, Sensei." One of the other students, a girl noted with an amused smirk on her face. "This is just how Fujimura acts."

"I don't know why you expect anything out of him at all."

"He's just going to be like this everyday."

"He's a no-good delinquent. Just let it go."

"Why can't he just transfer out of here already...?"

For yet another brief moment, Shirou stared at his classmates. They all stared back. Then Shirou inhaled.

"I get the strange feeling that bitches wanna die." Shirou raised his fist, grabbing his arm and strongly restraining his desire to punch each and every single person in this room (teacher included just because she was in the same area as his hate). Everyone immediately shrank away, too fearful to stand by their jeers and insults towards him, burying their heads in textbooks and desperately trying to remain anonymous. It was hard since EVERYONE in the classroom was trying to remain anonymous...when everyone tries to remain anonymous, nobody really is. "That's what I thought."

But a part of Shirou was still tempted to beat the shit out of them anyway.

 _[Shirou, I really don't need to have another heart attack thinking about you getting into more fights, so at least TRY not to stir up trouble, please?]_

Shirou's desperation to pull his arm back down increased to extreme amounts. _"No, Arm! Don't hit people! Even if she pisses me off, she has a point that punching people is not good...for now."_

There would always be the time for beating the shit out of people later. But he only got an excused absence because Kiyome vouched for him.

Their relationship was an odd one. Shirou was hardly the most desired boy at school, so it was a real shock to him when one of the most popular and most beautiful girls at school just walked up to him, asking him for help with something. Perhaps because he was bored or because he was so shocked that someone (other than that pervy glasses character girl) was willing to so blatantly walk up to him and speak directly to him without a sliver of hesitation.

So Shirou helped her out, doing jobs along the lines of physical labor. Just carrying crates wherever they needed to be carried and emptying other crates wherever they needed to be emptied.

Shirou could swear there was something moving in one of the crates, but Kiyome just told him it was a new pet. For who? Shirou had no idea. He just did as asked. He also desperately tried to forget the incredibly odd noises he heard from inside.

Afterwards, Kiyome bought him a soda and that was the end of that situation-or so he thought. However, afterwards, she showed even less hesitation in approaching him, even showing (as shocking as it was for any human being) care for him.

Thus, Kiyome was the closest thing Shirou had to a normal friend. She didn't piss him off (not normally) at any rate and she was significantly less of a pain in the ass than every other person at that school. It wasn't exactly love-hate nor was it apathy. If Shirou was forced to admit it, he would outright state that Kiyome made school almost bearable. Since she wasn't afraid to bitch-slap him whenever she pleased, she made things interesting because it almost felt like he was living a normal school life.

And he did (sort of) promise her...

With this in mind, Shirou silently walking over to his desk, sitting down.

Like a stereotypical delinquent or others who do not care for school, he chose the seat in the far back corner next to the window. He didn't even bother pretending to pay attention to what the teacher was saying. The moment the teacher went back to her lecture, Shirou's head was face-down on the desk with his eyes shut.

No time like school to catch up on some Z's. And everyone sat their desks several feet away from his, so there was no chance of someone disturbing him...

* * *

The day had passed without much consequence. Shirou only woke up when the bell between classes rang, urging him to move on to the next class afterwards. He went through this class after class, hour after hour. Even with headphones muffling the sound, Shirou was still able to get up in time. He followed the rules of going through class to the barest minimum needed to keep from getting expelled.

He stretched his arms, gathering his things so he could head home for the day.

"Sooooo, how's the King of Demons doing today~?" The voice held a level of teasing and lightheartedness that only one person Shirou knew could possibly hold while speaking directly to him. "A little relaxed I assume, judging from the fact you sleep through every class."

Shirou sighed to himself. "What do you want, Glasses-Pervert?" He narrowed his eyes at the brown-haired girl standing in front of him, hands on her hips (As a side note: Shirou was getting REALLY tired of women taking that pose with him).

"Just wanted to see your latest battle scars." She adjusted her glasses, a mischievous grin on her face. "Just a...wantin' to see..." She was leaning in for obvious reasons, her smirk becoming more and more perverse. "...to see uh..."

Shirou started snapping his fingers in front of her face. "I'm up here-I'm up here. My face is UP HERE." A shiver went down his spine at the perverse smile on the girl's face. "Let me make this clear: Like I've said yesterday, the day before that, the day before that, and the day before THAT, stay as far away from me as possible. Keep away from me with those pervy glasses of yours."

"Come on~ Don't you want to know what "advantages" you could offer to a woman compared to other guys~?" She came closer, leaning on Shirou's shoulder while fanning her blushing face in a teasing fashion.

Shirou shrank away from her, his lips curling in disgust. "Only someone with no luck with women at all would ever need to think about something like that."

Kiryuu eyed him with an amused smirk. It took Shirou a few seconds to realize her meaning.

"OH FUCK YOU!" Shirou screamed, his face flushing red from a mix of embarrassment and anger.

"Why, Shirou, are you coming onto me?" The perverted glasses girl teased, poking the blushing delinquent in his face. Those who were still left after class quickly ran out the doors, afraid of what will occur as a result of Aika Kiryuu deliberately, both literally and figuratively, poking the bear.

"Sorry, I'm not interested in people like you!"

"I wasn't aware your bar was set high enough for you to be picky? No wonder you're a virgin."

"Oh ha ha HA!" Shirou laughed exaggeratedly. "At least I don't spread my legs for every living creature with a "tool"!"

"Ooh! Scathing!" She praised mockingly. "How long did it take for you to think that one up?"

A tic mark appeared on Shirou's forehead. "WHY YOOOU-!?" He pulled a fist back, ready to hit the pervy, emasculating woman before him, gentlemanly principles be damned.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE!"

The sudden vocal interruption caused Shirou to pause half-way through the completion of his task, his arm going limp.

Standing in the middle of the doorway, hands on her hips with that same scolding expression Shirou had come to expect everyday since they first met, was Kiyome Abe (again).

"Shirou, I could hear you picking a fight all the way down the hall!" The blonde-haired woman snapped harshly. "It's only been a few hours and you're already-" For an odd reason, she paused, her eyes becoming blank as she laid her eyes on the two sole occupants of the room.

Shirou blinked twice. "What?"

Kiyome's cheeks lit up a bright pink color, her fist clenched tightly in front of her. She looked like she desperately wanted to punch Shirou or cuss him out...maybe both. She just kept trembling, unable to hide her barely-suppressed rage. "Could you kindly remove your hand from her bosom, Shirou, so we may talk in private?"

Shirou leaned forward, a confused expression on his face. "Huh?" And then he looked back to Kiryuu, his gaze drifting downward until he saw just where his hand had landed after his aborted punch.

Firmly cupping Kiryuu's right breast...He shamefully admitted that it was firmer than he would have originally thought it would be.

"Well, someone's a little frisky, aren't they?" It was that tease that caused Shirou's face to fill with blood to the point that he started feeling dizzy.

"E-Eeeeeeeh!? H-Hold on a second!" He immediately released the soft marshmallow he had unintentionally grabbed, backing away slowly while holding his hands up in what could have been either surrender or self-defense. "I-I-S-She-It's not-!"

"So THAT is your true character, huh?" Kiyome eyed Shirou with an expression of annoyance and disgust. "You and I need to have a serious talk!"

"Hold on a sec! It's not what it looks like! I swear! I-" Shirou paused, an uncertain look on his face. _"Wait. Why am I apologizing like I cheated on her or something?"_

"It looks like there's trouble..."

"And Kiryuu-san and the Demon King are right in the middle of it along with-"

"Abe-senpai?!"

"Why is she with that Fujimura guy?!"

"A lover's quarrel?"

"I didn't even know the Demon King of Kuoh could get a girl..."

"I guess it's like a Beauty and the Beast kind of thing."

"Yeah, and Beast is in big trouble."

Shirou shot a sharp, burning glare at their observers. "Do you guys want to die?!" The crowd immediately dispersed under the pressure of Shirou's hateful eyes.

"Seriously, what do I do with you, Shirou?" Kiyome reiterated, seeming even more irritated than before. "If it's not getting into fights, you're doing _things_ with random girls from school! How can you expect to improve your reputation if you're doing things like this?"

"Nah ah! You're not making me into the bad guy here! It was an ACCIDENT!"

"Oh right!" Kiyome replied sarcastically. "Your hand just happened to slip?!"

"No! I was about to punch her for creeping me the Hell out!"

"So what?! You softly punched her in her tits?!"

"You KNOW that's not what happened!"

The two youths had an intense staredown, glaring harshly at one another for one reason or another. Shirou honestly wasn't sure what brought this argument on, but he would be damned if he wussed out when he had clearly done nothing wrong in spite of the fact that he laid hands soft mounds on Kiryuu's torso (ACCIDENTALLY!). He just couldn't figure out why Kiyome was so furious with him.

While the two were in the middle of their little spat, they failed to noticed the mischievous glint in Kiryuu's eyes or the amusement she clearly felt in response to this situation.

"Wow, it really IS like a lover's quarrel~"

Both teens' faces turned a SPECIAL color of red.

[SHUT UP! YOU STAY OUT OF THIS!]

* * *

By the time the argument had reached its completion, most of the after-school clubs were already in-session. You could almost smell the sweat and adrenaline in the air of the Kuoh Academy campus.

At this time, the odd trio of Aika Kiryuu, Shirou Fujimura, and Kiyome Abe exited the door of the academy's front entrance, all three having varied reactions: Kiryuu was eyeing her two companions with new-found (albeit unhealthy) interest; Shirou was grunting to himself, deeply irritated about everything that just happened; Kiyome had her arms crossed under her ample bosoms, her cheeks a deep pink as she averted her gaze from Shirou.

An awkward silence descended upon the three to the point that even Shirou was unable to maintain his anger and irritation.

He wasn't quite sure what to do. He and Kiyome had gotten into fights before, but never with this sort of awkward outcome...then again, the reason behind the argument had never been that awkward in the first place, so it was a new thing in general.

Usually, he would just punch whoever he had gotten into an argument with right in the face, but doing such a thing to one of the few people he could tolerate did not sit well with him (a feeling that shocked and nauseated him).

"Don't worry. A lot of couples go through fights like these." The sound of Kiryuu's tease snapped Shirou out of his thoughts immediately, leaving him with a blank expression, his eyes half-lidded. "I think it's just a lot of sexual tension between you two, mostly on Shirou's part. He probably hasn't jerked off in a while, so it's probably killing him."

Shirou kept staring. "You know. I could beat you up right now, and nobody would care."

"Wouldn't change the fact you still haven't gotten your V-card punch." It was always with the low-blows with this girl!

"Could you two please just knock it off?" Kiyome sighed to herself. She stopped a few feet behind the other two, her own expression awkward. "Look, Shirou, I...I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

Shirou likewise turned away from her, unable to face her with a straight face after the awkward-as-hell argument they had only minutes ago. "Yeah...it's fine."

The only one who was deeply enjoying this ever-increasing tension was the perverted girl wearing the glasses, a mischievous snake who seemed to feed on this sort of feeling between men and women.

"As I suggested: Just fuck and get it over with."

Shirou instinctively raised his fist.

"No, Shirou!" Kiyome scolded.

"But-!"

"No!"

"Come on!"

"No!"

"Just one?!"

"No!"

"She's seriously asking for it!"

"No! And to preempt your next response: No!"

Shirou pouted, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Fine." He rubbed his stomach, a faint growling sounds becoming audible. "I guess I'll just go get something to eat. I'm starved, so Imma go stuff my face like a pig!" He gained a huge grin, a drop of drool rolling down his chin.

"Well, you're certainly straightforward about your desires."

"Yeah, well I-"

"Oh come ooon! I didn't even get the chance to peep!" A new voice cut into the conversation like a knife through butter. The owner of said voice ran past the trio with disturbingly high speed that one would only expect of an anime character.

[GET HIM! GET THAT STUPID PERVERT!]

The teen who ran past the trio was chased by a huge mob of girls in the uniforms of the kendo club, all brandishing their swords with fury and hot on his heels.

Shirou just watched as they all slowly faded from his sight. Then he turned back to the other two.

"Yeah, well I prefer not to beat around the bush. I'm hungry, so I'm gonna go get my grub on." Shirou spoke as if that odd interruption had not occurred.

"You're really not going to ask about what just happen?" Kiryuu asked, possessing a mix of confusion and amusement on her face. "I mean, even if you knew about Issei Hyoudou's reputation around here, I would expect that you had some sort of comment."

Shirou shrugged, cradling his head in his arms behind his head. "Yeah, well two things: First, I don't know who the fuck that guy was. Second, even if I did, who cares? The only time we would ever meet one another would be just by crossing paths in the hall. It's not like we're ever going to actually speak to one another."

"He makes a good point." Kiyome agreed, nodding her head. She hefted her bag over her shoulder, turning to leave. "I have tennis practice now, so I guess I'll see you later, Shirou."

Shirou halfheartedly raised his hand in farewell. "Yeah. See you later." He watched as his Senpai walked off to prepare for her own activities, Shirou lamenting on his own lack of things-to-do.

"Isn't this the part where you say "Oh, Kiyome-chan, I love you! Let's get a hotel room and fuck til we can't stand straight~!" or something romantic like that?" Yet again, Shirou found himself glaring at the pervy glasses girl who relished in teasing him about such things. "Your window of opportunity's getting smaller with each step she takes~!"

"I'm not quite sure what to comment on first: Your odd definition of romance or how badly I want to smash those stupid glasses of yours." Shirou clicked his tongue. "And most importantly, we're not friends. I don't need your advice. I'm incredibly self-sufficient."

"Ah, like how you self-sufficiently got that nasty gash on your head today?" Kiryuu retorted. "If it weren't for Kiyome-senpai keeping an eye on you, you probably would have died from some kind of blood-loss or infection or something."

"You sound just like her!" Shirou groaned, brushing a hand through his hair. "I'm fine on my own! I've BEEN fine on my own! So could you just go fuck off?"

"Ah." Kiryuu adjusted her glasses. "Fuck off I shall, but only because there's some _fresh meat_ I've been wanting to check out for quite some time now." She yet again wore that perverted expression of lust on her face. "See you tomorrow, _Demon-Boy_."

Shirou growled. "It's Demon KING! Not Demon BOY! Get it right, dammit!" He stomped his foot impatiently on the ground, deciding he had had enough of this.

As he approached the gate to the school, he spared one more glance behind himself, as if expecting something.

He turned back around and sighed to himself.

And then he left alone.

* * *

The sun had started to set a long time ago.

Shirou just sat there, on that curb, a pensive expression on his face, a half-eaten cheeseburger in his hand. He sighed to himself before taking another bite.

He winced in pain, rubbing the latest bruise he got on his face. His clothes were torn in certain places and he had several shallow cuts. There was nothing life-threatening though. He looked like he had been through Hell, but he wasn't feeling too bad. Nothing really hurt. The other guys who attacked him were far worse off than he was. At least seventeen guys, all knocked flat on their asses, three of them needing to be sent to the hospital: One having a broken arm, another having a broken nose, and another having a broken ankle which resulted from his attempt to run away.

 _"Idiots...They really don't learn, do they?"_

Shirou took another bite of his burger, satisfying the hunger that had continued to pester him since he left school.

Even though it was getting late out, he was in no hurry to get home. Nobody would be waiting when he got there anyway.

He had all the time in the world. He got sent money every now and then to buy food for himself, but it wasn't like he was a big eater for normal meals. He just bought whatever he wanted to eat everyday.

Living how he wanted, eating how he wanted, and fighting how he wanted. It was his life to live.

And right now, he was bored.

* * *

Elsewhere in the town...

The three individuals limped, gasping in pain with each step, one of them rubbing his arm.

"That fucking Fujimura..." The leader, a nineteen year old man named Hajime, cursed. "Thinking he can make a fool out of us..." He was clothed in a green jacket, a backwards cap covering his blonde hair. He was the leader of their originally twenty-man group before their dreaded encounter with the Demon King of Kuoh, Shirou Fujimura.

"No offense, Bro," Another, Ken, interrupted, "but this is about the fifth or sixth time he's made a fool out of us. I'm pretty sure he KNOWS he can make a fool out of us. I think the guys are sick and tired of this. I mean, what are we even fighting for?"

"Mmhm." The third, Shun, nodded in agreement.

"We're fighting to wipe that fucking smug smirk off that asshole's face!" Hajime slammed his fist against the lamppost next to him, growling in unquestionable anger. "This used to be OUR town! Then that stupid little prick shows up, thinks he's all that, and shows US up! We're the Silver Scorpions!"

"I dunno...Maybe it's a sign, Bro." Ken sighed out. "I mean, it's not like we were doing anything major. The worst we ever did was spray paint walls. Then Fujimura showed up, you pissed him off, and he handed your ass to ya. Then you got pissed, ordered us on him, and he STILL handed your ass to ya. I'm beginning to detect a pattern, Bro. Maybe it's time to, you know, give up? We weren't even real gangsters in the first place."

That didn't sit well with Hajime. If there was one thing he had too much of, it was pride. And when his pride was wounded, you did not want to be the one who wounded it.

Hajime lashed out, grabbing Ken by the collar and giving him a harsh gaze, staring him right in his eye with a force of intimidation preventing Ken from fighting back. "Listen up! We can give up when I SAY we can give up. You shit heads wanna quit, I'll kill you. I'll fuckin' bury you. You got me?! Anything I say goes! Got it?!"

Ken swallowed, nodding quickly.

"Mmhm!" Shun agreed.

"Good. And since it's just you pansies, I guess we can go out for some _small-time fun_." Both Ken and Shun felt a shiver go down their spines from the wide grin on Hajime's face. "I'm always going out on my own, but maybe it will actually be fun to teach you two how to stop being such pussies!"

Both of his followers looked at each other uncertainly, but did not dare to object. Something about Hajime...it didn't sit well with them. They were relatively new members. They never spent much personal time with their leader. The only reason they were together tonight was because they all happened to flee in the same direction together. They didn't even want to be in a gang. Ken got peer-pressured and Shun just wanted the protection.

Neither were prepared for what Hajime wanted them to do.

"Come on, you two!" Not wanting to incur Hajime's wrath, they followed.

The night became eerie, the streets illuminated only by the street lights. They were alone.

They walked on for a while, Hajime shoving his hands in his pockets. For a brief moment, Shun and Ken thought they were just being dragged around to some kind of secret hideout...

How wrong they were.

"Check it out, you two." Both of the younger members of the gang peeked out from behind their leader, confused by the sight they beheld.

Leaning on one of the lampposts was a woman. A young woman dressed in a blue kimono, possessing brown hair with blue streaks and more-than-ample "assets".

Hajime licked his chops hungrily. "You boys just watch and see how it's done. This is what makes me more than the chicken-shit Fujimura is!" With a high sense of arrogance, the older man walked over to the woman, his grin widening even further.

"Um...what is he-?"

Hajime suddenly grabbed the woman from behind, holding a knife to her neck. "A single word and I'll cut your throat open!"

"What?!"

"What the fuck!?"

Both of the younger boys ran up, completely stunned by their leader's actions.

"Damn, girl! To think you had such a huge rack!" He traced his hands up her side, stopping at her huge breasts, grinning to himself still. "Now you and me are gonna have a little fun here, ya got it?!"

"H-Hey, Hajime! This isn't funny!" Ken tugged on his leader's sleeve, his eyes wide in horror. "Come on, man! Stop joking around!"

"Yeah!" Shun agreed. Then Ken got shoved away, hit by the leader he had previously followed.

That was when they saw it. The look in Hajime's eyes. The look of an absolute monster.

"Ya know what?" Hajime asked rhetorically. "I think she's hungry...what say we feed her a little something, huh?" He turned to Shun and Ken, as if expecting the two to do something. "Since I'm such a nice guy, I'll let you two go first..."

"Pass."

That one word was enough to make even Hajime pause. He yanked the woman violently by the hair, but she showed no discomfort, possessing a disturbingly blank expression.

Then, Hajime's shock turned to rage. "What the fuck did you just say?!"

The woman didn't react. "I said pass. After all, those two are two young. The young ones are too tough and stringy." Then she smirked. "I prefer older men like you...they make a much more excellent meal."

For a brief moment, Hajime's cockiness returned, believing that the woman was ready to give into what he wanted...

And then the woman grinned, revealing two rows of sharp, jagged teeth. Her eyes beginning to glow an unpleasant, red light. "And since you seem keen on offering yourself to me, I'm more than happy to dig it!"

What happened next was like a nightmare...it was something that could never be forgotten by the one that remained.

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Those screams echoed into the empty night.

Ken, for once, wishing he had never gone out that day, wishing he had never met the man named Hajime. He wished he had just stayed home. He could have had a life, made new friends, met a girl, had a family...but he threw it all away just because he wanted to look cool by joining a gang.

Shun could never fully process what happened. His mind refused to process it...the horror he saw.

There was screaming...the sound of flesh being torn from bone...and then there would always be that blood-smeared face...those hungry eyes, eyes that surpassed those of their boss...

The eyes of a TRUE monster.

* * *

 _"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"_

Shirou immediately leaped to his feet, startled by the sudden shriek of horror and agony. "What the hell?!" His eyes darted left and right, his ears listening carefully in an attempt to discover the source of the sound. He wasn't a good guy. He was far from a hero.

But those screams...

 _"...I...I don't want to die...Save...me..."_

Shirou clutched his head, intense pain piercing through his skull as memories of that awful nightmare, images he wished would remain buried, flashed before his eyes.

 _They_ would never let him forget. _They_ would never let him ignore it.

And so he ran, hoping that he could change what happened...although, as he would learn, he was too late.

He kept running and running, but the screaming stopped abruptly...leaving nothing but the cold darkness of night. Shirou had to rely solely on his memory. He desperately ran and ran, but the previously familiar streets of Kuoh Town started to feel something like an elaborate maze as Shirou tried to navigate his way through the dark.

Shirou ran until he couldn't run anymore. After twenty minutes of non-stop running, he had to catch his breath, having failed to keep his breathing even before.

Never before, had the darkness of Kuoh Town felt so eerie. It was so quiet...something abnormal for Shirou's life.

He had faced over a dozen thugs armed to the teeth with knives, chains, crowbars, baseball bats (MOSTLY baseball bats for some reason), wooden swords, just about everything from A to Z.

But it was only now that he felt such uneasiness...fear even.

"Huh!" The sound of footsteps filled Shirou's ears, alerting him to an approaching presence. He immediately hid behind a nearby lamppost, covering his mouth to soften the sound of his breathing. The night was starting to get seriously creepy and he didn't feel like drawing the attention of whoever was getting closer. It was like something was telling him that, for the first time since _that day_ , he was in danger.

His heart beating against his rib cage, Shirou could only wait until the approaching presence came closer and closer, the sound of their feet dropping against the ground revealing the amount of distance between him and them.

About five seconds away...four...three...two-

Shirou, resolved, edged towards the other side of the lamppost, peeking out to see what horrors the night had to unleash on him. It was...

A young girl, about seventeen or eighteen. She had gorgeous, raven-black hair tied in a pony tail and an appearance like a Yamato Nadeshiko. Shirou could not deny her beauty, but he still felt as though something were off. She looked so calm, but...that was off. She was walking alone, at night, with no clear direction in mind. She was looking at all of her surroundings, as if searching for something.

Shirou released a sigh of relief. _"Here I am, giving myself a heart attack for something that turned out to be nothing...but still..."_ Even if it was nothing, that still left the mystery of that incredibly loud scream.

And that feeling had refused to fade.

"Should I-" Shirou stopped cold, his eyes widening.

He saw _it_.

He almost wrote _it_ off as nothing, but he saw _it_. That shadow on the wall. It had a long body, like a giant snake stalking its prey.

Shirou didn't get a good look at it. He didn't need to to know that it was dangerous...and it was after that girl.

The _snake_ coiled its tail, clearly ready to strike.

And what happened next was either the bravest moment of Shirou's human life...or the stupidest.

He remembered running, his speed equal to that of the _snake_. It all came down to who was faster.

Hundreds of awful images passed through his head. He imagined that poor girl's corpse on the ground, her cold, empty eyes wide in despair and terror, as if reflecting her final moments.

Shirou refused to let that happen!

 _"It's a dream...it has to be a dream..."_ Shirou thought to himself, unable to stop even if he wanted to by this point. _"...No...it can't be..."_

"Behind you!" The girl froze, her face turning to him in shock. "Get out of the waaaaay!"

His last conscious movement was shoving the stunned girl out of the _snake's_ path...

And then pain. Agonizing pain was what answered Shirou next. A searing, raging pain that ripped through his stomach.

He looked down, seeing the long, tail-like appendage that was currently treating his torso as some sort of tail-ring, his internal organs rubbing against the "weapon" that pierced straight through his stomach, casually waving back and forth as if to taunt Shirou with the fact that he couldn't do anything about the pain.

Shirou stared at the tail pierced through his stomach, his vision beginning to go blurry. He reached out, either to pull the tail out of him or to pull himself off of it...but he couldn't manage the strength. Every time he tried to move, his arm fell limply at his side.

There was a sensation of weightlessness as he barely registered being thrown through the air, landing on the ground without any grace, blood spewing from the now open wound on his body. More and more blood began to flow from the wound...blood...blood...

"What a poor little morssssel...Don't worry~ I'll eat you quick..." A hiss-like voice spoke...Shirou could barely understand its words. "And sssssssoon your pretty..."

And his hearing went a little fuzzy after that. He could only seek vague images and only hear that which was right next to him.

He started to lose consciousness. The wound he had was fatal for sure, yet oddly he didn't feel any pain. In his final moments, he mused that perhaps it was just so painful he had become numb.

Not even halfway through with his life and it was all over. Out of all the ways he thought he would go out, being speared through the chest by some sort of giant snake monster was none one of them...

There was the sound of shaking earth and Shirou could swear he saw bright flashes of light...muffled screams could be heard from something...something _inhuman_.

 _"I wonder what would happen tomorrow? Would anyone find my body? What about school?"_ These thoughts were the only company he had. _"Would anyone notice I was gone? Nobody except Kiyome would care..."_ He would have laughed to himself it didn't hurt too much. _"Oh yeah...it's been about 7 years since that day...hasn't it...?...Ka-san, thanks for everything and...sorry..."_

And then there was silence...but not darkness.

The noises Shirou had been hearing vanished. For a moment, he thought he was alone, but then he saw blur pass before his eyes. If he really focused, he could just barely make out a crying face...a face filled with regret.

 _"Apparently God's going all-out with the irony today, huh...?"_

But whatever happened, it would be over either way.

So many memories came to mind. Good ones...bad ones...ones he didn't even remember had existed until that moment. His life flashed before his eyes. Before and after he met that person...

He remembered another face...the face of _that girl_.

Things he thought he would be able to picture again flashed vividly before him. He supposed it was a mixed-blessing of sorts...being granted this last gift.

"...ry.." Words. "I...orry..." Almost...if he focused just a bit more... "I'm sorry...This wasn't supposed to happen...Because of me, you got involved..." That person sounded sad. Shirou felt a soft hand caress his cheek. "So young...I know you still breathe, so I will be quick about it: Do you wish, with all of your might, to live again? To be able to live a new life?"

Mustering what little strength he had left, Shirou gave a weak nod.

"...Alright then. I'm sorry, but this is the only way. In order to pick up the life you have lost, a trade must be made." She voice laughed bitterly to herself. "But don't worry...you won't be alone. It's a promise from your Senpai that I will pay back the life you saved..."

The last thing Shirou remembered was that flash of red light. And then red hair...

Crimson red...like blood.

And thus, the life of the human, Shirou Fujimura, came to an end...

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** A New Life! Shirou Got The Green Mushroom!

* * *

 **Finished! I know that that one dark scene featuring those nobody gangsters was bit much...but I wanted to have them brutally killed and eaten without a pang of conscience. Plus, it's the ultimate form of irony. In case it wasn't obvious, I will explain it: Hajime bit off more than he could chew when the woman turned out to be a Stray Devil. The Stray Devil eats him. Ken gets offed to while Shun survives with severe mental trauma...So other than a Stray doing what a Stray does, nothing of _that_ nature happened.**

 **This was just to move the scene along...I gotta really try to make it a Third Person POV.**

 **Happy Thanksgiving everybody! How weird is it that, only a year ago, Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan was born on this very day! Hilarious!**

 **Anyway! Let's all hope that you all like this new Devil Reborn!**

 **Please read and review!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	3. Chapter 1: A New Life!

**I'm glad that everyone enjoyed the first chapter of what will hopefully be a LOOOONG redux! I myself believe that this is some of my best work so let's keep readin' together!**

 **I don't know if I said this before, but I'm essentially making up Shirou's bloodline and/or backstory as I go...So if you guys wanna pitch ideas, feel free. I'm open-minded as long as it's not something where he's like Great Red's child or Trihexa in human form or something like that. Everything except for things like that are welcomed.**

 **Also...for now, Shirou's English VA is Chris Patton.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except Shirou.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: A New Life! Shirou Got The Green Mushroom!**

 _It played through his mind like it did countless times before..._

 _The images of that place..._

 _The heavy rain...the fire that broke out...and blood._

 _It was a picture out of somebody's worst nightmare, corpses littering the classroom..._

 _...The sight of those horrors..._

 _He was so terrified he couldn't move..._

 _And there he was...laying on the ground...most of his body missing..torn away..._

 _"I...I don't want to die...Save...me..."_

 _Shirou couldn't move, he couldn't breathe..._

 _For one of those horrors was staring right at him..._

 _Pain...then more blood..._

 _He could never forget..._

* * *

Shirou opened his eyes, well aware he had just been asleep. He groaned as his body slowly woke up moments after his consciousness did, Shirou stretching his arms. It wasn't entirely pleasant because his whole body was awfully sore for some reason. It was honestly a real pain in the ass.

"Man...what happened last night..." He completely ignored his dream, having seen it too many times to keep caring about it...yet it still always wormed into his mind, sometimes mixing fiction and reality together. To be honest, the thing he was most worried about was the absolutely skull-splitting headache that caused him such piercing pain in his head. "Let's see...what I remember last was..." He groaned, burying his face into his hands as he tried to recall the images from the previous night.

There was that one memory...there was a-

 _"...Yeah, I think-!"_ However, Shirou's thoughts were unfortunately cut rather short by a harsh interruption.

[Wake up~! Wake up~! Wake up~! Come on~! Wake up~! Wake up~! Wake up~!]

On the nightstand next to his bed sat an alarm clock, said alarm with an obnoxious chibi cheerleader girl waving her pom-poms cheerfully.

[-ake up~! Wake up~! Come on~! Wake up~! Wa-!]

It was at that point that Shirou picked up the alarm clock...and threw it at the wall, the plug practically shooting out of the socket to follow it. The clock smashed into the smallest, most numerable pieces possible, scattering all across the ground.

"Shit alarm clock!" Shirou cursed, clenching his fists in rage. "I was so close to remembering too! Why did Ka-san have to give me such a stupid clock anyway!?" He wasn't sure when he had started sitting up, but he was. He was sitting up, his chest bare and his blanket covering his legs still. Even though he was far from hot, Shirou found he was sweating for some reason and his eyes were repeatedly drawn to his torso...He was so close to remembering what happened, but between his sore body and his headache, it was a hassle just to sit normally.

A chill went down his spine.

 _[What a poor little morssssel...Don't worry~ I'll eat you quick...And sssssssoon your pretty...]_

Shirou immediately covered his mouth, deeply resisting the urge to throw up.

He remembered it so vividly, that voice. The pain like hot iron through his chest could never have distracted him from recognizing that inhuman voice if not its appearance. It had only been a second before that blade went through his chest, but Shirou got a glimpse of it. _The snake_.

Long, slender, white tail...fangs sharper than the teeth of a shark...and a torso clothed in a kimono...

Shirou sighed to himself, rubbing his face anxiously as he tried to push those images out of his mind, desperately trying to rationalize what had happened. Even with the nightmarish images he had to compare them with, he could not accept what had happened as real.

"No way...none of that really happened." He eventually just settled for trying to outright deny it. "It was all definitely a dream..."

 _[In order to pick up the life you have lost, a trade must be made.]_

"...wasn't it?" Shirou examined himself, carefully tracing over each and every part of his toned abdomen, but could not find a puncture wound of any kind, neither big nor small. Shirou pulled a large frown, growling out of frustration. He started yanking on his hair. "Damn it! It was so vague! Why the Hell am I obsessing over iiiiit!?"

No matter how hard he tried to push it out of his mind, that thought kept bouncing right on back to the forefront of the rest of his thoughts, plaguing him like an uber-crazy, stalker ex-girlfriend.

 _"It looks like the only way I'm going to be able to get over this is think it over really hard..._ _"_ He thought to himself, nodding. "Right...so what else is there that can give me clues..." With intense determination, Shirou once again thought back to that scene in his mind. _"Let's see...there was that street...I recognize it...And I remember hearing someone scream. So if I can either find the location of where whatever happened or find somebody who might have heard what happened..."_

But he got the distinct feeling he had been forgetting about something...something major...

His eyes suddenly widened in realization. _"That's right! The girl with raven-colored hair! She wore our school uniform, I think!"_ His mind flashed back to the few solid details it could remember...

 _[I'm sorry...This wasn't supposed to happen...Because of me, you got involved...]_

He vaguely remembered her face, but he remembered something in particular: She was...crying.

Shirou blinked, shaking his head back and forth while shivering. "Geez...I really gotta snap out of it." He stood up from his bed, stretching his arms while yawning. "No time like the present to do some investigating. I just gotta go to school and ask around for a girl fitting my memory." He found himself turning towards his window again, feeling oddly disturbed at the sunlight pouring in...like it was going to bite him or something. Shirou clenched his fists, turning back to facing the wall he had previously been staring at. "...and if nobody wants to talk to me, I'll just give'em the ol' one-two!"

He paused for a moment, thinking to himself.

"Wait wait...if I go and do that, then Kiyome's gonna give me flak again...Hmmmm..." Shirou crossed his arms, a pensive expression on his face. "Meh, I'm sure she'll get over it. Now, time to ask some questions, go to school, and kick some butts!...Not necessarily in that order. I'll do whatever I can to find that mystery chick and finally put this whole nonsense to bed!"

Then there was that sweet-sounding sound "Mmnnnnnn..."

Shirou frowned, confused yet again. "Huh...?" He heard the sound of restless shifting behind him. "Speaking of beds..."

He turned around, looking down at the bed he had previously been laying on. It was from there that the noises originated. Not one to put things on hold for the sake of dramatic effect, he immediately pulled his blanket free, not caring if he bothered whoever or whatever had snuck in. This was HIS bed dammit!

"Alright! Rise and shine, you-!" He almost went blind the moment he pulled the sheets away. Blood flooded freely from his nose.

There was a girl...stark naked...beautiful...stark naked AND beautiful...in his bed...Perfectly naked for his wandering eyes. He could see the pink of her nipples. Blood continued to pour from his nose with renewed force, dripping off the edge of his chin.

 _"This is the first time I've ever seen a girl naked before..."_ He thought to himself, blushing deeply before. Once he realized how intently he was staring, he slapped himself on the face. _"No no no! That's not the thing to focus on here! Why are there tits in my bed-I mean-Why is there a girl in my bed!? How in the Hell did she get in here?! Who the Hell is she?!"_

And that was when he took a second look at her sleeping face...and her raven-colored hair, untied and laying freely around her...

 _"IT'S HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!"_ He screamed so loud that he almost deafened himself from within his thoughts.

In spite of all odds against it, it was the girl he had encountered last night...or in his dream...whichever turned out to be the the case. He STILL wasn't sure if it was some weird hallucinogenic dream or if it...

Shirou breathed in and out, trying to regain control over his emotions. There was only one way to put an end to this.

He changed the look in his eyes to a harsh glare. "Alright! Time to wake up! You've had your beauty sleep, so it's time to get the Hell up and give me some answers!" For a brief moment, there was no response. "HEY! I said get your ass up!" It was finally then that the sleeping girl moved slightly, reacting to Shirou's words. She let out a soft whine before her eyes started twitching, signalling her awakening. Shirou's blush deepened. _"Damn...She's so cute that it's almost a shame to wake her up."_ His eyes widened when he once again realized what he was saying, Shirou proceeding to slap himself more vigorously across the face. _"Get a grip on yourself! You cannot let this girl throw you off again!"_

The girl finally opened her eyes, staring at Shirou with her violent orbs, wearing a tired smile.

"Good morning." Her tone was so polite and peaceful.

"Oh good morning." Shirou replied back, dazed. "Um...did you sleep well?"

The girl nodded. "Yes, your bed was really comfy and I feel very well-rested. Thank you."

Shirou grinned, blushing as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well, that's good. I'm really glad-WAIT A MINUTE!" Shirou immediately leaped away, holding his arms defensively. "Nice try! But you're not gonna distracted me with your boobies-I mean-BEAUTY again!"

Shirou still found himself mesmerized by that smile of hers. "Oh...? Whatever do you mean?" Shirou couldn't help but notice a hint of mischief sneaking into her expression. She sat up from the bed, her bosoms bouncing with her movement, not obstructed by a bra or any other form of clothing.

Yet another wave of blood spewed out of Shirou's nose like a geyser. "Y-Y-Yo-Eeeeehhhh!" Shirou clasped his hands over his nose, desperately fighting to prevent himself from being entirely deceived by her erotic deceptions. "C-Cut it out! Stop messing with me and answer my questions, dammit!"

Amused by my reaction, the girl nodded before pulling out an orange ribbon seemingly out of nowhere, using it to tie her long, silky-looking hair back.

"Alright then. Ask away." She said casually, reverting to her previous, more polite demeanor. "Although we both might want to get dressed first."

The snow-haired boy hung his head in confusion. "Huh?" Then he felt a soft breeze _down there_. Curious and somewhat suspecting the cause, he looked down, expecting to see underwear of some kind. Instead, his eyes laid upon nothing but his birthday suit, his "male pride" out for everyone to see. He looked back up to the girl, his face lighting up red like a human thermometer. His hands immediately flew to between his legs, trying to protect what little dignity he had left. "You-You pervert! What the Hell did you do to me!?"

"Ufufu~ A man calling a woman a pervert~ What an odd scenario~" She said it in a teasing voice, apparently not taking Shirou seriously.

"I'm serious! Stop screwing around!" When she heard the serious anger and irritation in my voice, the girl finally ceased her teasing, sighing in disappointment.

"You know, you should really try to have a sense of humor." She replied lightheartedly, stepping out of the bed. "Could you hand me my clothes? You're kind of standing on them."

When Shirou looked down, he saw that she was indeed telling the truth. His feet were right on top of her clothes, a uniform from Kuoh Academy. He reacted immediately, quickly stepping off of them and picking them up, afterwards handing them over to their owner. He wanted answers, but somehow he figured that trying to hold her clothes as hostages was a backfire waiting to happen.

"Thank you." The girl smiled appreciatively, retrieving her clothes from Shirou and beginning to dress in front of him. A perverted part of him couldn't help but notice that her bra and panties were a violet color lined with black. "You're going to catch a cold if you stay like that."

"Shit! You're right!" Shirou immediately remembered his own situation, once again covering his "male pride" and rushing over to his dresser to pull out his own clothes. He immediately grabbed his own underwear and pants, almost tripping and falling over himself trying to get his pants legs on. "Alright...so we can finally get the conversation running in a serious direction: Who the Hell are you!?"

"Alright, I suppose it's fair for me to make an introduction." The girl agreed, her smile not fading for a moment. "My name is Akeno Himejima. I'm a Third Year at Kuoh Academy. I understand your suspicions, considering what you went through last night."

Shirou's heart froze for a moment, his ears catching that last part. "What do you mean "considering what I went through last night"?"

And it was for that brief moment that Shirou could swear that his Senpai's smile vanished. However, it quickly reappeared, Shirou's senpai putting her skirt on just as he finished buttoning up his own dress shirt.

Akeno considered the question for a moment. "Well, I would prefer to wait til we meet with the others to explain everything, I will tell you one thing: What happened last night was not a dream. You were impaled through the heart by that foul creature."

"What...?" It was one thing to say that Shirou had actually met his Senpai last night. It was one thing to say he had somehow encountered a giant, FUCKING snake monster. It was one thing to say that Shirou met his Senpai while encountering a giant, FUCKING snake monster. However, to say that he had met his Senpai while encountering a giant, FUCKING snake monster and getting impaled through the heart by said monster was something he could not believe in. "How can that be true! Last I checked, getting your heart ripped to shreds kind of results in an instant-death! And last I checked, I'm still here! Alive and kicking! Not to mention, even if I somehow survived being IMPALED THROUGH THE HEART, there would still be the _little_ issue of bleeding to death from the GIANT HOLE IN MY CHEST!"

"Of course." Akeno agreed. "That's why we were sleeping together naked. It's a special little magic that can be utilized to heal injuries via skin-contact."

"..." For a brief moment, Shirou said nothing. He could only stare blankly at Akeno, searching for some hint that everything she just said was absolute bullshit. "...But I had a HOLE in my chest! If anything you said was true, then I doubt that just sleeping nude together could have prevented me from dying! I still would have died!"

"You did."

"And another thing I'll have you-" Shirou only stopped his attempted rant when his brain processed Akeno's words. "...What?"

"You did die." Akeno smiled as if she didn't just say something strange. Shirou blinked.

"Come again for Delinquent King?"

"You did die last night."

"..." He couldn't find words to fully express the amount of disbelief he held.

"When you intervened with that fiend, you lost your life." Akeno explained as if this was supposed to make sense to Shirou in any way. "In order for you to live once more and in appreciation for your final brave act, my master saw fit to resurrect you... _as a Devil_."

"..." Yet again, Shirou found himself unable to fully respond. He managed brave efforts, but could only manage to open his mouth for several moments before closing it again.

"Don't make such a weird face. There are far more mysterious things in this world than you could imagine."

That sounded both interesting yet ominous in various ways.

"To make a long story short, you and I now share the same master for we are the same." The words coming from Akeno's mouth sounded so serious and honest, but Shirou's sanity gave him a hard time in trying to accept it. "As I told you, I am Akeno Himejima, but I am also the servant of Rias Gremory just as you are as of last night." She paused, tapping her chin as if trying to remember something. "Come to think of it, I don't even know your own name yet."

Too stunned to consider saying "No", Shirou replied as gracefully as possible.

"My name's Shirou Fujimura...and I have no idea what the fuck is going on with my life right now."

* * *

Shirou could do nothing but follow behind his Senpai, not entirely sure how to react to his current situation.

On one hand, the older girl he was walking with was smoking hot, on the other hand, he was fairly certain she was batshit insane. Either she was batshit insane or he was. Shirou felt it could have been either way in his vain attempt to rationalize anything that occurred that morning or the previous night.

"It was rather convenient that your parents were not home." Akeno said out of the blue to Shirou, walking only a few steps in front of him.

He could only agree halfheartedly. "Yeah..."

"I guess they must work pretty early in the morning."

"Er..." Shirou wasn't entirely sure how to respond. He had never walked to school with anyone before, so he wasn't entirely sure how to talk back. Sure he spoke with Kiyome and the glasses pervert sometimes, but this was different. Nothing about this situation was normal. Somebody actually WANTED to walk next to Shirou. To sum up his feeling: He felt awkward.

Akeno frowned at the extended silence on Shirou's part. "Or are they in-between jobs? I understand if you don't want to respond."

Shirou shuddered at the thought of what _she_ would do if he said anything along those lines, snapping out of his thoughts.

"No no!" He answered quickly. "It's just that Ka-san spends a lot of time traveling for tournaments."

"Oh? What is her specialty?" Shirou felt even greater discomfort in how interested somebody took actual interest in his life and that of his family.

"Erm...She's a professional swordsman." Shirou wasn't sure whether or not it was right to tell her. "She travels to fight and she fights to make money and she makes money so I can live here."

"What a kind woman." Akeno praised, pink tinging her face. Shirou wasn't quite sure if it was a tease or not. He had no experience with being teased other than Kiryuu, but that girl was way over the top about it.

"Yeah..." Shirou once again fell into awkward silence. He had defeated countless gangs and rival delinquents, but walking and talking with this girl was by far the greatest challenge he's ever had.

"And what about your father?"

"That...uh..." And OF COURSE she had to ask the most awkward question of all. The one that Shirou always had the greatest trouble answering. The only thing he could do was give a vaguely honest answer. "I dunno."

His Senpai raised an eyebrow. "You don't know?"

"I said I dunno." Another pause. "It's complicated." Or rather, it was a simple answer with complicated reasons. "I don't think I'm comfortable talking about it right now."

Akeno looked at him with an look that said "Say no more." with a hint of understanding.

The next time, the awkward silence was mutual, Shirou being unsettled by how quickly the older girl's cheer vanished.

"Hey, Senpai..." Shirou knew what her answer would be. He knew he would be unable to believe her response. "...about last night-"

Akeno stopped cold in her tracks, Shirou almost bumping right into her. For a moment, Shirou was certain he had somehow offended her judging from her silence. He was about to call out to her when she did something surprising.

She spun on her heels so fast that Shirou's eyes were barely able to register, Akeno lashing out with her arms at him. Shirou's first instinct had been to knock her hands away to avoid some kind of attack, but resisted said instinct after recognizing the lack of hostility or killing intent. Usually when people were reaching out for him, they were trying pummel him to death, so the concept of "a hug" was rather alien.

He wasn't sure what to do when she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer, shoving his face betwixt her bosoms.

First, Shirou felt shock. _"What is this?! Some sort of attempt to assassinate me by asphyxiation?!"_ And then he melted in the pleasure of the fact that he had his face between a hot girl's breasts. _"If it is, it's the best way to go in this situation~!"_ He allowed himself to be taken in by the embrace, enjoying the sensation of the senior's soft, pillow-like breasts.

"Thank you." The two words from his Senpai's mouth sounded so heartfelt.

Shirou's confusion gradually overwhelmed his perverted desire. The self-proclaimed Delinquent King looked up at her face, a soft smile gracing that gorgeous face of hers.

"Frrr vhat?" (Translation: "For what?")

Akeno blushed lightly. "Last night, you sacrificed your life in an attempt to save mine." She tightened her embrace, shoving Shirou's face further against her marshmallowy mountains. "There was no way you could have known that you would be resurrected, but you still gave your life, believing it to be the end. I'm not sure if it was out of bravery or foolishness, but I want to thank you either way."

Shirou's face flushed. He immediately ripped himself away from Akeno, taking several steps back. He crossed his arms, averting his gaze.

"I-Idiot! Don't get a swelled head like that!" He barked at her. "I was just out for a late night run and you were in my way! I pushed you out of the way and got stabbed! Nothing more, nothing less! I didn't even know that monster was there before! It was pure coincidence that you were saved!"

"Is that so~?" The raven-haired girl asked with interest, seeming amused by something.

"Y-Yeah!" His eyes widened as he realized his error. "Th-That's not to say I believe any of that happened yet! As far as I'm concerned, you're still a weirdo and last night never happened! That clear?!"

However, instead of a verbal response, Akeno wrapped two slender arms around Shirou, once again hugging him tightly.

"What the Hell are you doing?!" Shirou screamed, panicking from embarrassment.

"Ufufu~ If my Kouhai makes such an adorable expression, it's a little hard to resist~" But Shirou couldn't help but notice that her smile seemed a little forced. It was made even more confusing by that first surprise hug. "I look forward to introducing you to the others, Shirou-kun."

"Yeah, _Shirou-kun~!_ " The newer voice was clearly mocking and not belonging to either of the two students. "You're expression is just so _adowable~!"_

"Is da wittle Demon King getting all wuvy-duvy wit his wittle girlfweind?"

"I guess the so-called Demon King of Kuoh can't live without reassuring huggles from his girl!"

There was another round of laughter from the gathering seven or eight shady-looking teens.

"Ha! I get it! He's a wuss because he's being all soft with his girlfriend!" One of them laughed. "Coz only a sissy would have such a huggy moment with a girl! Good one!"

The laughter stopped and every single person turned to face the previous speaker, a short boy wearing a cap and (for some reason) overalls. He laughed uproariously, clutching his stomach.

Shirou stared at him like he was brain-damaged.

The leader, an older teen wearing a leather jacket, sighed, looking at Shirou. "He's new." He explained.

"Ah." Shirou nodded, having had quite a bit explained with two words. "Anyway, what are you parasites doing here? Don't you have anything better to do?"

The leader walked forward smugly, hands in his pockets. "Well here we are, minding our business, when a familiar face came waltzing down the street as if he owned the place."

"Well, while I may not own this street in particular, I'm fairly certain you can't claim that right either." Shirou countered. "So you can't really complain. And if you don't feel like picking your teeth off of said street, I suggest you and your band of merry men hit the road. I'm not in the mood to waste time with you."

Anger flared on the leader's expression. "You piece of shit! Don't you know who we are?!"

"Products of a failing public school system?"

"NO! We're the fucking Silver Snakes!" The leader screeched. "THE Silver Snakes!"

Shirou shrugged. "Silver Snakes, Gold Bulls, Bronze Gunz, Copper Ponies, I've heard so many that I've had to learn to stop caring whatsoever. Doesn't matter what name your wannabe gangs have, my ass-kickings are one-size-fits-all." He then proceeded to crack his knuckles in an overly-dramatic fashion.

"Look at you, all cocky like your tough shit!" Veins were sticking out from the leader's forehead, pulsing in response to his ever-increasing rage. "Well, I'll tell you something...YOU'RE NOT!"

Shirou ignored the fact that the leader hesitated, obviously having nothing witty to spite Shirou with.

"Listen, if you guys are done being total losers, I gotta go-"

"YOU'RE NOT FUCKING GOING ANYWHERE!" The leader stomped forward, grabbing Shirou by the collar, pulling him closer so their faces were only inches apart. "Me and my boys here are going to tear you apart! Do you have any last words, Fujimura?!"

Shirou coughed twice, covering his nose with his hand. "Two: Breath mint. Phew!" Shirou waved his hand in front of his face, as if trying to blow away some wretched scent.

"That's it!" And then the Silver Snakes' leader made the foolish mistake of trying to punch Shirou. "You're DEAD!"

"Oh no." Shirou deadpanned, raising one hand to lazily catch the relatively weaker punch of the leader. "Whoopsie-daisy!" Twisting his opponent's arm with both hands, Shirou flipped the poor, unassuming bastard over his shoulder, dropping him head-first against the hard, unforgiving concrete. "One bozo down," Shirou raised his eyes to stare at the other members of the leader's group, "seven to go."

One of them raised a hand. "It too late to apologize and leave?"

Shirou grinned. "Yep." He turned his head to see Akeno, still standing there with the same amused expression on her face. "Hey, I gotta murder these bitches real quick. Can you wait just one sec?"

The raven-haired placed a hand to her face, smiling brightly as if Shirou had not said a completely vulgar and violent thing. "Take your time~ I'm in no hurry."

Shirou stared, his expression stunned. "Huh...I honestly did not expect that response." However, he quickly got over his surprise, turning back to the other seven who had finally decided they were not getting away. Shirou was originally going to let them off with a light punch, but when they drew out various tools and weapons, he knew he wasn't going to leave it at that. "Oh well. Time to move on." He clenched his fist. "For the Demon King of Kuoh, it will only take ten seconds tops."

* * *

"Interesting." Akeno mused to herself. "When you said it would take only seconds, I surely thought you were exaggerating. Impressive."

Shirou hung his head, shoving one of his into his pockets. In his other hand, he carried two bags: His and his Senpai's. It was his (sort-of) apology for the wait. "Yeah, well, I'm pretty much the strongest guy in this town." He was desperately trying to his his arrogant smile, wanting to live in the rare moment where someone actually PRAISED him for being such a (self-proclaimed) badass. "Then again, those guys are probably just weak. With how weak they are, I've never needed to hit my limit."

"A pity." They were almost at the front gate of Kuoh Academy and, oddly enough, not everyone was trying to avoid Shirou. Whenever they passed by a few students, some of them would stop in place, staring with eyes wide. "Still, Rias will be pleased that you have some experience in fighting. This is good."

"Uh...Neat..." Shirou honestly wasn't sure what that meant. _"So...is her "master" like some kind of fight club leader or...And who the Hell is "Rias" anyway?"_

Rather than focus on that thought, knowing full well he would end up pondering the previous night all over again with the same exact results as before, he ignored it. There was nothing to be gained thinking about it. He could only wait until he met with this Rias-person and finally sort everything out once and for all.

After several minutes, Shirou's eyes started wandering, noticing that some of the other students were gathering together, whispering among each other in shock and wonder.

 _"I'm used to this crap, but even so...something feels...off..."_ Shirou frowned as he looked around, focusing on his hearing to grasp what they were saying.

"No way..."

"Why is she with _him_ of all people?!"

"This has to be a lie!"

"A total joke."

"There's no way that Akeno-oneesama would ever be with that freak."

"First Abe-senpai and now Akeno-senpai! This has to be a trick!"

"She's probably being forced to be with him out of some arranged marriage."

"It's most likely he violated her and is blackmailing her somehow."

"I'm gonna kill him..."

Shirou lowered his head in confusion. "Huh...?" He had heard a lot of messed up things said about him, but these were new, mostly because they involved the bombshell Onee-sama-type girl walking next to him. It wasn't that he was bothered. Insults like these rolled off him like water off a duck's back. But some of the students actually fainted. "I guess you have quite the following around this place..."

"Shirou!" It was only then that Shirou cringed, recognizing that familiar voice, mostly by the fact that it sounded as though the owner was about to give a harsh scolding. "Alright!" A familiar, blonde-haired babe broke through the ranks of the crowd, shoving several of them to the side as she made her way to the front. "What kind of trouble have you been getting into to draw this kind of crow-"

Kiyome cut her sentence short upon laying eyes on the source of the commotion.

There was a sudden silence that descended upon the entire courtyard, everyone's eyes on the meeting between two of the hottest girls on campus (or so Shirou assumed due to the hype occurring as a result of Akeno being with him). Yet again, Shirou was in a moment like the calm before a storm.

Shirou felt chills go down his spine when Kiyome turned to him, a disgustingly bright smile on her face.

"Shirou, what is this?" She asked calmly.

"Abe-senpai! That Fujimura bastard's been cheating on you!"

"Castrate him!"

Shirou shot death glares in the direction of those who just spoke, a glasses freak and a baldy. "FUCK OFF AND MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!" The crowd immediately dispersed, fearful of his rage. Then he turned his eyes back to Kiyome. "OK, now I know how this looks...and I'm not sure what to say. I'm not entirely sure how to interpret the situation."

Kiyome raised a trembling fist. "Here I come, all worried because I thought you were in serious trouble, and then I see you with...with _her._ " She placed her hands on her hips, glaring murderous daggers at the two.

"Huh?" Shirou couldn't help but notice he's been saying that a lot lately. As to the reason behind Kiyome's anger, he had no idea. When it came to the inner workings of the female mind, Shirou was as dumb as a sack of potatoes.

"I can't believe you would seriously stoop so low!"

Akeno, on the other hand, was much more perceptive, being a woman herself. She looked between the red-faced, angry Kiyome to the confused expression on Shirou's face, the practically albino young man still trying to figure out what exactly was happening to him. It didn't take a genius to put two and two together.

"What the Hell is wrong with you?!" Shirou asked, getting irritated by how rudely he was being treated. "Is it your time of the month or something?"

Akeno smirked, her more mischievous side deciding to have some fun before he truth came out. She wrapped her arms around the surprised Shirou, emphasizing their closeness by hugging his arm between her large breasts.

"Ara ara, I think she's just a little upset about _us_ , Shirou-kun." She mused.

"What?" He was honestly not sure what to ask about first: What Akeno was talking about with Kiyome or what she meant by "us".

"After all, I've seen everything you have to offer under those clothes and there is a _lot_ to offer."

Shirou flushed, understanding at least that last statement. "H-Hey! Don't purposely cause misunderstandings!"

But it was too late.

Kiyome's face flushed an even greater shade of red to the point one poke might have caused blood to explode from her cheeks. "You-You-! JERK!" Kiyome brought her hand around, slapping Shirou with such force that the the resulting noise resounded throughout the entire school.

"FUCKING OUCH!" Shirou winced, rubbing his stinging cheek, barely covering the prominent, red, hand-shaped mark that appeared. "What the fuck is wrong with you, psycho?!"

"At least I don't go around with the first pretty girl that catches my eye!" The blonde-haired girl crossed her arms, looking away.

Shirou rubbed his temples, desperately trying to grasp the situation to no avail. "You're not even making any sense anymore!"

"Just fuck and get it over with."

The Delinquent King shot a hateful glare at the glasses girl who suddenly approached them, adjusting her glasses with that evil glint in her eye like a child who found something mischievous to accomplish. "Kiryuu, if you don't shut up, I'm going to beat you into a coma! I swear to GOD-ACK!" A sharp pain ripped through his skull like the claws of a savage beast, Shirou falling to one knee while clutching his head. "The fuck...?"

"Shirou...?" For a brief moment, worry seeped into Kiyome's eyes, betraying her true feelings.

The snow-haired boy glared at Kiryuu. "What the Hell?!"

"What? I didn't do anything!" Kiryuu raised her hands, sounding genuinely insulted by the accusation. Shirou looked her in the eyes, but there was no ill intent that she usually exuded. She seriously seemed to have had no involvement with the sudden pain Shirou experienced.

"Oh right. Sorry." Akeno apologized, Shirou looking over his shoulder to stare at her. "I suppose I should have warned you about that. It would probably be best to avoid using that name in any form of vow or prayer."

"What's that supposed to mean...?" Shirou asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, Akeno," Kiyome agreed, her eyes boring into Akeno with hostile intent, "what IS that supposed to mean?" But it sounded as though she already knew the answer to her own question, even if Shirou didn't.

The two Third Years stared at one another, Kiyome seeming to become more and more irritated with each passing second. She started clenching her fists at her side, trembling with increasing shock.

"You mean-?"

Akeno nodded.

Shirou felt the atmosphere grow colder, Kiyome's previous rage and shock changing to understanding and concern. Akeno's previous mischievous expression was replaced by a solemn one.

"If you desire the entire story later, I will be glad to tell you." She turned towards the school building. "For now, it would be best if we all went to our respective classes before we're all late."

"Alright. I think I understand it now..."

Shirou had no idea what to do in response. Everything was all heated and hostile before. Before, Kiyome looked as though she wanted to hit Shirou out of frustration, but now she looked as though she needed a hug.

Kiyome looked at Shirou, sighing. "I guess I misunderstood the situation before. There better be a good reason though or I'm going to have to have a word or two with Rias." With that, Kiyome left them, walking towards the school building.

 _"Was that an apology or a threat...?"_ Shirou asked to himself _. "And who was it for?"_

"Shirou-kun, Rias will send one of us to get you after classes are over." Akeno's smile that time seemed a little forced. "Let's meet again later." And she left as well, leaving just Shirou and Kiryuu.

Said glasses pervert turned to Shirou. Surprisingly, her usual lewd or otherwise vulgar expression was nowhere to be found. In its place was a questioning look.

"I got the pent up sexual tension between you and Kiyome-senpai, but what was the rest of that about?"

In response, Shirou opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He stared blankly.

"I would answer that...if only I understood what the fuck was going on with life right now."

"Yeah, I guess that would be your response." Kiryuu noted expectantly. "I wish you luck with whatever business you have with Rias."

"Yeah-WAIT!" Kiryuu almost tripped halfway through turning around, looking back at Shirou. "Who is this Rias person anyway?"

Kiryuu stared at him like a crazy person. "Wow. You really have no clue what goes on around here, do you?" Shirou glared at her. "For your information, Rias Gremory is THE most popular girl in school. She is one of the Two Great Onee-samas along with Akeno Himejima."

Shirou groaned. "That explains why I've never heard of her. She's just one of those girls who are popular just for their looks and, in most cases, just for the sake of being popular."

"Well, she's also the President of the exclusive Occult Research Club if that makes any more sense."

"Occult Research Club?"

"Yeah."

Shirou rubbed his temples.

Monsters, Devils, and now the Occult Research Club...and then there was that nightmare...This situation was going in directions that Shirou didn't think were possible.

And it would only get worse.

* * *

Shirou's eye twitched in irritation as he leaned back in his seat, kicking his legs up onto the desktop.

Everyone was staring at him. By the end of the final class that day, everyone had heard the rumor of how the Demon King of Kuoh not only snagged the super hot Captain of the Tennis Club but also one of the Two Great Onee-samas, two-timing both without mercy. He had always been called a sex fiend who preyed on defenseless girls, but now those rumors were booming with renewed force.

The reactions the other students around him varied but were generally split between two groups: Guys who wanted to burn Shirou at the stake and girls who wanted to keep as far away as possible for fear of being _preyed_ upon.

Not that he cared either way other than how annoying it was that people were crowding closer than they normally would, trying to get a look. Everyone was too much of a coward to actually do something to him, and he had long-grown accustomed to the harsh and hate-filled stares. They were the same looks he mirrored right back at them, ready to show the difference between their strength at any time. Although, another reason for the stares of his classmates and even his teacher could have been the fact that, unlike normally, he was awake all through the day rather than kicking back and catching Z's like he normally would.

Shirou just couldn't relax. He felt a little anxious about everything that happened last night, everything that happened that morning, and everything that MIGHT happen before the day is done. He was so deep in denial that he was still half-certain that last night never happened and that he and/or Akeno had gone off the deep end.

There was no rational explanation as to how any of that could have happened, so by Occam's Razor, it didn't. That was the simplest explanation, so it must have been true. This was how Shirou defied the thought that Akeno was telling the truth.

All he had to do was wait for whoever was being sent to collect him, go with them to meet with Rias Gremory, hear their full explanation, call bullshit, and leave. That's all there was to it.

"...Hey."

 _"That's all I got to do."_ Shirou kept telling himself.

"...Hey."

 _"No matter what illusions or tricks they try to pull on me, I have to remain resolute."_

"Hey."

 _"Stay strong, Shirou. The snake monster is as fake as that nightmare."_

And that was when somebody sharply pinched Shirou's arm, twisting it violently to increase the pain and irritation.

"Ow!" Shirou winced, turning to the person currently trying to get his attention and (most likely) an ass-kicking. "Who did that?!"

"...Over here." That calm, almost monotone voice addressed Shirou without hesitation.

Shirou looked over to his right to see an unfamiliar younger girl with snow-white hair and hair clips with cat designs. She was short and was probably a first year. Other than that, the only other discernible feature of hers was her incredibly monotone expression, like she didn't truly care if Shirou heard her or not.

"Um...Hello..." Shirou greeted awkwardly, uncertain what she was expecting.

"...Hi." She greeted politely in turn. Shirou's eyes couldn't help but wander to her hair again, staring with wonder.

 _"And here I was thinking I was the only one with that abnormal hair color._ _"_ He thought to himself, zoning out for a moment. _"Two white-haired teens at this academy. What next? A girl with GREEN hair? Blue hai-Wait a second...That shorty's talking to me! Quick, Shirou! Say something! Sound like you're paying attention!"_ Shirou immediately turned back to the girl. "Oh! Right! Sure! Let's do that!"

The girl stared at him with half-lidded eyes. "You weren't paying the slightest bit of attention, were you?"

Shirou opened his mouth to deny it, but saw the futility. "No. I don't even know who you are." He replied with absolutely blunt honesty.

"...Koneko Toujou. A First Year." She introduced herself. "...Buchou and Akeno-senpai already told me who you were, Fujimura-senpai."

""Buchou"...? I know our other Senpai, but who i-" Then Shirou's eyes widened with realization. "Oh-OH! You were sent by Gremory-senpai to come get me!"

Koneko nodded in response. "Just like I said. I'm here on behalf of our Senpais."

 _"Finally! To get some real answers!"_ Shirou stood up from his seat, placing one hand in his pocket and the other on his Kouhai's shoulder. "Alright. Lead on, Shorty."

A harsh slap knocked Shirou's hand away from Koneko's shoulder, the snow-haired loli shooting an annoyed glance at him. "Don't call me that." And then she turned back and started walking as if nothing had happened at all. Shirou was honestly irritated by her poor attitude. More-so because she was just ignoring him.

Something to be known about Shirou is that he hates being ignored. Hated and feared is fine, but, like a child, he can't stand being ignored by someone younger and shorter than him. It greatly annoyed him.

The irritated delinquent grudgingly followed his Kouhai, but paused at the door, looking at the hand that Koneko had slapped.

"What...?" Right where she had slapped him was a big, purple bruise. It didn't hurt too badly, but it was surprising.

The thing about Shirou: He doesn't bruise easily.

Koneko Toujou was not what she appeared on the surface.

* * *

As they made their way across the after-school campus, Shirou couldn't help but notice that the hostile gazes on him had increased even further than before, many of the male students looking like they were about to rush him in a vain attempt to beat him up. Still, Shirou welcomed them to try.

Shirou frowned. Not because of the hostile glares which he easily ignored, but because of the sun. It seemed hotter and brighter than it did before and it was bugging the Hell out of him.

"...Something wrong?" Koneko asked, looking at Shirou from the corner of her eye.

"I dunno..." Shirou replied honestly. "My skin is just oddly sensitive today. The sun's killing me."

Oddly, Koneko seemed understanding towards Shirou's predicament. "You'll get used to it after a while."

Shirou wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. Normally, he would take it as something along the lines of "Stop being a baby", but that didn't sound like Koneko's intent to him. It was a blunt response with no hidden meaning. She meant what she said and that sounded strange to Shirou.

 _"Does she have the same condition..?" Shirou narrowed his eyes. "...Or does she know something else?"_

Still, the sun continued to beam harshly upon Shirou, steadily draining of his stamina. He didn't notice it before, but it was somewhat tiring. He still had ample stamina to use to defend himself in a fight, but there was too much being used for such small-time movements.

After a short time, they came across an old building...

Shirou was usually out of the loop, but he sometimes noticed this building out of the corner of his eye. It was only now that it was right in front of him that he paid it any real attention. It wasn't just the incredibly well-maintained appearance of the building that caught his eye. There was something else...

Shirou couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he felt an odd feeling coming off of the building. It gave him the creeps. He had never felt something like this before.

"...Buchou is here." Shirou stared at Koneko as she made the announcement, stopping at the front entrance of the building. She pulled open the door and led Shirou inside the building, revealing a rather grand inside that surpassed the appearance of the outside. It gave Shirou an idea as to why this club was popular. The inside of the clubhouse was shiny and clean on top of everything else about its magnificent appearance.

As they made their inside the building and up some stairs to the second floor, Shirou got the feeling that he was about to dive head-first into another storm that was bound to surpass the last by miles. They kept on walking before stopping before a specific room with a sign over the door:

[Occult Research Club]

"So, what is Rias like anyway?" Shirou asked, trying to break the tense silence.

"...You'll see in a second." With that, Koneko proceeded to knock on the door in front of her. "Buchou, I have brought him."

There were a few seconds of waiting before and unfamiliar voice replied. "Yes. Come in."

Koneko entered the room, shortly followed by Shirou.

Shirou wasn't entirely sure what to expect from the clubroom for the Occult Research Club. Part of him expected something incredibly mundane, but, when he first laid his eyes on it, it just felt fitting. An odd appearance for an odd club featuring rather odd people.

The entire room was covered in various weird signs and symbols that made absolutely zero sense to Shirou. They looked like some sort of Satanic ritual circles you would expect someone practicing necromancy or something to have. There was an especially large one right in the middle of the room and appeared the be the main source of the creepy feeling this building gave him. There were a couple of sofas and desks scattered around the room that ruined the atmosphere a little with their out-of-place-ness.

Sitting on one of said sofas was a blonde teen about Shirou's age, sitting politely while sipping some tea in an elegant fashion. He had such a pleasant air that would have just drawn anybody to him, wanting to be his friend or (in the case of women) his lover. He was an absolute pretty boy.

Shirou hated him instantly. He could only imagine how arrogant this guy was in private towards other people.

"...This is Shirou Fujimura." Koneko introduced before going to go sit down on the couch across from the pretty boy.

The pretty boy stood up, bowing courteously. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Yuuto Kiba."

"Uh...likewise...?" Shirou was caught off-guard. He expected some snide or cocky remark or something, but instead he acted rather polite. "Erm..." He expected something big to happen since he entered the room, but the feeling given off Koneko and Kiba was horribly underwhelming to him. They were just so _normal_ that it only lent credence to the obvious truth that Akeno had been full of shit.

In a way, this was relieving to Shirou. Even for the moment, this sense of normality after all that he had been picturing all day and all the odd or brutal images he had in mind concerning the true nature of the people whom Akeno had mentioned before.

Nobody this normal could have anything to do with Devils.

"I understand it's disorienting, that first day back." Shirou eyed Kiba with curiosity.

""The first day back"?"

"After being brought back alive I mean." The air in the room became cold after that, Shirou realizing that he had been too hasty in dismissing him or Koneko as normal. "It's pretty hard the first day, but you will get used to it."

It was the same thing Koneko had said: "You will get used to it."

Shirou had to keep denying that there was anything to even get used to. He just couldn't believe it no matter what evidence was given.

"Right..."

"It's good to see everyone is getting along so far." The newer voice put Shirou on-edge, Shirou raising his guard to its highest point.

When he laid eyes on the owner of the voice, his eyes widened so far that his eyeballs almost popped out of their sockets.

She was a beautiful young woman, possessing blue eyes and an unbelievably crimson shade of red coloring her waist-length hair. Like Koneko, she wore the girls' student uniform for Kuoh Academy, but the major difference between the two was that this new girl had more to fill out her clothes with.

Her beauty was something even Shirou had not expected. Skin so white that its brightness almost blinded him and an elegance that put all others to shame.

"It is good that we can meet face-to-face since you woke up. As I'm sure you have figured out, I am Rias Gremory."

Such a calm, pleasant, and controlled disposition was something Shirou was certain could only exist with a goddess.

Shirou wasn't one for popularity contests, but even he had to acknowledge as to why she was referred to as the most beautiful, most popular girl in school.

"...Buchou, he's staring at you with those pervy eyes." Koneko stated with an incredibly harsh tone.

"Hey! Shut your mouth, Shorty!" Shirou hissed at her with annoyance. "Who said I was necessarily thinking pervy thoughts just coz I was staring at her beauty, huh!?"

Koneko stared, still deadpan. "...Well, you're a boy and you're totally ogling her. Doesn't take a genius to figure out your thoughts."

Shirou raised his fist in anger. "Fuck you!"

"Now now, everyone settle down." Rias urged with a calm smile. "I'm honestly flattered, Fujimura Shirou-kun, but please refrain from getting hostile with my servants."

"Tch! Whatever!" Shirou looked away, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"That's her way of politely saying "Stand down"."

"DAFUQ!?" Shirou leaped to the side, turning his head to see his other Senpai, the one with raven-colored hair, suddenly appearing behind him without any prior notice. "When did you get here?!"

Akeno smiled. "Sorry! Didn't mean to surprise you."

"I see you have finally been introduced to the others." Rias noticed, seeing how I was already familiar with everyone. "So, Fujimura Shirou-kun-No. Maybe I call you "Shirou"?"

"Sure, why not?" Shirou waved it off as nothing. "I know everyone usually refers to me by my surname or (albeit rarely) honorifics, but I don't give a damn either way. I was never one for being treated with formality."

"That's an interesting trait." Rias noted. "And now, as we've finally gotten such things out of the way, we can finally get on with our business."

"Yeah." Shirou agreed. It was about time he finally got some real answers and figured out whether they were all lying or not.

"We, the Occult Research Club, welcome you-"

"Eh?" Shirou wasn't quite sure when he had agreed to that.

"-as a Devil." Ria-senpai finished, crossing her arms. She had an expression as though it was the final say on the matter.

"So how does it feel to be one of us, Shirou-kun?" Akeno asked, poking her head over Shirou's shoulder. He blushed, taking several steps away.

"Now hold on a second!" Shirou jabbed an accusing finger in Rias's direction. "I never said a word about ever joining up with you guys!"

"Oh?" Rias wondered with that same charismatic smile. "And why ever not? You and Akeno are clearly on friendly terms."

"W-What's that supposed to mean?" Shirou blushed slightly, remembering the events that occurred earlier that day, mainly the one where he and Akeno had woken up together wearing nothing but their birthday suits.

"Buchou, please don't tease him." Akeno requested in an amused tone similar to Rias's. "He really is dead-set on getting an explanation. He still needs convincing of the truth."

"Fair enough, I suppose." Rias motioned Shirou to sit down on one of the couches. "Sit and I will answer whatever questions you possess."

Shirou weighed his options. He could leave and live in denial for the rest of his life, always fighting off that memory of that snake for as long as he lived or he could stay, listen, and still possibly receive evidence that it was a lie.

He chose the latter. "Fine, but the moment I smell BS, I'm out of here." He took a seat next to Kiba, hands on his own lap. It was perhaps the first time he ever truly focused all of his attention on one thing.

Rias took the seat opposite him, Akeno standing by her side like some kind of servant.

"I will go brew some tea for everyone." Akeno offered before immediately walking off.

As she did that, only four remained: Kiba, Rias, Koneko, and Shirou.

Shirou stared sharply at Rias, scrutinizing her every move and word in his mind, ready to catch on to the slightest lie or deception. Rias, on the other hand, was perfectly calm, her noble demeanor not budging an inch. She met Shirou's gaze without fear nor hesitation.

"So, tell me, Shirou. What is it you desire to know about last night?"

Once again, the image of that nightmarish monster flashed before Shirou's eyes, taunting him. Then the memories of carnage, the absolute despair from his other nightmare.

The Demon King of Kuoh clenched his fists tightly. "...What I want to know...?...What I want to know is...HOW LONG ARE YOU PLANNING ON TRYING TO PULL THE WOOL OVER MY EYES?! There's no way any of that happened! No way any of it was real!"

"No way any of what was real?" Rias asked coyly.

"Don't fuck with me!" Shirou stood up, his fists tightening even further. "I'm talking about that big-ass snake demon thing! I need to know how the fuck you guys did that! Some kind of optical illusion!? Hypnosis?! There's no way any of that was real!"

Rias shook her head. "Sorry, but I'm afraid it was as real as you and I, Shirou."

"Bullshit!" Shirou slammed his hands down on the table. "There's no such thing as monsters or Devils!"

"No such thing as Devils, huh...?" For some reason, this brought a smile to Rias's face. She laughed slightly to herself. "Hmhm! Then you truly must be in doubt if you say such things." She looked at the other two occupants in the room other than Shirou. "Yuuto, Koneko."

[Yes, Buchou.]

Both of them immediately stood at attention, behaving as though Rias's word was law.

Rias stood as well, possessing an amused expression, as though she were about to do something fun.

"Perhaps you don't know the true purpose behind the Occult Research Club, Shirou." Shirou felt a chill go down his spine at Rias's words, he air in he room becoming colder. "You see, this club's activities may be a hobby of mine, but it is nothing more than a camouflage for us just as it is for you starting today." Shirou tried to object, but Rias continued speaking before he could. "Last night, you met your tragic end at the hands of that filthy creature, so, as I'm sure you have been told, I brought you back although as a Devil."

Shirou was about to call her a liar again when something unbelievable (on par with everything else that happened as of late) occurred.

Wings sprouted from Rias's back. Midnight-black, bat-like wings that were as apparent as the nose on his own face. Not just Rias, but Kiba and Koneko as well. All three of them sprouted wings with appearances similar to those of bats.

 _"No..."_ Shirou decided to himself. _"Not bats. DEVILS."_

And then he felt an odd sensation on his own back. Not unpleasant, but abnormal.

Having a faint idea as to the cause, Shirou slowly and reluctantly turned his head to look behind him, his eyes widening in shock and disbelief as he saw them. The same black wings as theirs, poking right out of his own back. Experimentally, he reached around and poked the right wing, shuddering as he experienced the sensation of touch from this appendage he was certain he never possessed before.

There was no denying it. He had wings. DEVIL WINGS. He was a Devil...

"Holy shit...Holy shit..." In that moment, it felt like all the wind got knocked out of him. He clutched the area around his heart, stumbling until he grabbed the back of he couch for support. "Oh, wow..." He wiped sweat from his forehead.

Rias frowned. "Are you...okay?" She sounded like a prankster whose joke had ended up not being as funny as they thought it would.

"This is...This is..."

"It will be disorienting at first, but I promise-"

"AWESOME!" Shirou excitedly threw his arms into the air.

For a moment, Rias was taken aback by the sudden rush of enthusiasm by the previously hostile boy. "...it is?"

"Hell yeah! I have WINGS!" Shirou shouted with joy. "How is that not cool?! Now I can fly around and shit! It will be totally badass!"

Rias was at a loss for a moment, but couldn't help but enjoy the boy's excited reaction. He was like a child celebrating a new toy he just got.

Then Shirou paused, an expression of shock and horror crossing his face. "OH SHIT! I GOT A HOLE RIPPED THROUGH MY CHEST!" He anxiously rubbed his torso, staring as if expecting it to blow up into millions of bloody pieces at any moment.

Rias sweatdropped. "Quite a late reaction."

"...It's official. He's an idiot." Koneko stated.

Kiba smiled awkwardly. "You have to admire his energy though."

"Hm? Did I miss something?" Akeno walked in carrying a tray holding cups of steaming hot tea. She took notice of the situation and the various expressions on everyone's faces, reacting with disappointment. "Oh, you convinced him of the truth? I thought it would take longer than that. I was hoping to see his expression when his wings popped out."

And so, Shirou's refusal to believe in his own death was completely shattered.

Once Shirou finally calmed down, everyone took a seat, taking their own respective cups of tea.

Shirou's hands were somewhat shaky, but he gratefully took a sip, enjoying the surprisingly palatable flavor that he never expected could come just from simple tea. Once he had managed to calm his nerves from the shock that hit him full-force, he set his cup down, sighing to himself.

"So...I died." He reiterated yet again as if for confirmation. "I _died_."

"Yes." Rias responded. "And then you were brought back as a Devil." This was the fifth time she had needed to remind him in the past eleven minutes.

Shirou rubbed his temples, breathing in and out. "Alright. Alright...but what exactly happened though?" Everyone perked up as he finally said something different from the same two words he had previously been repeating again and again. "That monster...what the Hell was it exactly? What is the deal with Devils and all this? And, more importantly, HOW THE HELL AM I NOT DEAD NOW?! I get you brought me back, but that in itself is vague and not much of an explanation. I believe you when you say you're Devils, but what I want to know is how this happened?...And why?"

The crimson-haired Senpai of Shirou's set her own teacup onto the table between them. "The answer to your questions is simple yet complex. I will need to explain our history in order to explain your current situation."

Shirou leaned in. "I'm listening."

"Tell me: Do you know the three major races depicted in the Bible?" Shirou was uncertain why the question was asked, but he knew it pertained to the current situation. He could only answer the question.

"Well, first there's Devils, obviously, who are like the horned imp creatures who torment people for all eternity coz they did something bad..." Shirou guessed. He truly wasn't a Christian and only knew the vaguest details about what he Bible was about.

"Well, I suppose that's how most people see us." Rias agreed. "Granted, there were once Devils with truly monstrous appearances and personalities to match, but our kind weren't the hideous torturers we were thought of as. Sometimes savage towards our enemies-but only when pushed." She sounded as though she was trying to justify it, possibly out of embarrassment. "Regardless, I assure you we have become a more tame race since ancient times, so please do not have a poor opinion."

Shirou raised his hands to calm her. "Alright. I believe you. It's not like humanity was any better in the past. We...They have had their own high and low points in history." Shirou had had to remind himself that he was no longer considered human and had had to correct himself.

It was awkward for a moment, but then Akeno cleared her throat. "What about the other two mentioned, Shirou-kun?"

Irritation flashed across Shirou's face before he calmed himself. However, he raised one finger. "First off, it's just Shirou. You don't need to add the honorifics. You're free to, but as I said before, I don't care either way."

"Very well then, Shirou." Akeno seemed surprised but overall pleased by Shirou's words.

He hung his arms behind his head, turning his gaze to the ceiling. "Well, obviously, there's the Angels who are like God's wingmen, spreading his name and bestowing miracles on humans and junk and...Er..." Rias stared at him expectantly, but Shirou wasn't quite sure what else he was supposed to say. "...and they smite unbelievers?"

"To an extent," Rias admitted, "but that's not a job for most Angels. Mostly, their job is to carry out God's direct orders as you said. However, the duty of spreading the belief and executing heretics generally falls to the Church, which serves God and the Angels."

 _"Sounds about right."_ Shirou thought to himself, smirking. "And the final group, they are-?"

"The Fallen Angels." Rias answered, looking as though she had a bitter taste in her mouth. "They are the Angels who fell from Heaven for succumbing to sin. They retain their power, but they can no longer follow the path of God."

Shirou scratched his chin. "Alright, so I think I get what each of these three groups are about, but that still doesn't answer my question!"

"We're getting around to that." The darker-haired member of the Two Great Oneesamas said, urging Shirou to calm himself. "It was important to have you understand these three groups so you could fully grasp the reason behind your death." Her smile wavered for a moment, but didn't leave her face.

"We, the Devils, have been at war with the Fallen Angels since ancient times." Rias explained. "We have been fighting over the possession of the Underworld, which is also known as Hell in the human world. The Devils make contracts with humans and receive their sacrifices and increase their strength. The Fallen Angels, on the other hand, control humans to eliminate Devils. At this point the Angels come in to destroy these two races on God's orders."

"So it's like a three-way turf war...?" Shirou asked, trying to comprehend what Rias was saying.

She considered it for a moment before nodding. "If thinking that way helps you understand it better, then yes."

"I see..." Shirou seemed to grasp what was being said to an extent concerning the war between the three groups, but something still boggled him. "Huh..."

"Something the matter?"

"Well, it's just that you would think that people would notice it, ya know?" He could only use a question to answer her question. "I mean, if there's a big war between all three groups going on, wouldn't there be a lot of chaos and destruction. Other than recent European conflicts I heard about on the news, there hasn't been any major disasters that could have had an abnormal origin. You would think that Devils and Fallen Angels of all creatures would wreak a lot of havoc in the midst of a war." He picked back up his cup and took a sip.

A self-scolding look appeared on Rias's face. "Oh. I believe I have caused a misunderstanding." Shirou looked up from his cup, raising an eyebrow. "The war actually took place a long time ago, but in the current day and age, it's more like a tense armistice than anything. Many minor skirmishes still take place between these three factions, but it's mainly through political maneuvering that open-warfare is prevented."

"Well that's stupid. They're all a bunch of idiots, the Devils' leaders, the Fallen Angels, and especially that shit God of the Angels' side."

Everyone let out a sharp gasp at the same time, generating a sound so loud you would have believed a vacuum cleaner was left running. Koneko suddenly gained a new-found interest in her own tea along with a candy bar she produced seemingly out of nowwhere. Kiba became fidgety and somewhat irritable. Akeno looked at Shirou with both worry and a hint of admiration. Rias, on the other hand, was calm, but gave a quick glance towards the ceiling, as if expecting a mighty fist to crash down and crush all of them like bugs.

Rias immediately stood up, giving Shirou a harsh stare. "While I can't entirely be upset with you over your harsh words towards God, me being a Devil and all, I would deeply appreciate it if you refrained from speaking ill of our Maous." When he saw the incredibly irritated expression on Rias's face, he knew he had touched a nerve somewhere. "They are the main reason the Devils have survived to this day, protecting us with their incredible power."

"Alright, alright. They're not that bad." Yet again, it was Shirou's turn to surrender the "battle". His Ka-san had always told him "With women, even when you're right, you're wrong. There's no such thing as victory.". She was a rather wise woman. Her teachings had saved Shirou many-a-bitchslaps (except from Kiyome from whom Shirou learned she would bitchslap without any adequate reason whatsoever).

Shirou leaned back into his seat, turning his gaze towards the ceiling. "But I still find it stupid. Either make war or make peace. Don't pussy-foot it like a jackass. It will only cost even more lives in the long run than the actual war itself." Needless death...it disgusted him. It was one thing to fight for a major cause, but for small groups from each faction to carry out such pointless things, killing others to complete objectives for a war that was long over, it pissed him off to no end. However, he only realized how zoned out he was when he noticed everyone's curious eyes on him. "Anyway, so the small-time skirmishes, the three factions, the sort-of-over-war...what history lesson do I need next to finally get the one answer I truly wanted?"

He didn't mean to sound as angry as he did, but his mood was spoiled a little by the previous subject.

"No no. No more history lessons. This leads up to how I brought you back." Shirou raised his head, completely focused on Rias. "You see, as I'm sure you have realized, the Great War between the three groups had severely depleted their numbers, the Devils included. Many of our Pure-bloods were lost in the war and around half of our 72 Pillars have gone extinct. We Devils are able to mate with members of the opposite sex, but it would take a long time to rebuild our population, especially considering the low birth-rate of Pure-blooded Devils."

Shirou kicked up his feet onto the table, causing the tea cups and tray on top of it to rattle violently. "So the Devils were afraid of this slow process, probably thinking something like "Oh no! If the Angels or Fallen Angels restore their forces before us, we will be annihilated!" or something along those lines, right?"

"Perceptive of you." The crimson-haired Devil raised an eyebrow in confusion and interest. "I suppose all of the rumors concerning your intelligence were pretty off the mark." To Shirou, who knew those rumors, this was a compliment even if others perceived it as a sarcastic insult.

However... "No no. Most of the rumors are true." He admitted this, grinning with no shame whatsoever. "I no learn books so well!" He playfully tapped himself on the head with his knuckle, sticking out his tongue in an attempt to come across as joking. "While I lack in book smarts to the extent I'm just barely avoiding failure, I make up for it with my people-smarts. I know people and I know enough to stand by what I know and what I say."

"I see." That was all Rias said in response to that. "Well, your words are very true. We feared being overtaken by the Fallen Angels whose territory was closer to ours than the Angels' territory. So the Devils developed a different method of increasing our numbers: By turning members of other species into Devils, as our servants that is, using Devil-made technology known as our Evil Pieces."

Shirou stared blankly. "So...you brought me back with the power of science?"

" _Devil_ science." Rias corrected. "Which is essentially equated to magic."

Shirou cocked his head to the side. "This is starting to sound like some Frankenstein-type shit here and I'm not sure whether or not I approve. I don't want my body to start rotting randomly or some crazy shit like that!"

"Relax, Shirou~" Akeno advised him. "With the treatment I gave you, you're body is in as great a shape as ever. I double-checked to make sure." She placed a finger to her lips, silently hushing Shirou, the latter's face beginning to light up pink. In a rush to escape his embarrassment, Shirou tried to distract himself by drinking his tea. Unfortunately, the taste was not as satisfying, his tea being cooled off completely.

It was clear by everyone's smiles that they were laughing at Shirou in their minds.

Rias hid it better than the others. "I do hope Akeno took good care of you while I was away, Shirou."

Shirou lowered his head again, trying to hide his embarrassment. "Y-Yeah...You could say that..."

"That's good." Shirou couldn't help but notice the air between him and Akeno became more and more awkward, mainly on his part. "It would be a shame to my family name if we were unable to repay a debt of gratitude." Rias seemed to become more serious, solemn even. "You sacrificed your own life to save Akeno's."

The blush on Shirou's face intensified. "D-Don't be stupid! I already told her that it wasn't like I was trying to play h-hero or something! I just bumped into her and got impaled! Nothing t-to be grateful for! Idiot!"

"Please don't speak disrespectfully towards Buchou." The blonde pretty boy sitting next to Shirou said sharply, showing the first change from his overall pleasant demeanor towards Shirou.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Kiba." Rias giggled to herself. "It just appears that our newest friend has a bit of a tsundere-streak in him."

Despite how impossible it seems, Shirou's face turned even redder. "H-Hey! Don't go saying stuff like that to people! I'm not a tsundere, dammit! I'm a badass Demon King, you got it?!"

"Whatever you say, Shirou~" Akeno teased.

"I'm serious! Don't fuck with me!" Shirou screamed like a child throwing a tantrum. "Anyway, there's still the question left of what the Hell that thing that attacked me was! Was it an Angel, a Fallen Angel, some kind of snake-woman demon-"

"She was a Devil."

Shirou stared blankly at Akeno who responded. "...Come again?"

"The creature that killed you was also a Devil." She reiterated for Shirou's convenience. "I know it sounds strange, considering she tried to kill me, who was also a Devil, but it has to do with the system through which the High-Class Devils gather servants."

Shirou groaned. "Please tell me this isn't the kind of thing that would go over my head..."

"Don't worry." Rias said. "As unfortunate as it is, this matter is incredibly simple. You see, just as I have told you before, the Devils sought to restore their numbers using what is called the Evil Piece system. The thing is, not all of the Reincarnated Devils were satisfied with their lives."

"What's that mean...?"

"It means that they decided to rebel against their masters, usually killing them." Shirou couldn't help but feel shocked by the sudden words that came from Rias's mouth, more-so because she said it in such a matter-of-fact manner. "And without their master to keep their powers under control, they become drunk on their own power and run rampant. They are referred to as "Stray Devils" and are often made the targets of hunts for either capture or elimination."

"Sounds rough." Shirou crossed his arms. "So that monster that attacked Akeno-senpai was a Stray Devil, huh?" He once again anxiously rubbed the area where he had been run through with a spear-like tail only the night before. "Whatever happened to that psychotic monster anyway?"

He could tell just by looking at Akeno's crestfallen face that it did not end well.

"Unfortunately, the Stray Devil, Eliade, fled after it tried ambushing Akeno like a cowardly snake." Rias explained. "The reason your body was still in one piece is because Akeno fought her off to keep her from feeding on you."

"Ah..." Shirou turned to Akeno. "Much appreciated..." Then he turned back to Rias, uncertainty filling his heart. He stood up from his seat and bowed politely. "Well...thanks I guess and good life to you." He started walking towards the door, reaching for the handle, but-

BZZZZZZZZZZT!

The door handle crackled and popped, releasing a jolt of electricity from the keyhole which promptly shocked Shirou.

"GAK! Son of a bitch!" Shirou hopped up and down, growling while clutching his now-smoking hand, blowing on the part where he had gotten shocked like it was burning. "The fuck!?"

Rias placed a hand to the side of her face, smiling in a way that said "Nice try".

"You do realize that I'm your master now, correct?" Rias asked rhetorically, knowing full well how much Shirou understood by that point. "I understand if you are a little antsy about your current predicament, but facts are facts: You lost your life, and I picked it up. Whether you like it or not, you are my property."

Shirou glared at her. "Like Hell I'm gonna become some lowly dog to some pampered rich girl!" He jabbed an accusing finger in her direction. "I am grateful for being brought back, but I have no interest in taking part in the matters of Devils, Angels, Fallen Angels, or whoever you want to mention! You want to tame me, you're gonna have to beat me in a fight and I don't think any of you have the grapes!"

.

.

.

A long silence ensued, everyone else standing from their seats to stare at Shirou. Rias turned to the smallest member of their group, the white-haired loli who was munching on some snacks.

"Koneko" Koneko immediately ceased her snacking, setting them down before walking over to Shirou.

Initially, he was confused by her approach, but then a small laugh escaped from his mouth.

"Pffft! THIS is who you're going to have fight me?" Shirou mocked, burying his face into his hand as his laughter greatly increased in volume. "HAHAHAHAHAHA! You've got to be kidding me! HAHAHAHAHA! This smallfry!?" He leaned forward, looking Koneko in the eye with a cocky smirk. "What's this shrimp gonna do?! Beat me to death? HA! You guys actually had me going for a-" It was at that point that Shirou made the foolish mistake of trying to poke Koneko in the forehead.

The loli's hand immediately lashed out, grabbing tightly onto Shirou's wrist. A faint tic of anger could be seen on her face.

"Don't call me small."

"Eh?" Shirou blinked several times, taking a while to realize that he was hefted into the air with next to no trouble by a girl who was practically half his size.

SLAM! CRACK!

Koneko Toujou, the tiny school mascot, slammed Shirou back down onto the ground with such force that a faint cracking sound could be heard. It would never be known if it was the wooden floor or Shirou's ribs that broke first.

"Owwww..." Shirou groaned out, his arm still in Koneko's grasp. He lifted his head to glare dizzily at Koneko, his head swaying back and forth. "...That the best you got...half-pint?"

He really needed to learn to keep his mouth closed.

SLAM!

Koneko lifted Shirou up and slammed him back onto the ground again, this time with even greater force than before.

Shirou forced himself up on his remaining three limbs, breathing heavily, still unable to break free of the surprisingly strong loli's grasp.

"..C-Come on, bee-stings-for-tits...that's all-OH GOD!" Shirou was lifted back into the air again, being slammed on the opposite side of Koneko, being lifted up again and slammed again in rapid succession.

"He's a real glutton for punishment, isn't he?" Kiba noted with a sweatdrop.

Akeno smiled, less than pure intentions revealed by her expression. "No kidding."

"I'm not even sure I can stop Koneko by this point." Rias sighed to herself. "When someone's called her small that many times, there's truly no mercy. But I don't think she'll kill him...At least, I _hope_ not."

Koneko forcefully pulled Shirou to his feet, her gaze unwavering from its previous monotone appearance. Shirou's face was bloody, blood dripping down from his forehead off of his chin. His eyes were spinning around, Shirou's balance nowhere near as steady as the rampant blood-loss he was experiencing.

"Iz...Izzat da best ya got...huh..." He mumbled out. "...I'll tell ya what, Shorty...if you give up now, I might-"

Koneko prepared to toss him into the air again.

"-Wait wait wait wait WAIT! Stop!" Shirou held up his other hand to halt Koneko's brutal assault. She stared at him with hostile eyes. "...In light of the current situation...I'm willing to call this a draw-NO WAIT!"

Koneko once again flattened Shirou against the ground, this time so hard that he created a large, circular crater where he landed. This time, Koneko sat on top of Shirou, pinning him to the ground and rendering him immobile. By this point, even Shirou knew better than to call her heavy, knowing full-well that this was her physical strength rather than her weight forcing him against the already-broken ground.

Sensing that the battle was over, Rias walked over to the fallen delinquent. "Are you ready to discuss your position as my servant?"

A drop of blood from his forehead strayed and was about to wander right into Shirou's eyes. However, said blood-flow was interrupted when Rias reached out and wiped it from his face who smiled apologetically. Shirou huffed, averting his eyes while a light blush inappropriately appeared on his face.

"Fine...but first thing's first, get away from me." Rias pouted at the "random" hostility, but softened when she noticed her new servant's bashful expression. "I can see'em...your panties..." He gestured to the black thong she wore under her skirt with his face. "It's hard to take you seriously if I can see'em..."

Despite the somewhat amused expression on her face, Rias obliged and took a few steps away, to the point that Shirou could no longer see her underwear.

"Alright, thanks for that." Shirou was half-sure that Rias would have refused. Despite the fact her servant just (albeit with provocation) beat him to a bloody pulp, she still behaved politely to him. "...so why should I follow you...? What's to keep me from running away first chance I get?"

"Well, there's the fact that you will be treated as a Stray by the other nobles and be hunted until the day you die-"

"Touche."

"-but I'm not going to subject you to that threat."

"Touch-Wait...what?" Shirou stared at Rias in surprise, having fully expected the threat of execution to force him into his role as her servant.

"Like any other Devil, I could hold you as my servant with that same threat and fear, but that is not how I wish to lead my servants." Rias motioned for Koneko, who had finally cooled down, to get off of Shirou. "You saved the life of a member of my family. Words can never describe how grateful I am for your actions and I wish to extend the hand of camaraderie towards you. As my servant and Akeno's savior, I swear on the house of Gremory that I will repay you somehow."

"So...you're bribing me into becoming your servant?" Shirou guessed despite the kind smile on Rias's face.

"Essentially~" Akeno confirmed, giggling to herself.

Rias frowned, closing her eyes and placing her hands on her hips. "It sounds so cheap when you put it that way...but to say it's entirely incorrect would be wrong." She extended her hand to Shirou to help him up. "It's technically both a "Thank-you" and a bribe at the same time."

Shirou scanned her expression for any hint of deception. "So...you'll grant any desire I want in exchange for becoming your servant?"

"Anything within reason." Rias added.

"I see..." Shirou sighed. "So I guess asking for something crazy like one billion yen is out of the question?"

"I said anything within reason and you're asking for something so small?" Rias asked, curious.

"Yeah, I knew it was too mu-wait...THAT is small?" Shirou asked, exasperated. "You're joking." He looked at her other servants. "She's joking, right?"

"Hehe! No. Not really. The High-Class families are pretty loaded and that's putting it mildly." Kiba rebutted. Shirou's jaw dropped in shock.

"No way! Is she like a princess or something?!"

"You could say something along those lines..."

 _"OK...so short of something perverted, I'm pretty sure I could LITERALLY ask for anything."_ This brought so many possibilities and favors to ask in response. _"The question is...what should I focus on...?"_

"So, what is it you desire?" Rias asked. "As a Reincarnated Devil, you can rise through the ranks and ultimately achieve a status on par with my own, so what is it you desire? What is it that you wish that cannot be obtained through a slow and steady flow of work?"

 _"Shit...what DO I want...?"_ He asked to himself. _"...If I could someday become loaded as her...wait...No. Even if I agreed, I doubt that day would come any time soon...Hold on-"_ Shirou forced himself to all fours, wincing in pain. "Alright, Gremory, I will accept my role as your servant."

This news was pleasing to Rias who smiled appreciatively. "I'm glad you agreed so willing-"

"But I want TWO gifts rather than just one!"

"Two?"

"Yeah!" Shirou reiterated. "One gift for saving Akeno and one gift for becoming your servant! They aren't big requests, so at least hear me out!"

Rias contemplated Shirou's request, her thoughts being interrupted when Akeno whispered something into her ear. Rias smiled and eventually nodded. "Alright then, but as I said before, I can only grant these requests if they are within my power to do-so. No automatic rank-ups or anything like that. Those types of matters are decided by the other nobles."

"OK, the first request: I want money. Lots and lots of money! Bwahahahaha!" Everyone stared in confusion at the blunt request. "I want enough money to live comfortably for the rest of my life! Not asking for something on par with a king, just to pay for house bills and food and all that shit! CAN YOU DIG IIIIIIT?!"

Brushing some of her crimson hair from in front of her face, Rias nodded. "Something of that level is no issue. I can easily grant you the funds needed to live normally in your own home."

"That was the easy one." Shirou noted to himself. "And now, for my second request..." And then Shirou did something shocking: He bowed his head in obedience. He had bowed in apology or sarcastically, but never one had he deigned to tip his head in genuine reverence. "Please help me become stronger!"

The room went silent yet again.

"With Koneko and that Stray Devil, I've learned that there's a lot of higher levels of strength in this world..." Shirou growled to himself in irritation. "It frustrates me...I don't even know what I would even use that power for or why I desire it in the first place..." He clenched his bandaged fist tightly in front of his face, furious. "But being so weak compared to others irritates me to no end...So I want to get stronger..." He thought of how easily he had been killed just by that Stray, then to how easily Koneko pummeled him to a pulp.

Shirou suddenly stood, slamming a hand against his heart. He made his declaration loudly and proudly.

"I swear by the new life you gave me: Rias Gremory, I will serve you however you wish! Just give me the chance to become stronger! Strong enough to attain the desire I have yet to realize!"

Rias smiled, patting Shirou gently on the head.

"Very well, then. Shirou Fujimura, from now until the end of time, you will serve the noble house of Gremory as my servant!" She stepped back, her servants moving to stand by her side. "And as your master, I will do everything I can to help you achieve the highest power possible as per your request! Become the strongest of my servants if you so desire, if you wish to obtain that role with all of your might!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Shirou once again bowed, ready to exchange his soul for the power he sought.

And so began his life anew...

Gone was his normal life as the human Shirou Fujimura.

This was a new welcome to his new life: The life of the Devil servant of Rias Gremory, Shirou Fujimura.

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** First Step! Shirou's Life As A Devil Begins!

* * *

 **Finished. And now we've thrown Shirou into the world as Rias's Devil servant. Don't worry, Issei will make his own debut soon, but first we have a few things to wrap up as Shirou learns it's not all fun and games, living in the realm of the supernatural.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

 **Bye-Bye!**


	4. Chapter 2: First Step!

**Thanks to those who reviewed for last chapter. I really appreciate it~! Here's hoping we can continue to have fun with this!**

 **Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan still isn't dead...I just really, really, REALLY suck at writing battle scenes. Anyone who wants that job is free to take it.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **Also, if any of you have noticed the new title image, that was original artwork for Shirou done by PoisonicPen from Deviantart. I can truly say I am really satisfied with the final product. Here's a shout-out to that talented, talented person! :D**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing but Shirou.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: First Step! Shirou's Life As A Devil Begins!**

Shirou had been in countless dangerous situations before. Whether they were related to battle is not important. Be it on or off the "battlefield", he had come close to death many times. However, he had ultimately proved victorious in his "battles". It was only now that he was faced with such a powerful foe that he truly feared for his life. If he was not careful, there was no doubt he would inevitably bleed to death.

"You don't have to be so nervous, Shirou~" Shirou's face flushed as two, soft, slender arms wrapped around his bare torso, two soft mounds pressing up against his chest. "Just stay still and let me do all the work~"

"Quit saying stuff like that!" Shirou complained, blood flowing out of his nose at the sight of the once-again-naked Onee-sama-type laying in the bed with him. He knew just by staring at her lewd face that Akeno was wording it that way on purpose just to mess with him. "How long do we need to be like this anyway?"

"Until the injuries Koneko's one-sided beating inflicted on you are healed of course." Akeno replied, Shirou wincing at the memory. However, upon realizing his involuntary reaction, he hid his expression.

"Hey! It was not one-sided!" Shirou protested, his anger temporarily overpowering his embarrassment. "I'll have you know that I just got something in my eye! And she took me by surprise! Yeah! That's it!" And his embarrassment once again began to take hold over him. "If I had been fully aware, there's no way she would have won that fight! Not to mention I would feel really bad picking on a little girl like that! Hahahaha!"

"I seeeeee." Akeno responded with a strongly dubious tone.

"Hey! What's with that half-assed response!?" Shirou sat up, fist raised. "I'm telling you that that midget would never have been able to take me down if I was ready for her beforehand!"

"Oh? Maybe you should try asking Koneko for a rematch then." Akeno suggested. "After all, she's standing right there."

"What-Where?!" Shirou immediately sat up, his body stiffening in fear. His face flushed an even deeper shade of red as he realized the deception. "Shut up! I'm telling you it was just a fluke!" He crossed his arms over his bandaged chest, pouting to himself.

Akeno smiled slightly. "You should be careful not to put yourself under much more stress or else your injuries will worsen." Then her smile became slightly more malicious. "The injuries you sustained from Koneko-chan will definitely worsen."

Shirou huffed in annoyance. "I'm gonna get stronger and then I'll show you I can pound that little twerp into the dirt!"

"Weren't you just saying you would feel bad for picking on a little girl like Koneko-chan~?" Yet again, Akeno's taunt easily got under Shirou's skin, irking him to the max.

"S-Shut up! I-" Then his body stiffened, Shirou wincing and groaning as his whole body was suddenly wracked with horrible, agonizing pain. "Ah! DAMMIT!" He immediately fell back onto his side, resisting the urge to call out.

"I told you so~" Akeno sang, seeming somewhat amused by how accurate her prediction had been.

Shirou growled in anger, desperately trying to push himself up despite how much his body was paralyzed by the pain. He could take being injured or beaten up, but he refused to be beaten and injured up (Somehow this logic made sense inside his own head). Being mocked for getting injured by a loli First Year was even more humiliating.

Akeno shoved Shirou back down onto the bed, much to his displeasure. "I'm only going to warn you one more time: If you keep on moving, I might need to resort to more _drastic measures_ in an effort to keep you restrained." Shirou wasn't sure what it was. Perhaps it was the way Akeno licked her lips like a predator ready to pounce on prey or the sadistic-sounding tone of her voice, but Shirou knew he did not want to push this. And so, he obediently laid back down, letting Akeno snuggle him to use whatever "Special Naked Healing Technique" that the Devils used.

Granted, it was quite pleasurable to receive this kind of treatment from an "Older Sister"-type, but Shirou couldn't help but let his mind wander back to the previous evening. "I seriously hope Rias wasn't pulling bullshit when we made our deal. I fully intend to become stronger, with or without her help, but I really hate being lied to." Shirou was impressed by the strength of Devils, but he still had no idea concerning Rias Gremory's true nature. Whether her kind persona was real or not, Shirou was not sure.

Nothing about his current situation was really normal, so Shirou was pretty sure that nothing could surprise him by that point.

"Please have some faith in Rias, Shirou." Akeno urged him, hugging him more tightly to increase the effectiveness of the healing technique. "I guarantee that if it's Rias, she will do everything within her power to help you fulfill your ultimate desire. After all, our entire existence as Devils is based upon selfish desires."

Shirou raised an eyebrow. "You sound so sure."

"Yes. I know Rias well enough to know that, after your bold request, it's only a matter of time before she unleashes some heavy training upon your unwitting body." Akeno giggled to herself. "Depending on how strong your will is, there is a chance you may regret asking Rias to help make you into her strongest servant."

"Is her training that rough?" Shirou asked.

"Let's just say that the regimens that Rias thinks up would be enough to completely crush even professional body-builders." Akeno said it with such a soft smile, but Shirou felt chills from the malicious aura that radiated from that same smile. It was rather unsettling. "But rest assured, you will receive the training you desire in order to become stronger. Whether it is effective or not depends on you."

The words from his Senpai's mouth seemed honest, so Shirou decided that Rias deserved the benefit of his trust. Shirou would have faith in Rias unless given a specific reason to distrust her. He didn't like to trust people in general, but in a contract of mutual benefit, it couldn't be helped. If you wanted to get what you wanted, then you had to gamble that it was worth trading for whatever you're giving. That was the way Shirou saw it.

"Now please hold still so you don't cause a mistake to occur during the healing process." Akeno advised once again. "If you're not careful, you could end up with rather unpleasant scars~"

Shirou sighed to himself, deciding to remain silent in the face of Akeno's lighthearted attitude.

All he could do was wait for morning...

* * *

 **The Next Day!**

Just like before, Shirou was met with even more hateful eyes during his walk to school. Perhaps it was how cocky he seemed. Perhaps it was how Akeno was walking next to him. Perhaps it was the many rumors they were spreading amongst themselves about whether or not Shirou had (with or without force) plowed Akeno's virgin soil. Not just hers, but apparently that of the school mascot, Koneko Toujou (Shirou had to resist laughter at the thought of ever wanting to do _anything_ with that "shorty").

"That Fujimura..."

"He thinks he's top shit."

"How dare he even stand close to one of the Two Oneesamas!"

"I heard he'd been prowling the Occult Research Club's clubhouse yesterday."

"You serious?!"

"What a creeper!"

"I heard he's been going there on a daily basis to molest the beauties of that club on their way out the door."

"Geez! He's even worse than those Perverted Trio losers."

"How can Akeno-senpai even stand being so close to him...?"

There were many killing intent-filled stares on him, but Shirou didn't care either way.

 _"They're all idiots."_ Shirou noted in his mind. _"I'm completely surrounded by idiots."_

Granted, Shirou was not too bright himself and if a table of stats were made for him he would probably have a score of 0 out of 5 for Intelligence, but even he was not so stupid as to take things at face value. However, he supposed it was natural for people to jump to such outrageous conclusions considering his less than clean reputation. He wasn't ashamed of it, but he would prefer that people didn't treat him like some kind of sexual predator.

Rather than being annoyed like Shirou, Akeno displayed confusion in response. "Weren't they saying these exact same things yesterday?"

That question stirred a bout of laughter from Shirou. "Ha!" What Akeno had said had been completely ridiculous. "No! Yesterday, they were saying things about how I probably sexually violated you, dominated you, or forced you into submission. TODAY, they're discussing how I sexually molested all of the members of the Occult Research Club."

Shirou couldn't help but take amusement in the further confused look Akeno gave him.

"Is there really any difference?" She asked.

Shirou opened his mouth to speak, prepared to make a point, but no words came out. "..." His expression fell, only a sigh escaping between his lips. "No, not really."

Both separate sets of rumors were similar and equally slanderous, so Shirou wasn't quite sure why he was pointing out the differences between them. Maybe it was out of boredom, but he could not be sure. In all honesty, when he thought about it, it was rather embarrassing to be bringing focus to it. The only rational answer was that he still wasn't quite sure how to talk to normal people (normal being subjective by that point). Shirou was still fairly awkward around Akeno, one of the few people other than Kiyome and Kiryuu who would approach him. He became better at hiding it, but he still wasn't entirely sure what he was supposed to discuss with her.

Eventually, the two of them finally reached the front gate, passing into the courtyard and being noticed by a myriad of stares. The air became hot with flames of envy and hatred which rivaled the incredible ball of fire that was the sun. If a single person had had some sort of laser eyes, Shirou was certain he would probably be dead by that point.

They stopped at the front entrance, their classes being in different directions.

"Shirou, don't forget to report to the Occult Research Club after class today." Akeno said. "Rias was hoping to introduce you to your job as a Devil before beginning your actual training."

"What? Come on!" Shirou complained. "She said I was gonna get stronger! She didn't say anything about having an actual job!"

"Oh? And what part of "Devil servant" misled you about this?" Akeno countered, her smile not fading in the slightest. "They are the duties that all of us Devils must carry out, so please don't get so upset over it."

Shirou frowned. "Yeah, but...is it going to be like textbook work or something...? I don't want to become a Devil who's some no-good pencil-pusher."

Akeno shook her head. "No no. While some jobs may have to do with such tasks, the various types are pretty diverse. Not many people need Devils for things like-"

Her sentence was cut short by the familiar chime of the warning bell, urging all of the students to rush to their classes within the next five minutes or risk being late.

"Sorry, but it looks like I will have to cut this short." Akeno turned to walk away. "And don't forget~-"

"Yeah yeah!" Shirou placed his headphones around his neck, running a hand through his hair. "Don't forget about the club later. I got it."

With a final cheery smile, Akeno walked off to her own class. Shirou clicked his tongue, placing his headphones back over his ears. "They already got me on their side. She doesn't need to keep acting all buddy-buddy with me."

Shirou felt irritated. And awkward. He was irritated because he felt awkward. His awkwardness shared the same origin as his irritation. He knew that he and Akeno were officially on the same side, knowing that she had been treating him kindly to soften him up for when negotiations with Rias went on. And now that he had agreed to become Rias's servant, there was no point in keeping up the charade.

That was how he saw it anyway.

All he could do was deal with it the best he could and move on. Getting bent of shape any further would do nothing good for him.

Oh how he wouldn't mind one or two so-called delinquents to pummel...Anything to vent on in general would be nice. However, in this school that he had always thought of as dull and boring (prior to recent events), there was no such thing to keep him occupied.

With this in mind, he began his trek to his first class of the day-

Until a familiar figure suddenly bumped his side, said figure letting out a harsh hiss.

Shirou's normal reaction to this seemingly accidental incident would be to tell the other person to "Fuck off" and move on with his life, but this figure furthered their minor assault by grabbing Shirou by the shoulder, gripping it tightly and preventing Shirou from walking forward.

His first reaction was to sock whoever had the balls to stop him, but he paused at the soft voice in his ear.

"Meet me on the rooftop after classes today."

However, before Shirou could retort with something clever like "No", the figure immediately let go and broke out into a sprint. Shirou turned his head too slowly to get a good look at them, but out of his peripheral vision, he managed to catch the faintest sight of familiar, golden-blonde locks.

He turned around, staring in the direction that the "TOTALLY ANONYMOUS AND UNFAMILIAR FIGURE" had ran off in.

"OK, a text could have relayed that just fine though, idiot."

With those last words to the "TOTALLY ANONYMOUS AND UNFAMILIAR DRILL-HAIRED IDIOT-I MEAN-FIGURE", Shirou continued his way to his class, rubbing his temples as he mentally prepared for all of the frustration that his day was preparing to unleash on him.

* * *

"So, it looks like the big, bad Demon-Boy of Kuoh is stirring things up in the most interesting of ways lately~" The irritating voice of Aika Kiryuu grated against Shirou's eardrums, earning a harsh growl from him.

Normally, Shirou would threaten to beat her up or hit her on the head for this, but he had too much on his mind to really focus on being hostile towards Kiryuu. So instead, he ignored her comment, kicking up his feet onto the desk in front of him, and leaned back in his seat, settling for just flipping off the pervy glasses character instead.

"Well, SOMEONE is in a good mood today." Kiryuu raised an eyebrow, her arms crossed over her chest. "You're not threatening to kick my ass or throwing a desk around like you normally would. What's gotten you so cheerful?"

Shirou crossed his arms behind his head, sighing. "First off, I haven't thrown a desk since that one time where I missed and sent it crashing through the window and I almost got expelled for that. Ka-san made an emergency return and smoothed things over so I could stay, but I don't think the soccer club wants me near their field again. Apparently having one of their members crushed by a stray desk kind of puts a damper on their attitude towards me."

"Was their opinion of you really any better before?"

"Touche."

"I'm just really surprised your Ka-san was able to get that lawsuit thrown out." Even someone who could do such idiotically impossible things (such as scanning male sex organs for size using her glasses) such as Kiryuu had to admit that it was shocking. "You had committed two counts of destruction of private property and one count of accidental assault and you got a slap on the wrist."

Shirou snickered to himself. "Gotta love our messed up judicial system. Either it's so fucked up or Ka-san is just that awesome."

"You know that rumor going around...?"

It took that one question for Shirou's mood to immediately sour. He looked up at Kiryuu who showed no intent to retract what she asked.

"You're gonna have to be more specific when it comes to demonizing rumors concerning me that's floating around, Kiryuu." If he hadn't been so irritated, Shirou would have chuckled at the ironic use of the word "demonizing". "Is it the one where I'm a perverted vampire who feeds off the lewd juices of women I terrorize, the one where I have several dozen yakuza groups under my command, or the newer one concerning me and the Occult Research Club?" If any of the dozens of rumors were most likely being discussed, in Shirou's opinion, it would have to be one of those three that drew the most attention.

"Try none of the above." Kiryuu adjusted her glasses. "It's actually a pretty new rumor that, for once, doesn't have anything to do with you."

Shirou finally sat up, interested. It wasn't often that there was a rumor with him had the centerfold considering he was the widely known "Demon King of Kuoh" who literally everyone in town knew about. It was that popularity that was the reason nobody wanted him walking around the local grocery store. And he couldn't beat up security guards without getting arrested, so he had no choice but to sneak in wearing a hoodie and sunglasses or just try his luck as a nearby convenience store.

So it was refreshing when he wasn't the source of commotion for once.

"And what is this new rumor about?" Shirou asked, doing his best to seem not as interested as he really was. "Did the girls start their own professional army in an attempt to dethrone the "Demon King" or something? Ha!" He ended up laughing at his own joke, not because of the ridiculous nature of the events described but rather because of the fact that they thought any one of them, being humans, could defeat him.

It was quite obvious from the look on Kiryuu's face that she was not joking around. For a moment, Shirou was surprised.

"No. Like I said, it had nothing to do with you. Get over your own ego." Kiryuu adjusted her glasses. "It's a rumor that's been getting disturbingly more popular lately. It has to do with the recent murders that have been happening around town."

A cold, familiar chill went down Shirou's spine. ""Murders"...?" For some reason, he had a feeling he knew what this was about.

Kiryuu took a seat, sitting on top of the desk next to him, one leg crossed over the other. "It's actually pretty nasty business I heard about. Thought you might be interested." She pulled an expression like she had a bitter taste in her mouth. "It's been on the TV since a few days ago, some guys being found in an alleyway. There were three victims. All three of them were butchered...I heard it was pretty messed up. Most of their bodies were considered unrecognizable and then there was that one detail that seriously creeps me out..."

Shirou leaned forward, all pretenses of disinterest be damned. "What detail...?"

"Well, this is the part where the rumor gets all fuzzy, but I heard that there were bite marks all over their corpses and huge pieces were missing..." She looked over to a gossiping group near the corner of the classroom. "Sounds like a pretty nasty way to go."

And that just about did it for Shirou.

Yet again, his mind flashed back to that night, the night he died. He remembered those sharp, beast-like fangs even as his vision had begun to fade. No matter how much it sounded like coincidence, Shirou had no doubt that that monster and the being Kiryuu was describing were one and the same.

The Stray Devil. The one Akeno had called "Eliade". It was the creature that had taken Shirou's life, the one he had been powerless to defeat as a human.

Just that very thought was enough to fill Shirou to the brim with rage.

"Wow, I didn't know you cared so much about justice." It was Kiryuu's sarcastic remark that snapped Shirou back to reality, causing him to look up. "You were wearing your thoughts on your face, so I thought I should point it out to you. Does it really get you so worked up?"

Even though Kiryuu's concern was genuine, unbeknownst to her, Shirou could only interpret it as teasing. It was only natural as a result of their entire relationship thus far if you could it even call it that. Shirou was not even fully aware they were what was called "friends" yet. To him, Aika Kiryuu was just that one annoying bitch who really liked getting a rise out of him by bringing up the subject of sexual organs with him.

And so, Shirou's natural reaction to Kiryuu's concern was to click his tongue, turning away. "It's none of your business."

"Well aren't you a ball of sunshine today." Kiryuu retorted. She had just been trying to extend a warning out of worry concerning his nightly activities, but she saw no point in continuing this if Shirou would be a dick about it. "I really don't get how our Senpai can put up with such an unbearable guy. Even if you have a huge kielbasa tucked inside your pants, I can't really imagine her putting up with you just for that."

A sharp red painted Shirou's cheeks. "Would you stop talking about my package where everyone can hear you!?"

"In case you haven't noticed, blue-balls, nobody can hear me because everyone's already left." That last sentence made Shirou pause in his tracks. He looked around to where Kiryuu gestured, but sure enough, the remaining students has emptied out of the classroom. They were all in the halls, out in the fields for club practice, or on their way home. "Classes are over in case you forgot."

"Over..." Shirou parroted. The faint thought that he was forgetting something crossed his mind and, for a while, he could not remember said something.

Kiryuu simply stared at that dull-faced expression on Shirou's face, uncertain if he had fallen asleep or just needed medical attention. It was not a normal expression for anyone to have.

"Oh shit! I almost forgot!" Shirou immediately jumped to his feet, startling Kiryuu so badly that she fell completely backwards off her desk, completely ignored by Shirou who just ran right past her towards the open door. Kiryuu got up a moment later, shooting him an annoyed look.

"Forgot what?"

Shirou's head popped back around the door frame, his finger raised as he prepared to answer...and then his expression fell.

"I don't know. It was kind of vague."

And with that, he was gone again.

* * *

Meanwhile, sitting atop the rooftop of Kuoh Academy's main building was a certain blonde-haired girl with her locks styled in drills, her arms crossed underneath her large, D-cup breasts. Perhaps the most noticeable thing about the girl other than the fact that she was on top of a building with no apparent rooftop access or permission was the incredibly irritated expression that matched that recently worn by a certain delinquent.

"That jerk is late..."

She felt she should have come to expect this from that Kouhai of her by this point. And even if he did show up, he would probably just sleep through everything like he did for school. It was a miracle to her that Shirou Fujimura, the Demon King of Kuoh, had even managed to make it to his Second Year in high school at all let alone in Kuoh Academy. It was probably thanks to her slipping that fool notes every now and then that he was able to stay above a failing average. Still, it irritated her how he never set his goals above "passable".

More and more of his worst traits came to mind.

"He's an idiot, he has the mentality of a child, he can't go five minutes without picking a fight, he's a total lecher-!" She started screeching to herself, biting down on her knuckles. For ten minutes, she went on like this, but afterwards she was left with the faint feeling she was getting off-track. She wasn't sure why. "-He's so blunt about everything, he always says what's on his mind, he's a good listener when others are actually in trouble, he's a great cook, he always has that kind of cute expression when he's embarrassed or caught in a lie, and his hands are just so soft despite all of the fights he gets into-"

Her blush became deeper and deeper as she went from naming the worst things she could think of concerning that snow-haired boy to the best things, her personal feelings getting the better of her as they do every single time her thoughts wander to that person.

Coz, in case it wasn't totally obvious by this point, Kiyome Abe is madly in love with Shirou Fujimura, not that the idiot was perceptive enough to notice it.

Kiyome growled upon realizing she was STILL alone. "Geez! What is with that gigantic idiot!? I needed to talk to him about such a serious subject and here he is making me wait like this!"

"Can you shut it already?!" Kiyome's eyes widened at the sound of that rough, handsome voice. "You always get your panties in a bunch about the stupidest things, Kiyome!"

The Captain of the Tennis Club immediately stood to see the biggest delinquent in Kuoh Academy staring at her with those same condescending eyes he gave everyone else. It was the fact that nobody else was exempt from those eyes that made them less insulting. In Kiyome's mind, if you thought of everyone else as pigs, then your sense of superiority only let you be better than lowly swine. So even if Shirou was insulting towards others, he was also insulting himself.

That was how she kept from wanting to hit him whenever she saw how he was acting. That and the fact that she's the only person who had probably seen the cuter side to him. Nobody else could say that.

 _"Except Akeno..."_ Kiyome thought bitterly to herself. _"I know what she told me, but they still seem too close..."_

"Hey, blondie, were you gonna talk to me about something or just make me ogle your boobs all day to satisfy my boredom?"

 _"God, he's such a pig!"_ The blonde, like many times before, started to question what she saw in Shirou.

"Seriously though, why on the rooftop?" Shirou asked, Kiyome finally focused with all of her attention. "I mean, out of everywhere in the academy, why the rooftop?"

Kiyome sighed. "I wanted to make sure nobody noticed us speaking."

The boy rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, coz NOBODY can notice us up here."

"Hey! You two on the roof up there! Get down this instant or you will both be suspended!" A teacher called out.

"Bite me, ass-wipe!" Shirou called back tauntingly. Kiyome sighed, rubbing her temples.

"What'd you say!?"

"I said "FUCK YOU"!"

Yet again, she wondered why she still couldn't stop thinking about this boy. Why couldn't it have been a knight-in-shining-armor-type?!

"Do you really want me to go up there and drag you down?!"

"I would REALLY like to see you TRY, jackass! You really wanna get into this?!" Shirou put on his threatening face, flipping the bird.

Kiyome buried her face in her hands, silently sobbing to herself as she died a little on the inside.

"...No...!" With that, the teacher left the two students on the rooftop to their own devices.

"That's what I thought!" Shirou said to himself, possessing an undeserved sense of victory as he smirked to himself. He turned back to Kiyome. "Anyway, what was it you were saying before about...something?" Then he noticed the tired expression on Kiyome's face. "What's up with you?"

"Nothing...just lamenting how cruel my own heart is..." The defeated blonde whined to herself. Shirou could only stare, uncertain what on Earth that she was talking about, still too dim to even contemplate the idea that Kiyome was actually holding real affection for him.

To be fair, this WAS the girl who tended to bitch-slap him on a daily-basis.

After Kiyome finally recovered from the fact that THIS boy was the one for whom her heart longed, she started acting properly.

Her expression was solemn, like she was looking at someone who was about to die. "Akeno told me what happened the other night..."

Shirou's eyes widened before closing, Shirou thinking to himself how to best respond. "So...I guess it's a real shock to you, huh?...The thing about me dying? And the Devils? I was seriously surprised too when I found out that the same types of people we expected to torture sinners in Hell wear school girl uniforms and act all sexy like that-"

"Actually, I've known about Devils and all that stuff since I was little."

.

.

.

"Get the fuck out. Seriously?" Shirou could not hide the shock in his voice (not that he even would have tried). "How did you find out? Don't they have some kind of mind-wipe thing or whatever that most supernatural or secret organizations do?"

Kiyome giggled to herself. "Yeah, but I'm already frequently in contact with that side of the world, being a Beast Tamer and everything."

"Beast Tamer...?"

"Just as the name implies, I'm someone who is able to tame various creatures." Kiyome explained, sounding slightly more pompous than before. "Just as there exist Devils, Fallen Angels, and Angels, there also exists numerous other species of creatures, many of which are not quite as human in nature. Sometimes we are also given special requests by others to have certain creatures treated for illnesses or behavioral defects."

"So you're like glorified veterinarians?" Shirou asked, deadpan. Kiyome stared at him with irritation, raising a hand to slap him. "Oh! So THAT was what's in those boxes! I always wondered why one of the middle boxes was always hissing or chirping at me!" Then Shirou paused. "Wait wait! We're getting way off-topic! What was it you needed to talk to me about? I assume it has to do with Devils, right?"

And yet again, Kiyome returned to her previous solemn expression. "Sort of..."

Shirou was taken aback by the sudden change in attitude. Yet again, it was one of those looks that made him feel like she needed a hug. If he was anything even remotely resembling a "huggy" kind of person, he would have gladly obliged the unspoken request.

"I just...I'm sorry that that's what happened." Kiyome averted her gaze downwards. "In the end, you had to give up your humanity in order to survive-"

"Well, to be fair, it's not like I was much of a human in the first place. Maybe being a Devil might be a good chance of pace."

It was that remark that earned him a harsh slap across the face from Kiyome.

For once, Kiyome was not flustered or annoyed with Shirou. She was furious. "Can you be serious for once in your life?!" Shirou narrowed his eyes at her, rubbing the red mark on his face. "Shirou, this isn't some club you can just enter and leave as you please. You're a Devil _for the rest of your life_. You can never go back to being human."

"So?" He retorted, unmoved. "What was there for me back when I was a human? Maybe I just fit in better among other demons."

"Don't you get how big of a deal this is?! You will be taking the role of a Devil!" Kiyome emphasized once more. "You will be working with who-knows-what dark forces and you will end up making contracts with humans in exchange for their souls! And let me remind you that we humans kind of need our souls to live!"

"Unless of course you're planning on becoming a politician."

SLAP

Shirou smirked, rubbing the red mark on the other side of his face. "I regret nothing. That was worth it."

"Stop joking around!" Kiyome looked angry and flustered to the point of tears. "Do you really feel NOTHING? The world you entered is dangerous, Shirou. The deeper you go into it, the more chances there will be of you losing your life. And there's no getting back up after dying a second time."

The only response Kiyome got was a click from Shirou's tongue. "And so what?"

That cold response was the first time ever that Kiyome Abe was truly and fully chilled to her very core.

"Even if I disappeared completely from this world, what would it matter?" Shirou shoved his hands into his pockets, turning to leave. "No one would miss me."

"That's not true!" That last statement of his was so sad, so empty that Kiyome felt she was being driven close to the point of tears. But Shirou was clearly done listening. _"...I would."_

Shirou started walking away, seeking to leave through the same unknown method he and Kiyome had somehow gotten up there.

"Regardless, I have no intention of dying a second time." Kiyome stared at Shirou's sudden declaration. "If the world desires me to cease existing, then I will continue to live, spiting it with everything I have. Until I have decided I have had enough, I refuse to die so young. I'm feeling on top of the fucking world right now. What could possibly kill me?"

The words from Shirou's mouth...they would have sounded so cool if they hadn't been a perfect example of the "Tempting Fate" trope.

And befitting the Tempting Fate trope, fate chose that moment to be a giant dick.

It was also coincidence created by fate that that particular part of the roof had been in severe need of a fix.

The material below Shirou's feet cracked and shattered, the sudden jolt enough to knock Shirou off-balance. And when you're standing on top of a rooftop that's slanted on either side, such an accident could prove fatal.

"Shirou!" Kiyome reached forward, desperate to grab the falling boy, but her hand was just short of being long enough to grab his. It was only a sheer miracle that she, too, did not slide down the front of the roof.

The roof slid out from beneath Shirou's feet after he hit the edge, forcing him into a free-fall off the side of the building.

His last words to the world:

"Somebody! Clear my browser historyyyyyyyyyyy!"

Then there was a loud thud. Then silence.

* * *

"-and that's the story of why I'm late." Shirou finished before Rias, sitting at her desk with a passive expression on her face.

Rias sat in a fashion reminiscent to Gendo Ikari, staring at Shirou with examining eyes, trying to find the answer to some unknown question she had. For about five minutes, there was nothing but silence. The other members of the Occult Research Club watched from the side, everyone having listened in on the story that Shirou had just told. Koneko was passively snacking on a bag of cookies, Kiba was polishing what Shirou suspected to be a sword, and Akeno just sat there with an amused expression.

Shirou himself was sporting several bandages on his head and his cheek, but possessing nothing more severe than several scratches and bruises.

"So, let me get this straight." Rias said, a pensive expression on her face. Shirou stared unblinkingly. "You went to bed naked with Akeno-"

"Uh huh."

"-got into a discussion with Kiryuu concerning the recent affairs of this town-"

"That is correct."

"-went up to the rooftop to speak with Kiyome-"

"Indeed I did."

"-and were late because you fell off said rooftop and had to get treated in the nurse's office?"

"That is true facts." Shirou confirmed.

And again, there was a deep silence.

Rias took a deep breath. "Alright, I get all that, but what I really desire to know is why you decided to explain everything that occurred since last night in such detail."

"Well, somebody needed to receive this massive frustration I needed to vent." Shirou responded, placing a hand in his pocket. To say he was frustrated would be an understatement. Shirou was pissed. Naturally, anyone would be after they fell off a three-story building regardless of how few injuries sustained. "But what really surprised me was the fact none of my bones broke at all. I mean DAMN! I can't believe I'm not dead!"

The crimson-haired Devil princess let out a small laugh at that. "That's the type of endurance you get with becoming a Devil. True, while it would be best to avoid such things, it's much easier to avoid death from normal incidents than when you were a human."

Shirou's eyes went wide. "That's so bitchin!" He pumped his fist into the air, cheering over this new-found discovery.

But his master's expression became a bit more stern. "Still, as I said before, it would be best to refrain from such things in the future. Not only is there a chance you may come under a bout of misfortune, but it would also prove troublesome if more people had seen you. I will have to alter that nurse's memories at a later date."

"I will make a note of it, Rias." Akeno offered, bowing dutifully. Shirou looked off to the side, obviously trying to appear inconspicuous regarding his role in the potential info breach on the existence of the supernatural. Having failed that, he laughed it off.

"Haha! No worries!" He assured. "Everyone already thinks I'm inhuman so one survival through a near-death experience is probably nothing for people to really notice, right?"

Rias sighed. "A hint of caution from now on would not do you any harm though."

"Tch...whatever." Shirou slipped his hand into his pocket. He was just glad he had the sense of mind to omit the real details of his conversation with Kiyome. He still had no idea what kind of person Rias was, so if she had found out what he had said, who knew what her reaction would be. Shirou was still trying to gauge Rias's true character, so he did not want to tell her anything more about himself and his day-to-day conversation than he had to.

It was as Shirou had told her the day before. He KNEW people. He knew that to immediately trust someone who gave you the gift of a second life in exchange for becoming their servant was foolish. He trusted her enough not to stab him in the back when he didn't expect it, but the depth to which he could trust her was undecided. She had yet to prove herself deceitful nor trustworthy to him, so Shirou would remain neutral.

"All that matters is that you're here now, Shirou." Rias stood, gesturing to everyone. "And today's meeting can begin."

[Yes, Buchou!]

Unlike his compatriots, Shirou didn't join in on what he perceived to be ass-kissing. He had yet to truly consider her someone worth respecting with a superior title, so he refused to do as such.

"Anyway, Akeno told me I was supposed to start my...job?" Shirou asked in confusion.

"Indeed." Rias confirmed. "I meant to tell you earlier, but with the stress you had been under due to recent events, I had wanted to let you grow accustomed for a little while. However, since you are so willing, I will gladly allow you to begin undertaking the duties of my servant Devils."

"And what are these jobs anyway?"

Rias snapped her fingers, a small magic circle generating in the palm of her hand. A small paper suddenly materialized from the magic circle, falling into Rias's hand.

"This flyer is a Summoning Circle." Rias explained as if Shirou understood what that meant. "As I'm sure you know, Devils attain much of their wealth and power from contracts with humans. Humans use magic Summoning Circles in order to call forth us Devils in order to establish these contracts. Back in the old days, humans would use animal blood and sacrifice chickens and goats, but that process became too outdated."

"I can imagine." Shirou replied, rolling his eyes. _"I know I wouldn't want to roll around in chicken guts just to get some Devil."_

"So we pass around these flyers to interested parties and tempt them into summoning a Devil." Rias handed the flyer in her hand to Shirou, allowing him to examine it on his own.

"And I guess people gotta pay up once it's done, right?" Shirou asked, the weight of the paper in his hand seeming to increase for some reason.

"That's right."

For some reason, the thought of that made Shirou uneasy. Perhaps it was because of earlier-

 _[You will be working with who-knows-what dark forces and you will end up making contracts with humans in exchange for their souls!]_

Shirou growled to himself, clenching his fists in frustration. _"Goddammit, Kiyome! You can lecture me all you want in real life, but STAY OUTTA MY THOUGHTS!"_ Shirou's frustration caused him to crush the paper he held in his hand.

"Is something wrong?" Rias asked, noticing Shirou's subconscious expression of what she thought to be anger. "Oh. If it's the thought that you will be required to devour people's souls or something in exchange for a contract, don't worry." Shirou straightened up at Rias's words, blinking. "Haha~ I guess I was right on the money. That's the first thought that comes to everyone's minds when they think of Devils, but really think about it: What profit is there to be made when our clients are dead-or rather-soulless, mindless husks that could be considered synonymous with corpses?"

"Huh?" Shirou asked flatly.

"Simply put, we usually ask for something equivalent to what was asked for." Rias said. "Monetary payment, you see? Something equal in value to the services given."

 _"GODDAMMIT, KIYOME!"_ Shirou cursed, trembling with rage as he completely crushed the flyer in his hand. _"Getting me all worked up over that stupid shit?!...Geez..."_ Shirou shoved his hands into his pockets. "So, all I gotta do is meet with people who have these flyers, right?"

"That is about the basics of it." Rias summoned forth another magic circle on top of her desk, but this time, a few stacks of the same Summoning Circle flyers appeared instead of just one. About a hundred in each stack. "Your first job as a Devil will be to deliver these to potential contractors.

The thought of the sheer number caused Shirou's stomach to fall. "All of them...?" He tried not to sound like he was complaining.

"Yes."

Shirou groaned. "But there's so many! It will take me like ten forevers to deliver all of these!"

"...Oh look, a wuss AND a crybaby." Koneko taunted, barely looking up from her snacks. She was still feeling a sense of satisfaction from crushing Shirou's undeserved ego yesterday and wanted to rub it in.

Shirou raised his head, boring into her with his hateful eyes. "Fuck you!" He raised a fist, resisting the urge to start a fight.

"...You wanna get flattened again?" Koneko's monotone still carried a taunting feeling to it. "Bring it on." Shirou growled, stomping forward.

In case it was not clear to anyone else, these two were NOT friends.

"Now now, you two." Akeno stepped between them, her arms poised to separate the two should physical contact break out again. It wasn't that she was worried about the destruction they would cause. It was that she knew how badly Shirou would be broken physically...and emotionally. "We have more important matters to attend to."

"Akeno is right, Shirou." Rias once again gestured to the stationary stationery laying on the table behind her. "These flyers won't deliver themselves."

Yet again, Shirou let out a groan of dissatisfaction. "Come on, Rias! There has to be a better way than this!"

"True. We normally have our Familiars deliver these," Rias explained, "BUT this is to teach you what jobs Devils do from the beginning."

Shirou's jaw dropped. "Bu-I-But this really is going to take forever!"

"Then you had better get started." Even Shirou could tell that Rias had a joking tone, as if she were dealing with a child, but he still could not help from being upset.

Downtrodden, he walked over to the table and gathered up all of the Devil flyers in his arms and trudged over to the door, opening it and using his foot to grab the corner of the door and slam it shut behind him.

* * *

As he rode down the downward hill on his bike, contracts laying in the basket seated on the handlebars, Shirou couldn't help but admire the slowly-setting sun, bright orange colors splashing like paint along the horizon, the clouds lining up in a way that made it perfectly symmetrical.

Or that's how it would have been if the young man named Shirou Fujimura was poetic or artistic in any way.

Instead, the snow-haired boy was busy hunched over his handlebars, growling and mumbling various swear words as the cold, evening wind blew against his face. He was not a happy camper. He was really ticked off by the tedious task he had been told to do by Rias. He understood he was now officially (in his own interpretation) her bitch, but being made to perform menial labor like this when he should have been spending that time training in order to become stronger as a Devil irked him to no end.

More importantly, Shirou wished he could run into that Stray Devil. He wouldn't have minded getting a second shot at that creature.

He asked Rias before he explained to her as to why he was late, but she expressly forbade it and Shirou knew it was non-negotiation. It wasn't like he could find the creature on his own anyway. All he could do was wait and hope that the snake-creature showed itself to him in due time.

For the time-being, Shirou would focus on delivering the flyers so he could get contracts and be done with the whole mess already.

Thankfully, being as physically in-shape as he was, his body was well-suited to the task of pedaling on his bike, Shirou's body able to obtain great speeds. At his top speed, Shirou was fairly certain he could move at a speed on par with a moving car. He was one of the fastest things in that town. He could keep moving for hours without a single break.

It was the stopping that was the issue.

As per Newton's First Law, an object in motion would continue to remain in motion until acted upon an outside force.

There was no force that could immediately stop Shirou, not even Shirou himself. He could only keep on riding until either wind resistance slowed him down or he hit the brake/crashed and got sent flying.

God could only have mercy on any poor soul who walked into his path.

* * *

The Fallen Angel Mittelt couldn't believe her rotten luck.

Here she was, wandering some godforsaken town all by her godforsaken (she laughed at her own pun) self. They had been just sitting in that town for the past two months on a mission from their leader, the Fallen Angel Governor Azazel. When they were given this mission from the big man himself, Mittelt was certain it was going to be an awesome action-packed mission with lots of glory by the end. One where they could have possibly ended up revered as great heroes and shove it in the faces of those dicks who sometimes picked on her.

 _"Instead, we're here in this shit town with the shit job of watching some shit brat from some shit school."_ She complained. _"And have I mentioned that this place is a total piece of shit?"  
_

Despite her adorable loli appearance, Mittelt was nothing of the sort if her sharp tongue and big mouth were anything to go by.

She was not a happy camper.

And not only did she have to put up with the insult of being sent on this low-rank mission, but Raynare had the audacity, the NERVE to send her on some stupid recon mission to check out the area. Of course Mittelt did as asked, Raynare having authority as the senior officer, but, as expected, she found about as much as the kindness or sympathy you would find in a politician's soul-That is to say, nothing.

"This is so stupid! Why can't Raynare just kill the kid and be done with it!?" Mittelt whined, kicking a nearby empty can that just happened to be targeted for the venting of her frustration. "Since we're waiting for who-gives-a-fuck to arrive, I get to spend the night in the winter cold walking around doing absolute jack shit!"

Normally she was not nearly as vocal or foul-mouthed as now, but to her, it was well-justified due to the rather unenviable task she had been taken.

Mittelt rubbed her arms, shivering. "It's so cold tonight..." She looked at her outfit, resembling that of a gothic lolita. "Well...you gotta admit one thing about this country: Even if it's cold, they sure have style~" She frowned when she remembered the words of one of her compatriots earlier.

[If you're cold, then just wear a jacket!]

Mittelt clicked her tongue. "Are you kidding? That would ruin the entire outfit, idiot."

Yet again, the Fallen Angel looked around at all of the nothing around here. The only reason she had relented and agreed to go out was because Raynare had told her there was a Stray Devil murdering people...

She wanted to watch people get murdered!-Oh, and kill the Stray while she was at it.

"...I just wish something would...happen..." She paused, noticing something quickly approaching in the distance. She squinted her eyes, trying to get a better look. "...Is that a-"

"GET THE FUCK OUTTA THE WAY!"

Then a high-pitched scream filled the nighttime air as the Fallen Angel Mittelt was hit by a speeding bicycle.

* * *

Shirou hunched over, keeping his head low at the high-pitched scream he heard.

The moment the front of his bike made contact with her body, the blonde gothic lolita was sent flying from the sheer momentum Shirou had hit her with. He spared a glance behind him to see the girl flat on her face on the ground, her butt hanging in the air.

"Shit...I think I just killed a person." Still pedaling, he spared a second glance behind him. "...She dead?"

He saw a single, agony-filled twitch.

"Nah, she's fine."

And that about concluded Shirou's night.

* * *

 **The Next Evening...**

"So how are you feeling?" It was the first thing Rias asked him when he ended up back at the clubroom.

Shirou slouched on the couch across from Kiba and Koneko, the delinquent closing his eyes to rest. Akeno sat next to him, her normal pleasant expression on her face. Everyone was clearly interested in hearing about his first task went.

"Well, I almost committed vehicular homicide with a bicycle last night...So overall? Not bad."

Everybody let that sink in for a moment, perhaps believing that Shirou had misspoken and intended to correct himself.

He did not.

"Do I _really_ want to know?" Rias asked, staring at Shirou with disbelieving eyes.

Shirou popped one eye open to look at her. He smirked. "Probably not."

"Alright then." There was nothing else to say on the matter. Rias could have scolded him, but she was more than certain that scolding him over hitting someone or running them over was like scolding a fish for swimming or a bird for flying. All she could do was ignore it until he did something more severe. After all, he did say "almost".

Shirou threw his head back, a loud, howl-like groan emanating from his throat. "Buchoooou, I'm boooooored! When am I gonna get to do something fun? I thought being a Devil would be more exciting, punching people and getting dames and getting dames while punching other people! The most excitement I've gotten was from killing a lolita!"

Kiba frowned. "You mean _almost_ killing a lolita, right?"

"Shut the FUCK UP, Kiba."

The blonde prince hunched over, wounded by the harsh reaction.

Rias looked from her downed servant to Shirou. "Foul language and almost-homicides aside, you have skillfully completed your assigned task." She praised. "Your job of giving out leaflets is now done. Well done, Shirou."

Shirou fist-pumped. "Bitchin'!" Shirou kicked his feet up and laid them on the previously clean table. "So, this mean I'm finally gonna get that training?"

Rias wagged her finger back and forth. "No no. Not yet. You are not quite done yet."

Yet again, the Demon King of Kuoh groaned. "Come on! You said you would train me to get stronger and stuff and here I am being nothing more than a Demon delivery boy!"

"This is the tutorial all new Devils go through, Shirou," Rias stated, "so please bear with it a little longer. I will get to your combat training soon, but this precedes that in terms of importance. Being a strong Devil means nothing if you cannot perform your job. Understand?"

A single annoyed grunt was the only response Shirou gave.

"Good. Moving on." Rias gestured to Kiba to stand. The blonde prince did so with grace. "Yuuto got two contracts beforehand and is double-booked. It's hard to do both so I leave one to you. It will be alright for you to take his place because this is a new client who has only recently asked for our services."

Kiba was still smiling as usual as he handed one of two papers in his hand to Shirou. "I'll leave it to you, Shirou-kun."

"Shut the FUCK UP, Kiba." Shirou snapped as he snatched one of the papers from the now-sad blonde.

Akeno waved him over to a larger magic circle in the middle of the room, Shirou obeying. What really drew his attention was how the magic circle started to emit blue and white lights as if coming alive like a machine of some sort.

"So do I like jump into it or step on it or wha-"

"Keep quiet, Shirou. You will interrupt her." Rias commanded. Shirou grunted, grudgingly obeying the order. "Akeno is currently inserting your carved seal into the magic circle."

Then more waiting, Shirou passing the time by playing some of his favorite anime songs in his head since he didn't have them downloaded on his music player.

Devil bless Shinmai Maou No Testament's Blade of Hope.

Shirou only snapped out of his thoughts when Rias grabbed his attention again. "Shirou, put your palms towards there."

Shirou lifted his left hand and pointed it towards Rias as told. She then began writing something on his palm with her fingers. It was some kind of charm.

Shirou frowned. "What are you doing...?"

"Shush!" Rias commanded, trying to focus on her work.

She drew something reminiscent to the magic circle on the floor on his palm. Shirou stared at it closely, trying to figure out what it was supposed to do. He leaped back when it glowed blue and white just as the circle on the floor.

"Holy shit!" A part of him instinctively looked towards the roof, wondering what level of heresy his words were on. Then he lowered his eyes back down on Rias. "Um...this won't end up being like a tattoo or anything, will it? Ka-san is fine with most things, but she said if I ever came home with a tattoo, she would remove it with a skinning knife if she had to."

That drew a small, amused smile from Rias, the crimson-haired girl believing Shirou was joking. Oh if only he were...his mother was all kinds of crazy-overprotective against "products of bad influences" like tattoos.

"This allows you to transport to the client's place instantly by making you go through the teleportation-type magic circle. And when the contract is done, it lets you return to this room."

Shirou raised his hand. "So it's like Instant Transmission?"

"I...suppose." Rias paused for that one. "There are not many other ways to explain teleportation magic, so I suppose-"

"Alright, I'm good." Shirou interrupted abruptly. "Let's get this show on the road."

"OK then, so now stand in the middle of the magic circle." Rias gestured to the now-free magic circle.

Shirou obliged and went to the center of the magic circle on the floor. The moment he stepped foot on it, it began glowing even brighter as if responding to his presence, almost blinding him with its brilliant light. He had to take deep breaths to calm himself in response to the surging power he felt flowing through his body. It wasn't painful. It was actually rather calm and pleasant, but Shirou was taken by surprise by the sudden sensation.

"The magic circle is responding to the client." Rias explained. "You will be teleported to that location now. You already have the manual for what to do after getting teleported right?"

"Oh that?" Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "Yea-No. I threw that away a long time ago..."

"...What?"

"There were too many words." Shirou responded flatly. "I skimmed it a little, tossed it in the trash, and then went out to get a smoothie."

Rias stared blankly at Shirou. For a good ten seconds, there was nothing but silence. Rias was not even sure how to respond to that.

"...Are you mad because I didn't get you a smoothie too?"

"Rias, it's ready." Akeno announced. "Teleportation is commencing."

"Don't worry!" Shirou assured them. He gestured to himself, smirking. "I know how to handle people."

 _"Dear Maou, what have I done?"_ The crimson-haired girl thought as she buried her face in her hands.

Then an even brighter light engulfed Shirou, swallowing him completely.

And then he was gone.

* * *

Shirou wasn't entirely sure what he expected when the light finally cleared from his eyes. Maybe he was expecting some noble manor. Or perhaps he was expecting a gothic-styled room filled with all sort of evidence of Satanist activities or memorabilia having to do with various dark rituals.

Instead he found a small room in a small apartment. It was just so _normal_. So normal that he was almost certain there was some sort of trap laying in wait for him. Something had to be waiting in the shadows. Something had to be waiting to pounce on him, ready to snap his neck.

"Huh, so you actually picked u-"

"HIYA!" Shirou immediately turned on his heels to face the speaker, pulling some sort of exaggerated martial arts stands, throwing a punch that merely flew through empty space, missing his target by the distance of the two foot long gap between them. The intended receiver of said punch simply stared with half-lidded eyes.

"Really?" She (for it was in-fact a she) asked, voicing the thought clearly expressed through her face. "Well, at least you had as much energy as I expected from one of the Devils."

"Huh...?" Shirou wondered in confusion, trying to process what was going on. The first thing his eyes caught onto was the appearance of the girl-no. WOMAN. This was a woman. If anything, she was the epitome of womanhood, possessing all of the physical traits one would desire in a woman.

She was tall woman with flawless skin that held a fair color. Navy-blue hair trailed behind her, falling just above her waist with two, long bangs extending to her shoulder blades. Her body possessed curves in all the right places, especially in the chest area. Her attire consisted of a violet, trenchcoat-like top with a wide collar, a matching miniskirt, and black heeled shoes. The trenchcoat top was open at her chest, giving Shirou quite the generous view of her breasts and her cleavage. While examining said cleavage, Shirou's wandering eyes noticed a gold necklace about a few inches upward around her neck.

"So, are you here to complete a contract or do you just want to ogle me all night?"

Shirou felt his face heat up as he realized how blatant his voyeurism had been, the woman in front of him staring at him with her hands on her hips in a fashion that Shirou had only seen with the girls he knew, typically when they were upset with him about something.

And this woman looked kind of serious, so Shirou knew it was time to assume "the position".

He immediately bowed his head. "I am so very sorry." That position was his one-time get-out-of-jail-free card for every woman he meets for the first time, used only when he made some sort of mistake. Simple and somewhat insincere, it was the attempt that counted, so it usually succeeded.

"Pffft!" The woman suddenly covered her mouth, an expression of mirth appearing on her face. "Lighten up, kid~ I was only messing with you!" She continued laughing at Shirou, whose flustered expression only became more and more embarrassed. After a few moments, all of his embarrassment quickly (and predictably) began to channel into anger, the young man beginning to tremble as he realized the deception.

Shirou jabbed an accusing finger in the woman's direction. "Listen, lady! I'm not here to play games!" Shirou declared. "I'm a Devil who was specially chosen to fulfill the desire you possess, so don't waste my time! Tell me what you want so I can fulfill your wish, take the price you're paying, and be on my way!"

"Hmph!" The woman turned her head away, indignant at Shirou's attitude. "If you're going to act like that, then maybe I'll take my business elsewhere."

"What?!" As much as he hated to admit it, that reaction the woman gave him surprised Shirou. What was worse, he could practically imagine Rias's reaction to him reporting back, revealing he had failed to make his very first contract. The condescension and scolding in her tone was enough to make him swallow his pride if only to avoid it. "Wait wait wait!"

The woman tauntingly turned her head back to face Shirou, who was once again bowing to her (albeit more sincerely than before).

He practically choked on his own tongue lowering himself to this level before a mere stranger to whom he owed nothing, but he knew if he did not get this contract, Rias would probably never allow him to begin his training, not until he found a way to somehow redeem himself.

For Shirou, that was simply too long of a wait.

"Please forgive me!"

It was three simple words, but they were much more genuine than before.

The woman finally turned around, fully facing Shirou. She stared at him, examining him like he was some sort of object in a store window.

After a few minutes, she crossed her arms, sighing to herself. "What a shame. I expected a more charming, charismatic man of a Devil, but I suppose you will do."

Shirou started clenching his fists, biting his lower lip as he resisted the urge to say something nasty back to the woman. Instead, he swallowed his emotions once again and raised his head, putting on a more respectful face as he faced the woman.

"As you wish, ma'am." Shirou said, not trusting himself to say something else.

The woman gave a disgusted look, like she had a bad taste in her mouth. "Bleh! Please don't call me ma'am. It makes me feel like an old lady. Just Kalawarner will do." The woman, Kalawarner, starting walking around the room, seeming as though she was looking for something.

Shirou raised an eyebrow. "Kalawarner...?" He repeated to himself. _"Don't think I've ever heard that name before...Must be foreign. She doesn't look Japanese at any rate, so a foreigner or someone from a foreign family is the best guess I can make."_

"Found it!" Kalawarner's announcement snapped Shirou out of his thoughts, making him turn towards her. In her hand, she held a small, leather pouch object...a wallet. Rather than speak to Shirou, she immediately made her way to the door, leaving Shirou in even deeper confusion. She opened the door and took a step forward before looking over her shoulder at Shirou. "Well? Are you gonna fulfill our contract or not? Come on."

That was what got Shirou to start moving again. He ran over to catch up with his client, but he was still curious.

"What exactly do you want from me?" He shoved one hand in his pocket, using other to anxiously rub the back of his neck.

Kalawarner turned her head and winked at Shirou. "Just come have a good time with lil' ol' me~"

With that flirtatious request, Kalawarner led the way of Shirou's first job.

* * *

The first activity on Kalawarner's schedule was to go see a movie.

It was a trial from Hell in Shirou's book. Of course, Kalawarner just had wanted to go see one of the sappiest movies out at the time. It was something along the lines of "Me Plus You Equals Love" or some cheesy BS title like that. It was a movie about a student who was in love with his admittedly hot teacher about ten-fifteen years older than him and in the end, they both decide to wait until he was of age or something.

Shirou found himself disgusted by the whole premise of the film.

The romance was poorly developed, the plot didn't have enough drama befitting a romance, and the ending didn't have the moving romantic embrace he had been hoping for.

It was a sham of a romance film.

His client, on the other hand, had thoroughly enjoyed the film if her smile or her tears were anything to go by. She was really into the sappiest moments of the film and it was there that Shirou realized that was where their interests cut off. Shirou had no doubt they were both into romance films, but Shirou had better taste in terms of quality. He deeply considered introducing her to the better films that were out there. If she ever summoned Shirou again, he definitely did not want to be stuck watching that garbage again.

Still though, his client enjoyed it. She had gotten so into it that she apparently forgot that Shirou was a Devil she had summoned rather than some romantic partner judging from the way she started clinging to Shirou's arm, her eyes still fresh full of tears while they were sitting in the dark theater.

As long as she was satisfied, Shirou didn't find it to be a TOTAL waste of two hours.

Even after they returned to the lobby, his client was still crying, dabbing her eyes with tissues that she produced seemingly out of thin air.

It was adorable enough that Shirou couldn't help but smile a little at the sight. However, he paused when he realized what he was doing, returning to his previous scowl as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Are we done yet?"

Kalawarner frowned, seeming displeased with Shirou's attitude. "Not yet." She replied curtly, forcefully grabbing Shirou by the arm and dragging him forwardly. "Let's go!"

"Huh!? Wait! Hold on a second!" Shirou was stunned by how easily this woman dragged him along like some sort of associate.

It wasn't that she was being so clingy towards him, it was that she showed no fear or hesitation towards him whatsoever. That was what really stunned Shirou. Everyone-and I mean EVERYONE-knew the reputation of the Demon King of Kuoh. To everyone else, he was a good-for-nothing trash teen delinquent who would break every bone in a person's body just for the fun of it. Even adults reacted with fear at the sight of him.

 _"Well, she IS probably a foreigner."_ Shirou reasoned to himself, eyebrow raised at his client's carefree action. _"She probably doesn't know."_

And then Kalawarner ended up dragging Shirou to one of the most cliche destinations for a man and a woman to visit together: The mall.

She dragged Shirou around, staring through all of the windows of all the shops like a kid in a candy store. Kalawarner had to apply a bit more force into her arms when they approached the women's clothing store. Shirou's face turned as bright red as a tomato. Sure he had seen panties before, but it was more about what people would think if they caught him walking into a clothing store for women. He had a reputation as a merciless demon to keep and yet there he was, with a beautiful woman, helping her shop for clothes.

His client seemed even more excited as she walked into the changing room with various outfits and dresses that Shirou didn't even remember her grabbing. He followed her all the way to the dressing room. Kalawarner didn't say anything, but Shirou assumed she expected him to wait outside for her. Shirou took a seat on the ground next to the door, trying to hide his face with his arm in the hopes nobody would recognize him (although it wouldn't exactly be hard to pick out a boy with hair as white as snow).

"So, what do you think of _this one?_ " Kalawarner asked, stepping out of the dressing room after two minutes.

"What do you-" Shirou immediately cut himself off, his eyes practically bulging out of his skull at the sight of Kalawarner in her new clothes.

It was a red dress with a slit on the right side that went all the way up her thigh, the dress itself generously hugging her well-curved body. If the sex appeal of the Onee-sama-type woman wasn't enough, the sexy pose she pulled, as if teasing Shirou, was enough to drive him to a light nosebleed which he just barely managed to disguise.

She wore a long, floral sundress that somehow gave her more of a natural sexual appeal than her purposefully tight trench coat-like top while still emphasizing her amazing bust along with sandals.

"You still haven't given your answer." Kalawarner pointed out.

"...You look sexy..." Shirou had let those words slip out of his mouth before he could stop himself, immediately clamping his hands over his mouth afterwards.

That answer seemed to please Kalawarner, the older woman smiling brightly. "Well, if you say that, I might just end up buying this~" She immediately disappeared back into the room again. "Alright, let's see your reaction to the next one, little Devil boy~"

And it continued something like that for a good hour.

And the pattern continued repeating itself like that for a while. The beautiful woman would change into a beautiful outfit and ask his opinion before speaking with that flirtatious tone of hers, quickly disappearing back into the changing room only to return in another outfit that continued to compliment her beauty.

It went on like that for around another hour before his client came out of the dressing room a final time, clothed in her original clothing and carrying the outfits she had worn over her arm. Kalawarner looked rather pleased with her selection and gestured for Shirou to follow her yet again as she approached the front counter.

The dark-haired woman leaned forward provocatively, granting the cashier a more generous view of her bust, even more than what was usually afforded to those who laid eyes on her. She smiled seductively, acting in a fashion that led Shirou to believe she was deliberately trying to fluster the poor man behind the counter as she placed the mountain-sized pile of clothes she had picked out onto the counter.

"Yeah, I'm not interested in any of this. Could you please put it all back for me?"

There was a huge, loud thud as both Shirou and the cashier hit the ground.

"Yes, miss...right away..."

* * *

"OK! What the Hell was the point of any of that?!" Shirou trudged behind Kalawarner, the evening sun already beginning to set in the horizon.

Kalawarner shot Shirou a cunning smirk. "I simply didn't have the money to buy anything. What was left of my pocket money went into that movie."

While he was greatly irritated by the older woman's actions, Shirou understood her reasoning to an extent, but...

"Alright, but why did we go to the clothing store in the first place if you weren't going to buy anything?"

Kalawarner shrugged before extending her arms outward. "Because it was really fun seeing your virgin-reactions to all of them~" Shirou's left eye twitched, his left arm trembling.

"Don't fuck with me, lady!" His patience was beginning to wear thin with his client. He could stand the movie, he could stand being in a clothing store for women, but what he couldn't stand was being teased in such a one-sided manner. It was embarrassing for him to be played so easily.

A small smile blessed Kalawarner's lips, the woman raising her hands in mock-surrender. "Alright, alright. You really do need to get a sense of humor, kid." Shirou's only response was a sharp growl. "You want to know the real reason why I did that then...? Well, I guess I just like looking pretty." Normally, Shirou would have interpreted that answer as a tease or some kind of joke, but it was odd...he only sensed sadness in her voice. "It's nice, being able to have others look at you and see something beautiful." She chuckled, but it sounded bitter. "Still though, I guess it was that kind of attention-seeking that got me in trouble in the first place..."

Kalawarner seemed to trail off, lost in her own little, personal world. She looked distant, as if she wasn't even aware of her surroundings.

"Um...I see..." Shirou was feeling too awkward to consider a proper response to what he suspected to be a deep personal issue. Granted, he was her contracted Devil, but he wasn't quite sure how involved he was supposed to get into his client's business past what wish they desired to be fulfilled.

It went on for several more moments, Kalawarner not appearing to acknowledge where she was going or what she was doing.

Shirou only knew that she was back to being aware of everything when her body shuddered.

"Oh, right! Sorry." Kalawarner turned around to face Shirou, still looking as though she was in a daze. "You have completed my request, Devil, so I supposed you can leave now."

"...erm...are you sure you're alright to return alone...?"

A halfhearted smile was the only response from Kalawarner. "Just return already..."

She was clearly feeling depressed about something, about whatever Shirou had inadvertently reminded her of. It wasn't a pleasant memory if Shirou had to guess...

Shirou clenched his fists, beginning to tremble.

"Like Hell I'm just gonna leave you like this!" Shirou declared passionately.

Kalawarner's eyes widened, the woman turning to face Shirou. "Devil...?"

"You still haven't paid me for fulfilling your request!" The air around them expressed a strange feeling similar to that of an anti-climax, Kalawarner just staring at the snow-haired boy. "You can't just expect to get whatever wish you desire for free! Think about how badly the economy would collapse if everyone started getting freebies!" But on the inside, Shirou was sweating. _"Dammit! I really hope she doesn't call me out on that. I know NOTHING about the economy. I just felt...weird..."_

It was an odd feeling in Shirou's chest. He just felt _wrong_ on the inside when he thought about just leaving Kalawarner in that state of hers. It was something that absolutely puzzled him. He didn't know her. He shouldn't care. He DIDN'T care! That was the way he thought. He had learned to completely shut out others and ignore his surroundings. It had worked perfectly until that day and he just couldn't shut out someone after they made such a pitiful face.

He was irritated by this. Why should he care about someone he barely knew?

 _"Goddammit! When will I finally fall into complete sociopathy!?"_ He screamed mentally, wishing he could ignore the parts of him that were still human.

And then there was laughter.

Shirou looked at Kalawarner, the woman once again breaking out in a fit of laughter.

"I guess I did forget! So I did~! So I did~!" Her previous mirth reclaimed by Shirou's words, Kalawarner started smiling again, and the ugly feeling in Shirou's gut faded away. "Now, for your reward for-"

"FUJIMURA! We finally found you!"

A tic appeared on Shirou's forehead, Shirou closing his eyes as he tried to focus on suppressing the immense rage welling up inside of him.

 _"Where the fuck was this distraction two minutes ago!?"_ He screamed mentally, enraged by how he was tortured by the awkward air moments before. He stomped his feet as he turned, facing a relatively small group of about five loser-I mean-delinquents.

One of the delinquents beat his fists together. "Today, you're finally going to get what you deserve!"

Shirou tightly gripped his head in his hand, growling out of frustration. "What the fuck do you clowns want!?" One of the other stepped forward to say something. "OTHER than a severe and probably very much-deserved ass-kicking?"

"You die today, Fujimura!"

Shirou pulled his headphones down around his neck, sighing to himself. "Can we please just skip the banter and get this over with? I'm really tired of today." He bent one leg back, tapping his foot against the ground as if to knock some dirt out of the bottom of his shoe. "You guys up for this?"

"Shut up, Fujimura! We're-" That delinquent then noticed the tall, gorgeous woman standing behind Shirou, the delinquent possessing a look that clearly revealed his less-than-paragon intentions. He grinned as he looked back to his comrades. "Hey guys, I know who we're gonna do when we're through with Fujimura!"

Shirou stared. "Don't you mean wh-"

"I know what I said!"

"Ah." Shirou cracked his knuckles, his gaze becoming much harsher. "OK, which one of you disgusting maggots want to die first?" He took a step forward, possessing such an intimidating presence that four of the other delinquents instinctively stepped back in fear. The faintest smirk sneaked onto Shirou's face. They were beginning to learn to TRULY fear him. Maybe, sometime in the future, they would be too petrified to even walk in front of him. That would save him a lot of trouble on a daily basis.

The more experienced delinquents who had been easily beaten by Shirou often enough began conversing with each other and then their speaker, causing him to click his tongue in annoyance.

"OK. It looks like the boys want to forgo on the fight today!" He said. "So I'll give you a choice: You can just leave your girlfriend with us and leave, or you can stay, get your ass kicked, and watch us and your girl!"

It looked like they were still stupid as Hell in Shirou's opinion.

"Devil..." A hand placed itself on Shirou's shoulder. Shirou looked to see Kalawarner, sighing to herself. She looked as though she was either expecting or asking Shirou to accept the offer. "You should-"

"Wait wait wait!" Shirou interrupted, holding up a hand to stop her. "Hold up just one second!" He brushed off Kalawarner's hand, turning back to the other delinquents. He shoved his hands into his pockets.

"So, Fujimura, what do you say?" One of the cockier members of the group asked, motioning for Shirou to hand something over.

Shirou clicked his tongue. "Imma have to go with Option 3: None of the above!" Shirou stomped towards the delinquents, their formation beginning to disrupt as a result of their fear. "Not only have you jackasses taken it upon yourselves to annoy me for the umpteenth time, but you have the balls, the sheer gall to try to convince me to hand over a gorgeous gem like Kalawarner over to you punks? Were you trying to insult my pride as a man?" Shirou cracked his knuckles again. "If so, congratulations! You succeeded! You won! How about I show you to your prize?!"

It was do or die time and all Shirou had to do was see if they made the right choice or the suicidal choice.

"Let's get'em!"

"He's all bluster!"

"He can't get us all!"

Shirou pinched the bridge of his nose, once again sighing at the sight of the charging delinquents. "And they pick the suicidal choice." He looked over his shoulder, staring sharply at Kalawarner. "You might want to close your eyes for a few seconds. This won't be pretty."

Kalawarner made no gesture to do so, staring with her mouth agape. Shirou ignored this, intending to go through with this whether she saw it or not.

"Get him!"

Shirou easily caught the first punch of the first delinquent attacking him, being able to do so with far more ease than what he usually possessed. With even greater ease, Shirou pulled him forward, driving a sharp knee into his stomach, completely knocking the wind out of the poor bastard. Shirou tossed him to the side, dodging to the right to avoid a blunt instrument Shirou suspected to be a baseball bat.

He swung his arm, opening his hand at the last moment to grip the end and rip it from the second delinquent's hands. Shirou then proceeded to bust the second guy's nose by smashing his face in with the small end of the bat, knocking him out-cold. When the third thug tried charging, Shirou casually smashed the bat down on his head, completely breaking it in half.

The next two who tried to attack Shirou struck him with their fists. And it ended up ending exactly the same way as it did for the first one.

Shirou caught both of their fists, dragging them forward enough so that he could exchange his grip from their hands to their collars, lifting them up and slamming their heads together with incredible force. With that done, he let both of them drop to the ground like a pair of rag dolls.

Smirking, Shirou looked at the sixth and final member of the group. Said delinquent was trembling from the waist down, struggling just to stand.

"You know what?" Shirou slid his headphones back over his head, his expression changing from outrage and irritation to sheer boredom. "I think I've successfully made my point here. So if you drop and pretend to be unconscious, I'm willing to let this one slide."

The last one blinked. "R-Really?"

Shirou cocked his head back. "Ha! Fuck no!" Without waiting for a response, Shirou lunged forward, slamming his fist against the side of the poor bastard's skull, knocking him out with one blow. "And that makes six." Shirou checked his right wrist, frowning. _"Geez...I didn't think it was possible, but I think fighting these guys has gotten even easier. I guess it has to do with my enhanced Devil body."_

"Don't you think this is fucking over, FUJIMURAAAAAA!" Shirou tensed at the sound of that voice.

He turned around, realizing he had made a critical error in his actions.

There stood Kalawarner, a knife held against her neck as she was restrained from behind. One of the delinquents Shirou had thought unconscious stood behind her, holding her threateningly while blood poured from his broken nose.

"Damn! I got careless!" Shirou cursed himself again and again in his head. "I'm not the only person who isn't of your group here..."

"That's right, Fujimura!" The delinquent declared cockily. "Now, unless you don't want your pretty lady friend to get hurt, I suggest you...um...I..."

Shirou raised an eyebrow. "What?"

The delinquent scratched his head with the hand that wasn't holding the knife. "I don't know. I honestly didn't think I'd get this far." Shirou immediately face-faulted onto the ground.

"That so?" Kalawarner asked, sounding oddly unconcerned. "Then allow me to suggest your next move."

And that was when Kalawarner threw one fist blindly over her shoulder, hitting the remaining foe square in the face.

He went down like a log, blood spurting at an alarming rate from his nose. And with that, it was truly over. In that anti-climactic moment, the "battle" was over.

Shirou could only stare, jaw dropped in shock. He pointed at Kalawarner, unable to properly voice his thoughts.

"Huh?! Wha-But you-I thought-!"

"What? That because I was a woman, I was the stereotypical damsel-in-distress?" The older woman asked, unconcerned. She brushed some of her hair from out in front of her face.

A brief pause.

"...On principle, knowing the consequences, I want to say no..." Shirou explained honestly. And then more honestly, "But yes."

He expected to be bitch-slapped any moment now.

"Well, if it weren't for the fact it's so adorable, I would probably be insulted." Shirou looked to see Kalawarner not with annoyance on her face, but an amused smile. "It was only just barely adorable enough to avoid that."

Shirou let out a sigh of relief. "I see..."

"However!" Shirou jumped as Kalawarner suddenly appeared in front of him, placing a finger to his lips to silence him. "Next time someone tries to tell you something, you should listen. Because, if you had not interfered, I could have easily dealt with every single one of these low-class pieces of trash on my own and feel somewhat miffed at being denied the chance to do so. If you ever try to demean or humiliate me in such a fashion again, I will take a monkey wrench to that thing hanging between your legs, and shove it straight up your-" There was a small groan by Kalawarner's feet, one of the delinquent's stirring into consciousness. Kalawarner put an end to that with a harsh blow with her foot to the back of his head. She turned back to Shirou. "I'm sure you get the point."

Shirou squeaked, subconsciously reaching down protectively. "Y-Yes, ma'am." Shirou swallowed. _"Note to self: Never try to steal a woman's "kill". Unlike men, women know exactly how to destroy you in every sense of the word."_

Kalawarner brushed herself off. "Well, it was still flattering in a way, I suppose." She considered the entirety of the events that transpired. "And I do owe you as per our contract." She moved faster than Shirou could anticipate.

All he noticed was the soft sensation of lips against his right cheek.

Shirou blinked. "Huh?" His face lit up a bright red color. "Huuuuuuuuuh!?"

"I suppose that concludes our business for now, little Devil." Kalawarner started walking away, shooting him a wink. "See you around~"

And with that, she was gone, leaving Shirou all by himself.

Shirou kept staring.

"HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH!?"

* * *

Shirou sighed to himself, hanging his head.

"My "male pride" has never felt smaller." He whined to himself, completely stumped by how badly he had been overshadowed.

He wished he had either defeated every single one of them on his own or had watched Kalawarner do it so he could just imagine they were really really weak (which they were, but he could imagine it was they were weaker rather than Kalawarner being stronger), but the way Kalawarner stole his thunder at the end greatly irritated him.

What infuriated him even more was the way she had skipped out on fulfilling her part of their contract...

Shirou subconsciously touched his right cheek, blushing.

He had never been kissed by a girl before. Even with his... _circumstances,_ he had never felt the touch of a girl's lips on even his cheek. Forget a kiss on the lips.

 _"It went by so fast, but it felt like it happened so slowly."_ Shirou's blush strengthened every time he thought back to the memory of it.

His mind could not move from that thought no matter how hard he tried.

And that only served to further anger him. "Grrrrr!" He clenched his fist tightly, eyes shut tightly as he tried to control his thoughts. "That damned woman!" He immediately started wiping his cheek with his sleeve, trying to wipe away any trace that Kalawarner's lips had ever made contact with his face.

What was worse was the fact that Shirou went through the entire day fulfilling the contract and got stiffed on the bill. He knew that if he returned empty-handed, heads were going to roll. He had to consider his next choice of actions _very_ carefully. If he just outright confessed to getting tricked, Rias would push back his training again or just cancel it altogether as punishment.

He sighed yet again, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Well, at least I have until I get back to the clubhouse to come up with a way to get out of this."

BZZZZZZZZZZT!

His cell phone started vibrating inside his pocket, slightly tickling his upper thigh.

Shirou bit his tongue, resisting a curse as he pulled his cellphone out of his pocket.

 _"Please don't let it be her._ _Please don't let it be her._ _Please don't let it be her."_ Shirou hit the button to pick up the call. "...Hello?"

[It's me.]

 _"DAMMIT!"_ Shirou covered the receiver on his phone, hissing out curses towards his piss poor luck. Out of everyone, it just HAD to be Rias. Then again, it wasn't like there was anyone he expected to call him...

It then occurred to Shirou to question why he even owned a phone in he first place.

[I was just calling to check the progress of your contract. It has been a few hours and I am growing concerned.]

Shirou laughed awkwardly. "Oh, everything's going JUST FINE!" He lied. "My client's having the time of her life right now! Oh yeah! So much fun in this party!"

[Uh huh.]

Shirou frozen as he realized what kind of "Uh huh" Rias had just used. It was the kind that women used to let him know he was in deep shit.

[You see, I'm standing here holding something interesting. Do you know what it is?]

"No." That time, Shirou answered honestly. He had no idea.

[I am holding a Devil evaluation submitted by your contractor. Why, pray tell, do you think she would submit his if you were, as you said, in he midst of your contract?]

"Uuuuuuh..." Shirou started to sweat.

[The only logical reason I can find for your evaluation returning before you would be that something went amiss...DID something go amiss?]

It was by pure instinct Shirou reacted.

"...rry-KUURRRRCCCHHHHH!-Can't make-KUUUUURRRCCHHH!-Going under a tunnel!" Shirou continued to make static-like noises into he phone. "I'm losing you now-KUUURRRRCCCHHHH! It's really-KUUUURCHHHHH!"

[...Shirou, I know the entire landscape of this town. There are no tunnels.]

That gave Shirou food for thought.

"Did I say "tunnel"? I meant-OH MY DEVIL! A GIANT METEOR IS FALLING FROM THE SKY! AAAAAH-!" Shirou then proceeded to chuck his cell phone as far as possible. After a few seconds, a soft crack and subsequent crunch could be heard echoing through the night. Shirou dusted himself off. "Genius, Shirou. Genius." He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. "But now what do I do...?"

Shirou started wandering aimlessly with that question in mind.

If he went home, Rias or one of the others could be waiting there, expecting an explanation. He had none other than that he had been swindled. He would probably just find some place to hide out until it all blew over. Rias had not seemed like the type to hold anger for long, so Shirou held out the hope she would be more lenient towards his screw-up after a time had passed.

It wasn't that he was afraid of Rias as a person, but rather, he did not want to be cheated out of his training.

He had to get stronger if he ever wanted to shove Koneko's face into the dirt for payback.

True, revenge may not have been the most noble goal, but it was hardly the only goal he possessed.

There was one more person he wanted to surpass.

 _"I won't give up."_ Shirou assured himself. _"Not until I get strong enough to beat her!"_ Just the thought of that very weakness caused his anger to boil. _"I refuse to be distracted from this goal! Mark my words, nothing will make me stray from-"_

Nyaaaaaaaaan~!

Shirou suddenly perked up, surprised by that sudden sound. That familiar sound.

He turned his head, searching. Searching for that familiar face he remembered so vividly.

A black cat came stalking out of the nearby alleyway, flicking her tail back and forth with confidence and pride. An arrogant brat in Shirou's eyes. She casually strolled on over to Shirou, staring up at him with hazel-gold eyes.

Shirou narrowed his eyes, staring sharply at the feline. "It's you..."

The cat flicked its tail, clearly not feeling any threat from Shirou's presence.

"I know exactly what to do with you..." Shirou extended his hand towards he smaller creature-

* * *

Back at the Occult Research Clubroom, Koneko Toujou felt a sharp chill go down her spine, causing her to drop the piece of cake she had been eating onto the table.

Rias was busy, deep in discussion with Kiba and Akeno, discussing the subject of her newest servant whom she believed just so rudely hung up his phone (although in reality, he completely smashed his phone to pieces).

"I really hope that he's-" Rias cut herself off mid-sentence when she noticed her servant.

An hour expression of nausea appeared on the younger girl's face,

"Koneko, is something wrong?" Rias asked, her voice full of worry.

Koneko curled up into a ball, trembling. "My Neko Sense is tingling. Somewhere, something disturbing is happening, something disturbing and just _wrong_...and it involves a cat."

* * *

"Who's da cute widdle kitty witty~?" Shirou fawned, hugging the adorable, black feline tightly while nuzzling his face against hers. Shirou held out the cat in front of him, completely awed by how adorable she was when she looked at him, hind legs dangling in he air with her tail flicking behind her. "You are~! You are~! You're da cute widdle kitty witty~!"

This was the cat that Shirou had named Kuroneko.

Kuroneko was a stray cat that Shirou met a year ago when he first started attending Kuoh Academy.

Shirou had found the stray just wandering the streets, looking as though she was searching for something, most likely food. Shirou was immediately taken with the young cat and decided to pet her.

And that resulted in the naughty stray doing her damned well best to try and take the tip of Shirou's finger with those sharp, sharp teeth of hers, well-maintained through means known only to the cat. Despite this act of hostility, Shirou remained in awe of her cuteness and persisted, going as far as to feed her to earn her affection. After a certain incident, Kuroneko finally warmed up to Shirou, about a week after they first met. It was after that point that she finally allowed Shirou to pet her affectionately.

She still maintained a sense of superiority, but did not object to when Shirou pet her nor was she required to rub up against him whenever she saw him. He could only squeal at her adorable appearance.

For you see, the thing about Shirou is...

"You are just THE cutest thing~!"

-he really likes cute things. Cute things were his one weakness.

So, naturally, ignoring the huggable feline in front of him would have been a Herculean task for Shirou.

Nyaaaaaan~!

Kuroneko let out an especially loud mew, either begging for or demanding sustenance from Shirou (i.e. food). Shirou set her down on the ground, kneeling down beside her with an apologetic look. He pet her behind the ears, Kuroneko letting out a mew of contentment.

"Sorry, Kuro, but I don't have anything with me today." The feline's face fell. "Don't worry though. Next time I promise I'll bring you something." He gave the cat a reassuring special scratch in that one spot underneath her ears that seemed to give her more enjoyment than anywhere else.

The cat continued nuzzling and rubbing up against Shirou.

Sometimes Shirou wished he could just bring the stray home and make her his own pet, but the first time he tried, it unfortunately did not go very well.

Shirou wasn't even sure what happened. He picked Kuroneko up and brought her to his house, but she wouldn't stop fussing the whole time. He had thought she would grow accustomed to the house after a day, but Shirou believed he must have left the window open because, when he woke up, a cool morning breeze was blowing past the curtains and Kuroneko was gone. While initially alarmed, Shirou found her living safely on the streets, "patrolling" in the same fashion she always did, like she was watching out for something.

In a way, Shirou could understand. Even when there was others around him, he still felt the distinct desire to be alone sometimes. Perhaps it was because he was too used to it. Perhaps it was because most of the people he knew just bugged the Hell out of him.

He felt a sense of camaraderie with Kuroneko due to the sense of similarity he felt between them. Outcast, alone, no real place to call their own (albeit Shirou's situation being figurative and Kuroneko's situation being literal). Deep down, it killed Shirou a little to leave Kuroneko outside on the streets, but it was apparently what she desired, so who was he to interfere with her desires.

"Geez..." Shirou groaned. "Things are good now, but I gotta seriously figure out how I'm gonna convince Rias to forget about my failed contract..." Shirou decided to take a seat against a nearby wall, leaning back, tilting his head towards the sky. If he weren't a Devil, he would probably be asking the Heavens for an answer to his dilemma. "Man, how can this get any worse?"

And it was at that moment that a bright flash of lightning briefly illuminated the sky, followed by the sound of crashing thunder. It was only after that that Shirou felt raindrops drizzling down on his head. It was slow at first, but that gradual drizzle slowly began to turn into a heavy downpour that managed to soak Shirou to the bone in ten seconds flat. He could only sit there, using his upper body to shield Kuroneko from the rain, wondering just why he decided to tempt fate as he did.

He could only say one word in response.

"Fuck." He took off his jacket, holding it over his head and Kuroneko like a protective umbrella. "Damn...I guess I should get somewhere with a ceiling. You with me, Kuro?"

Nyan~!

That cat gave a mew of approval to the idea. Shirou picked up Kuroneko, cradling her in one arm while using the other to hold his jacket over them to protect them from the harsh elements.

Shirou was about to break out into a run when a soft hand suddenly came to rest on his shoulder, startling him. Shirou immediately jumped forward, turning to face his unknown assaulter.

"Now now, no need to be afraid, little boy." A calm and tender voice spoke. Shirou pulled back, eyeing the newcomer with suspicion.

However, his jaw immediately dropped, recognizing her full appearance.

She was a young woman dressed in a blue kimono, possessing brown hair with blue streaks and more-than-ample "assets". Like Kalawarner, she was mature, but a youthful kind of mature. On top of that, Shirou got the distinct feeling of familiarity with the woman...

"Ufufu~ What a poor boy~" The woman teased, smiling brightly. "Wandering out here alone is no good for someone so young especially in _this_ weather~"

Shirou averted his gaze. "Yeah...I guess..." He was feeling awkward. And the woman's heavy gaze wasn't doing anything to ease his discomfort.

His unease increased even further when the woman reached out and gently caressed his cheek. "It's a shame for a beautiful face such as yours to be stuck out in the rain..."

 _"Bad touch bad touch BAD TOUCH!"_ Shirou hissed in his mind.

HIIISSSSSSSS!

Shirou was snapped out of his trauma-fearing thoughts by Kuroneko suddenly struggling and hissing from her little space on Shirou's arm. He frowned, confused.

"Kuro? What's wrong-H-Hey!" The cat lashed out when the kimono woman came too close, lunging at her and biting her finger when she had been about to touch Shirou again.

"Sssssssssssssss!" The woman suddenly recoiled, baring fangs at Kuroneko who leaped out of Shirou's arms, crouching as if to pounce or flee.

Shirou's eyes widened. _"Wait...FANGS?!"_

"Misssserable wreeeeeetch!" The woman hissed at the cat. "You will sssssssuffer!"

The woman's eyes began to change, her pupils becoming serpent-like slits, her arms elongating, her fingers extending into sharp, inhuman claws. What was most shocking was her legs...or rather, the lack thereof. Shirou noticed an abnormal growth...no, growth wasn't quite right. It was more like it was being revealed than grown.

Slowly sliding out from the bottom of the woman's kimono was a long, white, serpentine tail that extended to the point where the woman could have wrapped it around a medium-sized building at least once. A long, scaly, snake tail.

It was only then that it finally clicked in Shirou's head.

 _[What a poor little morssssel...Don't worry~ I'll eat you quick...]_

Shirou took a step back, stunned by shock. "...Oh sweet mother of Buddha, it's you."

The woman let out a soft, hiss-like howling laughter. "Oh~ You remember little old meeeee~ I'm sssssso flattered~" She slowly slithered towards Shirou, sliding forth on her lower snake body at her own leisure. "No matter what, you will not essssscape me again! There is no one to ssssssave you this time, little morssssel!"

And then the snake lunged.

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** **Encounter with a Stray! A Fight for Survival!**

* * *

 **And we are done...Dragged on for longer than intended, but this is important to building Shirou's own personal stuff before I introduce Issei.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	5. Chapter 3: Encounter with a Stray!

**And thus I bring myself around to chapter 3! Hooray for chapter 3! Consider this an early Christmas present. I intended to wait til next chapter was finished (I'm trying to stay one chapter ahead of each post), but I figured it was the time of giving, so here it is.**

 **Next chapter of VD is at 3000 words now. These fight scenes are seriously kicking my ass, but I'm persevering!**

 **Also, other potential VAs for Shirou are Trevor White and/or Orion Acaba.**

 **Now...let us party!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Encounter with a Stray! A Fight for Survival!**

"Oh shit!" As the massive snake woman lunged, Shirou took off running taking a dive and sliding past her, narrowly avoiding being ripped apart by her fearsome claws. Shirou had no idea whether or not she also possessed venom like other snakes, and he certainly did not want to find out if that same venom existed in her claws as it did her fangs. He knew he could not be hit by her attacks.

So dodging seemed like the best option.

"Come on, Kuro!" Shirou crouched down and picked his furry friend off of the ground before breaking out into a dash. He couldn't afford to stand and fight because then Kuroneko might have ended up getting caught in the crossfire. And Shirou doubted nine lives could save anybody from what that snake woman could do.

And these were the thoughts of a man who had already been killed once.

 _"That was close."_ Shirou sighed as he desperately searched for somewhere safe to stash Kuroneko. _"A few more inches to he left and I might have found myself without a head."_

"Don't think esssscaping me will be sssso eassssssy!" The snake woman hissed yet again, slithering her large body around to continue her pursuit. Shirou, albeit for a moment, was glad for the fact her main body was so massive. Sure she was able to lunge far and move quickly, but turning her body entirely was obviously a time-taking process.

However, Shirou didn't stick around to wait and see just how long it took for her to move that massive body.

He made a break for it, running as quickly as he could using his enhanced Devil body.

"Sssstay ssssstill and I promisssse your death will be ssssswift!" Shirou felt his heart pounding as the ground vibrating and the sound of the serpent woman slithering across the ground behind him increased in volume.

Shirou's instincts suddenly started screaming at him. He bent his legs and quickly extended them in rapid succession, propelling him through the air with force even he found impressive. Not a moment too soon as he end of the snake woman's tail punctured the ground where he had been standing only a moment ago.

The ground broke apart underneath the massive force, a huge hole being revealed as he serpent withdrew her tail, revealing a a sharp, drill-like end.

Another part of the Stray Devil Eliade that Shirou never wanted to touch him.

Landing was a bit messy for Shirou, but he managed to avoid falling flat on his ass when his feet made contact with the ground again. It was an alien reflex for his body to be able to land so easily without practice, he didn't exactly intend to focus on that fact, but rather the rampaging Stray pursuing him.

""Will you walk into my parlour?" sssaid the Ssssspider to the Fly." Shirou's slithery foe quoted.

"You're a snake!" Shirou shouted over his shoulder. "That reference doesn't work here!" That one moment where he lost focus would cost him.

"True, but the ending between the two different scenariossss will be the ssssame!"

The snake lunged again, but this time, Shirou was unable to grasp her true intent. Shirou dodged the first strike again, but found his path obstructed by the sharp-toothed smile of the Stray Devil.

He tried turning around to flee in another direction but found that path blocked by Eliade's curled tail, its size too large for him to climb over without Shirou being caught as a result. Not that it mattered anyway. The moment Shirou was made to pause, the small circle Eliade's tail created quickly closed in on itself, ensnaring Shirou in a biological prison of flesh, the tail tightly coiling around him.

"Run, Kuro!" Shortly before his body was completely caught, Shirou chucked the cat he held as far as he good, taking relief when he saw her land safely on the ground. As if sensing Shirou's command or perhaps being driven by (albeit understandable) fear, Kuroneko started to scurry away, getting herself as far away from the monster as possible. "Well, at least that's one thing that's gone right..."

And then he was face-to-fang with the snake woman, the Stray Devil Eliade.

"It sssseemssss thisssss chasssse issss over!" She hissed out, her tongue sticking out right in Shirou's face.

Shirou scrunched his eyes, using his sleeve to dry his moist face. "Seriously? You gotta learn to say it, not spray it."

This amused Eliade, her smile widening. "Apologiesssss. It'ssssss jusssst that it'ssss been ssssso long sssssince I have had sssssuch a ssssucculent, sssssavory-ssssseeming morsssssel sssssuch as yourssssself." Shirou narrowed his eyes, spit and saliva literally dripping from his soaked face.

"OK, I'm pretty sure that one was on purpose!" He was once again forced to cleanse himself of his assaulter's spit. "Also, you must be dense in the head if you think I'm just gonna lay down and die like this! I still have my special technique! I'll give you one more chance before you wind up in a world of hurt!"

Eliade snickered. "Oh really? A ssssspecial technique?" She asked in a taunting fashion. "Did you really you could deceive me with such a bluff?!" She failed to notice Shirou's hand slipping into his pocket, pulling something out at remained hidden within his fist.

Shirou smirked. "It's not a bluff." He threw out his hand, releasing what was held inside. "Go! Special technique: Pocket Change Barrage Attack!" Numerous coins went flying from Shirou's hand, hitting Eliade square in the face with all of the force Shirou could put into his throw.

In case you're not familiar, maybe getting hit by one or two coins might be a minor annoyance, but getting hit with all of the change in one's pocket (the amount being a lot in Shirou's case) was bound to leave a nasty bruise.

As was the case of he poor foolish Eliade who had been so foolish as to place her face in such close proximity, increasing the effectiveness of Shirou's "special technique".

"Gyaaaaaaaah!" The serpentine demon recoiled in pain, roaring as she rocked her main body back and forth while balancing on her tail. She covered her face with her hands, feeling as though she had been hit with several small hammers.

"And eat this!" So concerned with her immediate suffering, Eliade failed to notice Shirou, regaining some mobility due to how she subconsciously loosened her tail, lunged forward like an animal, his fist pulled back to strike. For Eliade, who had lost her guard and had her jaw clenched, that one fist was like a bullet train speeding towards a civilian.

It had roughly the same result as Shirou's fist colliding side of Eliade's face. The blow was so powerful that several of her teeth got knocked out while several others got broken or cracked, leaving mainly the sharp razors that were more prominent in her mouth. Shirou was glad he managed to avoid scraping his knuckles against her mouth, avoiding the potential venom her fangs contained.

Yet again, Eliade let out a beast-like howl, losing her grip on Shirou completely as pain flooded all of the nerves in her face. Shirou took this miraculous opportunity to slip free of her monstrous tail and once again attempt to flee.

He supposed it must have been one, maybe two minutes before that howl of pain quickly turned into a roar of violent rage, the sound of one who had sworn vengeance against the object of her hatred.

"Fuck fuck fuck fuck FUCK!" Shirou increased his running pace, knowing that a the fury of a woman, especially a monster woman, was a fearsome threat that even Shirou didn't want to face. Shirou deeply regretted looking over his shoulder.

"YOU FUCKING SSSSSHIIIIIIIIIT!"

Over his shoulder, he caught the sight of that rage-filled beast in hot pursuit, moving at a speed that Shirou never could have expected of a creature of her size. There was no mercy nor playfulness like she once held, no toying with her food, no pleasantries.

Only the promise of a slow, agonizing death remained in her eyes.

If Shirou slowed down even slightly, he would be perfectly within her sharp talons' range. Now Shirou was no coward. He wasn't afraid of Eliade, but he was smart enough to know to recognize a situation. He recognized that, unlike the losers he had been facing, she was not an enemy Shirou could face head-on...and there was something about that that felt a little exciting to him. While head-on was Shirou's favorite choice, he was not stupid enough to use it in a situation such as his current predicament.

And, until an opportunity to escape and come up with a new plan of action or an opportunity to actually DEFEAT Eliade revealed themselves, all he could do was run and try to evade her.

Every strike with her claws and every bite with her fangs were like bladed pendulums. Shirou knew he could run forever.

 _"Maybe now would be a good time to call for back-up!"_ Shirou is thought to himself, reaching into his pocket. _"Now I just need to-"_ He froze, remembering one crucial detail-

* * *

 **Flashback - Ten Minutes Ago...**

 _BZZZZZZZZZZT!_

 _His cell phone started vibrating inside his pocket, slightly tickling his upper thigh._

 _Shirou bit his tongue, resisting a curse as he pulled his cellphone out of his pocket._

 _"Please don't let it be her. Please don't let it be her. Please don't let it be her." Shirou hit the button to pick up the call. "...Hello?"_

 _[It's me.]_

 _"DAMMIT!" Shirou covered the receiver on his phone, hissing out curses towards his piss poor luck. Out of everyone, it just HAD to be Rias. Then again, it wasn't like there was anyone he expected to call him..._

 _It then occurred to Shirou to question why he even owned a phone in he first place._

 _[I was just calling to check the progress of your contract. It has been a few hours and I am growing concerned.]_

 _Shirou laughed awkwardly. "Oh, everything's going JUST FINE!" He lied. "My client's having the time of her life right now! Oh yeah! So much fun in this party!"_

 _[Uh huh.]_

 _Shirou frozen as he realized what kind of "Uh huh" Rias had just used. It was the kind that women used to let him know he was in deep shit._

 _[You see, I'm standing here holding something interesting. Do you know what it is?]_

 _"No." That time, Shirou answered honestly. He had no idea._

 _[I am holding a Devil evaluation submitted by your contractor. Why, pray tell, do you think she would submit his if you were, as you said, in he midst of your contract?]_

 _"Uuuuuuh..." Shirou started to sweat._

 _[The only logical reason I can find for your evaluation returning before you would be that something went amiss...DID something go amiss?]_

 _It was by pure instinct Shirou reacted._

 _"...rry-KUURRRRCCCHHHHH!-Can't make-KUUUUURRRCCHHH!-Going under a tunnel!" Shirou continued to make static-like noises into he phone. "I'm losing you now-KUUURRRRCCCHHHH! It's really-KUUUURCHHHHH!"_

 _[...Shirou, I know the entire landscape of this town. There are no tunnels.]_

 _That gave Shirou food for thought._

 _"Did I say "tunnel"? I meant-OH MY DEVIL! A GIANT METEOR IS FALLING FROM THE SKY! AAAAAH-!" Shirou then proceeded to chuck his cell phone as far as possible. After a few seconds, a soft crack and subsequent crunch could be heard echoing through the night. Shirou dusted himself off. "Genius, Shirou. Genius."_

* * *

Shirou groaned to himself, not slowing his pace. _"You_ _know, I knew that would come back to bite me on the ass at some point...I just didn't think it would be this soon."_

"DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEE!" Eliade unleashed her drill-shaped tail at Shirou once again, striking the ground next to him. Shirou knew then that his estimate about how badly he wanted to avoid the bad end of her tail was pretty spot-on. Just the wind generated by the force of the drill was enough to blow him off his feet, sending him flying into the nearest wall. It was a rather painful impact, Shirou just barely managing to avoid having his head busted against it.

Shirou rubbed his shoulder, somewhat off-balance from the jarring impact against the wall. He could only count his blessings (he laughed at that joke) that he hadn't been knocked out cold. Hitting his head would not have been good by that point in time.

The moment he lost consciousness, he would have been as dead as a doornail.

Shirou immediately ducked his head, just in time in fact as one of Eliade's claws easily carved through the wall above his head in an attempt to decapitate him.

Sweat dripped from Shirou's forehead. _"Damn...the only reason I've survived so far is because I'm a Devil. As a human, I stood no chance against this monster."_ Shirou's thoughts were cut short by the throaty growl of the snake woman in front of him. "Fuck!"

"I'M GOING TO RIP YOUR INTESSSSTINESSSS FROM YOUR BODY AND USSSSSE THEM TO HANG YOUR CORPSE ON A BURNING CROSSSSSSS!" She hissed, mixing in blood with the spray of saliva she spat at Shirou's face, prompting the snow-haired boy to wipe his face with new-found urgency.

"Yeah, Imma have to with HELL NO!" Feeling he had nothing left to lose, Shirou raised his leg and delivered a roundhouse kick to the face. What was even more shocking was how easily it made contact, starling the otherwise physically superior Stray Devil. "Ha! Gotcha, bitch!"

And THAT was when he realized how little Eliade budged as a result of the blow. Instead of falling to the ground like Shirou wanted, the Stray Devil merely glared sharply at him. And that was when one of her monstrous, talony hands lashed out and grabbed Shirou by his leg.

Shirou paled. "...That did not go according to plan." He was suddenly yanked right off the ground, defying gravity as he was held upside down by the Stray Devil. Eliade stared at him, face-to-face. "That did not according to plan at all."

The snake woman opened her mouth and let out a hungry-sounding sigh, flicking her tongue at Shirou. "I will truly sssssavor this meal!" Her tone did nothing to belie her rage bottled up inside of her, building up to the point of exploding. Shirou felt the urge to vomit as he felt her slimy, saliva-covered tongue lick up and down his cheek, like a person tasting the first bite of food to determine if they will enjoy it. "Any lassssst requesssstssss?"

Shirou's eyes darted back and forth. "Erm...Don't eat me?" Eliade's eyes widened, surprise appearing on her face. Then a smirk...then a grimace resulting from the pain smiling caused her.

"Pfffftkehehehehehehehehe!" The evil snake laughed mockingly before her expression became blank. "Nice try. Now DIE!" She opened her mouth wider than any normal creature ever should have been able to, wide enough that she could swallow Shirou in one bite.

 _"Dear Devil, this looks like something out of a Freddy Krueger movie."_ Shirou thought nervously as he stared into the disgusting, fleshy-pink walls of Eliade's throat. _"And it looks like I'm the helpless child-victim...Shit."_

Shirou grabbed onto the top and bottom halves of Eliade's mouth, desperately fighting to not get swallowed whole. He knew that, if her biology was truly like that of a snake, he would be dissolved into nothing if he was to be swallowed by her. And Shirou preferred his body un-dissolved.

That was when his eye caught something.

"Hey! Look at that over there!" The sudden voice caught the snake's attention, causing her to pull Shirou away from her mouth, once again dangling him in front of her.

The Stray Devil's eyes narrowed. "Really? Did you really think you could get out of this with the oldest trick in the bo-"

That last question was put to a sudden close due to the huge dumpster that slammed suddenly right into her main body, the force of the impact causing her to drop Shirou flat on the ground.

Despite the head trauma, Shirou smirked as he managed to pull himself into a crouching position, somewhat dizzy from the blow to his head.

"Told you you should have looked." The sight of that Stray Devil getting leveled was enough to cheer up Shirou.

"...So it looks like it only took two days for you to get yourself in this deep." That monotone, somewhat mocking voice grated Shirou's nerves and completely ruined his good mood.

Shirou clicked his tongue. "Shut up! I wasn't in THAT much trouble, Toujou!"

Koneko stared blankly at Shirou, the grocery bag full of snacks sitting to the right of her indicating that she had just gotten back from the general store. It was probably by pure circumstance that she happened to come across the confrontation between Shirou and Eliade. Shirou was weighing whether this was good luck or bad luck for him.

"...So you're telling me you _weren't_ about to be eaten by the snake chick?" Koneko countered.

"I...I was lulling her into a false sense of security! Yeah! That's it!" Shirou lied on the spot. "I was gonna stab her from inside her throat!" He stood up and stomped over to Koneko, arms crossed.

Koneko raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yeah!"

"Then where's your sword?"

A short pause. "...What?"

"Your sword." Koneko repeated, her eyes half-lidded. "...You kind of need some kind of sharp edge to cut something. Sword, axe, pocket knife, anything really." It was quite clear she was calling Shirou out on his bullshit.

"Oh yeah. I got something right here." Shirou flipped her off.

"...Oh wow. That really was cutting." Koneko replied sarcastically.

"Fuck you!" Shirou got the distinct feeling he was forgetting something.

"DON'T IGNORE ME, YOU BRATSSSSSSS!" Both of the young teens' eyes widened at their forgotten foe, turning to face the threat they were previously opposing prior to their pointless discussion. Unfortunately, neither possessed the necessary speed to react as they would prefer.

Only Shirou moved in time as the lunging serpent opened her mouth wide, fangs poised to bite.

There was the most unsettling sound of blades passing through flesh, blood gushing freely from the wounds inflicted by the snake.

"You dumbass..."

Shirou stood in front of Koneko, arms outstretched. Koneko stared in shock as the Stray Devil's sharp, blade-like teeth sank deep into Shirou's right shoulder, looking as though she was attempting to bite it all off in one go. Shirou's body trembled as pain shot through every nerve in the right side of his body, blood oozing from huge gashes that were inflicted from by the serpent's fangs.

For a moment, there was silence. Then a grunt of pain from Shirou, his face contorting to fully express the amount of pain he was feeling.

"You know..." Shirou raised his bandaged hand, tightening it into a fist. "I REALLY-" He slammed his fist against Eliade's face, causing her to wince. "-REALLY-" He punched her again. "-HATE-" Another blow to the face. "-DOING-" Yet another punch, Shirou drawing blood this time. "-THE FUCKING HERO ROUTINE!" With a final roar of rage, Shirou beat the snake woman's face with one final punch, hitting her right in the eye with as much force as he could possibly muster.

It was really the final punch that finally broke Eliade's concentration, causing her jaw to loosen. With this single chance, Shirou shoved her face away, the startled Stray wobbling away in a daze.

With her temporarily distracted, Shirou turned to look at Koneko. "...You good?"

Either too stunned, too surprised, or too indifferent, Koneko merely nodded.

"Alright then...I'm about to pass out from pain and bloodloss...so you can all go die for all I care..." With that, Shirou's eyes rolled backwards into his head, Shirou dropping to the ground like a rag doll.

* * *

Koneko could only stare, too shocked by the horribly out-of-character display given by the person she had only grudgingly referred to as her "Senpai".

He had struck her as an egotistical, self-obsessed, delinquent who only cared about his own gain. She knew full well that his loyalty towards Rias did not really amount to much. Concerning their relationship as comrades, Koneko didn't trust him as far as she could throw him-Or rather, she didn't trust him as far as _he_ could throw _her_ considering the large difference between the distance which they could throw another living being.

In fact, Koneko was certain that the moment they were put in a rough situation, her Senpai would throw them under the bus and abandon them. That or, if the enemy was really strong, he would completely disregard everyone's safety in order to fight as he desired.

Koneko was no idiot. She had heard all of the rumors. Almost everyone in town was afraid of the "Demon King of Kuoh", Shirou Fujimura. Koneko was never afraid of him. She just never cared. She also did not desire to ever associate with such a person. The type of person who talked big but was probably trying to compensate for something. She came to suspect that Shirou had been telling the truth about saving Akeno by accident, the snow-haired delinquent being too much of a prick to have ever become the hero-type.

When her Senpai actually got the balls to call her "short" straight to her face, she secretly enjoyed crushing his ego while simultaneously crushing his ribs.

She was certain that, for the thousands of years they were doomed to be bound together as Rias's servants, he would continue to be the giant asshole he first portrayed himself as.

And then he went and jumped in between her and a giant snake-like creature woman who had been attempting to bite her head off.

The so-called Demon King of Kuoh risked his life to take what would have been a lethal blow for her due to her carelessness.

"...You're an idiot." She said harshly at the unconscious young man laying at her feet, blood seeping from his wounds. Then she looked at the Stray Devil. "...But I guess I should get Buchou and Akeno-senpai to heal you as thanks." Koneko picked up her half-dead senpai off of the ground, throwing him over her shoulder without great effort.

"Oh...? And where do you think you're going, sssssshorty?"

Koneko's eyes narrowed. She unceremoniously dropped Shirou back on the ground, the boy's groan of pain proving he still drew breath. She said nothing as she approached the Stray Devil, the disgusting creature licking her teeth clean, saliva dripping from her mouth in waterfalls.

The Stray's eye was black and swollen, she was bleeding from her mouth due to her many broken teeth, and most of her face was covered in bruises. On a subconscious level, Koneko had to give Shirou credit. For a newbie, he did a fairly good job surviving up to that point.

"Ssssso, have you decided to sssssurrender, ssssshor-"

And that was when Koneko drove her fist so hard into the Stray's chest that a fist-shaped lump rose out of her back, the snake demon's flesh squeezing around her arm up to her wrist.

Blood spewed from the Stray's mouth, the creature once again screaming in agonizing pain as its expectations of an easy fight were painfully shattered. But Koneko gave the creature no reprieve, watching as she fell back to the ground, making the mistake of revealing its tail to her. The moment it was within reach, Koneko lashed out and grabbed it by the end, tightening her grip to the point of practically crushing it.

And then she subjected the worthless, disgusting snake creature to what she had proudly dubbed "The Shirou Treatment".

She swung her arm over her shoulder, swinging the giant snake woman like a whip, smashing her head flat against the ground. There was an unpleasant cracking sound, but Koneko gave no mercy. Again, she yanked on the serpent's tail, yet again swinging the monster back over her shoulder, yet again smashing Eliade against the ground. This pattern repeated several times until Koneko was certain that the creature had had enough, the thoroughly traumatized snake woman desperately beginning to attempt to crawl away, digging into the ground with her sharp claws.

Koneko started spinning on her heel while swinging the Stray Devil in circles with her.

Once she felt that she had built up enough momentum and speed, she bided her time, waiting for the right moment when the direction was just perfect.

"...Fly away." Koneko barely said above a mutter, releasing her grip on the Stray Devil.

There was a single, terrified scream as Koneko sent the enemy flying into the horizon.

Koneko sighed to herself, allowing her nerves to relax now that the immediate threat was gone. The Stray Devil Eliade was a fearsome creature who relied on her razor sharp claws and fangs. If Koneko had allowed herself to fight the Stray in close combat, she was certain it would be a long battle...and she wasn't entirely sure she would have won if the fight had been drawn out.

She looked back at the almost-corpse laying on the ground several feet away.

Without much tact, Koneko once again picked up her senior and threw him over her shoulder. A part of her immediately regretted this life choice, feeling some of Shirou's blood, which stained his own uniform, soaking into her own shirt. The oozing sensation of fresh blood was not one she cared to acknowledge on a regular basis.

"...Alright, useless Senpai, let's go." And so she started the long trek back to the clubhouse, doing her best to keep Shirou from bleeding to death on the trip there.

* * *

 _It appeared in his mind as nothing more than a static-filled image with voices nearly inaudible._

 _He was chasing her...that person...It wasn't out of some sense of urgency or anxiety. It was a lighthearted pursuit. He ran and ran until he couldn't run anymore, bending over and taking deep, panting breaths._

 _"Come on, XXXX!" XXXX laughed at him, smiling brightly. "Don't tell me you already give up! Get up already!"_

 _He looked up-_

* * *

Shirou wasn't honestly sure what to expect when he woke up (or whether he was TRULY waking up at all).

He doubted he had obtained enough bad karma to get sent to Hell, but it was equally laughable for him to think that he had somehow gone to Heaven.

He could only be sure about the fact that there was no way he could have survived. He vividly remembered the sensation of having holes punctured through his chest...AGAIN. Even if they weren't as gaping wide as when he was run through by her tail, Shirou was certain that the blood loss would have been more than enough to finish him off. He was dead and, now that it had happened, he had come to accept that.

"-eaceful face is rather adorable."

 _"A voice...?"_ Shirou wondered to himself before shaking his head. _"Nah nah. Can't be. I'm dead."_

"...but to think he was able to stand up to a Stray Devil despite only having reincarnated recently." There was the slightest sound of awe in that voice.

 _"...OK, I'm beginning to suspect something's going on..."_

"Considering the vow he made, I would not underestimate him so easily..."

 _"..."_ Shirou paused, fully considering everything going on around him. _"It appears I might need to experiment."_

Clenching his fist which may or may not have been flesh and blood, Shirou drove it into the side of his own face. Despite the remaining expectance of not feeling anything, Shirou still believing he was dead again, he was surprised by the sensation of pain which shot through his nerves.

His nerves.

He felt pain. He also felt how he subsequently fell off of whatever he was laying on and landing on the ground, face-first and in great pain.

Then realization flooded his mind.

"YES! I'M STILL ALIVE!" He bellowed towards the sky, raising his head. Then he felt another surge of pain, hunching over and falling to the ground. "OW! I'M STILL ALIVE!" He noticed a horribly intense pain his chest, something worse than his own self-inflicted bruise.

"I would not move too much if I were you." The voice of a familiar, authoritative girl advised. "You are not fully healed yet so you may reopen your wounds."

Shirou raised his head again, trying to blink away the sudden rush of light that greeted him. "Hn?...whad...?" Shirou suddenly realized how dry his mouth was and how parch he felt, as though he hadn't had something to drink in weeks. He did his best to moisten his mouth as best he could before speaking, his blurry vision slowly returning to normal. "What? Where am I?"

He finally decided to take in his surroundings, recognizing the familiar furniture of the Occult Research Club as well as the numerous occult-related objects decorating the room. Everything was exactly the same as he had left it and he felt the (unfortunately familiar) sensation of the ground below his chest. And then he laid eyes on the familiar crimson-haired club president.

Rias's expression suddenly became more solemn. "You're back at the clubhouse." She explained. "You were brought here, wounded from your fight with the Stray Devil Eliade, by Koneko." Shirou looked around in response, noticing that there were no other occupants in the room other than him, Rias, and Akeno. Sensing the impending question, Rias shook her head. "I sent her and Kiba home for the evening after we had you healed and bandaged. On such short notice, we were only able to heal you to the extent where you would survive by healing naturally."

Shirou's eyes were drawn to the bandages wrapped around his torso, mainly around his right shoulder, and a few minor bandages covering his face to . He rubbed his eyes, trying to fully regain his sense of time. "What time is it...?" Now that he was fully aware of his surroundings and in-control of his other senses, he felt a minor headache.

"It's 2:12 AM." Rias answered. Shirou's eyes went wide.

"How long have I been out?!" Shirou was VERY certain that he had not been out for his contract after midnight. He had left much earlier and should have been back MUCH earlier.

"About five hours."

Shirou groaned, not only from the fact he had stayed out so late, but also from how intense his headache had started to become. "So what happened to the Stray Devil?" Shirou was not in the mood for encountering that psycho snake woman again nor did he have the stamina needed to outrun her, especially in his wounded state (and Shirou only admitted his wounds with the greatest reluctance).

Rias crossed her arms, displeased. "Unfortunately, the Stray Devil escaped." Then her expression became warmer, her mouth curving into a small smile. "However, the most important thing is that you both managed to come out of the fight unscathed."

That statement caused Shirou to point at his face with one index finger and at his torso with his other index finger.

The crimson-haired girl's smile became apologetic. " _Relatively_ unscathed." She sat back in her seat hands in her lap. She let out a soft breath, her face finally showing exhaustion that she had perhaps been hiding since the start of the conversation. It never occurred to Shirou that Devils were also able to become tired just like humans rather than being powered by pain, misery, and suffering of the damned like Shirou had once thought.

Shirou tried pushing himself to his feet, stumbling once. He winced as his muscles had begun to ache as badly as his head. Perhaps he had underestimated how much he had been injured during the fight with Eliade. He didn't count it as a definite defeat due to outside interference and the fact that Eliade had been just as injured as he was, but he fairly sure that he was in no condition to fight again that night. Even if the Stray was hiding itself away, licking its wounds, Shirou knew that its razor-sharp claws were more than enough to rip through his wounded body.

He ended up stumbling again, only stopped by a supporting hand holding him up by his uninjured shoulder. Shirou turned to see Akeno, smiling helpfully while gripping his arm, keeping him up-straight until he regained his balance.

"As I am sure you have realized by this point, you are in no condition to go back out tonight, Shirou." Rias said, stating the obvious much to Shirou's chagrin. "If you would like, Akeno and I could escort you home to prevent further incidents. It would also be wise to have one of us remain with you to ensure your body continues its healing."

From the way Rias said it, Shirou got the distinct feeling that Rias was prepared for any argument.

Shirou crossed his arms. "I will sleep here."

Both Rias and Akeno were both bemused by the declaration.

"What?"

"Excuse me?"

Wincing again, Shirou bent his knees, sitting on the couch across from his two fellow Devils. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself and take his mind off of the pain.

"I don't feel like walking home, I'm not in any condition to fight, I'm not in the mood for the embarrassment and frustration from one of your "Naked Healing spells", and I would really like to familiarize myself with this place." Shirou said all of this in one breath without pause.

Rias stared with concern. "But wouldn't your parents worry for you?" Akeno tapped Rias on the shoulder, drawing their superior's attention.

"Actually, his Ka-san is traveling abroad, so he has been living alone for the school term thus far." Akeno replied in Shirou's stead, saving him the time of having to respond. "So Shirou-kun staying here for the one night would not prove to be much issue."

Shirou was pleased that Akeno was on his side and had spoken to Rias on his behalf. It was two against one and all he had to do was see how Rias acted. In fact, Shirou was almost certain she was intending to say no. He believed it would take a great amount of persuasion to have Rias allow him to stay in the ORC for the night.

"Very well then."

"Oh come on! What's the big dea-" Shirou then processed what Rias said. "Shit. Really?"

"Of course." Rias agreed. "As long as everything is in one piece upon the commencement of club activities tomorrow and as long as you don't attempt to use this as an opportunity to seek out the Stray on your own, I see no reason as to why you should not be allowed to spend the night. Your wounds have been treated to an acceptable level, so a few days of rest should be enough for you to fully recover in the case that you do not desire to receive a proper healing."

 _"Damn right I don't want a proper healing!"_ Shirou screamed in his head, resisting the urge to blush again at the memory of Akeno's soft bosoms pressing against him. "So...really?" He still couldn't believe Rias had given in so easily. "No way. There has to be some kind of catch."

Rias held up her hands. "No catch. Just try not to stray."

"O-Oh...OK." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "Er...See you tomorrow then?"

Rias nodded, standing up. "I assume you wish to be left to your own privacy." She motioned for Akeno to follow her. "If you require anything or desire to receive a complete healing with Akeno or I-"

"No." Shirou cut in, deadpan.

"-then just give either of us a call."

 _"I don't know your numbers."_ Shirou thought to himself, deadpan.

"Have a good night, Shirou." Akeno stated politely. Then a mischievous smirk appeared on her face. "Sleep tight~ Don't let the the bed-ghosts bite~"

Shirou felt his chest tighten at the mention of "ghosts", but gave no indication of his true thoughts as his two senior's departed from the room, leaving him on his own. Shirou looked around the room, the various occult objects bringing a special chill in the darkness...

Well, it wasn't entirely darkness. Shirou was still able to see everything because, as a Devil, he had what he liked to call "Night-Vision Eyes". It didn't matter if there was no light whatsoever for his eyes could see through the darkness of night. However, it was never the darkness that scared Shirou when he was little.

It was what laid hiding within it. And now he knew what was hiding there and this revelation brought him no ease.

Free of the watchful eyes of those who would judge him, Shirou Fujimura laid on the couch, considering how next he should act. It was truly important that he fully considered his next move.

"...I wonder what they did with my shirt."

* * *

Akeno had been with Rias for several years now.

And over the course of their time together, Akeno learned a great deal about her. Among other things, Akeno knew her hobbies, her favorite foods, her taste in fashion, her sense of humor, and she even knew about how far her daring nature went despite what others would think. The two were as close as sisters and Akeno could actually write a whole book concerning the things she knew about her master and best friend. Above all else, she always knew how Rias was feeling.

And Rias was obviously feeling uneasy, looking distracted. To be quite honest, just about anyone with eyes could have seen something was bothering her. And there was not much that could normally make Rias like this.

She contemplated the most tactful way to confront Rias about what was wrong. Rias was the type who preferred to do the questioning, the one who preferred to take charge, the leader with a nearly infallible faith in herself. It was one of her best traits yet, at the same, one of her worst. If she didn't share her thoughts, it was usually because she didn't want to and would rather keep them to herself.

"You're wondering what's troubling me, right, Akeno?" It appeared Rias would address the subject herself.

Akeno walked respectfully by her side, not breaking her calm expression. "I suppose I can read you just as well as you can read me. Is it safe to presume your thoughts are concerning the Stray Devil Eliade?"

"To an extent, yes." Rias replied ambiguously. "But it is more about her confrontation with Shirou..."

"Are you worried about our Kouhai getting into even greater trouble?"

It seemed like the most likely reasons. Like the rest of her family, Rias had a great love for her servants. Her family was well-know for their affection towards their servants, sometimes being seen as odd or being frowned upon by the more prideful Pure-Bloods. And Shirou had not only been attacked, but he had also been very close to being killed. For Rias to worry was only as natural as a living creature needing to breathe.

Rias hesitated in answering, crossing her arms. "Somewhat." Again, Rias began to concern Akeno. "Akeno, what class would you have put Eliade as prior to her abandoning her master?"

Akeno considered this, trying to think back to all of the information they had received when the hunt for the Stray had been declared. "I think she was originally a Mid-Class Devil prior to her fall to madness...a Rook piece I believe. Although I believe an Evil Piece loses much of its power upon the King's death..."

"Yet, from what Koneko told me, Shirou, a newly reborn Devil, was able to significantly injure her despite having had no proper training." Rias closed her eyes, looking pensive. "I would say it was a miracle if we were not Devils, but Shirou managed to face down an enemy who should have been at least three times as strong as him. Even one who had received real martial arts training as a human would have been hard-pressed to complete such a feat."

A slight fear wormed its way into Akeno's mind as her subconscious interpreted Rias's words in its own way.

"Do you mean he's hiding something?"

"Possibly." Rias admitted, although it appeared she wasn't entirely convinced. "It might be possible he once had affiliation with another group before. No normal human could survive such injuries without building up a great deal of stamina only a proper institution could provide. His street fighting can only explain so much."

"Do you think...he could possibly be affiliated with the Church or Fallen Angels to infiltrate us?" The thought of it worried her greatly.

A wave of Rias's hand immediately calmed her Queen. "No no. I am not accusing him of anything, Akeno." Akeno calmed down at Rias's words. "While there is little I would put past concerning the actions of the Church, I doubt they would allow one of their followers to become a Devil for any reason." Akeno agreed. Like Rias, she knew about one of the skeletons that the Church had hidden in its closet. Yuuto Kiba, their friend, comrade, and Kouhai was a result of this atrocity.

"Such a plan would only result in excommunication." Akeno agreed. "...but do you mistrust Shirou?" Akeno felt uneasy about the thought of needing to be suspicious of their comrade.

"Of course not. Don't be ridiculous." Rias's smile took Akeno by surprise, contrasting the serious atmosphere of only mere moments ago. "While I am curious about him, I can tell he has a noble soul. He risked his own life to save not only you, but now Koneko as well." Such a response was relieving to Akeno, but it still left questions.

"I am glad, but what is your meaning behind your words?"

"Whatever Shirou's past, if he is even hiding anything at all, I do not doubt him if that is what you're wondering." Rias explained. "That was never the point of this though." Her smile changed. Not physically, but Akeno felt the elegance and pride that befitted the heiress of the Gremory clan radiating off of her. "The point was that I believe I have been underestimating my adorable servant."

"I see..." Akeno had the distinct feeling she knew where this was going.

"Tomorrow, I will begin properly training Shirou."

* * *

It was such an intense pain. Every nerve was screaming, sending piercing main all throughout her body. It was screaming, screaming, SCREAMING! Screaming from pain, her suffering. She couldn't bear it. She could only curl up, doing her best to try to ignore the pain. It had been several hours since her encounter with the snow-haired child, but everything still hurt.

It hurt. It hurt it hurt it hurt it hurt IT HURT!

A part of her wished she was a mindless beast like the others of her kind, driven only by primal instincts and desires. But alas, she had been both blessed and cursed with retaining the sentience and the intelligence to recognize how agonizing the pain she was in was. Usually, she was grateful for this. It was this sense of self that aided her in luring in her prey, her feast, her dinner. She would utilize either a clever trap or (in the case of males) utilize the attractive bodice she possessed when not revealing her full form.

Never once had her prey escaped her, not even her own master. Her master had outclassed her in terms of raw power, but killing him had been a simple enough task.

She almost resisted the urge to hit herself for not having considered killing him sooner. He was the chain that had shackled her like the other fools who chose the path of reincarnation, believing in a better life or possessing an overwhelming fear of death like the cowards they are. She had had no choice in the matter, but she gained incredible power from the trade, her life being given in exchange for servitude. In the end, she managed to gain the former and escape from the latter. In the end, it was her win.

She escaped all who pursued her, even managing to defeat each and every one of her former comrades. She picked them off one-by-one. It was so easy that it was almost boring to her.

They had made delicious meals.

After her escape, she found this neat little town with plenty of livestock to satisfy her hunger for a time to come. She managed to keep herself subtle at first, seducing and devouring random homeless men off the streets, people who would never be noticed nor missed.

But the viable candidates to become her meal began to dwindle after a time.

While it was not as safe as eating those who nobody cared about, she ventured out and began to snack on civilians who were out far later than they should have been.

Truly, it had been their own faults for being so unfortunate.

She had been plenty careful when carrying out her "late-night snacks", ensuring that nothing remained. It was only a few days ago that she had gotten careless. It was when she was out and about that she was at her most vulnerable. The red-haired bitch would never have been able to catch her while she was in hiding because she never used the same hiding place more than once to. Even if the Gremory heiress came close, the Stray's powerful special sense of smell would alert her a long time beforehand and give her ample time to escape and discover a new hiding place while hiding her tracks.

Her only true time of vulnerability was when she was out feeding.

After those good-for-nothing trash delinquents, she had caught on to the scent that was held a hint of the Gremory heiress's own, her servant.

If it hadn't been for that rotten snow-haired brat, the servant of Gremory would have been hers. It would not have been so bad if she had only needed to kill him once, but the brat had the audacity, the NERVE to evade death by her hands a second time. Not only that, but he had dared to mar her once-beautiful face. It would take her a great deal of time before she would ever appear presentable again.

Before, it had been a desire for a simple meal. She would finish the tasty-looking feast she had failed to procure before. If she had failed, she would have just moved on...but now it was personal.

He had dared to damage her beauty. For such an insult, she would make sure he suffered to the fullest extent. And she knew just how to do it, to truly wound the monster who was apathetic towards whatever injured inflicted upon him.

A wicked smile appeared on her disfigured face.

She had planning to do...

* * *

 **Next Chapter - Shirou's Resolve! The Desire to Become Strong!**

* * *

 **And we are done! This chapter has been completed, so I hope you are all satisfied with the end result and the ominous note I ended this on.**

 **When does Issei appear? What power does Shirou hold inside?** **What is Shirou in for?** **All of these questions will be answered...Right now!: Soon; A special power XD; And oh dear lord, have mercy on his soul!**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	6. Chapter 4: Shirou's Resolve!

**Once again, we're charging ahead with this story. VD is coming up to 3500 words. Battle scenes are just really hard to write and the angst is suffocating.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Shirou's Resolve! The Desire to Become Strong!**

He had finally done it. It had taken him an hour or two navigating that monstrously large building that Rias called a clubhouse, but Shirou had managed to find what he had been looking for. It was such a hassle that he wondered often if it was worth the amount of time it had taken. However, he always came to the same conclusion that he only possessed one with him at the time, so there was no choice.

He really wished that Rias and Akeno hadn't taken his shirt and jacket.

They were torn and bloody from the battle the previous night, so they had quickly stitched it up and washed it.

But they neglected to tell him where they had put it, thus resulting in an incredible amount of frustration for him when he awoke on the ORC's couch that morning.

Shirou would have woken up late if it hadn't been for the fact he was too wired to sleep. And he would have had to have gone to sleep in the first place.

This exhaustion explained the bags under his eyes and the tired look in his eye.

He shoved his hands into his pockets, trudging through the front gates of the academy, not even bothering to pay any specific attention to the whispers or looks that people paid him. Usually, he would halfheartedly listen, but he just did not have the energy. Now that all of the energy from his fight with Eliade had worn off, all that was left was sore muscles and painful stiffness.

Still, even he could not help but notice one major fact: Everyone was paying him more glances than normal. It wasn't that he was perceptive to those kinds of things. He truly did not care about all of the many, many, MANY negative thoughts and feelings people had about him, but being given more of these than normal was hard to miss. He would have expected this if he had done something like light the school on fire or pummel some poor, unlucky sap to a bloody pulp, but he had done nothing as extreme as that lately...or ever really (sometimes he debated if he should correct that).

Instead of acknowledging them, Shirou completely shut them out as he normally would, scolding himself for caring about the worms referred to as his classmates.

The reason as to why everyone was paying him more attention than usual completely escaped him.

He just kept on walking. He had far more important things on his mind anyway.

Memories of the previous night flowed through his mind, including his miserable loss to the Stray Devil. Granted, he was only taken out of action when he "accidentally" stepped between Koneko and Eliade, but he knew the situation before Koneko's arrival was no-less dangerous. His only chance would be if he managed to rip his way out of the snake from the inside. And if he was honest, that option did not sound very appealing, even in the case where the only other possible outcome was death.

Shirou held out his fist in front of him. _"I'm going to have to really step it up a notch."_ He noted to himself. _"I was able to hold her off, but I couldn't come up with a decisive blow. I don't know what skills Devils have, so, worst-case-scenario, I'll have to start building up my strength, speed, and stamina further."_

And so he made up his mind.

He didn't care if Rias ended up being pissed off about being ripped off for his contract. Shirou was going to demand she begin his training immediately next time he saw her. He refused to be taken down so easily again. Koneko was one thing because he had "been going easy on her" (He still refused to admit his loss), but he had been almost killed by the Stray without being able to inflict a single critical wound.

If Rias refused to train him, he would just find some way to train himself. He would force his new body to its uttermost limit even at the risk of death. If he got injured, he would either wait and heal (if he had the time) or work straight through the pain regardless of the long-term damage. All he cared about was getting stronger, so if his body was the cost of this power, then he was willing to accept it.

He hoped it did not come to that however. While he was still a little suspicious about Rias's true intent and personality, he knew that she was very open to negotiation and was willing to fulfill a bargain as long as something of equal value was given. He figured that an uber-powerful servant was more than a good incentive to give him the training that would start him off on his mission to become the strongest he can.

The only question was how to start off the conversation...

"Hey, Shirou-kun!" Shirou was snapped out of his thoughts by the annoyingly familiar voice of a certain blonde-haired "prince". Shirou ignored the squeal of the many girls who laid eyes on Kiba as he passed them by. He waved lightheartedly, radiating that elegance that pissed Shirou off so much. He gestured Shirou to come over. "Can I speak to you for a moment?"

Shirou considered the proposal, but felt the amount of energy he had was waning. The amount of time he spent talking to Kiba was the amount of time he could be spending sleeping in his classroom.

Eventually, he decided to acquiesce, approaching Kiba with the same irritated expression as before.

"What do you want?" Shirou was too tired to bother hiding his hostile feelings. But an uneasy part of him wondered if it was already time for him to be confronted by Rias over his previous failure. He had been hoping he would have had until the end of the day to build up his case. "Am I to report somewhere before classes start?" He couldn't reveal his true thoughts outright. Shirou believed that, if Kiba were to pick up on it, Shirou would lose any sort of advantage he would have in a negotiation. Losing composure in front of an enemy(?) is the worst mistake someone can make. They will easily exploit that weakness.

Kiba shook his head, both relieving Shirou and making him more curious as to his purpose.

"No. However, she would like to see you after classes." Kiba replied, saying the same thing Shirou had said except with a different time to meet. "She has long since forgiven your mishap with your contract-" Shirou narrowed his eyes at Kiba, believing the blonde prince intentionally brought that up. "-and she is simply relieved that you are alright. However, she has still ordered me to request that you meet her to discuss something of equal importance."

Shoving his hands into his pockets, Shirou sighed. "Fine. I'll see what Buchou has to s-" And that was when a book slammed right into his face, his hand twitching from the shock.

"GET HIM!"

"GUERILLA ATTACK, GO!"

"FIRE!"

One after another, various textbooks, pens, pencils, notebooks, etc were tossed at Shirou, striking him in rapid succession before the Demon King of Kuoh could even think to react. Shirou was too shocked by the mundane nature of the objects more than the fact that someone had dared to strike him.

He turned one eye towards the source of all of the objects that had been used in the vain attempt to pummel him, noticing a small band of girls trembling at the sight of him but still managing enough courage to glare with more hatred than most of the normal groups of Shirou-haters.

"H-Hey! Stupid delinquent!" Another book chucked at Shirou hit him square in the face, causing his head to jerk back. "St-Stay away from Kiba!"

"Yeah! Don't taint him with your disgusting Demon hands!"

"Don't even talk to him!"

The book, having a delayed reaction, fell from Shirou's face, revealing a deadpan expression. While the trembling girls interpreted it as a hateful, hostile glare, Shirou (in actuality) was more just surprised and bored by the attempted assault. The girls immediately ran away, frightened by his gaze.

He turned his head to Kiba. "Well, you have a loyal following." Shirou rubbed the tiny bruise that colored his forehead, staring at Kiba with indifference.

"Y-Yeah, sorry about that." Kiba apologized bashfully. "They mean well, I'm sure."

"Yeah..."

"I mean, with your reputation, I guess they thought that...well...you know."

For some reason, that struck a cord with Shirou.

His expression became bitter, his annoyance returning with a vengeance, the most convenient target of said annoyance being the annoying prince next to him.

"Yeah, whatever." Shirou turned his back to Kiba, rubbing the back of his neck. "You've delivered your message like a good dog, now piss off."

"Oh...right..." Kiba felt a bit hurt by the uncalled for hostility, but nodded. "See you after class then."

With the conversation over, the two servants of Rias Gremory parted ways for their respective classes.

Shirou seriously wished that the day was already over. His conversation with Kiba had put him in a worse mood than he had been in moments before. He didn't entirely understand why. He naturally hated Kiba and would have told him to shut up if it had not been for the fact that he had been speaking to Shirou on behalf of Rias. Telling him to shut up would have been the same as telling Rias to shut up and Shirou seriously doubted that Rias would very much appreciate being told to shut up by her own servant.

But something about what Kiba said pissed him off more than usual...

He only hoped that Kiryuu laid off the innuendos and sexual harassment. He was really not in the mood for-

* * *

"What's up with you? Did you lose a "Biggest Dick" contest?" Kiryuu taunted upon the ringing of the final bell.

Shirou groaned, banging his head on the desk in front of him again and again and again, greatly frustrated by the umpteenth instance of sexual harassment committed by Kiryuu that day. He was literally at his breaking point. He had started banging his head against his desk in the hopes of causing himself permanent brain damage so as to either kill himself or take away his own ability to remember anything she had said.

He could only take so much before he lost it. Shirou could just feel that he was so close to busting his skull open. However, he felt that he was doing more damage to the desk than he was to his skull.

As to why Kiryuu was making it her mission to piss Shirou off, it was the simple matter that he dared her to (albeit in a furious and sarcastic fashion). Kiryuu had taken up the challenge and that was why Shirou was on the brink of insanity.

However, that last question had been particularly infuriating considering the fact how he had been upstaged by Kalawarner the previous night.

He responded by smashing his face even harder against the desk.

"I see." Kiryuu noted. "So I heard you've been hanging out with the Occult Research Club?"

Shirou rolled his head on his desk, turning to glare at Kiryuu. "So what?"

"Nothing. I just find it a little funny that you're part of the popular crowd yet you're not popular in the slighte-" Kiryuu paused, fully processing what she said. Shirou raised an eyebrow. "Oh wow, I'm sorry. That came out waaaay harsher than I meant it to be."

"Well, too late. It's out there. It is in the air now." Shirou said back without much feeling.

Kiryuu waved off Shirou's words. "No really! I was just trying to steer it in a direction where I imply you're doing the deed with Akeno-senpai or Rias-senpai...it took a wrong turn. Let me start over."

This elicited a groan from Shirou as he rolled his head back to a face-down position.

"OK, so-ah screw it. I lost my ecchi buzz." Kiryuu cut herself off, leaning her head on her arm. "So, ARE you banging Akeno-senpai or are you retaining your loyalty to Kiyome-senpai?"

Finally, Shirou raised his head, glaring with even more hostility than normal. "First off, I have no idea what the fuck you're talking about all this "loyalty" shit. Second, please try not to spread more rumors about that crap. I got like NO sleep last night and don't really have the energy to pay attention or ignore people today..."

"No promises." Kiryuu answered honestly.

With a tired sigh, Shirou finally took the initiative to stand from his seat. "Fuck it. I'm out." Without another word to Kiryuu, Shirou walked out of the classroom, having lost what little energy he had built up from the amount of time he had spent sleeping through his classes. Perhaps sensing his incredibly poor mood, everyone immediately cleared the way as Shirou approached...well, they cleared the way quicker than normal at any rate.

In all honesty, Shirou just wanted to be alone. He was normally alone, but he would prefer to be ALONE alone, somewhere where there wasn't any people. While he considered paying another visit to the rooftop to take a nap, Shirou was fairly certain he would end up rolling off the side.

True, he could survive a fall from that height as a Devil, but he would prefer to not experience the pain caused by the impact, especially considering he wasn't at 100% due to his remaining injuries from his fight with Eliade the previous night.

Even then, some of his body was still aching. It wasn't debilitating, but he preferred not to move around too much solely for the sake of comfort.

In order to accommodate this desire of solitude, Shirou had chosen a nice spot on the other side of the main school building, obstructed by trees and the various brush surrounding him. All he had to lean back and take a nice, long rest. That was all there was to it. He closed his eyes, just wishing to drift off to sleep.

 _[I mean, with your reputation, I guess they thought that...well...you know.]_

His eyes immediately shot open, a wave of irritation passing over his previously calm face.

"Fucking Kiba...what does he know...?" Shirou's anger only worsened the more he thought about it. "Just...Shut THE FUCK up, Kiba." Even Shirou wasn't sure why he was so angry. All he knew was that he deeply hated Kiba at the moment even though he had only recently borne only normal animosity towards him like he did any other person who looked at him the wrong way.

The stupid prince had sounded so genuine that it made Shirou sick. He sounded so genuine about something he knew nothing about.

 _"Note to self: Ignore Kiba from now on."_ It was what he had decided. The only way to rid himself of this anger was by ignoring Kiba and repressing every thought or memory related to him. Shirou closed his eyes. _"Repressing...Repressing...Repressing..."_ Then he opened his eyes, his expression becoming more relaxed. "Aaaand repressed." And thus he forgot Kiba through sheer will (at least for the time-being).

With that objective completed, Shirou took it upon himself to lay his head back ground, trying to catch some Z's.

However, now he couldn't help but feel that he had forgotten something...something important...Shirou knew he had been told to do something, but for the life of him, he just could not remember what. Every time he tried associating the thought with anybody who could have told him, his mind went fuzzy. All that remained was a feeling of frustration and a hint of loathing.

Shirou sighed, once again restless by the irritation caused by his own mind. "Geez, why is it everyone I know at school is such a pain in my ass...?"

"Oh, WHO is a pain in your ass now?"

"What the fuck?!" Shirou immediately sat up, startled by the sound of the usually-annoyed voice.

Before him stood Kiyome Abe in all of her irate glory, hands on her hips with her eye twitching in irritation.

Yet another sigh escaped Shirou's lips. "As if I didn't have enough pent-up frustration today..."

"I'm pretty sure you can get away with releasing it anywhere as long it's not where someone can't see." Kiyome wittily replied.

Shirou narrowed his eyes. "OK, when the fuck did you start having long conversations with Kiryuu?" The only way Kiyome would have come up with such a remark was if she had spent a great deal of time with the biggest female pervert at their school, the perversion absorbed by her brain like a sponge. "Even I'm not that crass!"

This gained a confused look from Kiyome. "What are you talking about? I was just saying you could do some minor vandalism or break something so you can vent your anger..." There was a VERY awkward pause after that. "What did you THINK I was talking about?"

"ANYWAY!" Shirou cut in quickly, eager to escape this topic. "What was it you wanted?" He wasn't sure how to address her since their previous discussion which had ended on quite the sour note. Shirou held no anger towards Kiyome, but he wasn't sure if she had cooled off since then. He secretly raised his guard, prepared to dodge the moment it appeared Kiyome would try to slap him again.

A quick look of worry showed on Kiyome's face before quickly being hidden by her previous scolding expression. "All day, all everyone could talk about was how the mighty Demon King of Kuoh showed up to school today all covered in bandages. I just HAD TO see for myself."

A slight groan escaped Shirou's lips as Kiyome's hands went to her hips. _"Great... it's "the hip" thing. I know where this is going."_ He complained to himself.

Kiyome narrowed her eyes at Shirou. "Alright, Shirou! Just who did you get into a fight with? What? Was a gang of ten idiots not enough? Did you go out and get ambushed by thirty? Forty?" Her incessant pestering began to irritate Shirou whose mood was already not very positive. All he wanted was some sleep, yet here he was, listening to her go on and on about his habit of getting into fighting. "Just how did you get so banged up? Aren't you supposed to be a Devil now? Aren't normal humans supposed to be beneath you by this point?"

Shirou could take being scolded, he could take being beaten and wounded, but he would never-EVER-allow himself to be demeaned and accused of being defeated by the disgusting trash he ran into on the street everyday. That was an insult of the highest caliber to him. He glared at Kiyome, a part of him wishing she would just go away, unable to consider harming her for a reason he was not entirely aware of.

"It wasn't one of those shitheads! As if I lost to them!"

Kiyome raised an eyebrow. "Then how did you possibly get so..." She trailed off, taking notice of how Shirou's expression fell. She also took into account that Shirou had said "lost" rather than "injured". She didn't know if Shirou was aware of his expression or not, but his emotions appeared to have taken control of him as he curled up, hugging his legs to his chest as a mix of irritation and humiliation filled his chest. "...You didn't fight a human...did you?" Her face contorted into one of horror.

"I...I was..." He choked on his words, more angry and embarrassed with each passing second. "I...I was beaten. By another Devil." Her buried his face into his knees. "A Stray named Eliade. I fought her and I almost got killed." The very thought of this admission made Shirou sick to his stomach, but he knew that it was only fair that Kiyome of all people knew considering their previous discussion/argument. "I mean, I survived, but you were right about before...in our conversation. Two days as a Devil and I almost got killed again." He raised his head, staring halfheartedly as his blonde associate while making a "bring it on" gesture with his hand. "Go ahead. Take your best shot. I know you're just DYING to say "I told you so". I won't bite back this time."

It was fairly obvious to Shirou that Kiyome would not let go of the fact that he had almost gotten killed right after she specifically warned him he could get killed to which he blew her off, so, in order to just get the gloating over with, he decided to go ahead and put the verbal dagger in her hand. He would prefer that it happened then and there since it was not like his mood could get any worse.

"Shirou..."

"Come on." Shirou urged her. "Just let it all out. Some part of me admits I deserve it, so just-"

Kiyome smiled softly. "I'm glad you're okay."

"Well fuck you, you-" Shirou was halfway through a retort before he processed what Kiyome had just said. "...Wait-what?"

And then Kiyome kneeled down, moving forward and wrapping Shirou in a warm embrace, burying his face into her shoulder.

"You idiot, you're not going to rest until you give me a heart attack, are you?" Kiyome said softly, her voice trembling to a degree that caused Shirou to swear she was tearing up.

As Shirou finally came to understand what was happening to him at that moment, his face started to light up a bright red color. His face was so awfully close to being shoved into her bosom that he feared that if he moved anywhere but away, he would end up in a very suggestive situation that would not end well for him. He raised his head away from her chest, staring at her in shock and confusion.

"N-Now hold on! This isn't how this is supposed to go!" Shirou half-complained. "You're supposed to dis me or slap me or mock me or something! You're supposed to get on my ass about how I completely ignored you about before! This whole "huggy" thing you're doing now! Stop it!" He became seriously unsettled by this soft treatment from Kiyome. He was certain he would have actually preferred a slap to whatever plan she was cooking up. "OK! Stop!"

With a great effort, Shirou shoved himself away from Kiyome, quickly crawling backwards and flattening against a wall, staring at Kiyome in alarm.

Kiyome blinked twice out of confusion. "What's wrong with you?"

Shirou stared at her with distrusting eyes. "I want to know what your angle is here!"

"Angle?" Kiyome asked, even more confused.

The Demon King of Kuoh jabbed an accusing finger at Kiyome. "Yeah! Your angle! What is with all the crying and the hugging!? I don't understand!" He wasn't sure why, but his question seemed to royally piss Kiyome off, the girl returning to her previous annoyed expression.

"I don't get what you're talking about! What angle? Is it wrong for me to be worried about the fact you almost died?" She asked, taking the "arms crossed" position now.

"Uh, YEAH!" Shirou said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "You're usually either slapping me or scolding me for one thing or another and I'm seriously afraid right now! If you're gonna get at me, just do so! I can't take this anymore!"

Rather than a verbal response, Kiyome responded to Shirou's words by reaching forward and violently yanking several strands of hair from his head.

"Ow!" Shirou whined, irked by the gesture. "The fuck!?"

However, he was stunned to see that Kiyome had immediately softened, a smile coming to her lips.

"You know, just because a bunch of idiots talk bad about you, it doesn't mean you should just close your heart off to everyone." Kiyome turned her back to Shirou, shaking her head. "I can't say I understand anything about you, but I do care about you, Shirou." Kiyome's heart skipped a beat. She placed a hand to her heart, desperately trying to hide her embarrassment from Shirou. _"More than you can ever know..."_ She sighed to herself. "You should just try harder to let people in, Shirou."

 _"What the fuck do you know?"_ Shirou bit his lower lip, being driven to suppress his anger by her words more than normal. He wasn't sure why, but he knew that, if he vented this anger on Kiyome, he would regret it. So he held his tongue, his fists trembling in rage yet again. "I don't need other people...I've been fine on my own thus far. I don't see why I need to change it."

Kiyome rolled her eyes. "Oh yes, because you've been doing great so far, right?" She gestured to all of Shirou's injured form, especially the bandages on his face.

Normally, Shirou would retort harshly, but he had nothing to say. She made a good point, as much as he hated it. Instead, he sat back down, crossing his arms with a pout on his face.

"Tch!" He clicked his tongue. "I still don't get what you're saying. Listen, I..." He sighed, calming himself down with soft breaths. "...I..." He wasn't quite sure what to say.

"Even if you hate people, it wouldn't hurt to try." Kiyome reasoned, growing genuinely worried by Shirou's silence and the troubled expression on his face. "I know everyone is uneasy around you, but if you just start small, I'm sure it will pay off. Just try to make a new friend. The next person who passes you by, just walk up to them and say hi. Try to strike up a conversation..."

There was silence for a minute. Then-

"Are you dense in the head?" Shirou raised an eyebrow, looking at Kiyome as if she were some alien creature. "I don't do friendship from humans." Animals were fine though. "At most, I tolerate people-" He made the mistake of giving Kiyome an opening.

"Then try to find a person to tolerate more than normal." Kiyome suggested, doing her best to break through Shirou's resistance. "One person. That's all I ask. I just want you to understand that it's not impossible for someone to care about you-Oh wow, that came out wrong. I swear what I meant was-"

Shirou held up his hand, shaking his head. "No no. I know what you meant. Let's move on." He scratched his head. "Alright alright...I will talk to ONE person. If that person immediately runs from me or refuses to make conversation, then that is the end of it and you will never bring this subject up ever again. That alright? I just want you to understand how pointless what you're asking me to do is. What better than a real-life demonstration?"

His response was enough to satisfy Kiyome who smiled brightly. "Alright then." She agreed. "Let's go find you a new friend then!"

Shirou blinked. "Right now?" He asked in surprise as Kiyome grabbed him by the wrist, pulling him to his feet.

His senior's smile was so bright that it was almost blinding. "What better time than the present?" She tightened her grasp around his wrist. "And I'm not letting you out of my sight until you acquiesce, so deal with it." Shirou groaned, somewhat irritated by the fact he had lost his one chance of escape on the off-chance Kiyome misinterprets the person he talks to not immediately ending the conversation as a chance for Shirou to make a friend.

In the end, Shirou decided that it was best to get it over with and followed Kiyome from his now-marked hiding place amongst the bushes and trees. He brushed himself as he made his way out of hiding, knocking off all of the dirt and grass from his clothes. Kiyome led the way ahead of him, Shirou shoving his hands into his pocket, not bothering to hide his irritation by Kiyome's inability to understand how hopeless her idea was.

He didn't care about people and people didn't care about him.

At least the subject would be dropped after the first person who laid eyes on Shirou ran away as they always did.

But Kiyome held pride in her idea. While Shirou was not aware, she was exploiting the situation for more than it was worth. In her mind, all she had to do was open Shirou up. All she had to do was get him to speak to one person and finally take notice of the people around him and understand their feelings...

Maybe with the added benefit of him perhaps acknowledging her for the blossoming young woman she was rather than the girl who slapped him on a daily basis (even though she only did it because he deserved it for various reasons).

"So..." Shirou said awkwardly, uncertain how to ask the next question that came to mind. "...the first per-"

[GET THAT STINKING PERVERT!]

"Waaaaaaaah!" A screaming voice could be heard quickly approaching, sounding as though he was running for his very life. "Come oooon! How come Matsuda and Motohama always leave me to deal with this crap on my own!" Both Kiyome and Shirou turned their heads in response to the approaching voices.

And so they observed a familiar, brown-haired boy Shirou's age being chased around by a mob of angry girls with wooden swords. Luckily for the boy, he was a far enough distance that there was still the chance of him escaping from his pursuers.

Shirou cocked his head to the side, trying to recollect something. _"That guy...His name was...Issei Ryuudou, right?"_ However, he did not contemplate the fact that he may have gotten the name wrong. Instead, he saw this as an opportunity. For potential good karma and getting Kiyome out of his hair.

He patiently waited until Issei was right in front of him, in the midst of running past him.

Faster than any normal human, Shirou lashed out, grabbing his fellow student by the collar and chucking him into the bushes behind him, completely shielding him from the sight of others. Then he just had to wait to see if anyone heard the guy's wounded groan after his face hit the ground.

And then came the stampeding charge of the kendo girls.

"I can't see him!"

"He can't have gotten that far ahead!"

"That disgusting pig!"

"Let's beat the perversion right out of him!"

[YEAH!]

The various insults and promises of harsh punishment continued to resound in the distance, the owners of the voices completely oblivious to the person they had just passed by or the fact that they ran right past their intended target. In a way, Shirou found it to be hilarious concerning how stupid they were.

Shirou and Kiyome's head continued to look in the direction the kendo club had ran until they were completely out of sight. Then Shirou turned to Kiyome who was staring at him, even more confused than before by his actions. A soft groan from the bushes behind them made it all click inside her head. To make sure she wasn't mistaken, she gestured to the accused pervert in the bushes, giving Shirou a questioning look.

"You did say the next person who passed by." Shirou pointed out, smirking.

An uneasy expression appeared on Kiyome's face. "Yeah, but...do you really know who that is?"

"Risei Ryuudou?" Shirou guessed, shrugging, unaware he got his name even MORE wrong. Kiyome stared, wondering if Shirou was truly uncertain or if he was just messing with her.

"Well, his name is Issei Hyoudou and...well..." Kiyome paused, trying to figure out the best way to word the next part. "...He's kind of like you."

That got both Shirou's attention and his interest. "Really, you mean he also-?!"

"I mean in terms of bad reputation, not personality."

"Oh." Shirou felt slightly disappointed. It would have been nice to have another delinquent from HIS school rather than those trash losers he ran into everyday. "So he's just some normal loser then?"

"I can HEAR YOU!" The bushes next to them started rustling violently, a hand shooting out from within the brush, shortly followed by another hand before a familiar figure slowly dragged himself out of his entanglement within the large piece of vegetation. His clothes had gotten dirty and a mix of leaves and twigs matted his hair. However, he didn't look as irritated as he sounded. "But thanks for pulling my ass out of the fire like that. I really thought I was a goner for a bit there! Hehe!"

Despite the fact that his fellow student had just been chased by a mob of pissed-off, bamboo sword-carrying girls desiring nothing more than to splatter his brain matter across the concrete with their swords, he sounded rather upbeat. It almost unsettled Shirou as to how he managed to retain that demeanor of his. Kiyome also seemed surprised, but for different reasons than him.

"Um...so, Hyoudou Issei...you DO know who you're talking to, right?"

Issei stared blankly. "Um...Kiyome Abe-senpai...? The President of the Tennis Club?"

Kiyome gestured to Shirou. "No, I mean Shirou...Erm...You know who he is, right?"

"Yeah...he's the guy who everyone calls the Demon King of Kuoh. We're literally in the same class." The way he sounded as if it was obvious emphasized how surprisingly calm he was.

Even Shirou caught on to how unaffected and unafraid he was, partially because he had no idea that this guy had been in his class prior to that moment. "And...you're not gonna run away?" This was not playing out how he expected.

Shirou's question elicited a mere shrug as a response. "I mean...sure a part of me is kind of nervous, but you're not beating the crap out of me, so I assume I am doing something right." Issei rubbed the back of his neck. "Plus, you did save my neck a few minutes ago, so you can't be that bad."

"Thanks." Shirou retorted sarcastically.

"Er, I mean-" However, Shirou held up a hand to silence Issei.

"No no. That's actually the most pleasant thing anyone's said towards me compared to others." Shirou explained. "Anyway, I've spoken to you, so our business is concluded. Bye bye." He turned around to leave, but found his attempt foiled when Kiyome grabbed him by the back of his collar, draggin him back over to in front of Issei. To further punish Shirou, she tightly pinched his ear, yanking once to demonstrate how he had no power in that scenario.

The blonde-haired girl leaned in an whispered in his ear. "Look, I know he's not the best person to boost your reputation or to be your friend, but he did not run away. You're not off the hook, got it?"

Shirou groaned. "Fiiiiine." He turned back to Issei, his classmate (apparently) not being aware of the two's own personal business. "So...can I ask what you were doing getting chased around by a group of cute girls? From what I heard, it's usually every guy's dream, but I don't think the context is quite the same here. So, what's the deal...sport?" Shirou looked at Kiyome, silently asking for a nod or shake of her head.

She made a so-so gesture with her hand, clearly on the fence on his usage of the word "sport".

The brown-haired boy smiled sheepishly. "Well..." However, his smile quickly faded to a grimace then an expression of irritation. "Well, it started when me and my two buds, Matsuda and Motohama, were trying to find the best spot to peep on the kendo club changing."

"I...see." Shirou looked at Kiyome again, but she simply sighed in response.

"And then those jerks went and took the only spot! I didn't even get to peek...Again!" Issei cried, looking as though he was actually about to break out into tears. "I missed out on everything! Everything from their soft, creamy thighs all the way to their melons! Whenever those guys find an awesome way to get a good look at those awesome tits, I'm always the second to get access to it!"

"I see." Shirou noted, thinking something quite differently on the inside. _"Where the Hell is the exit to this conversation!?"_ What stunned Shirou even more was that he willingly discussed such a perverted subject right in front of Kiyome who was also a girl.

"And what's worse is that those jerks went and left me to get beat up when they wouldn't shut up! AGAIN!" Issei buried his face into his hands, screaming to himself due to rage.

However, there was something that caught Shirou's attention.

"Wait wait wait..."Again"?" Shirou asked. "You mean you've done this before?"

"You do know that Hyoudou Issei is renowned as one of the members of the Perverted Trio, right?" Kiyome asked, deadpan. "I mean, you watched the whole chase scenario play out the exact same way just two days ago."

The snow-haired boy pinched the bridge of his nose. "Kiyome, look at me. I mean REALLY look at me." Shirou gestured all over his body. "Are you looking?"

"Yes?" Kiyome was not sure where this was going, but did as asked.

"But are you REALLY looking?"

"Yes. Yes I am."

"Are you sure you're looking? Coz I don't think you're looking."

"For the love of Christ, I'm looking!"

Shirou nodded. "OK, now tell me: Does it LOOK like I give a fuck about what goes on around this place?"

Again, another memorable silence ensued between the two, Kiyome unable to deny the simple yet idiotic point that Shirou made to her. She knew he never paid attention to people, but she would have thought that he would be aware of the biggest lecher at their school. True, she didn't necessarily dislike Issei. It was not like she had ever been his victim and even then a small part of Kiyome thought that it would have been somewhat flattering. She was no exhibitionist nor did she like her privacy invaded, but her more responsible side felt that perhaps chasing Issei around and beating him with wooden swords was a bit overkill.

"Could you please not talk about me like I'm not here?" Issei complained, raising his hand.

Shirou smiled mockingly. "Shush, Issei, the adults are talking." Then he turned back to Kiyome. "Besides, I honestly don't care about shit like that. As long as he's not going around magically stripping girls down to their birthday suits, I don't really mind the guy's..." He paid Issei another glance. "..."quirks". I mean, I don't care about him just like everyone else, but I don't like him any less."

"I'm not sure whether to feel insulted or not right now." Issei wondered. Then his eyes widened. "Wait! I don't understand anything you guys are talking about at all! It feels like I've gotten stuck in the middle of something complicated...I have to go kick my buds' asses now, so can I leave now?"

"Yes." "No!"

Shirou and Kiyome answered at the exact same time, their simultaneous answers, the two turning to glare sharply at one another.

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"I said no! So the answer is no!" Kiyome declared with a sense of finality. In the end, her "aura" was stronger than Shirou's, so the argument ended in her victory. "Shirou, this is exactly what I'm talking about! You need to accept that you're not the only person in this world and Issei-kun is one of the few people who, currently, isn't afraid to walk within ten feet of you. I know it sounds harsh, but you need to deal! I care about you and I'm sure, that if you spent enough time with another living person like Issei, that he will come to care about you too! Got it?!"

This earned an awkward look from Shirou as her averted his gaze, feeling awkward having something like that said in front of him. "Yeah, but-"

However, he was ignored as Kiyome immediately turned and pointed a sharp finger at Issei. "You!"

Issei flinched, perhaps expecting the same scolding treatment. "Yeah...?"

"From now on, you're Shirou's new best friend! Don't provoke him and you'll survive!" Kiyome stated-nay-COMMANDED of Issei.

Much to Shirou's interest, Issei somehow instinctively assumed "the position", nodding. "Yes, ma'am." He swallowed nervously.

"Good choice." Shirou praised Issei through a mere whisper, both boys unwilling to incur Kiyome's unreasonable wrath. Issei couldn't help but nod as Kiyome stared at both of them intently.

"Shirou...at least give it a try." Kiyome advised. "The act of being nice to one person will not kill you."

 _"...Yeah, I reserve the right to call in Akeno to testify against that lie."_ Shirou retorted, deadpan in his mind. However, he was wise enough to keep this factual retort to himself. All he could do was indulge Kiyome in her silly request so she would eventually drop the subject entirely. Sure, Issei had yet to run away, leaving the lingering scent of pissed-pants, but that didn't mean he would stick around. "Fine." Shirou decided to make a wager with himself as to how long before Issei got sick of him or grew to join the rest of the crowd.

Kiyome leaned forward, staring Shirou dead in the eyes. "You promise?" On a subconscious level, Shirou couldn't help but notice how close his and Kiyome's faces were. And right in front of Issei too. He knew that would be given such a severe misinterpretation.

No. That wasn't truly what unsettled him. It was what Kiyome had just asked him.

She had made many demands and/or requests of him ever since the day they met all those months ago, but she had never actually held him to any of those things. Granted, he would normally do a majority of them anyway, but she had never EVER asked him to bind himself to any of it. This was the first time she desired an honest-to-God oath from him. Shirou was uncertain if it was because she didn't trust him or because she was just that serious about these demands/requests she had just given him.

"Errr..." He glanced at Issei, wondering how the boy would react if he knew this was seriously going to happen. The supposed member of the Perverted Trio shrugged, likely still confused by the current situation. "...S-Sure...I prom-OW!" He was completely interrupted when Kiyome suddenly plucked out another strand of hair. "Would you cut it out with the hair!? What are you trying to do?! Pull my hairs til I go bald?!" However, what Kiyome did surprised him.

She took the strand of hair retrieved from Shirou and tied it around her pinkie finger. Further stunning Shirou into silence, she plucked a hair from her own head. She made a gesture, telling Shirou to hold out his own hand, Shirou obliging to the silent request. Kiyome gripped Shirou's hand and held onto his pinkie.

 _"Hm...Kiyome's hands...they're kind of gentle and soft..."_ He noticed. Then he sighed. _"Too bad she usually uses them to slap me across the face."_ Shirou groaned, rolling his eyes. _"If she wasn't quite so annoying, I think she would have been slightly more tolerable than normal people."_ Shirou ended up flinching when Kiyome looked up at him, her eyes boring into him. _"Dear Devil, she can read my thoughts!"_

Then Shirou took note of what Kiyome had done, having tied her own hair around his pinkie.

"OK...is this some sort of weird fetish thing?" Issei asked, confused. Kiyome eloquently responded by slapping him across the face.

"You stay out of this moment." Kiyome commanded, her sharp look causing Issei to back up in fear.

 _"To be fair, if he hadn't said it, I would have."_ Shirou thought to himself before once again returning his attention to his senpai. "What is this...?"

Kiyome closed her hand into a fist, slowly extending her pinkie while extending her hand towards Shirou. She stared at him expectantly. "From hereon out, any promise made between us is sealed by the string of fate. The promised string that connects our souls...no matter what blade you use on it, will never be severed. With this, I want you to promise you will make at least one new friend. Swear it to me."

This caused Shirou to sputter for a moment, deeply resisting laughter. "You're kidding me, right? A pinkie promise? What are we? Five years old? Maybe si-OUCH!" Kiyome's response to his insult was a swift kick to the shins, causing Shirou to hunch over in pain, clutching the "injured" area, hopping on one foot while resisting a river of swears that were threatening to flow freely from his mouth as a result of his pain. "Alright! Alright! I make the damned promise! Damn!" Reluctantly, Shirou reached out his own pinkie, locking it with Kiyome's.

After that (albeit forced) oath, Kiyome's expression softened, returning to her previous smile. "Good. Now it's sealed." She stared into Shirou's eyes, giving him an odd look. Shirou couldn't help but become uneasy as a result of it. He didn't hate it...he just wasn't quite sure how to deal with it. "Shirou...even if you can't understand me, I do just want you to find happiness in your school life. To find someone you cherish and care about without hiding behind that mask. And face it. Underneath that supposed mask of sociopathy, you care, even if you don't see it." With those odd words that Shirou could not even begin to comprehend, Kiyome turned her back to Shirou and Issei. "Now, if you don't mind me, I have to go help set up for club activities. I hope you boys get along while I'm gone~" With a small wave, Kiyome bid farewell, walking away and leaving Shirou and Issei alone.

"Well...your girlfriend has you whipped, man." Issei pointed out, looking like he WASN'T envious of another student from his class getting a girlfriend before him for once. "Her breasts are awesome and I would not really mind motorboating those jugs, but I don't think I could ever be enough of a masochist to deal with that level of ball-busting."

Shirou glared at him, his own face flushing slightly. "Two things: First off, I am not whipped. I would never be whipped by anyone let alone a girl. Second, she's not my girlfriend! She's not even a friend-friend! I don't have nor do I need any friends!" He hadn't meant to say it so loudly or so harshly, but by the time he spoke, the words just came out.

"Then what was all that about-"

"Coz Kiyome's a nutcase!" Shirou took several deep breaths, trying to vent out his frustration. He shoved one hand into his pocket, using the other to rub the back of his neck. He looked at Issei and sighed again. "Look, just run to school tomorrow and act all scared and stuff. That way Kiyome will get off both of our backs. Nobody wants to hang out with the school thug, so it wouldn't be too unbelievable." Shirou wasn't sure why, but he felt increased bitterness from his own words.

Issei looked like he was thinking. He looked troubled by Shirou's last words and confused.

BZZZZZZT!

"Huh...?" Shirou looked down at his pants pocket, noticing a faint lighting glowing through the fabric. He reached into his pocket, pulling out a rectangular, vibrating device that he could have sworn he did not have before. A cell phone. Shirou would have assumed it was his had it not been pink or if he had somehow forgotten the fact he had tossed his phone and had it smashed into many pieces shortly before his unfortunate confrontation with Eliade.

So where this phone came from was an absolute mystery to him. He opened it, noticing that it was a text message.

 _Shirou-_

 _Show up at the sports field once all of the clubs have cleared out for the night._

 _-arias_

 _PS: I purchased this new phone for you to replace the one you "lost". Do not "lose" it again or I will be left with no choice but to punish you._

Shirou stared at the message, eyes half-lidded.

BZZZZZZZT!

Another message.

 _-I mean Rias._

 _PPS: I truly wish that whoever invented autocorrect was violently struck down._

"Huh..." Shirou closed the cell phone, slipping his phone back into his pocket. "Well, I gotta get going and prepare for...whatever's going on later. See you later, Hyoudou...or not. Whatever." And with that, Shirou left his sort-of-but-not-really new "best friend" alone, going home to take a shower before he dealt with whatever Rias wanted to speak of.

* * *

Issei was not quite sure what to make of anything that just happened.

When he was attacked by the usual mob of furious babes, he was fairly sure that he would have the shit beaten out of him more furiously than normal. Then that snow-haired classmate of his just randomly reached out his hand and hid him in the bushes for no legitimate reason whatsoever. Issei wasn't even aware of what had happened until he figured out that he was not, in fact, feeling the violent pain of wooden swords against his skull.

Then there was that weird conversation he "overheard" between Demon King of Kuoh, Shirou Fujimura, and the blonde bombshell, Kiyome Abe...It was hard to definitively state if it was overheard considering the fact they spoke freely right in front of him.

They were saying all kinds of weird things that he just could not understand out of context.

However, one of the few things he could understand was the worry in his senpai's voice. Shirou said that their senpai wasn't his girlfriend, but his "not-girlfriend" seemed awfully worried about him and seemed to genuinely care about him.

Their conversation was really confusing to him.

Shirou had to make friends, but he didn't want to.

And Kiyome had wanted Shirou to make friends for some reason.

No. It was deeper than that.

Issei was well-aware he was far from the best when it came to women, but he would have to be the biggest idiot on the planet to not recognize that his senpai had a thing for the Demon King.

Not that Issei had a problem with that. It was nothing of the sort. He never personally interacted with Shirou Fujimura, so he couldn't develop a proper opinion. All he heard was a bunch of rumors everyone spread around the school to one another. Quite of few of them were obvious bullshit, but some of the few rumors that sounded plausible made Issei very wary around him...

In the end, his mental image of the Demon King of Kuoh and the real deal were drastically different.

Sure, Shirou seemed short-tempered and foul-mouthed, but he did not seem like an overall bad guy. Issei couldn't help but feel that part of the reason his opinion was less harsh than others was because of the camaraderie of guys who would probably never be one of the popular guys. If Shirou was like that damned bishounen, Yuuto Kiba, then of course Issei would hate him, but Shirou wasn't even that. They both shared a place at the bottom of the social hierarchy.

And that bitter feeling Shirou gave off...

It gave Issei the chills. It just bummed him out...Nobody so young like the two of them should be able to speak like that.

And so he made a decision...

* * *

Shirou glanced at his new cell phone, checking the time to ensure that it was indeed six. It had been only two hours since his conversation with Kiyome and Issei Hyoudou, but it had felt like it had been much longer. He still had no idea what had gotten into Kiyome.

Subconsciously, he lowered his eyes to the strand of hair wrapped around his pinkie finger.

 _"...string of fate, huh?"_ He had not removed the strand of hair since Kiyome had tied it. He saw no reason to even though there was equally no reason to keep it on. _"...what cheesy nonsense..."_

Still, he could only wait for Issei to carry out his act and established yet another person who did not wish to be around the Demon King of Kuoh. Until then, he would make Issei deal with being his "new best friend".

But back to his current situation...

As instructed by the text message he received, Shirou had waited until 6 PM when all of the clubs had finally completed their business. He wasn't sure what Rias wanted, but he knew that it wasn't the best idea to push his luck of disobeying her considering how he failed to secure a proper price in exchange for his contract with Kalawarner.

And thus, here he was, at school after all of the clubs had left for the evening. He couldn't help but notice how eerie school was in the twilight of the evening. Especially when nobody else was there. Shirou was not scared of the dark or of being alone, but he acknowledged how off the atmosphere was in school when it started to get dark. He never really paid attention to it when he had just been going back and forth between his house and the ORC clubroom.

When Shirou arrived at the sports field, the immediate thing he noticed was the massive number of people WHO WEREN'T THERE.

To compliment the already empty feeling of the school, the sports field also had no occupants. Nobody. Not even one of the members of the Occult Research Club. There was only Shirou, alone in that vast field with nobody around. Just him and nobody else.

Shirou narrowed his eyes, checking the message again. _"I swear to the Devil that if this is some kind of prank, someone's getting the shit beat out of them."_

However, there seemed to be no error in the message itself. It told him to show up at the sports field at six. And Shirou was at the sports field...at six. And yet nobody else was there.

He scanned the sports field, checking for any sign that human li-...that any life had been present on the field within the past hour or two.

And that was when it caught his eye. A shiny object out of the corner of his eye, stabbed into the ground.

Curious, Shirou approached the shiny object, approaching it cautiously. After all, the last time he approached anything casually, he almost got killed by a psychotic snake woman...AGAIN! And he was in no mood to repeat the incident. For the next month or so, Shirou intended to approach mysterious objects or people with extreme caution.

In spite of the fact he expected someone or something to come out and stab him at any moment, he was surprised that neither of these things happened once he reached the object. What surprised him more was the fact of what the shiny object actually was.

A sword.

It was a sword. Stabbed into the ground. With nobody else around.

"Oh hey! A note." It was rather hard for Shirou NOT to notice the paper attached to the hilt of the sword. Doing what any normal person would do, he lifted up the paper and read it. "Let's see here..."

It read:

 _Pick up the sword._

Shirou stared at the note which consisted of four words, debating the consequences of his potential responses to this situation.

"...Well that's a no-brainer." Without any hesitation, Shirou pulled the sword out of the ground, almost EXPECTING some kind of explosive trap. He was relieved but felt somewhat cheated when such a thing did not happen. Shirou always liked explosive traps because they were cool. It was one of the only things he had liked about Naruto. Shirou looked around, still seeing nothing and nobody. At the very least he expected someone setting him up to look like he brought a dangerous weapon to school...but still nothing. "What a let-down."

He had been fully about to discard the sword before anyone could pin anything on him, but it was in that instant that he froze. He wasn't sure what it was or why it compelled him to feel like this, but he knew it was dangerous. A sort of sixth sense.

Instinctively, Shirou raised his newly-obtained sword.

No sooner than he raised his sword, a powerful strike clashed against the sharp edge of Shirou's blade. If Shirou's grip had been any weaker, the force of the blow would have knocked the sword right out of his hand. But it wasn't like blocking the blow made Shirou any happier.

The unpleasant jolt sent traveling up his arm was not something he desired to experience on a regular basis. The force of the block knocked him several feet back, almost taking away his balance as he stumbled, but he managed to correct himself in time.

With not a second to spare, too. The moment Shirou managed to regain himself, he was forced to raise the blade again, blocking yet another strike with the same awkward movement. This time, he was slightly more prepared, trying to keep his feet planted on the ground. However, considering how much force his unseen foe's attacks had compared to him, it was not a pleasant result. Shirou was sent skidding backward several feet, almost falling forward if he hadn't used his sword to push himself back up.

And that was when he felt a warm spon on his right arm. Shirou turned his head moments before his eyes widened in shock.

There was a small cut in his sleeve, blood oozing from flesh underneath. It wasn't debilitating, but it stung a little.

 _"Even though I blocked his attack?!"_ Shirou screamed in his mind. His opponent was faster than Shirou gave him credit for. If Shirou had been too slow, who knew how badly he would have been injured. And he also got the feeling that his opponent was holding back...He had been in enough fights when he started out to know when someone was holding back.

It had taken a while, but he was beginning to be able to get a better grasp on how to block. The next few blocks Shirou attempted after that were a bit shaky, but slowly improving. Every now and then, a strike would get back Shirou's guard. He sustained a cut to his thigh, his lower leg, his back, and a tiny one on his left cheek. But to say Shirou was hopeless was wrong.

Despite the fact his opponent was moving too fast to be seen, Shirou was just barely able to make out the vaguest details of his assailant's sword.

And he would use that to his advantage.

He wasn't sure if he could ever match his opponent's speed or swordplay, but if there was one thing he knew how to do, it was trapping a sonnuvabitch. From there, it was a one-sided beating.

So Shirou waited patiently, taking a neutral stance with his sword, neither offensive or defensive. He waited, taking deep breaths to calm his nerves. There was a fifty-fifty chance that this would succeed. One misstep could result in a painful severing of his head. And last time Shirou checked, he really preferred to keep his head firmly attached where it was. There was no need to upset the status quo.

The silence was intimidating, coming very close to crushing Shirou entirely.

But he remained alert, yet calm at the same time. He had been in enough fights to know that, while anger-powered blows were powerful and very useful, it didn't mean he had to fight recklessly. Not in a fight like this.

He waited. And he listened.

And that was when he heard it. It was faint, but Shirou heard the sound of a footstep against the ground. If there had been anything but the absolute silence, Shirou knew he never would have been able to notice it. He was no master martial artist or anything of the like.

He was delinquent scum to anyone who knew him.

But he was persistent and focused delinquent scum. That is why he refused to submit.

"TAKE THIS!" For that one moment, Shirou knew where to swing. As if the world itself had conspired to act according to Shirou's expectations, the sound of metal crashing against metal rang through the empty evening air. Shirou could already feel the sword of his assailant slipping away from his. He took a deep breath. _"It's now or never."_

With all of his pride and strength, Shirou lunged forward, scraping his blade against his assailaint's with each step Shirou moved forward. By now, the other fighter had realized Shirou's intention and was trying to move away. If Shirou missed this chance, all his opponent would have to do was move away and weave around him. It would take a single movement of his sword to put an end to things after that.

But Shirou didn't deal in "If's". When he fought, he fought to win regardless of how outmatched he was. He would not lay down and die without a fight.

Shirou's willpower and perseverance managed to overcome his assailant's superior speed.

Either by incredibly luck or tactics, Shirou managed to lock his assailant's sword with his guard. He tried to pull their sword free, but Shirou was not going to let him get away.

"Sorry, buddy!" Shirou exclaimed without much pity. He raised his fist, his opponent too distracted in that one second as he tried to yank his sword free. A single foolish gesture. "You made the ONE mistake: YOU PISSED ME OFF!" He swung his fist around, determined to knock at least half of his assailant's teeth out. This was it. This was how their confrontation would end. With one pu-

"Wait wait wait, Shirou! It's me!"

 _"Huh?"_ Shirou blinked twice, just barely managing to stop his fist in time only mere centimeters away from his assailant's face. And then he fully noticed his assailant's face, something he had neglected to do when he first caught the guy's sword. The stupid smiling prince looked somewhat nervous with Shirou's fist so close to his face. "...Kiba?"

Kiba laughed nervously. "Yeah, I know this is-" He was interrupted by Shirou's fist smashing against his face, knocking him flat on his ass. "W-What was that for?"

"Dick!" Shirou jabbed an accusing finger in Kiba's direction, glaring daggers. "You tried to kill me, bastard! I am well within my rights to beat you to a bloody, significantly less handsome pulp!"

The blonde prince frowned, rubbing his bruised cheek. He waved off Shirou's accusation. "No no, you misunderstand! The objective was never to kill you. I was just trying to test how much you knew about combat with a bit of swordplay practice."

""PRACTICE"!?" Shirou gestured to his face. "You cut my devilishly handsome face!" Kiba rubbed the back of his neck, looking away. He looked genuinely awkward, causing Shirou to let out a small laugh. "Nah! I'm kidding...About the cut to the face, not about being pissed at you for attacking me" Shirou raised his fist again. "I'm seriously going to pummel you if you don't give me an explanation within the next five seconds."

There was a heavy aura of violent bloodlust hanging around Shirou, showing that he meant business.

Yuuto Kiba knew that, in terms of combat skill and experience, he outranked Shirou (much to the latter's ignorance). Not to mention Shirou had been already injured. If he had been serious, he could have killed Shirou countless times over the course of their little spar. His Kouhai (in terms of Devilhood) had a sloppy technique and no style. Despite what Rias had told him about Shirou's mother being a professional swordsman, it didn't appear he had any training in the practice.

He carefully considered how best to explain the situation. "Well, you see-"

"Five seconds up!"

Shirou drove his fist into the side of Kiba's face again, knocking him further away. The blonde prince rubbed the newest bruise on his face. "Ow!"

"You get five more seconds before the next one to explain why you attacked me!"

"But I-" However, Kiba's words were interrupted.

"Now now, Shirou." The voice of his crimson-haired master intervened, smiling brightly. Akeno and Koneko trailed behind her. "Haven't you ever heard the expression "Don't shoot the messenger"?"

"But I like shooting the messenger." Shirou responded blankly, raising Kiba up by his collar. "It makes me feel better when his boss gives me something I don't appreciate." He shot Rias a hostile look. "Seriously, Rias! What the FUCK!?"

The crimson-haired girl was not fazed in the slightest by Shirou's foul mouth. "I suppose I should apologize for the abrupt sparring session I arranged between you and Kiba without fully explaining the situation."

"Damn right you should!"

"However, I wanted to see for myself how you reacted in a potential life-or-death situation." Rias explained. "But don't worry. Your life was never in any true danger. All that mattered was projecting the illusion of danger. As I'm sure you can tell, all of the wounds Kiba inflicted are non-lethal."

Curious, Shirou examined all of his wounds, noticing that Rias was quite right. Not even one of them was deep enough to sever an artery or deal any significant damage. They would have slowed him down, but they would not have killed him. It took every bit of his willpower to suppress anger at the fact that Kiba had GONE EASY on him. It was frustrating to the point that he resisted hitting the blonde prince again. Shirou really hated when people went easy on him. It was more humiliating than being defeated.

Rather than lashing out, Shirou took a deep breath. "Alright, so can I ask what the Hell this was all for?"

"Consider it an introduction course." Akeno replied.

Shirou stared with half-lidded eyes. "Huh?"

"For your training." Rias elaborated, Shirou's expression still not changing.

"Huh?"

"I had Kiba spar with you to determine where and how to begin your training." Rias gestured to Shirou's wounded body. "And, unfortunately, I was not as impressed as I should have been." Shirou growled in irritation. "And, after your battle with the Stray Devil the other night, it only makes it of further importance that we begin training you to fight as a Devil."

"...You calling me "weak"?" Shirou asked with a sharp edge in his voice.

"At the moment? Yes."

There was a moment of silence, Shirou marveling at how plainly and fearlessly Rias had said that damning insult right to his face. His normal response would normally be to beat someone down, but Rias said it so matter-of-factly rather than as an insult.

"Ah OK..." He felt so...not-frightening when she said it that way. So tiny. "...so...what happens now?"

Rias gestured to the other members of the Occult Research Club. "NOW, we start your training. Are you ready?"

It was only then that Shirou finally fully processed what Rias had been speaking to him about ever since their conversation first started. He was not naturally smart, but he was usually perceptive to things related to fighting, violence, or getting stronger.

"Wait...so we're really doing this?" Shirou asked, eye wide. "W-We're really going to do this? You're not fucking with me?"

Rias smiled softly. "I was wondering when you were going to catch on." She gestured to Shirou's wounded body yet again. "Not to mention that it should be obvious by this point. It's actually already begun. Are you prepared to be pushed to your breaking point? To undertake whatever training aids your objective of becoming strong?"

Again, there was a moment of silence.

Then a huge grin broke across Shirou's face. He pumped his fist into the air.

"HELLS YEAH!"

He was aware of how much stronger Rias and the others were. He knew he had a long way to go.

But that only added to the fun.

* * *

 **Next Chapter** \- New Trouble! Training in Matters of Combat and Life!

* * *

 **And here we go! Keeping right on a roll here! Shirou got another taste of violence, Kiyome once again proved she had Shirou by the cajones, and Issei was conscripted to be Shirou's new friend. In my opinion, they're off to a great start considering the fact Shirou has protected Issei one more time than Matsuda and Motohama ever did.**

 **Seriously, why is he even friends with them? Just because they're perverts, it doesn't mean they have to be friends who are perverts. There has to be something other than perversion that makes up their bond...Then again, this is High School DxD...:P**

 **Anyway, that's all folks.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

 **Bye-Bye!**


	7. Chapter 5: New Trouble!

**Yet another chapter...Sorry VD is coming along so slow. I have hit a total mental block and could use some help if anyone's interested in writing the chapter for me XD. Nah nah. Kidding...but seriously, it's a pain in my butt.**

 **Anyway, on with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: New Trouble! Training in Matters of Combat and Life!**

[Get them! Don't let those perverts get away!]

"BOOK IT, MAN!"

"RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!"

"Hey! Wait up, you jerks!"

Shirou groaned. "First off! I blame you two and your piss-pants!" His expression became blank. "And as for the other jackass, it's what you get for not doing proper cardio exercises, Hyoudou-san."

Presently, an odd quartet of students were on the run from an incredibly large mob of girls, running as if their lives depended on it. Although, it wasn't too far from the truth to believe they were in immediate danger due to the fact that many of the girls were violently wielding very blunt instruments. Leading in front of their "pack" was the unlikely addition of Shirou Fujimura, also known as the Demon King of Kuoh.

Trailing behind him were the members of the Perverted Trio, the order being Matsuda, Motohama, and, of course, Issei Hyoudou.

"Stop calling me "Hyoudou-san"!" Issei screamed at the apathetic Shirou. "You're making me feel like an old man!"

Shirou spun around, actually managing to run BACKWARDS. He wagged his finger at Issei. "Ah ah ah. A PERVERTED old man."

"Stop doing that intentionally!" Issei screamed at him, only to almost completely trip over his own feet.

Shirou was honestly not very worried. Even if the girls did catch up to him, he could always throw one of the other three under the bus and trip them. It might have been betrayal, but Shirou hadn't honestly known them that long. He didn't really mind leaving one of the other three behind...Well, maybe except for Issei. Shirou didn't like him any more than the other people at the school, but Issei was significantly less intolerable than the other two perverted members of their group. Not any more tolerable than any other person Shirou knew, but the person he wanted to throw to the wolves the least out of the four members of their group.

After all, despite the unfavorable position they were in, Issei had still been polite enough to invite Shirou.

"I knew that Demon King was a lecher!"

"Eeek! He saw me!"

"How disgusting!"

For once, Shirou could not deny their remarks in any way. And that's what created the huge blow to his pride. He had always been mindful NOT to prove the rumors about him, yet here he was, being the perverted S.O.B. everyone had expected him to be (albeit unintentionally and against his will). It was shameful. In all honesty, Shirou blamed Kiyome for his current predicament so that would be his defense next time she saw him and wanted to express her fury for what happened. It wasn't that he didn't also blame himself for trying to twist her words to mess with her, but he blamed her for the most part.

 _"Kiyome..."_ His heart was still trying to burst out his chest, trying to catch up to his body after recovering from his shock.

As he once again observed their pursuers, Shirou sighed to himself.

 _"Geez...how did I even get myself involved in this?"_

* * *

 **Earlier That Day...**

* * *

 _He was in an unfamiliar place. It looked like it had been built for children, so naturally he was drawn to the various areas of play. However, before he could even begin, someone grabbed his hand. At first, he was incredibly afraid, an emotion that felt so alien yet so familiar to him. Terrified, he turned his head to face the person who had grabbed and restrained him. However, after seeing who it was, he relaxed greatly._

 _XXXX smiled brightly at him before giving him a teasing poke. "You're such a scaredy cat~!" The young boy pouted, feeling embarrassed. "Aw~ You're so adorable, XXXX-chan~!"_

 _For some odd reason, he couldn't quite make out XXXX's face. And the words coming out of XXXX's mouth were all fuzzy and dull. Just thinking about it made his head hurt._

 _The young boy stuck out his tongue at XXXX._

 _"Well someone's in a sore mood!" XXXX teased him again, poking him yet again. "Come on! Cheer up! She's coming here to play with us again today, so cheer up!"_

 _The young boy could not quite understand who XXXX was talking about, but at the same time, he could not help the excitement he felt welling up inside of him. He felt he knew who XXXX was talking about, but he couldn't quite put his finger on the identity of this person. All he knew was the thought of this person coming to play with them was enough to put him and XXXX into a cheerful mood._

 _And, as if on cue, the door to the room opened._

 _Surprised, the young boy turned to face the person who walked inside._

 _XXXX immediately ran up to the person, smiling brightly as XXXX tackled the person's legs, tightly wrapping their arms around the person's legs, hugging them tightly._

 _The person turned and smiled at the young boy as well, patting XXXX on the head._

 _However, while the young boy was happy, he started feeling a little dizzy..._

 _Something...something wasn't right..._

* * *

Shirou could not help but let out a groan of displeasure, rotating his arm clockwise in an effort to work out all the knots in his joints. A product of all of the training he had undergone the previous day with Rias and the rest of the ORC. He had been adamant about not taking breaks and now he regretted it. Every muscle in his body had screamed in protest when he tried getting out of bed that morning.

And even before then, his energy was rather lacking.

The dream he had had was weirder than the disturbing recurring nightmare that he had. Yet again, Shirou was surprised by his own mind. He didn't recognize that scene from any of his memories nor did he remember the two people who were in that room.

But, as he always did, he tuned these uncertainties out of his mind so he could cope with the world.

Why deal with what you can ignore?

That was a favorite saying of his.

So he tried to begin his day as he always did: Wake up late, get dressed, have toast for a quick breakfast, and then let school happen. It was the routine he put himself through each and every single day, even with the nonsense concerning Devils that had been occurring for as long as he could remember.

The only difference from the norm was not only the fact he woke up two hours earlier than normal, but there was also how much more in-pain Shirou was. Not only was he still recovering from his assault by the Stray Devil Eliade, but he also had the injuries and exhaustion sustained from his rigorous training with the Occult Research Club the previous evening. It had only been one day and began to fully realize how he had an even greater strength gap between him and the others to overcome. His ego had once again been damaged when Rias told him that the struggle he had undergone was only Beginner-level. Whether she had lied or not just to wound his ego, Shirou had no idea.

He knew from one glance that Rias was rather crafty, but she also seemed to genuinely desire to aid him in his quest for strength.

And she really pulled no punches when she had him training with Kiba, so she was putting her heart into it. Shirou had started off with small exercises like running a perfect circle around the town three times, doing push-ups with a huge pile of textbooks on his back (Rias said she wanted to use boulders, but couldn't find any), and, amongst many others, more sparring with Kiba.

Shirou admitted that Kiba knew his way around a sword, but spared his own pride by reminding himself that he was a brawler, not a swordsman, so Kiba would naturally have the upper hand even if he weren't physically stronger.

He ended up only being further wounded by his own thoughts.

Suffice to say, Shirou was not in a good mood that morning. As he made his way downstairs, he tried rubbing the fluff out of his eyes, groaning for more reasons than one, his groan gradually slipping into a yawn. He deeply hoped Kiyome would not get on his case until after class that day. He really needed the sleep he could potentially obtain during classes and he knew that Kiyome was just going to pester him about needing to hang out with the classmate he spoke to yesterday, Issei Hyoudou.

That didn't appear to be a problem for Shirou because he knew that, if Issei was smart, he would adhere to Shirou's plan and just act the same way everyone else did around him: Afraid for his life and/or afraid of contracting some kind of disease that would make him worthless garbage.

In no rush due to his abnormal early-awakening, Shirou decided to make himself a quality breakfast and perhaps even get a jump-start on making his lunch for the day. If there was one thing that always calmed him down and gave him the feeling of good cheer, it was cooking.

As he put on his special apron, Shirou smiled to himself, enjoying the feeling of holding the handle of a pan in his hands, taking a deep breath as he enjoyed the sensation. He didn't care what others thought of it. He enjoyed cooking. So what if people made fun of him for it? Sure he would beat the shit out of them if they insulted him anyway, but it never would have bothered him in the first place.

If he wasn't already headed down the path of juvenile delinquency, Shirou believed he could have become a professional chef. It was fun, relaxing, and the sight of satisfaction on the faces of those who ate his food cheered him up enough to forget the fact he was a complete pariah in Kuoh Town. He didn't care, but something other than hostile faces was something Shirou found pleasant to see.

Today, Shirou had decided to go for a full breakfast consisting of: Steamed rice, rolled omelet, fermented soy beans, and broiled fish. Every move was elegant and no time was wasted during his time in the kitchen. Thanks to this, Shirou was able to finish cooking all of his dishes simultaneously. He knew enough about cooking and cooking methods to the point where he could be considered a Kitchen God. These skills were often useful due to how often he was alone while his mother was away for her tournaments. He used the money she left him to sustain himself for the few months in-between each of her returns to their house.

Shirou placed all of the dishes at his table for one, clasping his hands together with his head bowed. "Thank you for this meal." Then he licked his lips like a hungry predator.

Another reason Shirou was grateful for these skills was how it allowed him to craft numerous servings of food. Why?

Because Shirou was an absolute glutton.

Despite the fact he had cooked a whole pot of rice, broiled several fish, and an omelet, he had managed to completely devour each and every bite within ten minutes. It was not clean either. Shirou himself admitted that, when he was being granted a massive feast, he was a total pig.

He was more tame when others were at the table (which rarely ever happened), but a feast while his stomach was empty left him unable to control his appetite.

And since he already had a massive appetite to begin with, putting so much food in front of him was just asking to unleash the beast known as "Hungry Shirou".

Shirou let out a sigh of content, rubbing his now-full stomach, wiping off remaining pieces of rice from his face.

"That was nice..."

However, now that he was completely fed, he was bored again. He had never woken up so early before. He was already cleaned, dressed, and fed. And he still had an hour to go. He never really intended to spend much time at home other than eating, sleeping, and watching TV, but nothing good was ever on in the morning. This left him with literally nothing to do.

It was one of those moments where you end up so bored that you try passing the time by just sitting upside-down on the couch, staring at the TV screen while hoping that upside-down vision will make the TV programs more interesting than they actually are.

But even that proved to be horribly unsatisfying.

With nothing left, Shirou decided he may as well just stop torturing himself and gathering up his bags for school. He had 45 minutes left before the time he normally woke up at.

And so he walked out the front door of his house, locking it behind him.

* * *

Shirou shoved his hands into his pockets again, staring at the early morning sun as it rose high into the sky.

He just wasn't sure what to do with himself. He literally had nothing to do. It was so early that even the loser thugs he normally beat the shit out of weren't out and about. So he was completely and totally alone while wandering the streets of Kuoh Town.

"Dear God-ACK!" He hunched over, clutching his head as a sharp, horrible pain pierced his skull. "Right. Right. Forgot about the "No-Speaky-of/to-God" thing that Devils got...OW!..." It was just as painful as the first time he made the error of invoking the Lord's name. He almost considered making it his personal goal to kill God as payback for the obnoxious pain inflicted upon him.

 _"Nah."_ He decided after several minutes of contemplation. _"Even I know there's no way to kill God. What? Was I going to find some magical tool or weapon that somehow possesses the potential to slay even an omnipotent deity? That would be the shit, but not likely."_

However, this mental conversation with himself brought Shirou to a new subject for thought. This was something that he had kept putting off again and again for convenience sake, but yet again it came to the forefront of his mind. Something he had not given much acknowledgement since he first became a Devil.

"What am I trying to achieve...?" It was the question that always had the habit of nagging him.

He sighed as he took a seat on a nearby bench, somewhere near the park as a result of his aimless wandering.

It hadn't been his choice to become a Devil. He had near-immortality now, but he had no idea what he wanted to do with it. Sure he could be killed by any stab to the heart, but he would probably end up living for centuries if not millennia as a Devil. To be quite honest, Shirou wasn't really sure what the average lifespan of a Devil was. He made a mental note to ask Rias about it later.

But now he was a Devil, and he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. Hell, he didn't know what to do with his life back when he was a human. He had no definite career path in mind nor did he have anything in particular he wanted to pursue other than cooking (a path that became closed to him with his poor reputation as a person). His life had no real direction. He fully expected to die in some back-alley brawl rather than the unexpected "being run through by a demon's tail" thing.

And now that he would live for even longer and normal humans no longer had the ability to kill him, Shirou was even more uncertain what to do.

Rias had both blessed and cursed him with this new life. A life of boredom.

He could get stronger and stronger and stronger, but then what? What would he use that strength for?

Shirou loved a good fight as much as the next guy, but he doubted there would be bad guys in the world forever. Sure he could try getting strong enough to defeat Eliade, and then the many enemies who came after, but it would be meaningless to do so simply in the search of strength. Sooner or later, he would run out of people to fight. And even he cringed about what would happen next if that happened. If he grew accustomed to the taste of blood violence.

He was violent now, sure, but he didn't really desire to destroy everything and everyone. He enjoyed breaking the egos of would-be delinquents and venting his frustration by beating the shit out of people who attacked him, but it wasn't out of a desire to hurt everyone. It was just his way of dealing with the hand that life had dealt him. He liked good fights, but not because it let him hurt others.

It was similar to how some boxers, wrestlers, and mixed martial artists fought for competition. The thrill of the fight. Being matched against a worthy adversary and getting blood pumping.

For Shirou, the difference between a battle maniac and sadist is whether or not one enjoys inflicting pain on others solely to see them suffer.

So getting stronger was pointless if he didn't have a goal to apply that strength to. He just didn't know what to do.

And that was the problem.

Shirou rubbed his chin, contemplating this complicated predicament he found himself in. "..." And no idea came from his mouth. "When I think about it, I know next to nothing about how Devils live. I mean, surely they don't live their long lives in stagnating boredom. There has to be SOMETHING." And just like that, he found another way to prolong his procrastination. "Alright! I'll ask Rias about it later during training. There has to be SOMETHING fun to do as a Devil." For a brief moment, there was the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow...

Then he sighed.

"But what do I ask about...?" Yet again, he was stuck on the question of what he wanted to actually DO. He would end up living for a long time (unless he got himself killed by a Stray again which he was determined to avoid). What if he got bored of whatever he chose? Was it really so simple to change career paths? He wanted to do something he enjoyed. Other than cooking, he didn't really know what interests he had.

Some people wanted power, some people wanted money, and others desired the cheesy cliche of love.

Shirou didn't know what he want. That was the source of all of his trouble.

He was so deep in thought that he jumped when he felt tiny claws climb onto his lower legs, scratching playfully.

Nyaaaaan~!

The sound drew Shirou's eyes downward, where they once again landed on a furry, black feline with a hungry expression on her face. The sight of the cat brought a small smile to Shirou's face.

"Kuroneko." He reached his hand down and pet Kuroneko gently on the head, some of the tension in his body leaving him instantly at the sight of his adorable companion. "Been a while since I saw your furry mug..." Kuroneko affectionately nuzzled against Shirou's hand, taking great enjoyment in receiving an equal amount of affection. "I hope you've been staying out of trouble..."

Nya~!

Shirou let out a small chuckle. "I'll take that as a no." He wasn't quite sure, but he could swear that the cat was smirking at him. "Although, I guess I'm no better in that regard, huh?"

Kuroneko let out a soft mew of agreement.

"I'm really glad you managed to escape Eliade too..." He picked up Kuroneko off the ground and placed her in his lap, petting her back softly, sighing to himself. Kuroneko was on-edge at first, but gradually succumbed to Shirou's petting technique and gave long purs of content. Unbeknownst to the cat, however, Shirou was secretly inspecting her in order to check for injuries. _"The whole reason Kuroneko was put in danger was because Eliade was after me...It was pure luck that she got away in time."_

While his ability to bond with humans was horribly lacking, it could be noted that Shirou has a significantly easier time befriending animals, especially cats. Some people attribute it to the rumor of his more animalistic instincts causing him to appear as a parental figure of sorts. Shirou, of course, denies this. For him, it was just a simple matter of patience and how gentle one acted with an animal...In other cases (larger animals and beasts), it was a matter of harsh discipline.

But nobody needed to know that.

"I guess you really managed to escape without a scratch." Shirou decided after a few minutes, relief removing the weights on his chest. "That fight with Eliade was pretty destructive (mostly coz she wouldn't stop swinging her tail around), so I wasn't sure if anyone else was injured." He smiled brightly at his feline friend. "But I'm glad you're okay at least, Kuroneko~ You're a good wittle putty tat, aren't you~? Runnin from da big bad Stray Devil bitch was pwobably pwetty easy for you, wasn't it~?"

The sight of Kuroneko's adorable face was just too much for Shirou to ignore. Even though it would be nonstop embarrassment if anyone happened upon him, his weakness for feline-type animals was impossible to overcome. There was something about animals that just pierced through every layer of abrasiveness he possessed.

 _"Normally I only show this part of myself at night to avoid detection, but it should be no problem now."_ Shirou thought to himself, justifying how he could act this way. _"It's so early that there's no way anybody could walk in on this-"_

"...This is a whole new level of creepy for you."

Shirou's entire being froze at the sound of that familiar voice, his jaw dropping. He turned his head, trembling as he caught sight of his white-haired junior.

"T-T-Toujou..." His shocked and humiliated gaze met Koneko's usual passive eyes. The monotone junior just stared at the scene before her, casually licking one of those oversized lollipops that only certain stores sell. Shirou looked from Koneko to the adorable cat sitting in his lap.

There was silence between them, the only movement being Koneko as she continued to lick her sweet treat.

He wasn't sure why, but Shirou was certain that the next words out of Koneko's mouth were going to piss him off to no end. He also knew what her words would include specifically.

So he waited. And waited. And wai-

"So you're a creepy cat-guy, huh?"

 _"There it is!"_ A tic mark appeared on Shirou's forehead. _"I knew it! I FUCKING knew it!"_ He raised his clenched fist, trembling with anger. "I am not a creepy cat-guy! I don't even like cats!" It was a bold-faced lie, but Shirou had a rep to protect...or keep it the same. He could bear being called human trash and a delinquent, but countless horrifying scenarios filled his mind about how people would start calling him a creepy cat-guy. He was NOT a creepy cat-guy!

Koneko raised an eyebrow. "...Oh yeah, then who's that laying in your lap?"

This question caused Shirou's expression to instinctively change to "Animal-Lover Mode", petting Kuroneko affectionately on the head. "Oh~ This is my Kuroneko, but sometimes I call her Kuro for short~!" He answered the question without missing a beat. However, it was after a second that he realized his slip-up, his expression morphing into one of horror. "Now hold on a sec-!" The moment he stood up, gravity pulled his beloved feline friend from his lap.

Sensing some sort of slight, Kuroneko raised her head, affronted for being knocked out of her seat, and trotted away.

"Wait! Kuro! Hold on, don't go!" Shirou stretched out his hand to stop the cat, but it was too late. Kuroneko was already gone. Shirou immediately turned his baleful gaze towards Koneko. "Now look what you did!" However, he noticed Koneko's attention was elsewhere. He followed her gaze and found himself looking in the direction Kuroneko had wandered off in. Shirou wasn't sure why, but Koneko seemed to have a troubled expression, as if she was remembering something unpleasant. However, she quickly shook her head to snap out of it. "Something up?" Now he was more curious than humiliated. He didn't think anything could truly faze Koneko.

But apparently her memories were more powerful than the present.

"It's nothing." She responded as if it were her default answer. Shirou shrugged. If something was bothering her, it wasn't quite his problem. Koneko turned her gaze back to Shirou. "Never took you for a creepy cat-guy."

"Ssshh sshh shush!" Shirou hissed. "Don't say it so loud. I don't want people getting the wrong idea. I'm not a creepy cat-guy!"

True, there wasn't really anybody around them in that empty park, but it was still embarrassing to have someone say it out loud.

"Then what was up with the cat?" Koneko asked with an eyebrow raised. "You seemed friendly with that other cat, Kuroneko."

Shirou lowered his head, blushing from embarrassment. "L-Look...I'm not a cat-lover..."

He really debated whether he should fully expose himself like this. Koneko was the school mascot. If she started telling people he was a creepy cat-guy, they would end up eating right out of the palms of her hands. Shirou's reputation was hardly pristine in the first place, so if someone started the rumor that he had an obsession with cats, it would be a nightmare of humiliation. He preferred the legend of the mighty Demon King of Kuoh which was far more flattering.

Twiddling his fingers out of anxiety, Shirou turned away. "I...I just like cute things..." His face started burning hotter and hotter.

"What?" Koneko asked, deadpan.

Shirou groaned at the thought of needing to repeat his embarrassing secret. "I...I like...cute things...I LIKE CUTE THINGS, ALRIGHT!?"

And yet again, silence consumed them. Shirou waited for the next annoying and infuriating remark to come from Koneko's mouth. He knew she was just waiting to say something about it.

"I see."

Her response was met with a blank stare.

"...Come again?" Shirou knew there had to be more. There was no way Koneko was going to just leave it with "I see". But oddly, there was no further remark from the passive girl. She just seemed to lose all interest in the conversation entirely. "Don't ignore me! Is there really no response to my confession!?"

Koneko shrugged. "...To be honest, I thought it would be something more embarrassing."

"And being the king of delinquents who is hardcore but ironically likes cute things isn't embarrassing?!" Shirou asked, somehow feeling miffed about how easily his secret was brushed aside as if it were nothing. "I beat down at least five would-be street gangs before breakfast! But at the same time I have a deep love for small, cute things! You really have no response?!"

"Nah. It's pretty predictable." Koneko stated bluntly. "Wannabe tough-guys like you always have a soft core to hide."

"THE FUCK IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!?" In any other situation with any other wording of that response, Shirou would have felt relieved. But the way Koneko said that pissed him off. He deeply resisted the urge to pummel his Kouhai to a pulp. He would hold no remorse for this knowing Koneko's true strength and the truth behind her existence. "YOU CALLING ME A WUSS!?"

"No." Koneko answered without missing a beat. "I'm saying you really are a human deep down."

"Well fuck y-!" It took a few seconds for Shirou to process Koneko's response. "...huh?" He cocked his head sideways, confused by what she said. "What's that supposed to mean...?"

But his Kouhai merely turned around, avoiding looking at him directly. "Don't get me wrong. You ARE a wuss, but that's because you're just naturally weak. Not because you like cute things."

And just like that, Shirou's blood started boiling again, his self-restrain slowly beginning to snap. "Why you little-!" However, his mind was too focused on her other confusing comment to pursue the line of thought of how he would try to beat up Koneko for her insults.

"Anyway, don't forget about training later after all the other clubs have finished." Koneko's voice snapped Shirou out of his thoughts. "Buchou is serious about it since it was something you really need." Then she raised her hand, holding an odd white stick of some kind with some colorful crust at the end. "I finished my candy, so I'm gonna stop by the store before heading to school."

"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU TELLING ME THIS!?"

"Later."

And with that, Koneko left, leaving Shirou lost, confused, and alone.

And school hadn't even started yet.

* * *

It was only after Koneko left that Shirou decided he may as well go ahead and head to school. Sure he would be early and that would be UNBELIVABLY out of character for him, but there was no sense in just standing around. He had no desire to have another odd encounter like the one he had with Koneko. After all, he was still trying to decipher the meaning behind her strange words. He was half-certain it was an insult, but he wasn't sure what about him was being insulted.

 _"It's really weird though..."_ Shirou thought to himself. _"I never usually see people pouring in after me..."_

This being the first time he was genuinely early for class, Shirou usually saw every other seat already filled. Yet here he was, one amongst a handful of people who had already arrived to class for the day.

It didn't stop everyone from staring at him with hostile or suspicious eyes when they got there, no doubt whispering about how he probably had some violent prank or something planned out. They still could not hide their surprise though. The Demon King of Kuoh actually showing up to school early was a shocking event indeed and would no doubt be big news for some reason that Shirou could not comprehend. The only logical conclusion Shirou could come to was that, as usual, every other person at his school was a complete idiot.

And these thoughts followed him all throughout the day.

"Hey there, buddy!"

The air in the classroom froze, every single person's mouth going agape from shock. Even Shirou was caught up in the shock.

For he was the one being spoken to.

And the speaker was none other than the second least popular student at school, Issei Hyoudou, raising his hand in an awkward greeting.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shirou detected two unfamiliar faces poking out from behind the door frame, looking at Issei with an expression that declared "WHAT THE FUCK!?". The What-the-Fuck-ness on their faces was so powerful in its presence that everyone in the classroom felt it. Or perhaps it was that their feelings matched perfectly.

Shirou just stared blankly, trying to figure out what was going on. "...Did you go blind or something?"

The comment appeared to confuse Issei who stared back with an equal amount of blankness in his eyes. "Huh...?"

"You DO realize who you're talking to, right?" Shirou asked, trying to see if Issei had suffered any sort of disability within the past 24 hours.

[Yeah. Are you stupid or something?]

Everyone else asked the question in perfect unison, staring at Issei as if he were a mentally disabled sheep offering itself to a wolf.

Shirou glared at all of them. "Would you all mind shutting the fuck up?" Everyone (excluding Issei) immediately backed away in fear. Then he turned his more passive gaze back to Issei. "But they raise a good point: ARE YOU stupid or something?"

Issei waved off the collective insult from his classmates. "No. I just fear your girlfriend and what she might do to me more than I could ever fear you."

The Delinquent King's immediate response was initially to snap back with something scathing until confusion stopped him right in his tracks. Everyone was always making some sort of misunderstanding along the lines of what Issei said, so he knew immediately what Issei had said after a few seconds of thought.

The member of the Perverted Trio was afraid of whatever threat Kiyome had issued to him in preemptive response should he fail to play the role of "best friend" as she had commanded of him in a vain attempt to open Shirou up to other people regardless of his contempt for other humans.

And that pissed Shirou off. HE was the scariest person at that school (or so he liked to think to boost his ego)!

"Dude, Kiyome's not gonna cut your balls off or feed your entrails to her pets or whatever she threatened you with, so relax." Shirou stated, leaning his head lazily on his arm. He wasn't normally one to give reassurances, but he knew full-well how scary Kiyome could be.

"...You know, that wasn't a reason why I was afraid before, but now it is." Issei's face turned a pale-green color, nausea and fear filling his heart simultaneously due to the graphic images no doubt filling his mind. "But anyway, just to be safe, there's no real issue just hanging out today, right?"

Shirou clicked his tongue. "You really don't have to, man." He gestured to the classroom at large. "Nobody here will blame you for backing out. Hell, you could lie and say I kicked your ass or something. I'm sure everyone here will back you up." As if trying to test something, Issei glanced at the other students in the class, everyone, even the girls, giving him a nod of approval before giving Shirou a glance of distrust and fear.

"No thanks. I'm good." Such a bland but blunt response. "It would be better to just get this over with and be done with it, right?"

Something about Issei's somewhat awkward but obvious smile should have tipped Shirou off, but his inability to read people due to a horrible lack of experience proved to be his downfall...sort-of. Not really, but it is complicated. The point is: he failed to read Issei in any way nor any of his intentions.

Sensing he was not getting anywhere in this conversation, Shirou decided there was nothing to do but go with the flow of events.

He sighed. "Fine. Whatever." There was no reason not to endure one event. Odds are, in Shirou's case, that Issei was a spy or something for one of the rival gangs just waiting to lure Shirou into a trap where he would be beaten to a mushy bloody pulp, only to fail in the end and have their trap backfire on them. If not, then he would just have to endure another human's presence for a bare minimum of time and just lie to Kiyome that things went to shit during that time. Not an unbelievable story.

This was Shirou's life they were talking about.

"Alright then. Meet up with my and my buds after class then." Issei said before returning to his seat as the teacher walked into the classroom.

And Shirou's day became incredibly boring from there...

Not.

* * *

Shirou had a gut feeling that things were going to go wrong in so many ways that day. And what really worried him was that his gut feelings were usually correct. The first omen was the odd encounter with Issei much earlier in the day and the odd way Issei had spoken to him in. The lack of fear was the most noticeable and ominous thing. Then, later, Shirou kept getting odd looks from Kiryuu, a raised eyebrow as if asking if he was serious.

And then there was everyone else, staring at him more than usual, as if expecting him to cause some sort of mischief like blowing them all to bits with his mind.

Part of him wished that it was already time for training, but Rias wanted to be sure that everyone was gone before they started. That way, there was less of a chance of people stumbling upon them using their abnormal skills and powers. Of course, people were unable to see Devils while performing Devil-related duties, but this was more like an extracurricular activity than anything.

So, unfortunately, Shirou had enough time to meet with Issei as requested. Shirou would just blow him off, but the moment word got to Kiyome, he would NEVER hear the end of it. And that kind of hassle just wasn't worth his absolute apathy towards others. He would get through this and then claim to Kiyome that he kicked Issei's ass after threatening Issei to agree...and maybe ACTUALLY kick Issei's ass just for good measure.

.

.

.

 _"Nah."_ Shirou decided against his previous idea. _"Kiyome will definitely get on my case if I act so obviously. I'll just get this done..."_

He shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked around the front of the school, waiting for his "best friend".

 _"What's the worst that could happen?"_

And that's when the world went dark, something he suspected to be a bag being placed over his head.

"MMPH! MMMMPH MMPH MMPH!" It happened faster than he could react, too off-guard when at school. He was grabbed by his arms while the bag tightened around his neck, severely restricting his air passageways. He didn't know where he was going or who had taken him, but he knew the moment he could breathe normally again, he was going to lay the smack-down on whoever had the balls to attack him.

Later on, he would come to question why he didn't break free sooner when he clearly had the ability to do so.

He could only reason that it was because he felt no real danger. His danger instincts did not kick in when it came to situations that posed no real threat to him. He was not used to his instincts not reacting to non-threatening danger except when Kiyome was about to smack him.

All he could do was give muffled calls through the bag covering his face, trying to flail angrily in a vain attempt to harm his captors.

"Just hold on a second..." That voice sounded awfully familiar. "Why did we bag his head again?"

"BECAUSE, Issei!" Another voice replied harshly. "You invited one of the scariest people from our school to hang out with us!"

"Yeah, man!" Another voice whose owner Shirou would like to punch replied. "If we make sure he doesn't know where he ends up, then we have a good head-start if he tries to bust our kneecaps when we let him go!"

"Yeah, bu-" There was a pause from the familiar voice. "Wait. How would he be able to bust our kneecaps while we're running?"

Another pause. It was during that pause that the two holding Shirou's arms let their grips loosen. That was all Shirou needed to break free, driving his elbows into their respective stomachs. Shirou quickly leaped to his feet, yanking the bag from over his head, glaring at whoever had been stupid enough to try to kidnap him.

He managed the most hostile, malicious smile he could come up with. "Who said you would have the chance to run?"

[AAAAAAAAHHHHH!]

Two of Shirou's captors, a baldy and a guy with glasses, immediately clung to each other, crying waterfalls as they stared in fear.

Then a disgusting smell filled Shirou's nostrils. A wretched smell he normally only smelled when he was beating the shit out of one of the would-be delinquents.

Shirou's eye twitched as he stared at the two. "Did...Did you just PISS yourselves?!" The two let out tearful whimpers of fear and terror.

Shirou had underestimated himself. Usually it took him at least two minutes to scare someone that bad.

"OH GOD that stinks!" The familiar voice cried in disgust, the owner covering his nose with his hands. "Seriously! Which one of you two had the asparagus, oh my GOD!"

The identity of the voice's owner only served to further piss Shirou off. Without waiting for the other two piss-pants to recover, Shirou stomped forward, picking up Issei Hyoudou by the collar and lifting him into the air, his feet just barely far enough from the ground to dangle slightly.

It was only through sheer willpower that Shirou kept himself from immediately clobbering the poor bastard.

"You have FIVE SECONDS before I-"

"IwasconvincingMotohamaandMatsudatoletyouhangoutwithusforthedayandtheyinsistedonblindingyoucozthey'rescaredand stuff!"

Shirou's eyes spun slightly in their sockets as he tried to process what Issei just said. "...Well...you think faster than Kiba at any rate."

A blank stare was Issei's response. "...What?"

"Never mind." Shirou sighed. "Alright, so what the fuck do you guys want? What do we have to do before I get you to sign a slip of paper or something that I can give to Kiyome as evidence that I gave a good try? Really, I don't feel like even doing this."

Yet again, he was rewarded with blank stares from everyone.

"Yo, Issei, I don't think we should bring this guy." The baldy complained, throwing one arm over Issei's shoulder as he whispered in the latter's ear. "He kind of seems like a wet blanket."

"Am not!" That irritated Shirou even further for some reason.

The glasses guy nodded, examining Shirou. "No kidding. How can we keep our good mood with such a wet blanket hanging around us?"

"I am not a wet blanket!" Shirou denied again, clenching his fists in anger and annoyance.

[Uh huh...]

"FUCK OFF!" Shirou glanced at Issei, then the other two, crossing his arms with a huff. "Know what?! Fuck it! Fine! I'm game! I'll take part in whatever shit activity you jackasses have planned!"

"...Now I don't want to include him because he's a prick." The baldly complained again.

Shirou let out a sharp growl of anger and irritation. Now he hated these two even more than before. One punch was all he desired, but he knew he would have Kiyome on his ass again if he tried doing something like that on school property. If at all, he would have to wait til they were off of school property.

Issei stood up, calming his two buddies down. "Relax guys. The way I see it, Fujimura's kind of like our brother-in-arms."

[He is?]

"I am?"

The words that came from Issei's mouth were met with even more confusion than they had experienced before.

Issei walked over to Shirou and gestured to him. "I mean, really think about it." He suggested. "His popularity is literally lower than ours and he's not popular with girls at all!" He tapped Shirou on the shoulder, earning a sharp, scathing glance from the Delinquent King.

"You wanna revise that?" But nobody heard the words from Shirou's mouth. Even if Issei was technically right, the leader of the perverts still annoyed Shirou. Trying to calm himself, he leaned his back against a nearby tree, taking deep breaths to get rid of the flames of rage in his chest.

The baldy raised his hand. "Oi! But what about all that noise going around about his main lady being Kiyome Abe? Or what about that stuff with the Occult Research Club! You know the fine boobs-I mean babes they have in there!" Everyone turned to Shirou, as if expecting an explanation.

"...No. Just no to all of that." Shirou used those seven words to blow away all of what they heard from rumors. "I don't even understand what the fuck they're talking about. All I know is that Kiyome bugs the Hell out of me sometimes and I don't know why." It was the truth that he knew. But not the actual truth. He never said he hated Kiyome. He just found her odd if you were to sum up all of his thoughts about her.

Again, the two members unknown to Shirou examined him, possessing pensive expressions. After a few minutes, they both nodded at one another, huddling up with Issei and whispering something to one another. Shirou took this opportunity to place his headphones back over his ears, giving the impression that he was listening to music when in actuality he was completely ignoring the three people he preemptively labeled as idiots.

After another few minutes, the huddle broke up and Issei turned to Shirou, grinning like a doofus.

"Alright then! You're in!" Issei decreed.

Shirou rolled his eyes. "Oh joy."

[...What a wet blanket.]

All three responded with dull gazes.

"Can we just get this over with before I lose my ability to keep from strangling you three?" Shirou asked, a tic mark appearing on his forehead.

In hindsight, Shirou should have known what he was in for when he saw the odd smiles on the PERVERTED Trio's faces.

Too bad he was a slow learner.

* * *

Yet again, Shirou cursed his rotten luck of being dragged into unpleasant places. He wasn't even sure where he was.

After the situation with the other three was resolved, they started talking about this exciting new "spot" Matsuda (Shirou presumed this was the baldy) found for them to check out. He ended up talking about how it had a "good view" and there was even plenty of room for even all four of them. Shirou failed to get tipped off by the fact their group's name was the PERVERTED Trio.

But still, he foolishly followed the three to their predetermined destination, an unwitting accomplice in their crimes.

At first, he thought they were going to just steal the ladder from the supply room to climb a tree or something in the way all lazy people do it. But the three of them had a clear destination in mind, so he followed them.

Shirou had never explored the school entirety, so he had no idea what the building they had led him to was. It stood separate from the main building and the Occult Research Club, so he was uncertain of its use or whether or not somebody was actually using it still.

As before, Shirou paid next to no attention to anything concerning Kuoh Academy.

Not even the locations of the locker rooms exclusive to the girls.

Their group of four laid the ladder against the building. Matsuda went up first, climbing until he was just above the halfway point, moving a part of one of the panels on the wall like a secret entrance. Behind the panel was a circular-shaped hole, as if someone "accidentally" cut it in there and hid it. That was a case of vandalism. Matsuda claimed that the hole was already there, but Shirou had no idea whether or not he was being truthful.

However, despite Shirou's concerns, he followed regardless, still wishing to just get this over with. Motohama (the one with glasses) followed after Matsuda, followed by Issei, followed by Shirou who debated whether he should just leave. His danger instincts were going off the charts. But he knew if he bailed, Kiyome would not hesitate to, yet again, get on his case.

After climbing through the wall and closing the panel behind him, Shirou ended up in a closed and cramped space with only about a foot of room between the surface he was crawling on and the ceiling above him. Not to mention it was really dark up there. All he could do was follow the three in front of him.

"You guys never did tell me...what are we doing anyway?" Shirou asked, wishing to break the odd silence.

[SSSSHHHHHHH!]

Shirou stared in confusion as all three members of the trio shushed him. "What?" He asked in a harsh whisper.

Matsuda stared at Shirou for a moment. Then an odd smile appeared on his face, the baldy giving a cheerful thumbs up.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT SUPPOSED TO ME-" His tsukkomi-moment was interrupted when his face was met by the bottom of Issei's shoe. A tic mark appeared on Shirou's forehead. "You have five seconds to retract your foot before I break it and shove it up your-"

[SSSSSSHHHHHHHH!]

Yet again, Shirou ended up being shushed. He growled in irritation, deeply regretting his decision to accompany the three.

So they continued their journey in absolute silence again.

 _"These three have a lot of nerve."_ Shirou grumbled in his mind. _"The moment we get to a larger space, I'm clobbering all three of them!"_

In the current space, Shirou was at a horrible disadvantage if he wanted to fight. He knew that and he was willing to be patient so he could punch them each in the face when he was in the position to do so. Still...

He felt weird. Sure, he had been treated to initial mistrust by the other two, but they, overall, had not subjected him to much hate. More like indifference than anything. Shirou wasn't sure if that made him more or less irritated with them. He would assume the former because he already had a lot of frustration to vent.

But still, he crawled in silence.

And then-

"We're here." Matsuda declared. Shirou squinted through the darkness, noticing that Issei was crawling through another opening straight ahead. The upper half of his body disappeared as he sat up, hidden from Shirou's vision by the ceiling above him. Shirou followed through the opening and found himself in a similar space as before except with a comparatively higher ceiling than the tunnel. It was slightly less dark in the "room" (if it could actually be called that) for some reason that made Shirou suspicious. "Alright then-"

And there was something even more suspicious that he noticed.

"Question." Shirou raised his hand slightly, being careful not to bump the slightly higher ceiling above him. The others turned towards him. "How do you just "stumble across" a place like this?"

Matsuda frowned (or Shirou thought he saw a frown through the darkness). "I know what you're thinking, man, but I swear that's not how I roll. I don't create these places. I just find them."

"It's true." Issei agreed. "Matsuda is the master at finding things. He could find a specific needle in a needle stack. He uses that skill to find awesome places like this!" Shirou felt even more unsettled by the odd joy Issei's voice held.

Again and again, he failed to listen to his instincts telling him that it was a very, very, VERY bad idea to follow these here. He was beginning to suspect, but he failed to act.

"What are we even doing here?" Shirou sighed. "Where even is here? What? Did you guys just bring me to your secret clubhouse or something?"

Rather than get offended, Issei laughed quietly. "I WISH this was our clubhouse. But no."

Shirou did not catch the meaning behind Issei's words.

"Hey, Demon, come over here and help me move this." Matsuda gestured over to Shirou, digging his fingers into what Shirou suspected to be a panel in the ceiling. Shirou couldn't tell if he was insulting him or just using a shortened version of his nickname. Still wishing for the day to be over, Shirou obliged and crawled over to Matsuda and felt around, finding the same ridge Matsuda had sunk his fingers into.

Issei also helped, taking a place on the other side of Matsuda. Together, they lifted up the panel carefully and moved it several inches to the side, a sudden light pouring in from the gap, such a sharp contrast to the darkness that Shirou went blind for the first few seconds.

"Welcome to Shangri-la!" Matsuda hissed in a vain attempt to express his excitement while keeping his voice low. Motohama also crowded around, adjusting his glasses quickly.

It was only at this point in time that Shirou finally realized where he was. Not because of what lied below them, but because the light finally illuminated what Shirou realized were disgusting, lecherous expressions on his companions' faces.

To his horror, he was given an even clearer answer of where they were by what he saw below.

"Oh, wow, Minami! You look amazing!"

"Thanks! I've been trying this new skin creme and it has done WONDERS!" A pause. "Smoother than a baby's bottom on top of that!"

"You have to tell me the brand! I've been trying to find concealer for this small mole on my shoulder and it has been AWFUL!"

"Come on! You know it's not that big of a deal, you perfectionist~! Besides, you've got these to draw attention from everything else!"

"Eeek! W-What are you doing?!"

"Geez, have these things gotten even bigger?!" Another pause. "Chidori, come here and tell me if she's gotten bigger!"

"No thanks! I'm already way behind as it is! I don't need to be demoralized like that!"

Shirou's face was frozen, perfectly still like some sort of mask. Then it slowly began to light up red, quickly heating up to the point of steaming as he observed he events occurring below. The conversation was somewhat erotic, true, but that was not what began to fluster Shirou.

It was he fact that all of the people in the room below were women-or rather heir wardrobe (or the lack thereof).

"Whoa, this is amazing!" Issei gasped in excitement.

"Yeah! Great job, Matsuda!"

Shirou finally snapped out of his shock, trying to say something eloquent or hostile.

But what came out instead was a scream.

"AAAAAAAAHHH-MMMPH! MMMMMMMMMPH! MMPH MMMPH!"

[SSSSSSSHHHHHHH!]

The trio quickly dragged Shirou away from the opening Matsuda clamping his hand over Shirou's mouth.

"Huh?"

"Did you guys hear something?"

"What? No. Why?"

"...Huh...I guess I must have imagined it."

"I swear, ever since that Demon King Fujimura started hanging around Kiyome-senpai, you've always felt on edge."

"Can you blame me? It feels like any moment now, he's going to-"

It was around that time that Shirou finally calmed down. He knew he should have felt angry, but those words served to soothe his shock and ease him to the point where he stopped screaming, and the three of his classmates felt it right to let go.

"You trying to get us caught, you ass?" Motohama hissed.

Shirou coughed into his fist, averting his gaze as his expression lightened to a less severe blush. "Sorry, I was just...surprised." Shirou turned his gaze towards Issei who was too focused on the sight below. Then he crawled over and punched Issei on the head.

"Ow!" He stared at Shirou with a WTF expression. "What did you do that for?!"

"Why did you bring me here?!" Shirou hissed, trying to ignore the heavy beating of his heart against his rib cage. His danger senses were beginning to go crazy. Not just as a Devil, but as a man.

All of the women below were in various states of dress or undress, a total of two different types of uniforms on the ground below.

This was not why he was so freaked out though. No, the problem was much more terrible than that.

It was the fact that Shirou recognized the uniforms they wore as well as several of the girls within the locker room.

They were throwing small balls and tennis rackets at him he first time he met up with Kiyome.

The Tennis Club.

Words could not describe how bad it would be if he was caught here. Numerous horrific scenarios played through his mind concerning what would occur if he were to be caught in that place. Even more horrific when they involved a certain blonde-haired senior.

"This is a very bad place for me to be." Shirou decided. "We need to get out of here. NOW."

The other three stared at Shirou with a mix of disbelief and shock.

"What are you talking about?"

"You really expect us to give this up?"

"You really are a wet blanket, aren't you?"

Clearly, Issei's question had been the least harsh, but he was equally annoyed by the suggestion as his friends. Shirou didn't care about the last insult because he was seriously beginning to freak out. On the outside, it was expressed through his eyes which continued to dart back and forth, as if expecting a knife to stab him out of nowhere, as well as the slight twitch.

"Look, I don't know how you guys normally do this, but if we don't leave now, we're gonna get caught." Shirou warned.

"Well, duh." Matsuda rolled his eyes. "We've been caught at least 267 times."

"Yeah. And we've been pelted with all kinds of things from baseballs to bats to kendo swords and we persevere every time."

"It's all worth it in the search of boobies!"

Shirou stared, eye twitching. "How do you function?" He didn't like being there. Any second now, someone was going to notice and...he wasn't quite sure what would happen. He had never peeped on a woman before because his mother taught him better than to provoke their fury. He was not normally scared of women or anyone in general, but piss a woman off just right and Shirou knew he would be in deep shit.

He bit his thumb, desperately trying to find the passage from which the three had come from.

"Seriously, that Fujimura-guy is a creep!" For a moment, Shirou tensed, believing he had somehow already been noticed in the ceiling.

"No kidding! Whenever he looks at us, I feel like he's mentally undressing us!"

"Uck! I know, right?! I need to take two showers every night to get rid of the nasty feeling he gives me."

"He's really weird, ya know? I hear the only person he talks to other than Kiyome-senpai is that weird Kiryuu chick."

Shirou let out a deep breath, realizing that they were just badmouthing him...as usual. He sighed.

"Why does a loser like that even bother going to school? All he does is sleep through class."

"And the moment he steps off-campus, I hear he's just getting into street brawls."

"I really wish he would do everyone a favor and just drop off the face of the Earth."

Yet again, Shirou sighed. _"Not the worst insult they ever gave me."_ He reminded himself, soothing what little part of him wasn't already numb to their scorn by that point in time. He suddenly lost the drive to escape, pulling one knee to his chest and resting his arm on it, sighing to himself yet again.

The harsh words spoken by the girls did not go unnoticed by the other three judging from the fact they looked somewhat awkward, giving him equally awkward glances before returning to their blatant voyeurism.

This was how it always was. _"They do make excellent points though. Why DO I bother coming to school?"_ This was why he learned to shut people out in the first place. What was the point in going to a place with people if he only wanted to ignore them was the question he always pondered to himself, never coming up with a good answer even if he did try to excuse it on his mother's desire for him to get an education.

"I really wish you would all go easy on Shirou." Shirou's ears twitched, perking up at the sound of the familiar voice. "At the very least you could stop talking about him like he was some otherworldly creature!"

Curious, he edged his way back towards the opening in the ceiling (their floor), peeking through it at the scene below.

A new figure walked into Shirou's line of sight, an ever-so-familiar older girl with her hair styled in drills. She was in the process of unbuttoning her shirt, but her appearance was not what he was focusing on (mostly). He was more interested in what it was she had to say.

"I don't get why you're always sticking up for that guy, Senpai."

"He's a total creepazoid."

Kiyome frowned, giving the two a harsh gaze. "Look, I know he's a little rough around the edges, but it's when he thinks nobody's looking that he shows the soft, sweet center. Trust me, I've seen it. He's nowhere near as bad as you guys think he is."

"Come again?"

 _"Yes."_ Shirou agreed. _"Come again?!"_

"I really don't see what you see in him that makes you see all that weird stuff you're talking about."

"I'm not making things up." Kiyome growled in irritation, a hint of pink appearing on her cheeks. "I know I can't read his mind and tell what he's thinking because he won't let anyone in because of that UNBELIEVABLE stubbornness, but I know in my heart that Shirou is a really kind and gentle person."

"Who beats people up in his spare time." Another one added. "I've heard enough about the Demon King to know that he's BAD NEWS, Kiyome. You should just keep your distance from him, at least til you graduate."

"Love is a crazy thing, ain't it?" One of the others sighed. "But even you can't possibly ignore all of his flaws, right?"

"Well, he's not unattractive, but I think you could have picked better, Senpai."

"Would you all SHUT UP!" Kiyome screamed at them, her temper flaring, her fists clenched so tight that her knuckles were turning white. However, her face suddenly turned red, her body tensing. "W-Wait a minute! Wh-Who said anything about l-love?! I-It's not like I love him or anything! S-Stop trying to p-put words in my mouth!"

[What a late reaction.]

All of the others deadpanned in unison.

Kiyome took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Shirou is a good person. He tries to push me away, but I've already seen what lies underneath the mask. I know what everyone says, and those things simply aren't true. Sure he might be violent towards other delinquents. I don't know why he's always getting into fights. Maybe he feels he has something to prove, but I know in my heart that Shirou isn't a bad person. He is a good person who doesn't desire to hurt others needlessly despite how cruel they are towards him. He is someone I deeply cherish and I refuse to hear any of you talk badly about him any further!"

Those words from Kiyome's mouth left everyone in shock, none more-so than Shirou.

He had been so used to people talking shit about him behind his back or even right in front of him, but never ONCE, in all of the seven years he had been in Kuoh had anyone ever defended him like that. Everyone knew that Kiyome was less hostile and afraid than others when it came to Shirou, but she was usually passive-aggressive towards him for various other reasons. His more stubborn side believed she just didn't want him to be a delinquent due to finding them distasteful.

Shirou never believed she hated him like the others, but he never thought that there was someone who actually cared about his existence (his mother excluded).

His eyes started to sting. He was t sure why, but they started to sting real bad. It was almost like-

*Sniff Sniff*

"Hey, I didn't want to interrupt the big speech, but has anyone else noticed that God-awful smell?"

There were more sounds of movement, then whines of disgust.

"Gross!"

"What is that?!"

"It smells like somebody pissed themselves!"

Shirou paused, eyes half-lidded. He slowly cranked his head around, facing Motohama and Matsuda, both of them smiling awkwardly while sitting upright. With the line from below, huge wet spots around the crotch area of their pants became apparent.

"I think it's coming from up there!"

"There's someone up there!"

Shirou's eyes went wide as he turned to face the two perverts. "YOU GUYS SERIOUSLY DIDN'T CHANGE OUT OF YOUR PISS-PANTS?!" They shrugged, still awkward. "That's disgusting!" However, it was in the midst of his outburst that Shirou began to notice the panel below him beginning to shift.

The world turned sideways before Shirou found himself in a short free-fall, hitting what suspiciously felt like the ground with a loud THUMP, flopping face-down onto the floor.

"OW!...Goddamn my tsukkomi..." Shirou groaned, rubbing his head as he tried to recover. He could almost feel his brain bouncing around in his skull and his vision became a little blurry as he tried to recover from his painful fall.

It took him a few moments to recover and, when he did, he noticed the pair of eyes looking down at him. The owner of said eyes possessed golden-blonde hair styled in drills and a bust that surpassed the other girls in the room...It was Kiyome.

And, for what wasn't the first time, Shirou found himself in awkward silence as his eyes met hers, shock preventing her from reacting as a normal person would. Nobody else said a single word, swept up by the surprise of the moment.

Shirou swallowed nervously. "Uh...hi..." He tried not to look at her naked chest.

"H-Hi..." Was her slow response. A tinge of pink could be noticed on her cheeks as she realized the lack of protection her upper body possessed, crossing her arms over her bosoms.

More silence.

"U-um...H-How long have you been up there...?"

And then it was Shirou's turn to mirror her expression. "W-Well it wasn't like I was hanging out up there-er-I...l-for a little bit..." His blush burned even brighter with his embarrassment mixed with his irritation with himself for his lack of composure.

Kiyome's face became even redder than his at the implications of his response. "O-Oh..."

"Yeah...I..." He silently prayed to whatever deity smiled on Devils to save him from this awkwardness.

And his prayer was answered by a soft creak from the ceiling...then cracking...and then an explosion of the roof into splinters followed by three screams and THUMPS which sounded similar to when Shirou had hit the ground not even five minutes ago.

"Ow..."

"That smarks."

"...pain..."

The three groaned as they landed in a pile, their faces easily recognized as those of the Perverted Trio.

And that was when the shock the other girls felt finally wore off.

[IYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!]

* * *

 **And Back to the Present...**

And those were the events that led to Shirou's current situation.

"Duck!"

Shirou immediately responded to the warning, lowering his head just in time to avoid a tennis racket that went flying overhead, instead hitting the ground ahead of him and tumbling to a complete stop.

He turned his head and nodded in appreciation for Issei's warning.

Either because Shirou and the three perverts were more in-shape than expected or the girls' flustered states proved detrimental to heir athletic ability, escape proved even easier than Shirou first thought. The group of four escaped through the school gates by the skin of their teeth, avoiding any further trouble until they were gone.

Shirou was tense when he saw the mob follow them past the gate, but relaxed when they gradually gave up after a little while, returning to their club activities before their allotted time was up.

What really surprised Shirou was how they got dressed quickly enough to give such a chase. If they had dressed themselves any faster, there was a chance at least one member of the four would have been caught.

To be safe, the group of four kept running until they reached the local ice cream parlor, a great deal of distance from the school.

Once Shirou made 100% sure the coast was clear, he bent over, allowing himself to finally catch his breath after all of the running he had done. He wasn't exhausted physically so much as emotionally. He had a lot of shame, embarrassment, and shock to process before he could be considered "normal".

"Well, at least we got some good peeks..." Motohama panted out, more winded than everyone else and attributing to the stereotype that people with glasses aren't good at athletics.

"But still, it took me forever to find that spot, man!" Matsuda whined, pratically crying. "The Tennis Club is harder to find good spots for than the other clubs! I'll never be able to ogle Chiho's petite body naked ever again!"

Issei patted both of his friends on the shoulders, a calm expression on his face. "Do not worry about what may or may not happen, gentleman." He said. "Let us just relish in the one fact: We got to see the whole Tennis Club practically naked!" His passionate voice somehow re-energized his friends, their previous grins returning.

"Hell yes!"

"Yeah we did!"

This was followed by a round of high-fives between the three as if they had somehow accomplished something great.

To put it bluntly, Shirou was not impressed with their behavior, but he held his tongue. Besides, what else was there to say?

Shirou looked away, feeling awkward again. "Well...bye." He turned to leave, feeling that the (somewhat) pointless escapade was complete.

"Hey, aren't you gonna join us?" Shirou turned his head, raising an eyebrow at Issei. "Since it's right here, we were gonna get some ice cream to celebrate the feast our eyes enjoyed today and to soothe the pain of defeat!"

"Um...but aren't you guys kind of pissed about how I got caught and dragged you guys down too?"

Issei shrugged. "Not really. This kind of thing usually happens to us on a daily basis, so it's no big deal." He smirked. "None of us are going to give up our dream regardless of what "defeats" we suffer!"

Shirou took interest in this. "What dream is that?"

Things got a little weird when Issei let out a warrior-like roar, striking a determined pose.

"TO BUILD A HAREM!"

.

.

.

 _"Don't laugh, Shirou. Whatever you do, don't laugh. Don't laugh don't laugh don't laugh!"_ Shirou repeated the thought to himself again and again, desperately trying to avoid bursting out into laughter in response to Issei's declaration. _"Come on. You asked, so it would be rude to laugh now!"_ Of course, this did not hold. "Pfffft!..."

"Hey! Stop snorting!" Issei whined. Sure enough, Shirou couldn't suppress light snorts and snickers, even when he covered his mouth as well as his deeply-amused smile. "One day I'm gonna get a harem full of boobilicious babes and then we'll see who's laughing next!"

"Hahahahahaha!" Shirou burst out into laughter the moment he opened his mouth, hunching over as his gut started to hurt.

"Quit laughing!"

Shirou waved his hand back and forth, managing to hold back his laughter to an extent.

"No no no! I don't doubt it! A dream like that sounds pretty damn fun! Hahahaha!" Shirou said, burying his face into his hand as his laughter increased in volume. "Hell, maybe I should try building a harem! Could be fun! Hahahahaha!"

Issei clicked his tongue. "You're suck a dick!" Issei turned his back, crossing his arms. "Anyway, you coming in or what?"

Shirou stopped laughing, staring at Issei in confusion and surprise. And still the three bore neither animosity nor any further fear towards him, yet another surprise Shirou had experienced that day.

However, after everything that had occurred that day, Shirou was only certain spending more time around these three was going to completely eradicate his remaining brain cells through exposure to their stupidity. Being around them would neither improve his reputation (not that he cared) nor his mood.

...but they weren't bad.

Shirou looked down the other end of the street, the direction where his house laid in. Then he looked at Issei and the other two, slowly filing into the ice cream parlor...

He sighed for what obviously wasn't the first time that day. "Ah fuck it. Why not?"

And so he joined the Perverted Trio in the pursuit of ice cream after what little rep he had left was destroyed.

And oddly he didn't feel as upset as he should have.

* * *

"What do you mean we're not doing training today!?" Shirou complained. "Buchou, I thought you said you were going to train me til I got stronger and stuff!"

After Shirou had been called by Rias halfway through his double fudge sundae, he immediately paid for his ice cream and left his three...associates. He wasn't sure whether or not he overpaid. He was so at a loss due to the day's events that he wasn't entirely sure what the ice cream was worth and what he paid. He just took several bills out of his pocket and slapped them on the table, bidding a distracted farewell to the three members of the Perverted Trio. Then he walked all the way back to school (beat up some punk-ass delinquents on the way) and came straight to the Occult Research Club clubroom rather than the sports field like the other day.

And when he got to the Occult Research Club, he wondered why training was beginning so early when the other clubs were still in-session.

Briefly, he wondered if it was for the earlier incident in the girls' locker room, but Shirou figured that Rias, being a Devil, wouldn't drag him to the clubroom just for something petty like that.

But what she HAD said was infinitely worse.

"You won't be doing physical training at the sports field today." Rias had firmly stated, prompting Shirou's previously mentioned shocked response.

"...Is this because I was caught in the girl's locker room earlier?" Shirou asked, recalling the events from earlier with greater embarrassment. He wondered if Rias was the type to punish her servants like children when they do something bad.

Rias merely shook her head. "No, but I will admit it was somewhat amusing hearing that the famed Demon King of Kuoh got involved with the infamous Perverted Trio." She said in a tone that clearly implied she was joking with Shirou. Normally, Shirou would have gotten hostile at what he would normally perceive as an insult, but he didn't. "I do not control your school life. You may do as you wish as long as it does not violate any of the more serious school rules and regulations."

"W-Wait! There's a misunderstanding!" Shirou realized he had waited too long to cut her off. "I swear I wasn't there by choice! I didn't even know that that was the girl's locker room!"

"Keep telling yourself that, perv." Koneko deadpanned, more interested in her chocolate than the conversation.

Shirou glared at her. "Fuck you!" She had been more back to her normal annoying self since their odd conversation that morning. Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "Anyway, how come you're not letting me train today?!"

He blinked when he saw Rias wagging her finger at him. "You need to pay better attention, Shirou. I said you won't be doing PHYSICAL training today." Rias motioned Akeno to step forward, her friend and servant doing as commanded. "Today, you will be training with Akeno in the use and manipulation of magic."

Akeno smiled. "I look forward to teaching you, Shirou-kun."

"Huh...? "Magic"?" Shirou leaned in, trying to ascertain Rias's reasoning. "No disrespect, Buchou, but do I really seem like the type who would be able to handle something complicated like that? Considering the consistency between RPGs in which magic requires a lot of intelligence, do you think I would be able to use magic?"

"Yes. With more ease than you would think." Rias answered, earning a confused response from Shirou. "What would you describe magic as, Shirou?"

That question threw Shirou for the loop. He considered the question and tried to form an answer, but it was more trouble to think about it than he thought.

"Well...it's like..uh...Old people in robes...they-uh...they drink mana potions with some weird blue chemical stuff that uh...it lets them shoot laser beams and stuff..." Shirou paused, staring blankly at Rias. "...OK, so I don't know shit about magic. But it takes SOME form of mental focus, right?"

"Yes, but that's not quite all there is to it." And yet again, Shirou was thrown for the loop. Rias gestured to Akeno, her trusted servant holding out her hand, allowing a small magic circle to form in her palm. And, as if by MAGIC, a small ball of fire formed. "Despite what you may think, it is literally as simple as that."

Shirou cocked his head, confused. "Huh?"

"Shirou-kun, tell me," Akeno said, "where do you think "magic" originates from?"

Shirou didn't even bother trying to answer that one. He just gave a blank stare that fully confessed his lack of knowledge on the subject. This expression seemed to have amused Akeno, who held out her hand again further, holding her gentle flame in front of Shirou's face.

"WHOA!"

The young delinquent's eyes went wide as the flame suddenly expanded and grew until it form a large pillar, almost touching the ceiling. He leaned back in his seat, even more fascinated as the pillar began to bend and stretch, taking on a shape reminiscent of a serpent. The massive figure seemed to soar through the air, directed by the magic circle in Akeno's hand. Yet, despite the size of the creature, the flames were well-controlled, as if refusing to burn the room down in a raging inferno.

Akeno closed her hand around the magic circle she generated, cancelling the spell. She was still smiling, but there was more satisfaction than amusement this time.

"Despite its appearance, that spell actually possessed little attack power." She stated, the flaming serpent vanishing in a puff of smoke.

Shirou stared in awe of Akeno, having gained a new respect for the person he assumed to be the group's "Black Mage" in RPG terms. "So cool..."

"You see, Shirou, the practice known as "magic" originated from the Demonic Power generated by Devils."

The words that came out of Akeno's mouth were amazing, but left Shirou with even more questions.

"Wait...Does this mean all Devils are Magicians?"

"Yes and no." Akeno responded vaguely. Before Shirou could ask another question, she continued, "Magic is different when it comes to Devils. Our power comes from our passion, desire, and emotions. It becomes stronger the stronger our imaginations are. Unlike human Magicians who require chants and equations, Devils can cast spells purely from our imagination."

"SO COOL!" Shirou exclaimed, eyes sparkling.

"If it is a power or thought that dwells within your mind, you can-"

"Does this mean I can conjure huge fireballs!?"

"Yes, but-"

"Create an army of earth golems?!"

"Well, may-"

"Summons storms?!"

"That is-"

"Enhance my strength?!"

"Could you please-"

"Shoot lasers from my eyes?!

"Focus!"

"Do like Kamehameha-type shit?!"

"FOCUS!"

The room went silent, Akeno raising her voice to quell Shirou's childish excitement. It was so loud that even Rias was surprised by her usually-calm and collected servant. Although, to be fair, he was getting a little rampant.

Shirou blushed, embarrassed. "Right..."

His Senpai also blushed slightly as she cleared her throat. "Anyway, as I was saying, you can conjure almost any spell or power from your imagination, but it must be within your power to do so."

"What do you mean?" Shirou asked, confused yet again.

For a moment, Akeno considered the best way in which to answer this question, eventually realizing the solution with an "Aha!".

"If you wish to put it simply, it's like a level 1 character trying to cast a level 100 magic spell." Akeno explained, Shirou nodded as the simplicity was processed by his brain. "For more complicated spells, you require more power to use them. Simple attack spells like elemental attacks are easiest, but more complex spells like creation, seals, or high-level attacks require more power than you could summon as your current level."

To say Shirou wasn't a little disappointed would be a lie. "Oh..."

"But that is the point of these exercises!" Akeno added quickly, noticing the heavy cloud of depression hanging over her Kouhai. "By training in using your power and your concentration, it would become possible for you to one day unlock magical power rivaling that of a top-class Magician."

Shirou raised his head, his eyes sparkling again.

Motivation restored.

A cocky grin broke across Shirou's face. "So all I gotta do is train, right? Bring it on!" He raised a fist into the air, deadly determined to overcome this trial as well.

"Ufufufu~! It looks like my Kouhai has incredible energy~!" The older girl's smile became a bit more of a smirk, as if challenging Shirou. "Let's see if it that energy holds out~ Just like Kiba, I'm not going to be lenient." It was the way the Devils under Rias Gremory learned to create a proper dialogue with Shirou.

"Watch me! I'll surpass even you, Senpai!"

It was quite easy to draw him in when it came to training, especially when it was somehow expressed as a challenge to his ability.

"We'll see about that~"

"Such energy." Koneko noted,

"Yeah." Kiba agreed. "But it kind of feels like we're background characters right now..."

And so the two relatively ignored servants watched as Akeno started to begin her instruction towards Shirou.

Rias smiled softly, deeply enjoying the interaction between her two servants. The supposed "Demon King of Kuoh" hid it, but bit-by-bit he was opening up to the world. She had heard all that heard everything from her classmate, Kiyome. While, like Kiyome, she failed to fully comprehend the reasons behind Shirou's behavior, she was determined to whittle away the barrier he built around himself.

Her family was renowned for its special affection for its members' special affections for their servants. So like she cared about Kiba, Koneko, Akeno, and, of course, their resident Dhampir (of whom the very thought pained Rias's heart), Rias Gremory cared about her newest servant as though he were family. Not really on the same level of Kiyome (whose true level affection was only known by herself and a few others with incredible perception), but he was her servants. Thus, he was part of her family.

And, whatever happened earlier, it had really improved progress on opening him up even if he did not realize it.

He was less resistant to instruction in his training. Still stubborn, but that stubbornness was instead converted into raw determination to do as told and gain more power.

Shirou's training had only just begun, in more ways than one.

* * *

However, in an abandoned warehouse on the other side of town, other events were unfolding, unbeknownst to the resident King of Delinquents or his associates...

He wore a bandana over his short, black hair. He wore black pants, socks and sandals, and a black jacket, open to reveal his bare chest.

The young man could not believe what had happened. Sweat poured from his body, soaking every inch of his clothing. On the bright side, this masked the unpleasant smell that came from the fresh urine marked by the darker stain on his pants. Many of his followers shared the same expression of terror that appeared on his face, although they took their fear more gracefully than he did.

As to why they were so terrified...

It probably had to do with the numerous corpses littering the ground several feet in front of them.

It had all started off as a joke. Just a normal bout of harassing some ugly hag they found on the side of the road. It wasn't like they intended to hit her. Just skate by, maybe snatch whatever pursue or bag she carried, drop it, then skate away while laughing.

That's what they normally did.

And this time, it went so wrong.

The scene played out like something out of a child's worst nightmare. Their friend, Subaru, got snatched of his board...the woman changed..Became a total monster. They recognized a disgusting sound from behind the, while they ran.

No more Subaru.

It was hard to keep count of how many of them had been killed by that...that MONSTER. All the young man knew was that there were far fewer faces than there were before. Their numbers, which had once been as high as forty-seven, fell to less than thirty.

The worst part was that the creature wasn't even interested in them. It feasted on its latest victims, completely unthreatened by the presence of their superior numbers. That was how strong this psychotic creature was. They could not read its intentions. If it wanted to eat them, it could have just killed them and be done with. Perhaps it liked its food alive when it eats.

Or maybe it enjoyed their expressions of fear and terror. Maybe both.

All they could do was remain silent, not letting out a single squeak until the ravenous sounds from the creature ceased, its recent meal completed.

There was the sound of its body slithering and sliding across the ground, everyone's hearts freezing in unison as it stopped in front of them, leering at them with those slit-like eyes.

"Sssssoooo, have my little morssssselsssss learned their lessssson about trying to pick on a lady?"

Not daring to call her out on her arrogance, everyone nodded in unison, saying nothing.

There was a horrible, hissing-like laugh, making everyone's blood run cold. Nobody dared to laugh along. This laughter wasn't for them.

When the laughter ended, everyone prepared for the worst. The creature came even closer, many of the young man's group beginning to tremble more strongly and shuffle back further. The young man knew what was going to happen. There was no point in trying to run away.

"Tell me, where issssss your leader?" The creature asked, asking with a tone that demanded no lies. The young man, unable to control his trembling, approached, swallowing hard. "Ssssstep forward."

He obliged, realizing that his time was up. He was going to die and there was nothing to do about it. He stepped closer to the snake-creature, well-within her range. Hopefully it would just take one bite and snap his neck quickly so he wouldn't suffer.

He shut his eye tightly as it reached out with her razor sharp claws. He fully expected death. He was going to die.

Instead he felt a soft caress, the creature's longest talon gently grazing his face as if affectionately.

"Worry not, child~" It hissed soothingly. "You may open your eyessssss and take a peek~" But it sounded as though it were more of a command than a request. Fearing what he would see, the young man open his eyes, desperately trying to avoid looking at the creature before him. The hands of the creature gripped the sides of his tightly, well in a position where his skull could be crushed like a grape. "I SSSSAID LOOK AT ME!"

Not wishing to commit further insubordination, the young man opened his eyes fully, looking at the creature.

The sight made him want to throw up.

Blood was dripping from her mouth, which consisted of dagger-like teeth, her piercing eyes, a red color, staring at him as if looking into her soul. Numerous bumps and bruises were accompanied by scars that looked like healed cuts. He dared not flinch or scream, knowing what the creature would do if it sensed an insult.

"Hideoussss, is it not?" The creature asked rhetorically. Again, the young man said nothing. "Ah! A polite one, aren't you? Better than my lassssst..." She paused, her face contorting into irritation and anger, emotions he young man worried would be vented on him. "You need not hide your dissssgusssst now. I am well-aware of how hideousssss my form had become." The young man couldn't quite tell if this was some sort of test. "Go on. After all, I do have a proposssssition for you that will benefit both of usssss."

The creature released him, letting him drop from the ground. "Y-Yes, ma'am?"

The creature backed away, giving the young man some room to breathe. "You ssssssee, I believe we both have a common enemy...someone we loathe more than any other."

Another test? The young man wasn't sure. She was either being truthful or manipulative. Either way, it might have been a chance for him to get out of this alive...but her statement still confused him.

"A-A common enemy, ma'am?" He wondered.

Again, anger flashed across the creature's face. "Yesssss...A certain ssssnow-haired delinquent who hassss, assssss of recently, been our common object of hatred."

He young man's blood boiled, enraged at the memory of the teenager that the snake-woman mentioned.

"Fujimura..." He growled. There was nobody in this town who didn't know who Demon King Fujimura was. Of course, he and Shirou had quite a bit of history together. That bastard cost him everything.

His girlfriend, his education, his whole life.

Because of that so-called King of Delinquents, he would forever have a permanent mark on his record. All because of his meddling.

It infuriated him to the point that he gathered his own crew just to beat that piece of shit into a coma. Of course, they had severely underestimated his strength and why he was referred to as a Demon King. The young man had been building up his crew more, trying to gather he necessary number to finally beat the smug prick.

The young man's expression darkened. "You wanna off the shithead? I don't care if you kill me in the end. As long as his rolls first."

The creature smirked, as if pleased by these words only to grimace in pain.

"You sssssee, he was the one who did THISSSSS." Everyone's eyes went wide in horror as the creature gestured to her face, emphasizing the many disgusting injuries to her face.

"Wait! Fujimura did THAT to you!?" The young man exclaimed in shock, his hopes shrinking. "If you couldn't do it, how the fuck do you think we can?!"

The snake-woman hissed again. "You ssssssee, he had a bit of an...unfair advantage. He had been transcended to a new level of power...no longer being human. But," The creature flicked her tongue, "what would you say if I could also grant you and your allies a similar power? A power capable of fighting even Devils?"

The young man raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Through a special power I alone possesssss, I can drasssstically increassssse your ssssstrength and that of your comradessss to levels far greater than what you possesssss." She materialized an object on her wrist. Some sort of green, fingerless gauntlet. "Ssssso, what do you ssssay?" She extended her hand towards the young man.

It required no thought. The only objective on his mind was revenge.

He firmly grasped the creature's hand. "You got a deal."

"Excellent~" The creature let out a hiss of joy. "But I do have one additional request."

The young man stared questioningly. "What is it?"

"I want you to capture the brat, not kill him." She raised her sharp talons to her face, moving her hand as if imagining it wrapped around he throat of someone she hated. "I want to take hisss head myself. When he diessss, I wissssh it to be as excruciatingly painful as posssssible."

The young man grinned sadistically. "Lady, you don't have to sweeten the deal. I'm already sold." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "The name's Kaido. Of the Yellow Diamonds."

The creature mirrored his expression. "You may refer to me as Mistresssss Eliade."

* * *

Next Chapter - A Bento For You! A Fight of Friendship and a Fight For Lunch!

* * *

 **And we end it on such an ominous note. An evil alliance has formed to take down the Demon King of Kuoh. Will Shirou be able to pull through or will he finally take a definite loss to his winning streak on the streets?**

 **Don't worry. The Shirou Arc is almost over, so everyone please be patient. We will soon move into canon content very soon. I promise.**

 **Thanks for the read and reviews!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	8. Chapter 6: A Bento For You!

**And things start picking up, Shirou gets some development, and quite a few more conflicts arise! I'm still working on Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan, but it's really getting annoying coz I keep getting interrupted by life and whatnot.**

 **To be honest, I think a major setback of mine is the fact it's in 1st Person...it's hard writing first person when you're frequently switching between POVs...I'm working as hard as I can but it's really hard. If you were working from my perspective, you would be having issues too. XP**

 **I mean, we have not even reached the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the angst that will unfold in Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan.**

 **Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: A Bento For You! A Fight of Friendship and a Fight For Lunch!**

Shirou wasn't quite sure how long he had spent looking at it. It had sat on his desk ever since class started that day. He wasn't quite sure what it was, so he ended up carrying it around with him because he felt it unfair to throw it away in case the actual owner came to get it. However, even when it was already halfway through the school day, not a single person came to collect it. Shirou would have thought it was his, but he didn't make anything that morning and he certainly didn't bring anything.

It was mind-boggling.

He was, of course, thinking of the home-made bento sitting alone on his desk, wrapped in a heart-patterned cloth.

Shirou was certain that this bento did not belong to him, but he brought it with him all-throughout the day, uncertain of what to do with it. If he left it, then the odds were that someone else was going to steal it and take the lunch of whomever the box belonged to.

Of course he didn't ignore the odd stares everyone was giving him today. This time, they were warranted because it was mainly shock in regards to the bento. Not HIS bento. THE bento. Shirou just wasn't sure what he would do with it. What was he going to do? Turn it in to the office? It would just be left on a shelf with the other lost junk til the food spoiled and if there was one thing Shirou hated almost more than anything, it was someone wasting perfectly good food simply because they were too lazy to look for someone to eat it.

And even Shirou was nowhere near callous enough to eat another man/woman's lunch. Eating food that belongs to someone else was another thing Shirou hated.

All he could do was sit there and stare at the box, paying about as much attention to the teacher's lesson as always.

The Mystery of the Mysterious Mystery Bento was far more important than his studies. It was Shirou's pride as a true cook at stake.

He wanted to look inside the bento to determine what the contents were in hopes of determining the nationality of the owner. There were a lot of foreign students at Kuoh Academy, so if it was a different style of cuisine from Japanese, it could be possible to narrow down the list of people who could be the owner. However, if he did that, he would disturb the tender wrapping of the box and that seemed like a low thing to do.

Whoever had made the bento wrapped it with extra care and clearly put a lot of time and effort into this meal.

There was just no clear solution on what to do with it. Shirou didn't want to throw it away or turn it in. All he could do was try to find the owner throughout the day and, if he failed that day, he would refrigerate it to preserve its freshness. It wouldn't be at its peak condition, but it would still be edible. The mysterious bento was something that continued to drive Shirou to the brink of insanity.

"You STILL staring at that box?" Kiryuu asked, almost bored-sounding as she sat on the desk next to Shirou. Lunch time was dead and gone, but Shirou still had the bento. "I thought a glutton like you would have totally devoured that food by now."

Shirou shot her a sharp glare. "First off, don't exaggerate-"

"It's not an exaggeration when you could eat a feast made for a King all by yourself and still ask for more." Kiryuu pointed out, causing even Shirou to admit that her words held some validity.

"SECOND OF ALL," Shirou continued, changing the subject, "This isn't even my own bento. Someone just left it on my desk and I'm trying to figure out whom it belongs to."

Kiryuu raised an eyebrow. "You ever consider the fact someone might have left it for YOU?" She asked it as if it was the answer to Shirou's many questions, so certain of herself. Kiryuu was always a free-thinker, but, to Shirou, her ideas were a little crazy...

There was a long silence following that question.

"Kiryuu, look at me."

"Alright."

"No really. Take a good, long look."

"I'm looking."

"But are you really looking, coz I don't think you-"

"Just skip the bit and get on with it!" This wasn't the first time that Kiryuu had been subjected to this bit.

Shirou gestured to his entire body. "Look at me and tell me: Do I LOOK like someone people would make bentos for?" That was he best way Shirou knew how to put an end to a conversation other than death threats. Truly, what other way but to point out his own existence was there to point out the stupidity in Kiryuu's question?

"Well clearly SOMEONE did." Kiryuu countered, surprising Shirou with her perseverance. "Bentos don't just appear out of nowhere and it was there before anyone else got here." She patted Shirou on the shoulder. "Time to face facts, buddy. You got an admirer."

Just the very thought of it was so preposterous that Shirou did a dry spit-take while trying to suppress his own laughter.

"Do I really need to do the whole "Look at me" bit again?" Shirou asked rhetorically. "Listen, you pervy glasses character, there is no way any person who lives in this town would ever even consider making me a bento unless I asked them and took advantage of their fear of me, which I did not."

"Then who made the bento and put it on your desk?" Kiryuu countered yet again.

"I don't know!" Shirou practically screamed. "That's what I'm trying to find out! And just because someone else made it and left it on my desk, it doesn't mean that somebody made it especially for me."

The glasses-wearing girl rolled her eyes. "I can't help but wonder if you had to physically TRAIN to be that oblivious. Or are you just naturally that stupid?"

"OK, Ms. Smarty-Lens, then tell who YOU think did this?" He expected the response of something like "I dunno" or "Not my problem", but instead, Kiryuu crossed her arms, pursing her lips. Her silence as a response was rather suspicious, as though...

Shirou narrowed his eyes. "Son of a bitch."

"What?" Kiryuu turned her gaze elsewhere.

"You know, don't you?!"

"Know what?" Kiryuu asked, still trying to play innocent despite how obvious her expression was. Her expression became something akin to mischief. "Hehehe~!"

"You KNOW what! And what's with that laugh?!" Shirou screamed at her.

Kiryuu rolled her eyes, her smirk refusing to fade as she continued to toy with her classmate. "I have no idea what on Earth you're talking about~"

Shirou's temper was beginning flare up. He did not like being taunted in such a way. He jabbed a harsh finger in Kiryuu's direction, trying to think up something to say as a threat or retort. "Don't lie! I can see it on your face! Tell me who it was!"

But Kiryuu had made her position fairly clear from her continued vague responses and outright eyes.

It was frustrating to Shirou how easily this woman pushed his buttons and how she always seemed to get away with it. It wasn't that he was soft on Kiryuu, it was that he just had no idea on how to get back at her. They had known each other for a fair amount of time-longer than Shirou would care for-but Shirou never could find her weakness. Other than her beloved "Measurement" skill, she didn't seem to have anything she actually cared about...well, nothing that Shirou could do legally. He was a delinquent, not a criminal. Even if he bore a grudge, he would never go very far for petty revenge.

For Shirou, his natural response to people who bugged him was to ignore them or (sometimes) seethe for a while and then get over it. When he did desire revenge, it was usually just snatching something they owned, smacking them once on the head, or mocking them.

But Kiryuu was like an impregnable fortress when it came to revenge. He had no idea how to get back at her.

With a roar of frustration, Shirou threw his hands into the air. "Fine! I'll figure it out by myself, as usual!" Shirou suddenly stood up from his seat, walking over to the door. "Oh, and by the way, go fuck yourself!" With that, Shirou stomped through the door, slamming it shut behind him.

Everyone else in class stared blankly, even the teacher.

Kiryuu placed a hand on the side of her face. "I wonder if he realized he just walked out right in the middle of class."

On the other side of the door, Shirou face-palmed, cursing himself as he realized this very same fact.

He quickly walked away, unable to face the embarrassment of his mistake.

* * *

As Shirou wandered off and walked over to his favorite hiding spot around the school where the teachers wouldn't find him, he came to a realization that there was only one solution left for Shirou to figure out the owner of the bento. After all, normal methods were clearly not going to work for him.

So the only answer left was magic.

Shirou clenched his fist dramatically, determined. "All I have to do is cast a trace spell and track down the person the tracer leads me to. With that kind of magic, there's no doubt that the person at the final destination will be the owner..."

However, it only took a matter of minutes to recognize that he had no such skill. He was horribly incapable of casting a complex spell such as that. After all, his training in magic with Akeno had only just started yesterday. They had barely even covered the basics before they finished for the evening.

It wasn't that Shirou had done poorly, but his naturally wild and reckless nature didn't really work for him when it came to magic...

To put it simply, he had almost blown up the Occult Research Club several times while trying to manipulate his Demonic Power. He had acted too impatiently and put too much energy into the small sphere of magic he created. It wasn't that he didn't have much power, he just failed to control it the first few times around. It was only on the tenth or eleventh try that Shirou had finally gotten it right. A green orb of power about as wide as his palm, perhaps a little bigger than a baseball.

And here, his overconfidence gave him the impression that he could possibly possess the skill to cast something like a tracking spell.

All he did was produce a few sparks that almost burned the foliage and, on his second try, shot out a small bolt of lightning. Nothing impressive due to how quickly he cancelled out the spells to avoid collateral damage.

 _"While Akeno said our magic relies on our imagination, I guess it should also mean we have to know the specific details of how the spell works."_ Shirou presumed. _"If I don't picture how the spell works, I will probably not be able to pull it off, not to mention maintaining it requires focus I don't have yet..."_

Shirou was resolved to continue his training so he could one day outshine Akeno, Kiba, and (ESPECIALLY) Koneko, but that goal was not much of a driving force in this situation.

Shirou had no idea how to find the owner of the bento with this level of skill.

Not to mention his detective abilities sucked.

He tried to think of anyone who could have made the bento for him, but no ideas came to mind. Kiryuu was not that warm and everyone else in the school hated him. They all acted like he was some sort of infectious disease...well, all of the, except for one...

 _"He is someone I deeply cherish and I refuse to hear any of you talk badly about him any further!"_

Yet again, his face flushed at those words. Shirou hated to admit it, but Kiyome's words had seriously taken him by surprise. He felt _weird_ whenever he thought about them. It was a lot to process due to how he could count how many times someone spoke like that about him before with no hands.

It gave Shirou some food for thought. "I wonder...could it have been...?" He only considered the notion briefly before shaking his head, slapping himself on his cheeks to fight his blush. "What am I thinking?!...Nah. Regardless of how she felt about me in whatever way before, after yesterday, she probably hates me for accidentally peeping on her." However, another, more paranoid thought came to mind. "Unless...maybe it's poisoned...what if she intended to poison me to make sure I never talked about seeing her breasts..."

And of course he realized the ridiculousness of the idea the moment he thought it. His paranoia about others had just given him a bit of an overactive imagination. Kiyome wouldn't go that far. She would take her vengeance on him, sure, but not with something that severe.

But the question of what to do from there still weighed heavily on Shirou's mind. He could have tried checking each and every person in his classes, but they were what he referred to as the "Normal Crowd" and were too afraid to even come within five feet of him. He theorized it could have been someone from another class...

 _"Of course, it could always be a prank..."_ Shirou had spent so much time trying to figure out who made this bento without figuring out if it was, in fact, a bento. Over the course of his reign as "King", he had been subjected to numerous traps set by various individuals who had been trying to weaken him with drugs in his food or pre-brawl injuries. _"For all I know, there's some kind of poisonous bug or spider or snake in here..."_ Then a more terrifying thought. _"Or maybe poisonous bugs, spiders, AND snakes..."_

Nothing would surprise Shirou by this point. That brought a whole new reason for him to be cautious.

Still, he possessed no method of checking inside nor figuring out who the owner was without opening the box for some kind of clue. However, as before, doing something like that would ruin the tender wrapping.

"Magic's the only solution here..." Shirou reconfirmed. And that left him with he same problem as before concerning his inability to properly cast something like a trace spell. It was only after ten minutes of thinking that the most obvious answer came to mind along with the mental images of two older girls: one with crimson hair and the other with black hair. He nodded to himself. "Right. I'll just wait till after class and ask one of them, to cast the spell. Don't know the rules of magic, but if I give them something in exchange, I'm sure I can convince one of them to use the spell."

And the plan slowly began to fall into place within Shirou's mind. Nothing full-proof, but it was a possibility. And if neither of them were willing, then Shirou will have literally lost nothing from trying.

He would be right back where he started.

Shirou laid back on the nice, soft grass, his body severely tempted to catch some much-needed Z's. "So I just have to wait out the rest of class here so I can have one of them help me out."

"Have one of who help you out?"

"Oh, my mast-" Shirou was halfway through speaking of his "master" when he realized he had been alone before.

And then there was a girl there.

A girl with short, black hair in a bob-cut and violet eyes, wearing their girls' student uniform along with glasses. She looked a year or two older than Shirou and was clearly trying to emphasize her sense of authority with her piercing eyes.

"Oh..."

The unfamiliar girl placed her hands on her hips. "Care to explain why you are not in class with the rest of your classmates?"

Shirou panicked for a moment solely due to his surprise. "Uh...well...why do you explain why YOU aren't in class?" Not very clever but there was the chance it was enough to get this girl off her back.

"When one of the teachers came in, asking for Fujimura Shirou, it came to my attention that you appeared to have cut class halfway through the lesson." The girl explained, not explaining her reasons of coming here. "And I have the necessary habit of making the going-on's of this school my business as President of the Student Council."

Shirou stared at her for several moments. She stared back, unwavering and unthreatened.

The Delinquent King could only think one word in response to his current situation.

"Fuck!"

* * *

The tapping of his own feet was all Shirou could hear as he sat in a chair on the opposite side of the desk between him and the Student Council President, the older girl named Sona Shitori. Shirou only knew her by name rather than reputation and even then it was a little fuzzy. He only learned certain names in passing and even then his mind rarely ever really remembered them.

It's like how most teenagers wouldn't bother remembering the names of Senator So-and-So or What-their-face. They just don't pay attention to people who they do not really know or have never met.

Just like Shirou had never really met nor seen Sona Shitori in person before the point where she brought him to the Student Council room.

Shirou wasn't quite sure what her deal was. She should have brought him back to class or (as most people would have) to the office so he could get detention. That was the most surprising part: She had the chance to see him receive punishment even for a minor offense and she passed it up.

Then again, perhaps she was one of the types who just gave up on trying to hold him back a year or getting him suspended/expelled. Maybe she just wanted to chew him out and order him to get out of her face.

If it was any of the scenarios he imagined, Shirou could not tell. Sona just stared at him with a look, as if she were trying to pick apart what made Shirou tick. Or perhaps she was just trying to silently tell Shirou that she wouldn't buy into any of his bullshit. Regardless, she showed no intent to release Shirou even after the bell rang five minutes after bringing him there.

It was lunch time. Shirou still held the bento in his lap, not wanting to leave it behind at his secret place.

Sona eventually seemed to have fully decided on what to say because she straightened up, clearing her throat.

"Fujimura Shirou."

"Senpai." Shirou said back while rubbing the back of his neck, awkward. "Look, I know I shouldn't have cut class. I want to say I will never do it again or whatever cliche line you want to hear, but there's no point since we both know the likelihood percentage of me following through with that promise is about zero. So why not just pretend we had a long discussion about life and my future and stuff so we can both get on with our lives?" He bit his tongue.

He hadn't intended his words to sound harsh or disrespectful like they were. He knew enough about Student Councils from his previous experiences in other schools to know that they held the power to make his school life hell in many ways. They didn't need to resort to the same cliche name-calling and rumors everyone else did because they actually had the power to DO SOMETHING to Shirou and easily get away with it.

It would be best to just say a lot of rules prejudicial towards a certain snow-haired delinquent just happened to get put into effect for the duration of all of the time he had spent in each school.

The Student Council was the worst.

And his mother would kill him for outright skipping school, so ditching forever was not a solution. All he could do was bear it and keep going on with his life.

While that had yet to happen at Kuoh Academy, Shirou had always been trying to prepare himself for the inevitable.

The inevitable was what he expected from Sona's next words-

"While your forthrightness about your complete disregard for a proper education is both unsettling and unacceptable," Shirou resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the usual scolding he received from others who thought they were so superior, "that is not the reason I brought you here."

Shirou raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

The Student Council President stared sharply at him. "No. I brought you in here for a completely different reason."

"Which is?"

"Your blatant use of magic during daylight hours, at our own school no less." Sona answered with a wounding tone. "I understand you are curious about the subject, but really-"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Shirou cut in, moving his arms rampantly through the air as he tried to cut in. "What are you t-talking about with all this "magic" junk?! M-Magic doesn't exist, idiot!" Shirou paled at the thought of the mention. If he accidentally showed it to a human, Rias would have his hide! "I don't know what you saw, but it sure as Hell wasn't magic. I was just playing with matches and magnets, so that explains any and all questions you have about the small flames and static you saw. So no further discussion on this subject is required and I bid you a good day."

The expression on Sona's face looked as though she was saying "This is really how you're playing it?". At the very least, Shirou could wait until the next class where Sona would have no choice but to release him. However, the number of subjects he could discuss were sparse, so he decided to continue to the next immediate stalling-question he had in mind.

"Also, how come you weren't in class either?" Shirou asked. "Doesn't Ms. Prez have to set an example for the student body?"

Sona didn't even flinch at the question. "I had a free period. When I became aware of your attempts to skip class, I took it upon myself to order you back to class. When I found you practicing your magic where quite literally any normal human could see, I also decided to take it upon myself to reprimand you for your reckless actions. An admirable attempt to divert my attention from the original topic though. Nice try."

"I'm telling you, that wasn't magic! So just forget about it!" Shirou was beginning to seriously wonder how to get out of this situation. He had no idea who this chick was or if Rias even knew about her. For all he knew, she was an enemy or an occult-crazed human. Either would be bad if she found out he was a Devil.

"Do you really think I am that gullible?" Sona asked, raising an eyebrow. "Or do you think I am just stupid?"

Shirou smirked, realizing the best way to knock her off-topic. The only way he knew how to always change the subject was also the most effective: Pissing people the Hell off.

"You REALLY don't want me to answer that."

"Oh, how witty." Sona shot back, seeming underwhelmed by Shirou's insult. "No offense, but I believe that if we compared grades...I think it's fairly obvious where that was going. But as you were saying?"

Shirou stared blankly. "Ouch." She was not being insulting. She was telling the actual truth. That's the kind of woman the President struck Shirou as. The type who would prefer to wound someone with a fact rather than an insult and reinforce that fact with smaller facts. "Yeah...well...well...your glasses are stupid!" And immediately, Shirou felt like punching HIS OWN face. _"That REALLY the best you had!? Fucking stupid!"_

"I don't mean to be rude, but I don't appreciate being spoken down to when I have no desire to pick a fight." Sona cut in before Shirou could come up with something better. "I understand you are simply paranoid concerning who I am, fearful of what I might tell others, and even more fearful of whom I am affiliated with, but I assure you that I don't have any kind of bone to pick with you and simply wished to caution you against showing such a display around others. And really think about it. If I intended to cause harm towards you, don't you think I would have done it in the past two years rather than bring you somewhere inside of the school where we could discuss the issue when conflict in here could cause questions to be raised?"

"Well, I...uh..." Shirou stared blankly again. "...huh...So you're not going to blab about how I shot lightning out of my finger tips or shot fire from my hand?"

"That would be nothing but a backfire for me. We are in the same boat after all."

"Huh...?" Shirou asked, even more confused than before. "...Before I dig myself any deeper into this hole I only just now noticed: Who the FUCK are you!?"

"I apologize for my servant's foul-mouth, Sona." An elegant and calm voice interrupted, a third figure stepping into the room to join them. Rias Gremory smiled apologetically at the Student Council President.

"Buchou?!" Shirou called out in shock. "What are you doing here?"

Rias gave Shirou an admonishing look. "I came here when I heard from others that they had seen the "Demon King of Kuoh" being dragged around by the Student Council President, so I had a feeling something happened. You weren't very hard to find."

Shirou grinned awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ha...I see." She had a point. Other than his personal hiding place, his location at any given time was always observed like he was an enemy country's fighter jet. They were fearful of being in the areas where he was spotted.

She turned back to Sona. "I am truly sorry for the vulgar language he showed you, Sona. If I had taken the time to properly educate him on those of us who attend this school, perhaps he would have learned when he should still his tongue, especially when in front of one of my friends." Rias sighed, placing a hand on her forehead. "I don't normally need to apologize like this, but I fear Shirou has crossed a line here."

"Huh...?" Shirou wondered for a moment _. "Friend?...Oh fuck..."_ Shirou sank into his seat, realizing he had gotten himself into yet another mess.

Sona gave a nod of acknowledgement. "It's fine, Rias. I don't believe your new servant realized it until just now, so I am willing to disregard his previous disrespect." She showed no annoyance or disdain. A perfectly civil tone. "In all honesty, I believe he was trying to hide his involvement due to believing he had accidentally revealed us through his use of magic. I don't think his intentions were hostile."

"Either way, I will have a few words with him." Rias assured her friend. "I appreciate you taking the time to scold him in my place, but I will take it from here. I promise he will not display his powers in a conspicuous fashion where others can see again."

"I leave it in your hands, Rias." Sona agreed without a bit of hesitation. It was clearly a sign to leave-

"HOLD UP!" Shirou stood up from his seat, pointing a finger at Sona. "Ria-I mean-Buchou! Who the Hell is this chick?! I'm not in the mood for a vague "she's a friend" bullshit response! Considering the fact she knows about magic and Devils, I need a perfectly legitimate reason to believe she's not going to shove a knife brought my back the moment I head to the door!"

However, Shirou realized his attitude may not be appreciated judging from Rias's dark expression. "After you behavior today, you have some gall making demands of me." Shirou paused, admittedly somewhat intimidated if not for a single second. However, then Rias's expression changed to a teasing smile. "Calm down. I'm only joking."

Shirou didn't even realize he let out a sigh of relief. He then felt annoyed and pissed off when he did realize it.

Rias gestured to Sona. "This "chick" is Sona Sitri, better known as "Sona Shitori" by the students here, a fellow Devil like you and I. Like me, she also possesses her own servants whom she made into Devils."

In response, Shirou's tone became flat. "And let me guess. The entire Student Council is actually made up of her servants. Am I right?"

His master shook her head. "Not exactly. All of her servants serve on the Student Council, but not everyone on the Student Council is her servant."

Sona nodded in agreement. "Although all of them do have some knowledge about the supernatural, making it possible for my servants to work alongside them."

If this had been revealed at any point before he became a Devil, this revelation might have actually surprised Shirou. However, since he has dealt with Devils, a giant snake-woman, and the supernatural world in general existing, this truth was significantly less surprising. All Shirou had been curious about was who their Student Council President was affiliated with, so now, his interest was just about gone.

"I see." Shirou responded.

"Now that your curiosity has been sated, we should probably go eat lunch before the period is over." Rias motioned for Shirou to follow. "Come on. You and I still need to have a talk."

Shirou groaned. "Oh joy." He trudged out of the room after Rias, leaving the room.

* * *

"So that explains why you were holding the bento like a safety blanket. You must really care about it."

"I do not! I just didn't want perfectly good food to go to waste!"

They were sitting in the Occult Research Club's clubroom. Shirou, Rias, Akeno, Kiba, and even Koneko. They all had their own lunches out, but only Kiba and Koneko were eating, obse Bing their two seniors and their newest comrade. Rias stood next to Akeno, examining a bento wrapped in a cloth with a heart pattern while Akeno stood behind Shirou, holding the end of a rope.

As to why she was holding the rope...

"And now at we've cleared up the misunderstanding..." It would probably have to do with the struggling delinquent wiggling around on the floor. "...WILL YOU FUCKING LET ME GO ALREADY?!" Shirou screeched, trying to break through his restraints with sheer brute force. His cheeks were read from being violently yanked by Rias after he initially refused to explain why he had been skipping class in the first place.

He only cracked when Rias threatened to stop training him. Shirou could not teach himself the lessons they had, so his previous idea of training on his own was utterly crushed. If he wanted to get stronger, he had no choice but to learn what these guys could teach him.

Thus, with an odd feeling of embarrassment, Shirou told Rias everything from how his day started with finding the unfamiliar bento on his desk to being caught by Sona and then to the present.

"So you didn't have any bad intentions when you skipped class." Rias let out a sigh which Shirou suspected to be of relief. "That's good. I don't think I could bear one of my adorable servants becoming a truant."

 _"And somehow being the most feared delinquent in town is any better?_ " Shirou retorted in his mind, remembering how his position was not favorable enough to say it aloud. He sighed to himself. "And now you can let me go, right?" He let out a grunt as the ropes around him suddenly tightened, restricting his rib cage around his diaphragm. It was tight enough to give him a jolt of shock, but not tight enough to physically injure him.

"Not quite yet." Rias knelt down and looked Shirou in the eye. She was still looking cross. "I want you to apologize to Sona for the way you were treating her earlier."

"What? Why?!" Shirou's eyes went wide in surprise. "Fuck that! I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Other than how you attempted to insult her several times and gave her no respect?" Rias countered, placing her hands on her hips. "I understand your reasoning behind cutting class, but you really need to fix that attitude of yours. You're my servant now and you can't act so selfishly anymore. Sona is a close friend of mine and I expect you, as my servant, to give her the same respect. You can't act as you have been up to this point."

Something inside Shirou felt like it was about to reach its breaking point.

"And what is THAT supposed to mean?" Shirou resisted the urge to curse.

Rias did not back down. "What I mean is that you have to stop behaving so harshly towards others. Be more open rather than immediately lashing out at others."

 _"They're just like everyone else..."_

Something about Rias's haughty attitude started to piss Shirou off. He narrowed his eyes, returning her sharp gaze as he felt the thing inside him finally snap.

 _"Fix my attitude...stop acting selfishly...be more open...DON'T GIVE ME THAT HYPOCRITICAL BULLSHIT!"_ It felt like a fire was lit inside his ribs. "Let's get one thing straight: I don't GIVE people anything, especially not respect." Shirou responded, clenching his fists as he forced himself to his feet.

"It explains why you're such a douche all the time." Koneko chimed in, barely interested.

"Stay the fuck out of this, pipsqueak!" Shirou screamed back, a tic mark appearing on Koneko's forehead.

Kiba opened his mouth to talk. "Maybe you-"

"Shut the FUCK UP, Kiba!" Kiba immediately sat back down, crying comically from his immediate shutdown.

"They've done nothing wrong." Rias stated harshly, becoming more displeased with Shirou's behavior. She could take harsh words towards herself, but hearing Shirou speak unkindly towards her other servants and towards one of her friends. "Apologize. Now." She could not hide the force behind her words.

Shirou then turned his baleful eyes back towards Rias. "I don't care who our ever-so-great Student Council President is to you or to any of you and she has done nothing so far that deserves my respect! I have no connection to you other than species and even barely that." He felt his rage in his chest begin to inflate. "We all know our relationship: I use you guys to get stronger and you use me to bulldoze whatever monster or whatever that gets in your way and to act as a meat shield, so stop trying to act all buddy-buddy with me." Shirou bit his lower lips, desiring some way to vent his anger. _"It's me...Its ALWAYS me, right?! I'm the only thing that's wrong in this absurd world, isn't that right?! Don't fuck with me!"_

By this point in time, Shirou became well-aware that the attention of every single person in the room was suddenly on him.

"Shirou-" Perhaps on purpose or perhaps due to the rope slipping from her grasp, Akeno lost her hold on the rope, allowing it to loosen up around Shirou and releasing him from his restraints.

"No!" Shirou immediately cut Akeno off, glaring at her when she tried to speak up. "Unless it is an order from Rias to fight, work, or train, there's no reason for you to intervene, so stop acting like you know me or desire any connection to me. I'm the Demon King of Kuoh, Shirou Fujimura, the disposable servant of Rias Gremory. The King of Delinquents who incites fear and hatred from the hearts of everyone. I'm one of your fighters, but don't think of me as your comrade."

Without another word, Shirou walked over to Rias, ripped the bento from her hands, and marched right through the door, determined to deal with the bento and finish whatever business he had with another living person.

* * *

It must have been the unpleasant expression on the face or perhaps the evil aura he was unconsciously releasing, because everyone whom he passed by immediately cleared away. Even more quickly than normal. They also gave him greater space than before.

His conversation with Rias had turned out poorly. And now he was royally pissed off.

He deeply hated that superior attitude of hers. How she was just so PERFECT. They were all just SOOOO perfect. He knew they were probably laughing behind his back even then. Perhaps it was paranoid of him to believe that they were doing it ALL of the time, but he was certain that they probably thought he was garbage, just like everyone else. He did not need to get involved when it wasn't necessary.

Shirou was certain that his attitude and back-talk would cost him dearly, but he did not care.

It was too late to change what happened. He wouldn't change it anyway.

"I can't act selfishly...coming from a Devil who resurrects people as Devils, taking their souls, for her own convenience..." Shirou muttered under his breath. "What would she know about me anyway...?"

He held out the bento in front of him, the previous meaning behind any of the events he endured that day refusing to come to mind. All of this because he had been curious about a stupid box of food.

"Should have chucked this thing in the trash the moment I found it..." Shirou muttered again.

Not having many options, Shirou decided to sit in the classroom until the next class started. He, himself, had nothing to eat, so he would just probably end up sleeping until the next class started. That was how Shirou always lived before becoming a Devil. And maybe he shouldn't have changed that. He was overall content with his previous life despite how boring the fights had become, but now he was dealing with such annoying people such as Rias and the others who tried to get close to him just to get what they want.

He was her servant. He understood that. But the arrogant way Rias spoke as if she understood everything about their absurd world pissed him off.

She was just as bad if not worse than Kiba. And what was worse, he had forced himself to swallow his pride and BOW HIS HEAD TO HER!

He was the Demon King of Kuoh. The King of Delinquents. But nobody knew a goddamned thing about him.

And still they judged. They judged as if it was their divine right to judge Shirou. They knew nothing about how he came to be or how he lived, but they reveled in referring to him as a Demon.

Perhaps they should have looked in a mirror.

The only time people noticed him at all was when he screwed up or did something "wrong" (which somehow happened to be every last thing he did).

A part of him admitted that he lashed out too violently, but the way Rias spoke of him pissed him off. However, to Shirou, it had a good side effect: He remembered that every last member of the Occult Research Club was just like every other person in that town. After becoming a Devil, he had been in such a state of shock that he foolishly spoke so casually with them, forgetting that very important fact.

He had gotten soft around others. An almost fatal mistake for him. And here he was trying to return a bento to somebody he didn't know nor care about.

 _"What's wrong with me?_ _"_ He asked himself, shaking his head as he cleared his thoughts. He stared at the bento he still held. _"I have to either eat this thing or throw it out."_

It was his final decision. He didn't care about the owner anymore.

Shirou walked over to one of the nearby trash cans in the hall, ready to be done with today. All he had to do was drop the bento in and be done with it. He was mere seconds away from having the last of his problems (at least for the moment) done for-

"Hey, Shirou!"

 _"Damn it!"_ Shirou turned his head to see Kiyome, waving pleasantly as she approached. _"Damn it all to Hell!"_ He sighed to himself as the older girl walked right up to him, smiling pleasantly. "What do you want?"

For a moment, Kiyome's smile became a frown, as if Shirou's harsh tone was somehow unexpected, but quickly recovered. "Well, I honestly expected you to be in a better mood today."

Shirou raised an eyebrow. "How so?" The way he saw it, everything that could go wrong that day did, in fact, go wrong. He seriously hated Murphy's Law. Some events had been his own fault, but other times it was partially the fault of others (not that they would admit it).

And again, Kiyome looked surprised. "You sure NOTHING out of the ordinary happened today?"

"Well, you're not bitchslapping me for catching a glimpse of your birthday suit the other day..." Shirou responded, blushing slightly as he remembered the incident. "...so that's pretty surprising."

Kiyome pouted. "Anything else? There has to be something new that happened today." Shirou was growing more and more confused by this line of questioning. He was used to Kiyome bugging him, but she was acting rather persistent on the current subject.

"No, nothing happened." Shirou confirmed. "Nothing good at any rate. Today has honestly been one big cluster fuck and I'm really sick of it." He took a deep breath, trying to quell the growing fire in his chest that threatened to explode outwards. "In the event I don't return alive tomorrow...it was probably Rias or the others now that they're probably fed up with me."

The expression on Kiyome's face changed to shock shortly before turning to worry. "What happened?"

However, Shirou was not in the mood to recount all of the ways his day sucked. Instead, he managed to figure out just how he was supposed to get rid of the burden he had carried around all day. He pulled the bento around, shoving it into Kiyome's arms before she had a chance to object. She stared at the bento with a mix of shock and confusion before looking back at Shirou.

"Take it. I've had enough of looking at that thing." He spat out, increasingly annoyed. "I don't care about humans as much as you, so best of luck." He waved goodbye in a mocking fashion as he turned to head back into the classroom, but his path was quickly blocked by Kiyome who moved in front of the door, preventing him from passing.

"Hold on! I-!" She hesitated, biting her tongue as if she almost let something slip. "-I mean...Isn't that your lunch?"

"No." Shirou answered, resisting an even more annoyed expression. "Some dumbass left their lunch on my desk this morning." Shirou felt incredibly tempted to "thank" the owner for the mess he got into as a result of trying to return it. "It's your problem now. I'm done with this." Shirou made another attempt to move forward, but Kiyome outstretched her arms to stop him.

"Don't you think that somebody might have left it there on purpose?" Kiyome asked, giving him an odd look as though she was trying to suggest something.

Shirou cocked his head to the side. "And who the Hell would be stupid enough to do that?" Shirou shoved his hands into his pockets. "Every single person at this schools hates me and I hate them in return. It is a relationship of mutual hatred. What kind of dumbass would make food for me? Besides, even if it was for me, I refuse to put myself in someone else's debt. Even if it IS for food.

"What are you talking about? So someone actually made you lunch. It's not a big deal." Kiyome tried to reason. "Maybe it was just a gesture of kindness because they didn't think you were all that bad."

Shirou sighed, placing a hand on Kiyome's shoulder. "Every single person in this town would sooner jump into the abyss before they treated me to something that wasn't poisoned as a gesture of kindness. Your idea that somebody made this for me is stupid."

For some reason, Kiyome's expression tightened. She held her arms behind her back, said limbs beginning to tremble oddly enough. "Why can't you accept for once in your life that there might be someone who cares about you?" She placed her hands on her hips. "Why do you do everything in your power to make sure WITHOUT A DOUBT that people can't stand you!? What is SO difficult to believe about somebody at this school or the town as a whole caring about you?!

"Because NOBODY does!" Shirou shot back. For a brief moment, Kiyome's eyes went wide in shock. "Not a single person in this whole fucking town cares about my existence! Whether I live or die, it will make no difference to anyone! And the only person who ever gave a fuck about me is only in town once in a blue moon, so 99% of the time, I've been alone in this piece of shit town! I don't give a fuck about them and they don't give a fuck about me! Why the Hell would anyone care?! They've never gotten to know me, I've never gotten to know them! There's no point in even discussing the subject! I share a mutual loathing for humanity and only the biggest idiot on the planet would believe otherwise."

"Oh? So I'm an idiot for tolerating a pompous ass like you all of the time?!" Kiyome screamed spitefully.

The Demon King of Kuoh was about to retort in the most hostile way, but he choked when he fully processed what Kiyome said.

But Kiyome was too on a roll to notice her own slip up, her fist clenched in anger, an anger achieved only when someone pushes you too far.

"Am I an idiot for believing that you actually had one shred of human decency in you!?" She continued, screaming right in Shirou's face. "Maybe if you stopped wallowing in your own personal drama, you would learn that the world doesn't work all according to your point of view! You're so focused on playing the monstrous villain that you won't let anyone see your good qualities! You're really kind and strong and you are really good with animals! You have soft hands and are protective of those weaker than yourself! You're someone I cherish, but for some reason, you're determined to be a giant asshole towards every single person who might want to get close to you! I just wanted to get closer, even if it was just a little bit, but you-you!-No! I guess it's my own fault for trying to be nice and make you something to eat...!"

Yet again, Shirou was caught off-guard. "Wait...you-?" The most obvious answer which he had ignored previously...

"I was hoping to open your eyes a little with this, but apparently you're just going to be an ass no matter what I do, so forget it!" She shoved forward, pushing the bento right back into Shirou's hands. "I hope you choke on it, you self-righteous jerk!" With that said, she stomped away, the trembling in her arms refusing to stop.

But Shirou saw it...

The tears in her eyes.

The hurt in her expression.

Somehow, despite being on the receiving end of most of the verbal lashings today, Shirou felt an odd, unpleasant sensation he had never felt before.

Everyone stared at Shirou as he re-entered the classroom, but not a single person dared to speak a word for fear of his wrath...

And so ended lunch that day...

* * *

In an ironic twist, Shirou's school day ended the same way it had started. The bento he did not own right in front of his eyes. He was staring at it like he had numerous times before that day. And, just as ironically, he had no idea what to do with it again. When he had been on the warpath, he had so easily been able to toss it out with no regrets. But after school ended, he started feeling... _weird_. Not weird like "drugged" weird. A different kind of weird.

He was completely oblivious to the stares and whispers of others. He himself was too deep in his own thoughts.

School had ended, but neither Rias nor Kiyome had approached him further.

Despite how long Shirou had spent expecting them to get over it, neither bothered appearing before him again. They were always criticizing him, always pointing out where he had gone wrong, where he had screwed up in so many ways. And Kiyome had refused to meet with him again. The one thing Shirou thought he would never see in his life time took place:

Kiyome gave up on him. The girl who was always hanging around him, slapping him, and overall annoying the hell out of him had given up on him...

And yet he felt dissatisfied.

If Kiyome never spoke to him again, he would never have to deal with being scolded or assaulted by her again, never being told that he was in the wrong, never having his peace disrupted by the annoying girl with the drill hair-style. She would probably never speak to him again.

"Dammit!" Shirou clutched his head in his left hand, growling to himself. "Even when she's not around, that damned woman finds ways to piss me off!" He was gritting his teeth so hard that he felt that they were coming close to cracking. He glared at the bento he still held in his hand. "This damned box started all of this...dammit!"

For once, Shirou was genuinely unsure of what to do.

Normally he would shrug this kind of thing off and be on his merry way, perhaps get into a street brawl to vent his frustration.

However, any action he took from then on felt...empty. Hollow.

He wasn't depressed. He knew enough to realize that. But for some reason he was growing more and more dissatisfied with everything as time went on.

"I'm hungry...Maybe I need to get...something...to eat..." He glanced down at the bento in his hand, quickly realizing the irony of the words he had just spoken. He knew that Kiyome's cooking skills were nothing to scoff at. He had never tasted it first-hand, but everyone else who had tried it gave it a seal of approval. Shirou doubted it was anywhere near his own level of culinary skill, but it sounded appetizing. Just the thought of it made him even hungrier. "...Maybe a little bite then...?"

He reached for the box, deeply considering opening it just to take a little nibble when his rational mind returned. He shook his head, holding the box at arm's length as if it were cursed. He glared at the box with an expression of loathing as if it had insulted his mother.

"What am I thinking...?" He took a deep breath and pulled back his arm. "This way, there's no going back. Just gotta chuck this thing as far as I can and be done with it." He took another breath. "One...two...THRE-"

"Yo, Shirou! What's up!?"

Shirou stumbled forward due to the momentum he had already generated halfway through, his hand's grip suddenly locking on the box once again before he could release it. If his reflexes had been any slower, he would have tripped and fallen flat on his face.

Shirou brushed himself off, turning to glare at the person who addressed him.

And that was how he found himself face-to-face with the same happy-go-lucky idiot whose attitude never failed to irritate Shirou.

Issei Hyoudou possessed a rather carefree expression on his face.

This was really not the person Shirou wanted to see right now.

"What do you want, Hyoudou?" Shirou sighed, shoving his one free hand into his pocket while turning his gaze away.

His classmate shrugged. "Nothing much. I was heading to the convenience store to get some juice, saw you, and decided to say "hello"." He answered so calmly without hesitation. What little caution he had shown towards Shirou before was completely gone. He was completely unafraid of the Demon King of Kuoh.

"Well I didn't ask you to." Shirou spat back with hostility. Issei frowned, stepping back with hands raised in surrender. And again, he was hit by the same _weird_ _ness_ he felt before. He wasn't actually angry with Issei. He honestly didn't really care. He was just so frustrated that he needed to vent, like he always did. But when he did, it was different from all of the other times he vented. "Look...I've just had a bad day and I'm probably not the best person to be around right now."

"Because of your fight with Abe-senpai?"

Shirou turned on his heels, facing Issei with surprise on his face. "H-How did you know about that?!"

Issei sweatdropped. "Well...you two were kind of screaming in the halls. It was hard NOT to overhear your conversation."

A light pink colored Shirou's cheeks. "O-Oh..." He pursed his lips, shoving his hands into his pockets as he avoided any form of eye-contact. "Well, anyway, I guess my current mood might have something to do with that fight. I dunno. I had a pretty shit day. And to top it all off, my insides feel a little funny."

"Really?" Issei raised an eyebrow.

Shirou shrugged. "I'm thinking of getting a doctor to check it out. It's a really unpleasant feeling."

"Do you think it's stomach problems?" Shirou wasn't quite sure when or how he started speaking so casually with Issei. All he knew was that he had completely forgotten his previous dislike for talking to people in general.

"Dunno."

"When did it start acting up?"

Shirou frowned while rubbing the back of his neck. "...Well...hmmm...I think it started around the time me and Kiyome had that argument and she told me to drop dead...You think I might just be hungry?"

However, Issei's response was a blank stare. Shirou wasn't quite used to that reaction. In the past few days, he had probably worn that expression more than any other person, but seeing it on someone else's face was an honest surprise to him. Then again, Issei was the only NORMAL person (in a loose sense of the word) Shirou had interacted with in the past week or so. Kiryuu didn't count because she was crazier than Issei and Kiyome was more on the border between crazy and normal.

"...so you also think it's just hunger?"

Issei blinked twice, looking as though snapped out of his thoughts. "I...You're fucking with me, right?" The other young man could not believe Shirou was that dense. To any other person, the reason was fairly obvious.

"What do you mean?" The ignorant expression on Shirou's face made it quite clear he was not joking.

There were so many things Issei wanted to say, but he wasn't quite sure he and Shirou were on friendly enough terms for him to get away without being punched. He would have to be careful. It would suck for him to survive numerous mobs of angered girls he had peeped on only to get his skull busted open by his sort-of-friend.

"Well, it's like..." Issei considered his words. "...you remember how our Senpai was kind of pissed at you coz you said you hated all other people and she screamed at you for shutting people out?"

Again, Shirou felt embarrassed by the amount others had overheard. "Yeah?"

"And remember how she apparently stormed off after she screamed at you about all that stuff about how she thought about you and how she made you a bento?"

"What do you mean "apparently"?"

"I was in class like everyone, but I assumed she stormed off." Issei bit his lip, somewhat nervous about his next words. "...do you think maybe she was right?"

There was a moment of silence between the two.

"...about which part?"

Issei resisted the urge to face-palm. "About everything in general. About how you need to open up more and stop being kind of a dick." Issei flinched as he realized his own slip of the tongue. He had meant to say "loner" but his mouth acted faster than his brain. He quickly tacked on something else to hide it: "A-And maybe-MAYBE-you feel she might be right and you're feeling bad because you made her angry with you?"

"Actually, I think she was sad." Shirou chimed in. "I think she was crying."

"Wow you really ARE a dick!" Again Issei wanted to tear out his own tongue, the rest of his body expecting an immediate beating. However, he was surprised to find no fist heading his way to break his face.

Instead, he saw Shirou with a pensive expression on his face. Not mocking in any fashion. Shirou was generally perplexed by Issei's possible explanation for the _weirdness_ he had been feeling. He had LITERALLY not considered that explanation.

"Huh...I feel bad...?" Shirou said to himself, rubbing the back of his neck again. "But why?"

"Oh my God." The will to resist a face-palm was broken, the sound of Issei's hand slapping against his face punctuating his sentence with his frustration. Subtlety be damned, Issei did NOT have the patience for this. He clenched his fists tightly, becoming irritated by Shirou's dismissive attitude. "Because she's your friend and you made her cry, jackass!"

Again, there was silence.

"The fuck are you talking about?" Shirou replied vulgarly. "I don't know what shit you've been fed, but she's not my friend. She may not hate me as much as others, but, regardless of what she says, I KNOW she hates me just the same. I don't have nor do I need h-GAK!" The words similar to the ones he had spoken again and again for all of his life since the age of nine were cut short as Issei drove his left fist into the side of Shirou's face.

Whether it was due to his shock or because he was not steady on his feet, Shirou was knocked right to the ground by the blow, letting out a grunt of irritation as he collided with the ground.

The stunned delinquent raised a hand to his bruised cheek before touching the corner of his mouth. There was blood.

Shirou got back to his feet, an expression of irritation appearing on his face. "You have five seconds to say your prayers before I kick your ass."

The member of the Perverted Trio flinched, but did not back down. "Are you awake yet?"

"Huh?" Shirou looked down on Issei with a dumbfounded look on his face shortly before Issei grabbed him by the collar and socked him again.

"You either have to be asleep or a special kind of stupid to be as much of an idiot as you are right now." Issei's expression was less bright than it was before, a look of disdain on his face. "Are you seriously telling me that, after everything Senpai said to you and after everything I JUST SAID, you still don't understand a damned thing?!"

Issei was not normally an angry person nor was he particularly violent, but the way the Demon King of Kuoh behaved infuriated him. While Issei was a huge pervert with a fondness for the female body (especially the breasts), he never treated any girl badly and could never stand people who treated girls the way Shirou treated their Senpai.

His attitude surprised Shirou. Not a hint of fear. Not an ounce of hesitation, even when he became the third person from their school who had the gall to outright hit him outside of training (after Kiyome and Koneko).

"Tell me...are you so wrapped up in your personal drama that you can't see that someone cares about you?"

And again, Shirou was left staring in shock. For a brief moment, he could have sworn he saw the image of Kiyome standing next to Issei, speaking the same exact words as before.

"Normally it's not my ideal situation to pry into other people's business, but you made a girl who cared about you cry. I may be called a pervert, but I would never sink that low." Issei clenched his other fist so tight that his nails dug deeply enough into his palms to draw blood. "Even after all that we heard in the locker room before, you're still treating her the same way every other jerk at our school treated you: like garbage! How can you call yourself a man after making the girl who cared about you most cry?!"

Another moment of silence passed between the two, Issei calming down enough that he let go of Shirou's collar. Now that he had taken a few, long, deep breaths, he realized the many possible consequences to what he had just done.

 _"I'm dead. I'm dead. I am SO freaking dead..."_ He mumbled in his mind, trying to retain a calm expression in spite of his inner turmoil. He shield his face with his arms, preparing for inevitable pain and suffering. He did not regret his words, but he knew that a punch to the face from Shirou was going to hurt like Hell.

However, the nose-breaking blow Issei had been expecting did not come.

When Issei looked again, he saw Shirou's back facing him.

The _weird_ feeling in Shirou's chest started feeling significantly worse and it started to feel as though broken shards of glass were stabbing into his heart. Both his greatest hopes and his worst fears had been confirmed by Issei. The thoughts he had wanted to ignore were once again surging to the forefront of his mind, his brain feeling like it had lightning bolts running through it.

He clutched a hand over his chest, turning his gaze downwards.

"Hyoudou...I-" He had barely begun to talk when every muscle in his body suddenly tensed. It was a familiar sensation. "Get out of here."

Issei was taken aback by the sudden command Shirou gave. "Wha-"

"I said run!" The alarm in his voice was hard to hide. However, Shirou wanted no argument. The terrible feeling he felt was a familiar one he wasn't in the mood to experience so soon. Similar to the feeling he felt when he met other Devils like Rias but different...

Exactly the same feeling he felt when he encountered Stray Devil Eliade.

It was only then that Shirou noticed how empty the streets were...all except for the three teens, about a bit older than him and Issei, who were headed in their direction.

"Well, well, well!" One of them exclaimed. "If it isn't the Demon King of Kuoh!"

Another smirked. "What are you doing in this neck of the woods?"

"Out for a stroll, eh, Fujimura?"

Shirou resisted the urge to click his tongue in distaste for these three. "Look, I'm going through some complicated stuff right now, so why don't you all just lie down and play dead, huh?"

"Oh, it's your time of the month, Fujimura?" The middle one, clearly the leader, taunted.

Shirou's eyebrow twitched in irritation. "OK. YOU? You're getting an ass-whoopin." However, the tension refuse to fade. He knew he couldn't let his guard down. He wasn't sure how or why, but these guys were different from the normal street thugs he fought. All he knew was that they felt not entirely human. Not Devils, but their presence didn't feel entirely like their own. Even the way they smelled (due to his becoming a Devil, all five senses were enhanced) was off.

The leader motioned to his comrade on the right. "Shindo, get him."

As per the usual, the first delinquent rushed forward, throwing his fist forward. Shirou instinctively raised a hand to catch the fist, but something certainly felt off. The force of the punch was greater than what Shirou determined was the average for delinquent grunts.

Moments before the fist made contact with Shirou's open hand, the delinquent pulled away, instead lifting a leg and swinging around in a sideways arc, slamming it against Shirou's side. Shirou let out a grunt of discomfort, but was not overly hurt by the attack. While the delinquent was unprepared and still recovering his stance, Shirou wrapped his arm around his opponents leg, gripping it tightly. Using his superior strength, Shirou lifted his foe off of the ground and swung his limp body around like bat, quickly letting go once enough momentum had been created, launching the poor bastard at his compatriot to the left of their leader.

The leader had superiors reflexes, leaning to the side to avoid being hit.

"I see...so you really have gotten stronger, Fujimura." The leader noted, smirking. "The lady wasn't wrong. We've tested our new powers against the other gangs, conquering them one by one. You truly are a cut above the rest."

Shirou smirked in return. "Don't lower me to those standards. Those morons could never compare in any way. If anyone should be impressed, it's me considering your guys actually managed to one-up me for once. I guess you trained them well...whoever-you-are..." Shirou trailed off, the leader frowning in confusion.

"Wait. Do you...NOT know who I am?" He asked.

Shirou blinked, blank-faced. "Should I?"

Apparently Shirou had touched a nerve because the other young man's face lit up an angry shade of red. "Don't fuck with me! I'm Kaido, the top dog of the Yellow Diamonds, the biggest, baddest gang in this shit town!"

"And I'm Shirou Fujimura, the guy who doesn't give a fuck." Shirou retorted, rolling his eyes, much to Kaido's ever-increasing frustration as Shirou casually placed the bento he still held on the ground a few feet away. Safe from danger. "I don't care who you are or what color or shape your group represents." Shirou jabbed his thumb downwards. "I'll take down each and every one of you clowns that gets in my way."

The leader, Kaido, let out a small chuckle. "That's quite the joke you're telling Fujimura." His expression suddenly became dead serious. "Too bad I hate comedians. Maybe if this was before, you would have mopped the floor with us, but now we have an even playing field."

The moment those words came from Kaido's mouth Shirou felt his muscles tense so tightly that he was certain they would snap. Kaido opened his hand out in front of him. Shirou felt a build-up of pressure in the palm of Kaido's hand.

And then a baseball-sized ball of fire appeared.

"N-No way!" Shirou took a step back, trying to control the shock in his voice. "How?!" This shouldn't have been possible. Normal humans couldn't use magic. And Shirou had fought every gang in town at least once, so he was certain that none of them possessed this type of magical potential and they sure as Hell weren't Devils.

Yet here Kaido was, casting a fireball spell as though he had been doing it all of his life.

"Pretty neat, ain't it?" Kaido asked with an even cocker grin on his face. "I was stunned at first too, but my benefactor was a pretty nice lady. Even offered this neat power to me and my boys due to our little agreement." Kaido snapped his fingers and, as if waiting all this time for that particular signal, many other delinquents started appearing from the shadows. They had been hiding, laying in wait to ambush him.

This had been premeditated.

Shirou braced himself, raising his guard to the max.

"Now then," Kaido pulled his hand back, the ball of fire following, "since we are merely the delivery boys, I may as well say it now: ENJOY YOUR STAY IN HELL!" He swung his arm arm forward, launching the large fireball in the same direction. It was clear this was going to hurt.

Realizing Issei was still behind him, Shirou crossed his arms in front of him to act as his shield. "This is REALLY going to hurt."

DOOOOOOOON!

And Shirou was right, the young man deeply resisting the urge to scream in pain as his body was bathed in flames. He felt the fire generously lick his body, singing his hair. If it weren't for his body which was that of a Devil, Shirou was certain that he would have been dead at least three times over. This was power that no normal human was meant to possess.

When the smoke cleared, Shirou was surprisingly not-dead.

What was even more surprising was how relatively unscathed he was. He looked down at his body, but other than his slightly singed hair and his slightly burnt arms, he possessed no further injuries. None of his injuries were really severe or even debilitating.

"Huh...well ain't that neat." Shirou noted to himself, realizing something important. A smirk appeared on his face again at Kaido. "Well, you guys might be stronger than before, but I'll still be the guy who kicks your asses!" He clenched his fist, getting in position to fight.

Kaido scoffed at Shirou. "That was just a taste of what we can dish out. You might be able to take down seven or even eight of us tops, but you can't take down all of us at once, Fujimura."

"Oh really?" Shirou made a "bring it" gesture with his hand. "Let's test that theory, shall we?" However, even Shirou was not that delusional. Perhaps it was the odd shifting emotions inside of him, but his self-confidence was weaker than normal. The numbers were seriously against him and, while numbers usually meant jack shit to him, numbers wielding demonic powers was not good.

"Uh...heh...?" Shirou was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of Issei's incessant squeaks behind him. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

Shirou stared at Issei with narrowed eyes. "A better question: Why the fuck are you still here?! Do you even know how to run away?! Seriously, do you have ANY self-preservation instincts?!" Shirou exclaimed in shock. "Any sane person would have enough common sense to flee fireball-chucking maniacs!"

"H-Hey!" Issei complained. "I was just a little shocked. I wasn't really expecting them to throw GODDAMNED FIREBALLS!"

"It's been a few minutes since then? You're STILL not running away!" Shirou reminded him. He sighed, rubbing his temples. "If someone tried to stab you straight through the chest, I get the strange feeling you would just sit there like an idiot until after the fact."

"Oh screw you! I don't know why I bothered worrying about you! You're such a dick!" Issei jabbed a finger in Shirou's direction.

"Good to know we're on the same page!" Shirou agreed. "Now run. Run and keep running!"

Issei hesitated, his previous words as devoid of real ill intent as his bedroom was devoid of girls who wanted his thing.

"But-"

"How many times do I have to say "GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE"!?" Shirou screamed, not daring to take his eyes off of the enemies in front of him. Issei looked between Shirou, and then the young gentleman in front of them who apparently had the power to shoot FIREBALLS from their hands.

He looked like he was incredibly conflicted on the subject, but Issei let out a roar of frustration before turning tail and running away.

Shirou let out a sigh of relief, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Well, a load off my shoulders. Now I can go all-out." Then he narrowed his eyes at his opposition, smirking. "Thanks for not pulling a dick move and attacking me while I was talking."

Kaido cracked his neck, grinning even more. "It was so hilarious that it was a damned shame to interrupt. It was hard to figure out who the bigger idiot is."

"Fuck you!"

"Besides...You're going to die tonight. Why not let someone take your last will and testament?""

"If you knew how many times somebody said that to me, you would feel very very tiny, you unoriginal bastard." Shirou taunted back, raising a fist.

"Unoriginal am I?" Kaido shot back. "Well, considering the fact you probably haven't had a single friend up to this point, perhaps this adds a new spice to things." He turned to some of his subordinates, snapping his fingers again. "Grab his buddy too."

 _"What is with the fucking finger-snaps?"_ Shirou groaned in his mind, almost forgetting the approaching delinquents trying to rush past him.

They were fast. Abnormally fast. If Shirou had been a human, it would have been difficult and nearly impossible to catch them. They would have left him in the dust. However, they had nothing on Kiba. While these guys moved like top-class track runners, Kiba was faster than a speeding bullet.

The moment they were close enough, Shirou lunged forward, clamping his open hands down on their faces and shoving them backwards onto the ground, smashing the back of their heads against the concrete. For good measure, he lifted them up again and smashed them against the ground again. A third tried rushing Shirou directly, realizing the king of delinquents needed to be stunned before they could get past him, throwing a demonically-enhanced punch.

Shirou side-stepped, catching the third's arm and locking it under his own arm. He twisted his body around, swinging the foolish bastard 360 degrees before releasing him, sending him flopping face-first onto the ground.

But his instincts refused to calm.

Shirou raised his arm, catching a kick from the right side, noticing one of the delinquents he had smashed into the ground earlier.

"Didn't I tell you, already?" Kaido taunted further, creating another fireball in his hand. "We're not the same weaklings you've fought up to this point. Get'em, boys!"

Another blow came from Shirou's right, causing him to raise his other arm to guard. But before he could even make contact with the attack, another fist came from his right, smashing right into the side of his face. The sudden jolt caused Shirou to lose his concentration and lower his arms, allowing the previous strikes to continue unabated, slamming into his ribs. Shirou let a grunt of pain, being knocked backwards.

"OK, no more games!" Shirou declared, glaring daggers.

He could not rest. He grabbed the fist of the next person who tried to punch him, driving his own fist into his gut. He smashed his elbow against another who came at him from his left. He hopped high into the air to avoid the idiot who tried tackling him, easily avoiding due to his enhanced agility before falling back down due to gravity, using the force of said gravity to LITERALLY curb-stomp two enemies below him.

In the confusion, yet another one of the delinquents tried sneaking past him, but Shirou delivered a mean roundhouse kick to the face, sending the, flying backwards. Moments later, the gesture was returned with a punch delivered straight into his abdomen, knocking the wind right out of Shirou. This was followed by a powerful blow to the back of the head while he was hunched over.

Grinning, Shirou used this position to wrap his arms around the one in front of him, driving his knee very hard into the thug's own gut before dropping him to the ground. He grabbed another's wrist before kicking him in the face. There was the satisfying sound of a nose being broken that followed.

"That all you go-!?"

DOOOOOOON!

Shirou's boasts were cut short as a fireball slammed into him, exploding like a bomb.

"Hmph! Don't you know that pride goeth before the fall, Fujimura?" Kaido said hypocritically, flipping Shirou off as smoke started to spread across the area. "Like I said, you're no match for our numbers. Even ants can overwhelm and kill a dinosaur given the right situation."

"That may be true..." Those words spoken amidst the smoke were punctuated by coughs. "...but a dinosaur can easily crush cockroaches like yourselves..." The smoke cleared to reveal Shirou, his clothes more burnt than before and a few bruises and scratches on his face, but none too worse for the wear.

"Just go down already!" Kaido let out a growl of discontent before flicking his wrist, releasing yet another ball of fire at Shirou.

The smoke cleared faster than before this time, yet again revealing Shirou unscathed, smirking.

"Thank you, ma'am. May I had another?"

"Grrrrrr!" Kaido once again released a blast of magical energy. "I've gotten this new power that puts me above all other humans...so why won't you go down?!" The smoke cleared again and Shirou still stood there, showing no signs of budging despite looking slightly winded.

Shirou casually stepped back to avoid a blow from another of Kaido's lackeys. "My answer's pretty obvious." Shirou gestured over his shoulder. "The moment I drop, you're gonna go after Hyoudou, right? And I can't have that now, can I?" He snickered to himself. "That guy looks pretty weak, so I don't think he would last long in a straight-up fight." Shirou took a stance, ready to continue fighting. "Just like the rest of those clowns from that shit academy. None of them would be able to do jack shit. And the sight of their bruised and bloody faces courtesy of you assholes would really bring down my mood."

Kaido sneered at Shirou with contempt. "So, the whole reason you fight is to protect others? What disgusting drivel!"

Shirou stared at Kaido with a dull expression. "Huh? Who said anything about protecting them? I just really hate people getting involved in my fights." Shirou absentmindedly started cleaning his war with his pinky. "Those idiots could go die in a fire for all I care."

"That so? Well, maybe after we're done with you, we'll go check out that Kuoh Acade-URRK!" His declaration of war was cut short by Shirou smashing his fist right into Kaido's face. His bones seemed to be thicker than most delinquents because, surprisingly, his nose didn't break despite how much force Shirou put into his punch. Kaido hunched over, in pain. "GAAAAH! DICK!"

"Shouldn't have let your guard down with that evil monologue, buddy." Shirou defended casually.

Kaido lashed out at Shirou with his arms, forcing the latter to retreat several steps. "Don't call me "buddy"! I'll fucking DESTROY YOU!"

"Hm?" Shirou cocked his head to the side. "Sounds personal. Is there any specific way I've wronged you unrelated to the number of times I've owned you creeps?"

If anything, that served to only increase the rage welling up inside of Kaido. "You don't even fucking remember?! I'm going to enjoy watching the boss lady break you like a twig, bastard!"

"Boss lady?" Shirou wondered. It wasn't the first time they mentioned a "lady". Shirou presumed it was the person who gave them their ill-gotten powers which they were neither powerful nor skilled in using. "Anyway, let's wrap this up. Shinmai Maou no Testament is on at seven tonight and I don't feel like missing it." Shirou adjusted his stance, preparing to get serious. For this fight, he needed strength AND defense. "I want to see Zolgear get owned, that stupid S.O.B.!"

And Shirou's flippant attitude only further enraged Kaido. "You better get serious! I eat pieces of shit like you for breakfast!"

Shirou snickered, deeply resisting even louder laughter. "You eat pieces of shit?"

"W-What-No! I-You-! Just-It-JUST FUCKING DIE!" Kaido started creating yet another fireball, shooting a sharp glare at his subordinates. "What are you standing there waiting for?! WASTE THIS BITCH!"

More fearful of their boss than anyone else, Kaido's subordinates outstretched their hands, conjuring their own relatively-weak spells.

Shirou clicked his tongue. "Please. I know a far superior magic-user than you clowns. Compared to her, you're not even third-rate!"

There was nothing Shirou loved more than fucking with an ego-maniacal thugs like Kaido and his gang. It brought a sense of satisfaction for him and also lessened his stress at the number of foes he was facing.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shirou saw a familiar object.

The heart-patterned cloth around it was burnt and torn (no doubt resulting from collateral damage caused by the fight) and most of the corner looked torched, but it looked overall in one piece.

A meal born from a kind gesture.

Shirou smirked, but his smile held no humor.

 _"I see...so this is what true regret feels like."_ He raised his head, looking at the numerous delinquents preparing to roast him alive. _"Alright then...Hey, God, if you're watching and/or listening from up there, let's make a deal...I live through this and I do something_ _REALLY nice..._ "

* * *

"N-No way! That's...impossible!" Kaido backed away, almost tripping over his own feet as he looked on in shock. "JUST WHAT THE HELL KIND OF MONSTER ARE YOU?!" He looked at the chaos and destruction that resulted from the conflict between the Demon King of Kuoh, Shirou Fujimura, and the toughest gang to ever take him on, the Yellow Diamonds.

Even in normal circumstances, a clash between the two would have been filled with large amounts of violence and chaos, but this...

From the beginning, the outcome was unpredictable, but even Kaido did not predict this.

He looked at the unconscious bodies piled around one another, littering the ground for a wide area. Many of them were covered in cuts and bruises and other injuries were of a more obscure nature. The rest were covered in scorch marks, damage done by magic that surpassed their own. Greater in terms of power but weaker in terms of control.

Sitting atop the bodies which acted as a throne for the victor, was the person who Kaido now hated the most as well as feared the most.

Shirou Fujimura bore more injuries than any other person amongst the Yellow Diamonds, but he still sat victoriously.

One of Kaido's subordinates was half-awake, having been the one to throw the last blow from their side. Kaido himself was not free of injuries, having directly joined the fray once things became serious.

Even though Shirou Fujimura had finally fallen, he had done so with such a strong and prideful look on his face, taking a higher position as if looking down on the rest of them like they were mere insects. He had done so deliberately to mock Kaido. Kaido knew it and Shirou had made it his goal to point it out.

Kaido had been victorious due to sheer luck.

Never once had Shirou lost his pride or his will. So even though Kaido had won, he had lost.

And he never hated Shirou more than he did at that time.

"So...Boss...what are we...doin now...?" The subordinate next to him asked, somewhat nervous. Kaido gave him a sharp look, causing his subordinate to flinch and tremble in fear. It was only after he realized his own expression that Kaido calmed himself, offering a hand to the younger man. The younger man grabbed Kaido's hand, using it to pull himself up.

Kaido looked at the chaos. Then he cocked his head to the side, listening to the approaching sound of sirens.

"Tch!" Kaido clicked his tongue. He gestured to the others who were unconscious. "Wake them up. Carry them using magic if you have to..." Kaido knew that the "loan" they had gotten from Eliade would be running out soon, so time was of the essence and they needed every drop of magic they could muster. He narrowed his eyes at the unconscious Demon King Kuoh. "We have our objective..."

* * *

When Shirou's consciousness started to return, the first thing he took notice of was the intense, excruciating pain that wracked his body. His memories of the events right before he fell unconscious were blurry, but he remembered most of the fight well. While Kaido had had superior numbers, his gang was seriously lacking in experience both in fighting and utilizing their ill-gotten powers.

That had been the major advantage for Shirou, the only advantage at that. Shirou had taken them down one after another, but their enhanced bodies made them far more durable than normal humans. One-on-one, Shirou would had no issue, but he had less time to analyze his opponents' fighting style due to the sheer numbers. He had been a rampaging beast.

The reason as to why he lost: His overconfidence.

He failed to notice that Kaido's remaining subordinate was still conscious. So when Shirou went to finish Kaido off, the remaining subordinate blasted him from behind.

Shirou couldn't stand the thought of going down like that, so he had beaten away the other guy before moving on to the pile of bodies that had stacked up as a result of the battle. And Shirou took a seat atop the pile, making sure to let Kaido know that he had been bent, but not broken.

And so Shirou woke up in this unfamiliar building, finally experiencing the entirety of the pain incurred by the injuries he sustained during the battle. He wanted to scream from how sensitive his burnt skin was, to groan from the bruises that painted his body, to curse whatever mother-lovin' deity ruled over battle in their world, but he refused to give Kaido the satisfaction.

When Shirou calmed down long enough to maintain conscious thought, he examined the building he was stuck in further, realizing it was some kind of warehouse.

Although, to be honest, it resembled more something along he lines of a clubhouse. There were at least two dozen guys around Shirou's age doing a variety of things. Some were still recovering from the fight, getting burns and cuts disinfected and wrapped in bandages. Those who weren't so wounded were doing more casual activities. They were either messing around with their phones, casually talking and boasting with one another, or playing some kind of board or card game.

One of them sat on an empty oil drum not too far away from Shirou, playing what Shirou ought was Tetris judging from the ring that came from it whenever he pressed a button.

Nobody appeared to have noticed Shirou was awake again. He tried leaning forward only to feel a great restraint around his torso. Shirou looked down and noticed the long chain wrapped around his body, tying him to the metal column behind him. Shirou was like a hamster in a cage. He could struggle and fight all he wished, but there was no way to escape from his prison.

"Well look who's awake!" A hand forcefully grabbed Shirou by his hair, yanking him so far that he felt his arms chafe against his restraints. Shirou winced, trying to suppress any noise in response to how much his body ached. "Oh, I'm sorry, did you have a rough morning, princess?"

Shirou smirked, trying to hide his pain. "Actually, my morning was going really great til I saw your ugly mug, Kaido." His smart-ass remark earned him one "having his head slammed back against a metal column".

"I see you still got that mouth of yours." Kaido retorted, releasing Shirou's head and stepping away. "Although, I guess it's kind of good you're not broken yet. Would have made your death a lot more boring if you didn't go out kicking and screaming."

"Oh, so you're finally gonna stop boring me and get it over with?" Even though his situation was undesirable, Shirou saw no reason to let himself die of boredom before his actual execution. Not to mention the conversation kept his mind from thinking back to the excruciating amount of pain he was in.

Kaido grunted. "Compared to what's next to come, you haven't seen anything yet. You'll wish you had died while you were unconscious."

That statement reminded Shirou of something he considered earlier. "So the one holding the other end of your leash wants to do it herself, huh?"

"W-What are you talking about?" Kaido stammered, his hesitant response tipping Shirou off.

"I was right then." Shirou confirmed. "The ambush, the demonic powers, the kidnapping. Not a single bit of it was you guys. It was the bitch pulling your strings." His theory received the response of a violent foot to the face, having the second effect of knocking his head against the metal column again.

"Shut the fuck up! I don't get controlled by anybody!" Kaido's frustration was not skillfully hidden by the grin he pulled. "Our benefactor and I just happened to have wishes that brought us into a special agreement: In exchange for kicking your ass and dragging you over to be handed to her, she gives us some of her powers to not only get the job done, but also to prove why the Yellow Diamonds are the baddest gang in Kuoh!"

"So technically she's the one who's dominating Kuoh." Shirou reasoned, feeling pleased at how many openings Kaido had been giving him. "She probably could have done it all on your own. The only reason she used you clowns because she was afraid of the other Devils living in this town. You're a wannabe tough guy working for a coward, Kaido."

Again, Shirou's skull was made to collide with the column he was chained to.

"You don't know how tough this lady is!" Kaido defended, getting angrier by the second. "She slaughtered half of us! And, instead of killing the rest of us, she gave us this win-win situation: We kick your ass, she kills you, the rest of us get off scott-free."

"So she kills half your guys and you just let it go?" Shirou felt somewhat disgusted. Kaido watched half of his comrades get butchered and allied with the creature that committed the deed. He submitted to someone who wronged him, completely sold out his comrades and his ideals.

"Did you REALLY think I had a choice?" Kaido spat back at Shirou. "Seeing my buddies getting eaten...Do you really think I would do this if I had a choice?...I mean, I WOULD, but that's only because, at the very least, I get to see your head join theirs. After that, I'm done with you disgusting creatures."

"And you think she's just going to let you go...I didn't think you were THAT MUCH of an idiot..." Shirou stuck out his tongue at Kaido, receiving another blow to the face. "I'm sorry, do you want to bring your mother and see if she can hit harder than that?" Another punch. Shirou still had no regrets. "Wanna try one more time? I think that almost tickled a little." Another punch. "You really should think about practicing how to punch. That was just sloppy." Punched again. "Wow. No wonder you needed help to beat me."

Apparently that last one really struck a nerve with Kaido, the leader of the Yellow Diamonds lunging forward and wrapping his hands around Shirou's neck.

"I'MMA KILL'EM! I'MMA FUCKIN' KILL'EM!" Some of Kaido's lackeys apparently took notice of the spectacle, rushing forward to restrain their leader, managing to pull him away after a good three minutes. Despite this restraint, Kaido still fought violently against them, trying to once again wrap his hands around Shirou's throat. "YOU'RE A DEAD MAN, FUJIMURA! I SWEAR THAT I AM HOPING TO GOD THAT ELIADE TAKES THOSE RAZOR CLAWS RIGHT TO YOUR-!"

"Oh, so it really was Eliade." Shirou noted with a tone of neutrality. "Well, at least this means there aren't TWO psychotic Strays in this town."

Kaido realized his slip, his rage only increasing. His face turned so red that Shirou could swear that it looked as though blood would explode from his face. His expression contorted into a look of such rage that it looked as though he was experiencing the pain of having his entire body mangled and disfigured beyond recognition.

Then, all of a sudden, his expression immediately calmed. Even his own gang was surprised by his expression.

"OK, I think I'm good. I think I've finally gone full-circle." Kaido stared blankly. "Until Eliade gets here, I'm just going to spend this time beating Fujimura to a bloody pulp. I won't kill him though. I'm good. I honestly am."

"Kaidoooooo." One of his subordinates said in a warning tone.

Kaido grunted. "Fine fine. I won't lay a hand on him." He sounded thoroughly disappointed. "But I call dibs on front row seating when Eliade murders him."

"OK, OK, Boss. Just calm down." Another one of his underlings suggested.

"Fine. I'm calm..." Kaido raised his arms, urging his associates to let him go. "I'm calm."

One of the other delinquents patted Kaido on the shoulder. "Would it make you feel better if we went through the things in Fujimura's bag and trashed them?" Kaido pondered the answer to this question. "I already broke his headphones, and that was just a blast."

Shirou's eyes widened before looking up, Shirou recognizing the absence of a certain presence on his head and over his hears. He lowered his gaze and glared at the others.

"Oh, you dicks!" Shirou struggled more furiously against his chains. "Those were my favorite-not to mention ONLY-set of headphones!"

"See? He's already really mad! Isn't that fun?"

Kaido looked from Shirou to his underling, considering the question. "I guess..." Shirou noticed his school bag sitting on a foldable table in the middle of the room, Kaido and the other underlings gathering around it. Getting some amusement knowing the owner was right in the room with them, the Yellow Diamonds began to rummage through the contents. They ripped out the few items Shirou actually carried around.

The pocket change he didn't keep in his pocket, his notebooks, his folders, and various writing utensils.

"Wow..."

"...this is just..."

"BORING."

One-by-one, they went through Shirou's bag only to find the most mundane of items. It was an incredibly boring bag. Shirou didn't have many interests, so of course he didn't keep many things in his bag other than the essentials he needed for the day-to-day.

Kaido narrowed his eyes at Shirou. "The fuck is this shit?!" He pulled out one of the notebooks, flipping through the pages. "There's literally nothing here! Not even school notes! That's just irresponsible! What kind of student doesn't even take notes in school?! Do you really have nothing to do but wander the streets, picking fights?!"

"Oh! Oh no!" A tic mark appeared on Shirou's forehead. "No no no! You guys of all people have no right to judge, Mr. Oh-I-Have-An-Unrevealed-Grudge-And-Spends-All-My-Time-On-Plotting-Reve-Know what? That went on for much longer than intended. I was trying to pull a retort, but it failed and I apologize for that. Lemme try again..." Shirou cleared his throat. "...Ahem...You suck, you hypocritical dick."

"Scathing."

"Fuck you!" Shirou sighed in boredom, leaning back against the column. "...I'm bored...This is boring now. I thought you guys would be more into the intimidation and brutal prisoner violence thing, but this is just...dull..."

"Hey, we're delinquents, not sadists! We don't get off on the whole "prisoner torture" thing." One of them defended. "Besides, it's not our fault that, outside of you being the Delinquent King of Kuoh, you're an incredibly dull person."

Kaido shrugged. "Perhaps it's a given considering the fact he has no friends at all in this world..." He paused. "Well...other than that other guy, but he left you for dead...so that was pretty fun." Kaido leaned on the table next to him. "But I suppose I should congratulate you. You, who earned the title of Demon King at the age of ten, managed to hang onto that title as "The Strongest" for almost seven years now. A shame I can't collect it once the boss lady cuts you open like a science student dissecting a frog...Not the most clever reference, but it's not my fault that there aren't well-known people cutting other people open at the moment."

"You want that stupid ass title...?" Shirou asked, sighing as he leaned back against the metal column. "You can have it...To be honest, I never really asked for it in the first place. I-"

"Nobody cares." Kaido cut in. "In case it wasn't obvious, not a single person here gives a damn about you. The only reason we're still here is to see you get gutted. Just like every other person in this town, nobody gives a fuck. I've pretty much figured out you got some kind of backstory, but after what you did to me, I honestly don't give a damn. I'm going to watch Eliade kill you, and I'm going to enjoy it. So please sit there and be quiet until then."

"Whatever, asshole." Shirou pursed his lips in dissatisfaction. However, he quickly got bored. "Hey!...Can I sing to entertain myself?"

"No."

"Can I hum?"

"No."

"Can I whistle?"

"No!"

"...Can I sing?"

"For the love of God, NO!" Kaido screamed. "Just sit there and shut your mouth before I duck tape it shut!"

Shirou stuck his tongue out at Kaido again. "Dick." And so, Shirou just sat there. He didn't appreciate the feeling of duck tape over his mouth, so he kept quiet. He was beaten, wounded, had no energy left, and was chained to a column made of metal. There was simply no way out of this situation for him. If the opportunity to escape did not present itself once Eliade appeared, Shirou was fucked. And he knew it.

He had been in many terrible situations before, but this one definitely took the cake.

And so he sat there, thinking about everything that had transpired that day. He considered this new-found feeling of regret he figured out. Now that he had realized it, it had only been worsened. If anything, the pain on his insides was far worse than the pain on his outsides. Part of him was appreciative towards Issei for pummeling his face, but the other part of him wanted to shove his fist through Issei's skull for making him recognize this feeling in his chest.

He hated this feeling.

He was so angry and his insides still felt like they were being torn apart by broken glass.

"Hey, Boss!" One of the underlings motioned Kaido over. "Take a look at this!" Shirou leaned forward, curious as to what was grabbing everyone's attention. Whatever it was, it was apparently deeply impressive judging from the surprised gasps of those around him.

Whatever it was, it was surprising enough for Kaido to give an impressed whistle. "Well, well, well. You have some odd tastes, Fujimura." He stalked back over to Shirou, crouching down with an amused smirk on his face. He stretched out his hand and dangled a familiar object in Shirou's face. "This was something Gin found from earlier. I didn't peg you for someone who liked pink."

"H-Hey! Th-That's not mine!" Shirou's eyes went wide as he fully processed the object appearing in his vision.

It was a familiar, slightly charred bento box wrapped in a torn, heart-patterned cloth...

The bento Kiyome made him.

"It has to be yours." Kaido reasoned. Then a more malicious expression appeared on his face. "Unless, of course...there's a dame in your life?"

Shirou's expression became completely neutral, Shirou trying to avoid giving any response that gave more information away.

Kaido's eyes went wide, a gasp of mock surprise. "Oh shit! You really do?! You have a girl who made this for you?" He unwrapped the box. "Alright then, so why don't we see what your lady made for you? After all, it would be really rude for such a meal to go without even being seen. So let's see what she made..." As if further taunting Shirou, Kaido slowly unwrapped the box before sliding the cover off of it. Either trying to induce hunger in Shirou or to further taunt him, Kaito revealed the contents of the box to Shirou.

It wasn't a particularly complex meal.

Some grilled fish, onigiri (rice balls) as a side dish, twosmall omelettes, and soy beans. In the middle compartment was a small amount of dipping sauce that could have been for either the fish or he rice balls. It was a relatively simplistic meal...made up of foods Shirou specifically liked. This was the meal Kiyome had made for him.

"Wow, how boring." Kaido responded in a dull tone, grabbing one of the rice balls from the box. Shirou wasn't sure why, but he suddenly started feeling irritated unlike with Kaido's other taunts and abuses. "Well, considering how you are, it's fitting. I wonder if its taste also fits you." He took a bite, making exaggerated noises as he chewed, savoring the flavor. "I guess not. It doesn't taste disgusting. Whoever made this was actually a decent cook."

In sharp contrast to his previous statement, Kaido harshly spat the food right onto the ground.

"It's only a shame I'm not feeling hungry right now!" The leader of the Yellow Diamonds laughed mockingly, as if mocking the cook of the bento through Shirou.

Again, Shirou felt his irritation swell.

 _"Kiyome spent her own personal time making that for me, bastard."_ Shirou blinked before staring in shock. He was stunned by his own anger and how he had been unconsciously clenching his fists this whole time. The food was praised at least...He could only reason that it was due to his dislike for good food being wasted and unrelated to his feelings from before, but still...

"Hey, Kaido, look at that in there!" One of the underlings chimed in, pointing at the box. Kaido raised an eyebrow.

"In where?"

The underling came closer and gestured at some unseen item in the box. Kaido looked closer, trying to see what his subordinate was seeing. After a few seconds, an interested look appeared on his face.

"Oh ho? What's this?" With no hesitation, Kaido picked the object up, holding it up in the air for people to see. Even from his position, Shirou could see it clearly due to his superior eye sight. It was a folded up piece of paper. He had no idea why it held any significance until Kaido turned back to him, grinning. "The outside reads "To Shirou"."

Kiyome had left him a note. Technically speaking, these would probably be the last words he got from her if he failed to escape.

"Well, this is addressed to you, so why don't I read it for you since you're a little-haha- _tied up_." The grin on Kaido's face widened further in spite of his bad joke, the delinquent during to his crew. "What do you say, boys?! Shall I read it?!"

A roar of yes's, applause, and "aye's" echoed throughout the large building they were in.

"Alrighty then!" Kaido unfolded the paper and began reading the contents on the inside aloud to everybody, exposing every last word Kiyome had intended only for Shirou...Yet again, Shirou experienced a wave of irritation washing over him. "Ahem!-"

 _To Shirou-_

 _I know you don't like long, formal speeches, so I will do my best to make this brief._

 _Shirou, I know you are always having a rough time. You try to hide it behind that mask of apathy, but I've seen the best parts of you. I don't care how others see you. I don't even care how you see yourself._

 _I l...I like you._

"-Sorry." Kaido apologized without much sincerity. "It was hard to read because of the pencil smears...I guess she was erasing something quite a few times-"

 _I'm trying to be by your side, but I feel like, whenever I try to reach for you, you end up further and further away, beyond my grasp. You try to slip away from others, trying to go far enough where you will be forever beyond anyone's touch..._

 _But I will keep chasing after you._

 _For every step you take away, I will take three more._

 _Until the day I can finally catch up, I won't quit. So prepare yourself to go through Hell, Demon Boy. You're gonna open up whether you like it or not. So eat up._

 _You'll need the energy._

 _-Kiyome_

Silence enveloped the other room, surprised by the contents of the note. The only sound Shirou could hear was his awkward breaths, his lungs beginning to act weirdly and his breathing beginning to behave abnormally. His eyes were burning and he shattered glass carving up his insides started to feel like they evolved into chainsaws, making his insides hurt in a way that surpassed any other pain he experienced before.

"How cheesy. So...these are the last words you'll hear from someone you knew before you die, Fujimura." Kaido stated blandly. "What do you think about that...?"

Shirou's lips started to quiver, his emotions getting a firm grasp over his entire being

"Im sorry..." The words slipped from his mouth as nothing more than a whisper. Even then, he thought only of her and all of his mistakes. "...I'm so sorry..."

"Huh?" Kaido pulled a disgusted expression. "You think you can apologize after what happened so far and just walk out of here?" He grabbed Shirou's by the front of his head and ram the back of his skull against the metal column behind him again. "ARE YOU FUCKING THAT PATHETIC?!"

Shirou felt his vision go blurry for a moment shortly before experiencing an oozing, warm sensation on the back of his skull. Blood traveled down the front of his face as well, the blood trail forking at his nose and dripping down to his chin. The part that truly chilled Kaido was the complete lack of reaction. It was obvious Shirou was still conscious, but he did nothing. Said nothing.

Even then, Shirou was deriving Kaido of the satisfaction he desired. Even at his lowest point, he managed to anger Kaido.

Kaido placed a hand behind the bento box on the table. "By the way, Fujimura, you forgot your lunch!" With a merciless swipe of his hand, Kaido knocked the box off of the table, causing its contents to scatter messily. Kaido's expression became even malicious and cruel. "Whoops~!"

It was only then that Shirou's face contorted into an expression of shock and horror.

"Woohoo! Looks like we finally got a reaction from the Demon, huh?!" Kaido's arrogance knew no bounds. He had finally gotten Shirou to finally react and he was going to capitalize on this situation. "Could it be you're actually that hungry?" Then amusement crossed his face. "Or maybe you have a soft spot for this Kiyome-chick?" Kaido felt his heart jump, if only for a moment, when he looked at Shirou's face again, seeing the dangerous, frightening look in his eye. He took a breath, calming himself and regaining his previous air or arrogance. "In that case..." He spun around, walking away, stopping suddenly with his left foot raise. "Tell her I said thanks for the meal!" Kaido drove his heel straight down on the remains of the bento, smashing what little fresh food remained with his foot.

The other members of the Yellow Diamonds laughed as their boss gave the Demon King of Kuoh exactly what he deserved.

Shirou lowered his face, hiding his eyes with his bangs. "..."

"Hahahahahahaha! What's wrong, Fujimura?!" Kaido laughed at Shirou, truly enjoying how easily Shirou was troubled by something as mundane as a bento. "Is the little Demon King of Kuoh upset because he lost his little lunchbox? Or is it because that bitch of yours wasted so much of her time making it for you? Hahahahahaha!"

Shirou's body started to tremble. "You..." The air around him began to vibrate, moved by an unknown force.

Kaido raised an eyebrow, unaware of what was occurring. "What was that? You're gonna have to speak up, trash!" It was because his power, obtained through abnormal means from Eliade, was not natural that he failed to perceive Demonic Power from other creatures. That's why he failed to notice the build-up of pressure in the air.

"You..."

"Come on! Out with i-GAAAK!" Kaido let out a grunt of pain as the sound of metal shattering filled the air, followed by a rage-filled punch slamming into Kaido's stomach.

"YOU BASTAAAAAAAARD!" Shirou drove his fist as far as he could into Kaido's stomach, his eyes promising excruciating death. "DON'T YOU DARE INSULT KIYOME AGAIN!"

Kaido let out a scream of pain as the force from Shirou's punch knocked him several feet away, leaving Kaido hunched over after having all of the wind knocked out of him. Kaido desperately fought the bile and saliva trying to travel up his throat.

"DO IT AGAIN AND I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" Shirou retracted his fist before throwing another punch at Kaido's face, following up with a barrage of blows before letting Kaido be knocked onto the ground.

"What-How the Hell did you get free?!" Kaido screamed in both terror and disbelief. He looked over to the spot where Shirou had been chained up only moments ago, seeing all of his underlings gathered around with similar disbelief on their faces. In front of them laid chains, broken into pieces by some powerful force. "IMPOSSIBLE!" Shirou slammed his fist into Kaido's gut before retracting his fist again and slamming it against the right side of his face, causing him to reel back from the pain.

"Shut up..." Shirou started panting, taking deep breaths when he could manage. "Just shut the Hell up..."

Another one of Kaido's underlings tried interfering, but Shirou brought his leg around and stabbed the tip of his toe into the boy's side. He caught the next punch of another foolish mortal and easily finished him with an uppercut. Then he dealt with a third and a fourth in similar ways to the first two. However, after a time, Shirou's stamina had begun to wane, his rage only being able to make up for so much.

His legs were shaking, something that did not go unnoticed by Kaido, his cocky attitude returning for yet another comeback.

"Oh, so that's it, huh?" He stood up, wincing due to the new, large bruise on his stomach before wiping blood from his nose. "You talk a big game, but you're still completely out of it...You used all you had left to break free and belt me one. A brave effort, I'll admit, but pointless."

With that, Kaido snapped his fingers, signaling his subordinates to act.

One of them lunged forward, knocking the unsteady Shirou to the ground with a single punch to the face.

"Kick'em while he's down, boys!" Kaido commanded. "Don't hold back! If he dies, we can tell Eliade he resisted to the bitter end and it couldn't be helped!"

All of his subordinates gathered around Shirou, driving their feet into his back, his side, kicking anywhere they could manage. They seemed to have a special liking for kicking Shirou in the face. The ones who kicked him in the face seemed to gain far more enjoyment than the others. Shirou could barely grunt in pain as he received this one-sided assault. He was more injured and far more drained than they were. On top of it, he was severely outnumbered.

He made the mistake of letting himself fall to the ground. Every time he tried pushing himself back up to all fours, someone stomped down on his back to knock him back down. There was no getting up as long as these guys were busy entertaining themselves. All he could be grateful for was the fact they knew enough not to use fireballs in this building due to the large risk of the entire thing going down in a raging inferno.

Despite the brutal beatdown he was receiving, Shirou was too focused on other things to notice...

 _"Look at yourself, Shirou...What am I going to do with you?"_

 _"How can you expect to improve your reputation if you're doing things like this?"_

 _"I just...I'm sorry that that's what happened."_

 _"I can't say I understand anything about you, but I do care about you, Shirou."_

 _"Shirou is a good person. He tries to push me away, but I've already seen what lies underneath the mask."_

 _"He is a good person who doesn't desire to hurt others needlessly despite how cruel they are towards him."_

 _"I just wanted to get closer, even if it was just a little bit, but you-!"_

 _"_ _I l...I like you."_

His eyes felt like they were on fire, hot, salty tears beginning to leak out of them and rolling down the sides of his face. The ground darkened as his tears dripped from his chin, mixing with the blood from his previous head wound.

 _"I really am a loser..."_ He thought to himself, hating himself more than other for being so blind. He had hurt them.

Kiyome, Rias, all of the ORC...

His... _friends_.

 _"I'm sorry..."_

After several minutes, the kicks finally ceased, the crowd parting way.

"So, what should we do with him?"

"I say we tie him back up and wait for Eliade. Let her deal with it."

"I say we should hang him up from the ceiling and beat him like a pinata until something falls out!"

"We should take a crowbar to his skull!"

"We should tie cinder blocks to his legs and throw him into a river!"

One-by-one, each person submitted their ideas. Shirou didn't pay much attention, instead deciding to resign himself to his fate. He would die with these heavy regrets he had accumulated with the miserable life he lived.

"...I say we bury from from the neck down."

"No, I think we should lock him in a girls' locker room and let them have a crack at him."

"That doesn't sound half-bad. Kind of funny actually." There were mumbles of agreement.

"Personally, I think we should tie him up and whip him until he begs for mercy!"

"Oh! Now THAT is a good one!" More approval from Kaido's group.

"I would be satisfied with a simple apology."

There was a long pause as everyone realized something very important.

"Wait a minute!"

"You're not members of our crew!"

Shirou's eyes widened as he, too, realized the abnormality of these completely benign punishments. He raised his head, stunned into even deeper silence.

[WHO THE HELL ARE YOU GUYS?!]

All eyes were directed towards four figures, unknown to the Yellow Diamonds. Sir most distill shamble features were their uniforms, quite similar to Shirou's.

The girl in front was older than him, possessing hair that was the same shade of red as blood. Crimson.

She placed her hands on her hips. "Oh, we're just a normal high school club, here to retrieve our precious club member." Rias said it with such an elegant smile that one almost could have believed her words were true if they hadn't been blatant lies. "Could you please give him back?"

"Wait a minute!" One of the underlings raised his hand. "I know these people, Boss! They're that popular crowd from Fujimura's school!"

"I know that!" Kaido snapped. "These guys are the Occult Research Club Fujimura belongs to! They're also Devils!" A wave of unease washed over Kaido's delinquents. "Hey! Don't forget, boys! We already beat Demon King Fujimura, the strongest bastard in this town! Who are these small fry compared to us?!"

Somewhat heartened by their leader's words, the members of the Yellow Diamonds regained their confidence somewhat.

"Now let's show these shit Devils what the Yellow Diamonds are made of!" Kaido pumped his fist into the air, his subordinates mimicking the gesture with an uproarious cheer.

The blonde-haired prince, Yuuto Kiba, smiled apologetically. "Couldn't you just hand Shirou back over to us? We would really prefer to avoid conflict. We just want our club member back."

Kaido sneered, taking a special disliking for Kiba. "And what is he to you anyhow? This guy is garbage, worthless trash! Just about everyone in this town wants him gone for good. What the fuck is he to you?"

"Well, he's our friend for one." In that instant, Kiba vanished into thin air. Then there was the sound of screams of pain, three of Kaido's underlings suddenly falling to the ground. Then Kiba reappeared in the same spot as before, a more serious expression on his face. "And we really don't appreciate how you've been treating him."

Kaido's jaw dropped in shock. It took him four tries to make his mouth make words before he turned to his underlings. "Well?! What are you idiots waiting for?! Do you want Eliade to skin us alive for losing Fujimura?! Get them!"

Jolted into action, Kaido's underlings rushed towards the members of the ORC, more afraid of the thought of the snake-woman's punishment than anything the Occult Research Club could ever do to them.

They feared the wrong lesser of the two.

Rias sighed. "It appears this can't be resolved peacefully." She turned to her servants. "So shall we "thank" them for their "hospitality"?"

[Yes, Buchou.]

Anyone with even a small amount of supernatural senses would have been able to plainly see the amount of Demonic Power radiating from them.

They. Were. PISSED.

Kiba once again vanished. Even with his enhanced eyes, Shirou could only catch a glimpse of him when he stopped moving for moments at a time. Whenever there was a scream of pain and some shocked-looking underlings fell to the ground, Shirou knew that Kiba had been there, venting his surprisingly large amount of frustration and anger.

"Where the Hell did he go?!"

"He's like some sort of speed demon!"

"Forget about him! Get the Yamato Nadeshiko chick! He should stop if we catch the one of his comrades!" Kaido ordered. When some of them gained lustful expressions upon noticing Akeno's "generous assets", Kaido shot them a hostile look. "And don't do anything else but capture her! Nothing illegal! Don't forget: We're delinquents, not criminals!"

[Yes, Boss!]

The mob tried charging towards Akeno who stood protectively in front of Rias and Koneko.

"Ufufu~ So many at once~ Thats hardly fair~!" Akeno said in a teasing tone. "I guess I'll have to punish you all~!" Akeno raised a hand to the sky, electricity dancing down her arm and shooting up from her fingertips into the air. The Yellow Diamonds members only had a second to stand confused before a loud boom of thunder was followed by an incredibly large electrical discharge that rained down on them, possessing far more power than any normal bolt of lightning would possess.

There shrieks of pain were drowned out by the modest giggles of Akeno as the smell of their slightly-crispy flesh filled the air. When the light finally faded, at least seven of Kaido's underlings were on the ground, alive but unconscious.

"You really don't hold back, do you, Akeno?" Rias noted with a slight smile.

Akeno placed a hand to the side of her face, sharing a similar smile. "Of course. If I left any of them for you, they would be far worse-off." It could be noted that Rias's smile directed towards the Yellow Diamonds was cold and uncharacteristically humorless. "We're all angry, but these people are still human by the loosest definition, Rias."

The president of the ORC sighed, conceding the point. "I know."

With the tides of battle quickly turning, Kaido's confidence slowly began to leak from his body, his smirk being replaced by a nervous scowl. "Damn it...what the Hell are these guys...?" He looked around for something, anything to give the, the edge now that their borrowed power had been spent. "Grrrr! I...I..." Then his eyes caught sight of the last member of the group. "Grab the shorty! She's obviously the weakest!"

Shirou recognized the familiar tic mark that appeared on Koneko's forehead. "...short...?" He also recognized the familiar tone of her voice.

Desperate for any chance of victory, the remaining delinquents all lunged at once at Koneko, trying to take down at least one of Rias's servants-

BAM! BANG! BONG!

-They were all sent flying with a series of punches deliver by Koneko, her fight being so anti-climactic that it required no proper description.

Immediately, Koneko turned her sharp look at Kaido, causing him to flinch. Kaido was certain he was next, but Koneko did nothing.

"...Don't call me "short"."

Kaido sweatdropped. "O...K..."

A long silence befell the remaining conscious occupant of the warehouse, Kiba having completely finished with the ones he had been defeating and appearing next to his comrades. Kaido could barely breathe due to both fear and shock at how events had unfolded.

"...No way..." Kaido breathed out.

"...hehehehehehe..." The low snickering next to his feet caught Kaido's attention. "Snck! Hehehehehehehehehe!" Shirou grinned mockingly at Kaido, showing great amusement at his current situation.

"What's so FUNNY?!" Kaido kicked Shirou in the side, doing nothing to damage the King of Delinquents' good cheer.

"You really are an idiot, Kaido..." Kaido felt his face flush with rage. "...you lost the moment you tried to take these guys on in a straight-up fight..." Showing great strain, Shirou pushed himself upright into a sitting position, clutching his side while wincing. His smile quickly returned. "You see..." Shirou jabbed a thumb in his club members' direction. "These guys are ten times stronger than me. Your guys never stood a chance..."

"GRAAAAAAAAAH!" Kaido gave Shirou another kick, stumbling as the delinquent's hand lashed out and grabbed the tip of his foot, smirking.

"After all, in a one-on-one fight, you never could have beaten me, you cannon fodder."

Kaido panicked, desperately trying to yank his foot away from Shirou's grasp. He fought more and more desperately, trying to break free. "DAMN YOU!"

Shirou's smile became even more mocking due to the gentle nature it took. "Bye bye!" He released Kaido's foot, causing the leader of the Yellow Diamonds to stumble and fall over himself. He crawled to all-fours before scrambling to his feet, running away as fast as he could manage,

"I'll get you, Fujimura! I SWEAR IT!"

And then he was gone.

The feeling of battle finally faded from the air, all of the muscles in Shirou's body finally given a chance to relax. "Well...that was satisfying..."

"Shirou-kun, are you alright?"

"HOLY SHIT!" Shirou jumped, suddenly noticing Akeno's presence right next to him. "Are you a fuckin' ninja or something?!" He seriously had not noticed Akeno's approach.

Akeno seemed to ignore the question, worry filled her expression. "It looks like you went through a lot..."

Shirou turned his gaze downwards. "You could say that..." Without raising his head, he called out, "Oi! Kiba!"

The prince-like Devil turned to face Shirou. "Yes?"

"The damaged bento box by the table...is it still there?" Shirou asked, too tired to turn his head.

Kiba headed in the direction described by Shirou, raising an eyebrow at the messy remains of what had once been someone's lunch. "Well...Yes, but it's kind of been smashed. I don't think it's good to eat-"

"Just shut up and bring it over here...!" Shirou hung his head further. "...please?"

That one word had surprised Kiba. He expected the demand, but not the "please". While he was somewhat uncertain as to what Shirou intended to do with it, he did as asked, picking up what remained of the box and bringing it over to the wounded Shirou, setting it down in front of him.

"Thanks..." Shirou stared sadly at the box, as if it had been a long-lost friend, sniffling. Without warning, he clasped his hands together, trembling. "Thanks for the meal!" Shirou raised one of his hands to neck level.

Despite how dirty, messy, and inedible the food had been, Shirou shoved his hand into the remains of what had once been a rice ball, now coated in a mix of dirt and dipping cause from the mess that was created. Without hesitation, he shoved the now-monstrous concoction into his mouth, looking like a rabid beast that had not eaten in days.

It didn't stop there. He chewed and he chewed and he swallowed before immediately taking up another piece of smashed formerly-food and shoved it into his mouth, barely having time to breathe. He did his again and again, eating the meal that nobody else would be able to. When he coughed and gagged, nobody was sure whether it was because the food was terrible or because he was eating too much too fast.

He didn't care about the people around him seeing. He just kept on eating the food that had prepared and desecrated.

It took a total of ten minutes for Shirou to finish wolfing the meal down. Fifteen minutes if you counted the total of five minutes that was spent afterwards, dry-heaving as his body fought violently to cough it all right back up. Shirou fell to all-fours, trying to take deep breaths as he forced his insides to accept what they had been given.

It had been a revolting thing to experience and a revolting thing to watch.

But nobody dared to interrupt Shirou.

When he stopped convulsing as if possessed by a poltergeist, Shirou just sat there, avoiding eye-contact with his fellow Devils. He looked like he was going to say something, so Rias didn't speak so as to avoid interrupting him.

So they remained in silence for another five minutes until Shirou finally inhaled.

"...So how did you know to come here?"

Rias smiled softly. "Well, we were originally going to look for you anyway since you hadn't returned for our club meeting." Shirou thought back to his previous argument, wondering why Rias thought he intended to return or if she had been taking him seriously at all. "Then all of a sudden, another boy, Issei Hyoudou burst through the door, screaming something about a fight and delinquent-monsters flinging fireballs..."

Shirou did not look up, his body beginning to tremble more violently. He buried his face into his hands.

"Don't worry. We altered his memories of the incident to omit the elements related to the supernatural." Rias assured him, taking a few steps closer. "However, before we did, he gave us one request, a Contract: To save his friend." Rias took another few steps, kneeling in front of Shirou. "Shirou, for him, Kiyome, and for me, I am giving you this order: Live. Regardless of what any other says, you must live for the people who care about you...no more acting selfishly with the intention of dying..."

The world around Shirou felt like it was breaking.

He removed his hands from his face, revealing the streams of tears that fell from his face with renewed force.

He opened his mouth to say something, but fell silent, unable to even speak as Rias wrapped her arms around him, bringing him into a warm embrace. Rias held Shirou much like an older sister would hold a brother.

Shirou couldn't stop his trembling.

He wanted to believe his almost-seven-year nightmare was over...but at the same time. He was afraid.

Nobody could imagine the pain he endured. They could not even begin to picture that feeling...the lows he had felt. For as long as he could remember, he felt that painful hate and hostility directed towards him. Nobody could understand that feeling...to be treated with an animosity so intense as to be annihilating...to have around many who would deny him the right to even exist, his only wrong having been that he had been born in the same world as every other human life.

The only possible way he could protect himself was to take all of that hate, that loathing, and direct it right back at the world...but it didn't stop the pain. If anything, it only became far more excruciating. It was survival through a painful, lonely existence, surrounded by walls he had erected around himself.

He became so closed and afraid that he snapped at the hands that had attempted to grant him kindness. The thought of others trying to be around him only made him more anxious, more afraid and uncertain.

Even Shirou himself had begun to believe he was a mistake, that he was a cursed existence, one that had no right to continue to breathe and live normally in the same way as others.

And then there was Issei, Rias, and Kiyome who told him something he was almost afraid to hear.

It was alright to live.

Shirou was a living person.

Not a mistake.

And so, Shirou Fujimura, the Demon King of Kuoh, broke down in tears, crying in his master's embrace as he released his long-held wails of sorrow and pain.

* * *

 **The Next Day...**

Kiyome sat at her desk, grumbling angrily to herself about all that had transpired he previous day. She had not smiled even once since the other day and everyone knew not to confront her about it, knowing she would most likely snap. Even the teachers knew to just let her cool her temper before calling on her.

Everyone one she was in a bad mood and they all knew why.

It was because of the person they always knew to blame when something went wrong or when something bad happened.

Shirou Fujimura.

Nobody dared confront him, though, because they were deathly afraid. All they could do was be there for Kiyome and spread word of what an unbelievable monster the Demon King of Kuoh was.

And the fact that they intended to do that only infuriated Kiyome further. They were just going to prove Shirou's point and push him even further away. Even after everything that had happened, Kiyome didn't hate Shirou. Her stupid heart couldn't even stay mad at him for more than a few seconds. It was her pride and self-respect that helped prevent her from immediately forgiving him.

No matter how much her heart longed for that dolt, she would refuse to forgive him until he gave her a proper apology for the things he said before. Then she would apologize with being severe with him...

And then he would confess his love for her, sweep her off her feet, and they would ride the magic, flying pony all he way to Narnia where they would get married and live happily ever after.

She thought it was fun to play pretend, so she decided to twist the scenario into something amusing like the joke she thought up as a way to calm her anger and frustration.

Kiyome Abe had known Shirou long enough that he was too prideful and dense to ever give a proper apology and that the first half of the scenario was just as likely as the second half.

Seriously, she just could not figure out why Shirou couldn't open up a little-

"Hey, Kiyome."

Speak of the Devil! (In more ways than one.)

Kiyome clicked her tongue, slowly turning her head to face Shirou who stopped beside her.

"What do you wa-OH MY GOD!" She screamed in shock when she caught side of Shirou, standing from her seat as her jaw dropped from shock. His face had a lot of bruises, including a black eye, and several lacerations to his face, some of the, bandaged up and some looking healed up. His face looked like someone had driven a car with spiked wheels over it. His arm was in a cast and sling and he seemed to wince every time he took a step. "WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?!"

Shirou managed an awkward smile, wincing as the movement of his facial muscles irritated his cuts and bruises. "Ah, you know...got hit by a car and stuff."

 _"Bullshit!"_ Kiyome was no idiot. And even if she was, she could never be stupid enough to believe such a blatant lie. The snow-haired boy had clearly gotten into trouble...He had gotten into some kind of danger without thinking about like he always did...She shook her head, reminding herself she was supposed to be angry, not worried. "Anyway, what do you want? I believe you made your feelings towards me and every other person in this world quite clear yesterday."

She regretted her wording, especially when she saw Shirou flinch, but could not damage her position by taking them back.

But what truly surprised her was how nervous Shirou was acting. He was holding his one good hand behind his back and his feet were shuffling awkwardly.

"I...I know...And..well...I..." Shirou kept mumbling various words, trying and failing multiple times to form something coherent. "Look, I just..." His face started turning red, his embarrassment turning to frustration over his own awkward inability to properly express himself. "I...You didn't deserve that...I asked Rias and Akeno to leave me like this for a while as punishment..."

The president of the Tennis Club had to pinch her thigh to assure herself that was was, in fact, awake and not in some crazy, unrealistic dream. "What...?"

"The...it...and it's like..." Shirou's frustration only added further to his inability to speak. "I...Grrrr!" He moved faster than Kiyome could react. At first, she thought he was going to ward off a blow, push her away, or grope her (oddly being okay with the latter idea).

Then she felt a pair of arms wrap around her body. It was only for a second, but it felt like it went by so slow. She knew it was arms because one of the appendages was wrapped in something solid. However, just as quick as it started, it ended, Shirou taking a few steps back.

Shirou's face was literally steaming, the Demon King of Kuoh turning his gaze away, his blush having calmed to a mild pink tinging his cheeks. It was then that Kiyome noticed the small package he held in his one good hand. A box wrapped in a plain white cloth.

"T-Take this..." Without waiting for consent, he shoved the box into Kiyome's hands, turning on his heels. "I-It's like I've told y-you before. I don't like owing people. That's all there is to it." That is what he said before he literally _sprinted_ out of the room to return to his own classroom, leaving Kiyome with the box in her hands.

Curious, she sat back at her desk, laying the rather plain box flat on her desk. There were whispers from her classmates, developing quite a few rumors on what the contents could be.

Kiyome took the top off the box and, the moment she did, an unbearably appetizing fragrance filled the air, the box containing a meal fit for a king. It was...a bento. She recognized it immediately as Shirou's cooking. He tried to hide his skill from her, but she had seen AND smelled his cooking to know his cooking signature. Not just that, but it was a lot of her favorites inside...

As well as a small folded up piece of paper nestled neatly inside, in a small plastic wrapping to keep from being ruined by the food inside.

When she opened it, she smiled softly as happiness and relief filled her being. She stared at the only two words written on the paper:

 _Thank you._

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** Calm Before The Storm! Average Day In The Life of Shirou!

* * *

 **And we are done! I know everyone has questions. Perhaps some are curious as to the specific reason Kaido hates Shirou. Perhaps some are curious as to whether Kaido will become a recurring character (Answer is "Yes"). Perhaps some are curious as to how Shirou will change from hereon now that his barriers have been broken...**

 **Anyway, thanks for the reads and reviews!**

 **Bye-Bye!**


	9. Chapter 7: Calm Before The Storm!

**And here we go with next chapter.**

 **Also, I notice some discontent about Shirou being captured in the end, but let's remember he defeated OVER TWENTY delinquents who could use Demonic Power (albeit temporarily) and even then only got captured due to a cheap shot. They could use Demonic Power and Shirou wasn't properly trained yet. And he still would have won. He technically did win. Everyone acknowledges that if it weren't for that one cheap shot, Shirou would have won the entire fight.**

 **PS: I posted a new story called** "Sorry, Babe, I Just Ain't That Kind of Hero". **I hope you all check it out.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Calm Before The Storm! Average Day In The Life of Shirou!**

Their defeat had been brutal. Even though they had FINALLY achieved their goal of defeating the Demon King of Kuoh, Shirou Fujimura, they had still ultimately been defeated by the King of Delinquents's unbelievably powerful comrades. They had won, but they had then immediately lost. It wouldn't have been so infuriating if it had just been left at that, but when they had gone to Kaido, suggesting they go to Eliade for another boost in power, he punched each and every one of them in the face, cursing them out, calling them idiots.

And that's why these seven individuals quit the Yellow Diamonds.

Kaido was a coward. Because he was afraid of things that go bump in the dark, he refused to ask the person who could give them what they needed for the power necessary to kill each and every one of those bastards. Kaido was afraid of some stupid snake-woman when the solution for her threat was fairly simple:

Use her power to kill Fujimura and his comrades and then use it to kill the bitch herself.

Who knows? They could have found a way to take her power for their own and become gods.

That was the plan at least. It was why they used the emergency line to contract the Devil who had granted them their inhuman powers to use against Shirou in their confrontation.

When she had picked up the phone (they were stunned a giant snake-woman could use one), she listened to their explanation of what had happened during their encounter and requested additional assistance so they could deal with and put an end to Fujimura and his band of misfits once and for all. Eliade had been suspicious at first, mostly because she had been so used to dealing with Kaido and showed suspicion concerning how HE wasn't the one who contacted her, but they managed to calm her by explaining he was busy. They all shared a fist-bump when Eliade had agreed to meet with them and sent them the location.

It was a small clearing in the middle of the woods bordering Kuoh Town at night.

Eliade had told them that she couldn't meet them during the day because the sunlight slows the healing process of her body and she was still aching from her previous conflict with Shirou. Sympathizing (only slightly due to her unsightly appearance), they agreed to meet in the forest at night. Not only was it private, but it also lessened the pain Eliade suffered from her injuries.

It was a reasonable request, so they had accepted without doing much thinking.

They stood in the clearing, waiting patiently for their benefactor.

For at least ten minutes, there was spine-chilling silence, none of them speaking a single word for fear of being heard by whatever lurked in the darkness. Before, something like a dark woods never would have even been remotely scary, but now that they knew that there was definitely a monster in the dark, they've learned to be more cautious. Sometimes it was far scarier knowing what laid in the unknown.

The leader of this little splinter group paced back and forth nervously, wishing that their demonic benefactor would just show her face already. Just the memory of it gave him nightmares. He still couldn't figure out how Kaido struck a bargain with such a hideous creature without vomiting.

"Good evening, little morssssselssss~" That familiar hissing, albeit a bit softer and more feminine than before, filled their ears before they even laid eyes on the creature.

Everyone immediately stood at attention, looking around desperately for the source of the voice. However, no matter how desperately they scoped through the surrounding area, they could not catch a single glimpse of the mysterious creature whom they possessed business with. Again, they realized how inhuman she was, erasing her presence without leaving a single trace even when her voice appeared loud and clear.

"My oh my, you all look absssssolutely adorable~" The Devil teased, clearly observing their actions with great amusement. "However. If you wish to find a goddesssss, you mussssst ssssimply turn your head towardssss the sssky."

The words she gave all of them only provoked further confusion.

Only the leader was able to wise up and understand the meaning behind the monster's words, remembering her habit of arrogance regarding her appearance despite the fact it was incredibly hideous.

He turned his eyes towards the sky above, expecting to see the demon's monstrous form flapping even more monstrous wings in the night sky. He was surprised to find neither of those things, the sky surprisingly empty of any supernatural phenomenon. No giant snake-woman patrolling he skies in search of her next meal, feasting on some poor, unsuspecting mouse she chose as her chew toy.

"A bit lower, boysssss~" The Demon advised.

Following her directions, the leader of the group brought his eyes lower, realizing he was meant to examine the trees around him.

Again, he scanned the area, unsure what he would find that he hadn't seen before-

"Finally~"

And then he laid his lies upon the unfamiliar woman sitting in the tree, wearing a kimono and covering her mouth with her sleeve. She was absolutely drop-dead GORGEOUS. Her figure was perfect, elegant. She looked like an honest-to-God Ojou-sama. Any person who laid eyes on her would be absolutely mesmerized. Even now, all the members of their group were drooling over her.

The mysterious woman giggled, still hiding her smile. However, oddly enough, her laughter...it was a noise reminiscent to hissing.

"It hassss been a while ssssince I've had such eyessssss gaze upon me~" The woman hissed. "I apologize for not letting you look upon me during our first meeting. Unfortunately, I wassss sssstill in the process of recovering from my injuriessss."

The leader frowned. "Huh? What do you mean...?"

The woman giggled again. "During my battle with Fujimura, my injuries prevented me from showing my beauteous form. Even now I am not fully recovered."

It was only then that it clicked together in his mind. His heart froze up, his fear causing him to back up several steps, pointing a trembling finger at the woman swinging her LEGS from the tree.

"You-Y-Y-Y-You-You're-BOSS ELIADE!" He ended up tripping on a tree root and falling backward onto his butt. He crawled away, terrified even as the newly-revealed Demon swung her legs back and forth. "B-But how?!"

Eliade looked as though her hand was hiding a smirk. "These legs are merely an illusion I cast so humans do not perceive the truth of my existence. However, the rest of my marvelous figure you see before is one-hundred percent genuine."

 _"So this is what she looks like normally...?"_ The leader thought, swallowing nervously. He quickly shook his head, remember the monstrous face that laid underneath that beautiful mask. "Anyway, now that you're here, we can finally get to business!" He pointed a sharp finger at Eliade. "We need you to give us more of your powers so we can kill Fujimura and those dumb Occult bitches from his school!"

The Stray Devil raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what happened to the power I gave you? Wassssted it already?" The condescending tone she used irritated the splinter group leader. "What I gave you sssshould have been more than enough to deal with Fumimura asss a group."

"We got interrupted by his Devil-buddies!" The leader grumbled. "Kaido sent us to talk to you to give us more power! Come on! What do you say? We can still take care of Fujimura for you, for the right price."

"I'm ssssorry, but I find that hard to believe since you ultimately lost when it was twenty-to-one."

It wasn't hard to feel the mood become darker, the temperature of the air lowering by several degrees.

Eliade's expression suddenly became significantly less amicable, disgust staining her beautiful face. She slowly slid down from he branch upon which she was perched, allowing herself to fall to the ground, landing on the tail concealed by her illusory legs. She approached the group, the seven of them backing away in a semi-circle, their instincts informing them of the danger.

"Not to mention I DESSSPISSSSE liarsssss~" Eliade continued approaching them at a calm, casual pace. "Did you think I would not confirm your wordssss with Kaido-kun?" They were surprised by her sudden show of closeness with their former boss, but all the more terrified. "You ssssee, dessspite what you might think, I don't treat ALL humansss assss mealsss. No, in fact, there are ssssome who catch my interesssst. The ssshared hatred of that sssnow haired nuissssance and hisss incredible willingnessss to deal with a Ssssstray Devil made me a little fond of him."

The leader of the splinter group wasn't sure how far away he had backed up. He only stopped when he felt his back smack against some kind of solid barrier. He looked around behind him but saw nothing but air. Not even a tree.

"Kaido-kun wassss quite the interessssting human~" Eliade praised. "While I initially intended to sssslaughter every ssssingle one of you, hisss interessssting attitude convinced me otherwisssse. I'm not naturally caring in casssse it wasssssn't obvioussss, but I like to let interessssting petssss live."

And then the air began to dissolve behind him, revealing a large, scaly, reptilian tail.

"But I _devour_ vermin ssssuch assss yoursssselves~"

They had been led into a trap. A giant wall of scaly flesh appeared, surrounding the entire group of seven, leaving no escape. The members of their little group began to tremble in fear as the massive creature rose to full height, utilizing her far more fearsome appearance. She was making her message quite clear:

There was no escape.

The serpentine Devil let out another loud, hissing laugh. "Would one of you _geniusessss_ care to explain what your big plan wassss?" They were too terrified to answer, as they should. "Ssssomehow deceive me, make me believe you could actually DEFEAT Fujimura even with your far inferior numberssss? Ssssomehow convince you to give you even more power, enough that could trounce even my own? Wasssss that the plan?"

Again, no response.

"Even if I ever considered such a foolissssh notion, my power has no ssssuch ability. You would only receive a total of power equal to or lessss than my own." Eliade explained, again revealing the gauntlet she had shown them only a few days ago. "You are all such simple fools, believing I would ever consider even make lowly humans such assss yoursssselvesss able to rival my own power. Maybe interessssting onesss like Kaido-kun, but not maggotssss such asss yourssselvesss."

No response, yet again.

The serpent's upper body began to change, transforming into the same horribly grotesque creature they had seen upon their first meeting. The creature licked her chops hungrily, like a predator before its prey.

"Tell me~" She commanded. "Do you know what I call foolish, disgusting humanssss ssssuch as yourssselvessss?"

The leader of their group swallowed hard, close to pissing his pants. "W-W-What?"

Eliade grinned. " _Dinner._ " The creature lunged forth, fangs poised to strike.

Seven blood-curdling screams filled the open night air, the owners never to be heard from again...

* * *

"Dodge!"

"You don't have to give me warning, Kiba!"

Shirou leaned back, watching as Kiba's sword stabbed right over his face, completely missing its mark. He wouldn't say it wasn't a close-call, but he doubted the strike would have killed him. Even if he didn't dodge, his jaw strength was strong enough that he could have caught the blade with his teeth like some kind of anime character (or, at least, that's what Shirou hoped would have happened had he failed to dodge). It would have been a badass sight though. Shirou could already picture it in his mind...

Catching a blade with his mouth. Maybe even shattering its steel with his teeth.

 _"Yeah. That would be pretty badass..."_ Shirou noted, nodding to himself.

"If you nod off like that, you're going to get yourself killed, Shirou." Shirou was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of Kiba's voice, shuffling to the side to avoid a downward strike of Kiba's blade. A moment slower and Shirou had no doubt he would have been seriously maimed, maybe even knocked out. From the trajectory of the blade, Shirou couldn't help but feel...

"WERE YOU AIMING FOR MY HEAD!?" Shirou screeched, the battle halting with Kiba standing awkwardly, somewhat off-put by the question.

The pretty boy smiled apologetically. "Well, you see...this is a spar and I AM trying to hit you so-"

"THE FUCK!?" Shirou screamed, raising an angry fist. "Even for sparring, that's going a little far, Kiba!"

"To be fair, I was the one who suggested I use wooden swords instead of my own." Kiba reasoned. "But then you said you wanted me to go all-out so..."

"I didn't ask you to try to cut off my head!" Shirou retorted. "I kind of need my head to LIVE, Kiba!"

Kiba scratched his cheek, looking embarrassed. "You're right. I guess I kind of got a little too into it and got too heated. I'm sorry." He bowed his head in apology.

Shirou's normal reaction to such a thing would have been to hit the offender. However, instead of physically assaulting Kiba for almost decapitating him, he merely turned his head to the side, clicking his tongue.

"It's no biggie." Shirou let out a small sigh. "Just try being more careful to avoid lethal injuries. I can live without any other limb. 'K, buddy?"

"Right." Kiba agreed.

"Go easy on him, Kiba!" A voice from the sidelines requested. "Shirou's still a newbie, so he's probably not accustomed to such intense fighting!"

Shirou shot a sharp look in the direction of the voice's owner. "Nobody asked for the thoughts of the peanut gallery!"

"Well excuse the Hell out of me for worrying about you!" The owner of said voice was a certain young woman, her blonde hair styled into drills. "Look, Shirou, I know more about Devils than you do and you're still not quite on Kiba's level yet. If you just try facing him going all-out by rushing in, you're probably at least going to lose some fingers or toes. Just take is slowly."

"Yeah!? Well, I-!" Shirou was about to shoot back with something scathing, but caught himself, biting his tongue for a moment before letting it go. He sighed. "Alright...You're right, Kiyome." He sounded so disappointed that it was almost heart-breaking. Shirou turned back to Kiba. "Alright. I guess...we can go back to you using a wooden sword."

Kiba nodded, heading over to the sidelines where his original wooden sword was lain when their training first started. He picked it up before walking casually back over to Shirou, retaking the same stance he had when he and Shirou had first begun their match, feet firm on the ground. Shirou had no such stance, merely raising his fists, ready to strike a blow when he could.

"Although, to be honest, I think you've improved since we first started, Shirou." Kiba praised, gesturing to his leg. The leg of his pants was slightly torn. "While your physical prowess still leaves something to be desired, you've gotten slightly better at noticing your opponent's weak spots."

Shirou clicked his tongue, seeming more irritated than before. "I was aiming for your shoulder, but you tried leaping out of the way and got hit in the leg instead." He pouted.

"Well...at least you've gotten good at controlling the amount of strength you strike with. You save your weaker strikes for non-vital areas to preserve energy."

"...Kiba, I've been attacking you with everything I have ever since the fight started." Shirou's eye twitched.

"O-Oh...Well, your-"

"Shut the fuck up, Kiba." Shirou sighed out, feeling more irritated as Kiba tried to correct his unintentional insult. "Before I seriously punch you in the face, just shut the fuck up, Kiba, and fight me."

Taking the tip, Kiba corrected his stance, ready to reengage. "Very well then."

And the two began their spar again, Kiba feeling much more at ease with using all of his technique and skill against Shirou now that a blow with his weapon wouldn't kill his comrade and Shirou showing more determination than ever.

On the sidelines, four women observed this duel between men, occasionally commenting here and there. But mostly, they discussed among themselves.

The four consisted of Rias Gremory, Koneko Toujou, Akeno Himejima, and the unusual fourth woman being the president of the Tennis Club, Kiyome Abe. It had been six days since the now-resolved conflict between Rias's newest Devil servant and the street gang known as the Yellow Diamonds and everything had returned to relative peace and quiet. However, it couldn't quite be referred to as _normal_ normal...

"He's really changed, hasn't he, Kiyome?" Rias asked, gesturing to Shirou who was putting valiant efforts in defending against Kiba's strikes. Quite a few of them got through and gave Shirou some nasty bruises, but when the sword was about to strike what would, in a real life-death situation, have been vital points, Shirou instinctively raised his guard. He was certainly improving since they first started.

Kiyome nodded. "Yeah. I was really surprised. He's gotten so much stronger in such a short time." When the training had first started, Shirou had been horribly outmatched, especially when he started demanding Kiba go all-out.

There had not been enough bandages in the entire town to cover his cuts and bruises. Kiyome loathed to picture the methods through which Akeno or Rias had been healing him up each day. Just thinking about it drove her up the wall, something that would not be appropriate as she was sitting right next to them.

"That's not what I was talking about." Kiyome turned to face Rias, Kiyome's confused eyes getting a good look at Rias's amused expression. "He's been considerably warmer towards everyone these past few days-"

"...More like less of an asshole is more like it." Koneko chimed in, munching on a bag of chips.

"Hm, a bit harsh don't you think?" Rias asked.

Kiyome waved off Rias's question. "Well, she's not wrong. Shirou WAS kind of an asshole." She looked back towards the battle between Shirou and Kiba, Shirou throwing a punch at Kiba's face only to have the blow blocked by Kiba's guard, Kiba quickly deflecting the blow and gaining some distance. "But he's really different now..." She looked at Shirou's face. The usual tension and frustration that usually appeared in his expression was gone. In their place was a small but very joyful smile. "...he's become a lot happier since before. I guess I have a lot to thank you guys for." She clasped her hands together, unable to let out a soft smile as she stared at Shirou's more cheerful, more innocent face with a look that could almost be thought of as "admiring".

"I see~" Rias easily noticed Kiyome's face, becoming even more amused. "It looks like Shirou isn't the only person who's changed."

"That's true. You've never given those longing eyes so openly before~" Akeno joined in, teasing Kiyome.

Their teasing provoked in interesting shade of red coloring Kiyome's cheeks, her face steaming as she stared at them incredulously.

"W-What are you talking about?!" Kiyome squeaked, sounding as though she was trying to sound indignant due to their words. "S-Stop saying weird things like that! You're gonna let Shirou hear and then he's gonna get the wrong impression!" She took several rapid deep breaths, trying to calm herself. "I-I mean i-it's not like he's ugly or anything! He-He's very attractive, b-but I just...I...I mean I can't just go up to him and-!"

"We were only making an observation." Rias giggled to herself, taking even more pleasure in seeing how flustered Kiyome could get. "But I suppose it's natural. It's the first time he ever seemed to open up to you or anyone for that matter, so your current happiness is understandable. Your desire is almost within your reach, isn't it?"

Despite how impossible it seemed, Kiyome's face became even redder than it was before, looking as though a single poke with a needle would make her face pop like a balloon. "I-I told you to stop saying stuff like that! I-It's not like I was trying to get him to open up for that one purpose! And b-besides, you guys were the one who struck the "finishing blow" on his shell..." Kiyome trailed off, her previous embarrassment fading away, giving away to disappointment and a bit of shame.

There were no words to describe how happy she was to see Shirou opening up so much to others, but a more envious part of her wished it had been her who had finally opened Shirou's eyes. For all of her work, it took a group of people he had only known a few weeks at most to finally help him...She felt disgusted with herself for so many reasons. For not being able to help Shirou and for acting so childishly just because she wasn't the one who opened him up.

"Although you were the one who managed to get him to that point..." Akeno disagreed, her gaze once again on Shirou and Kiba's spar. "I saw him, the look in his eyes. I could tell the moment he finally awakened to the truth, you were the only person in his mind. You might think your role was small, but you have been wearing down the barriers around him since you first met. The smile he wears now is thanks to you, and I believe he knows it as well."

Kiyome blushed slightly before her face once again obtained that deep shade of red. "S-Stop saying those things just to get a reaction out of me!"

"Ufufu~ Perhaps you would have an easier time of winning him over if you showed that cute side of yours more often~" Akeno teased. Kiyome shot her an embarrassed glare.

Rias placed a gentle hand on Kiyome's shoulder. "If you choose to pursue him, you have our full support."

Kiyome shrugged off Rias's hand, shooting the Devil girl a suspicious look.

"Why are you being so giving?" After the Occult Research Club had protected Shirou, Kiyome's opinion of Devils had improved greatly. However, she still had the paranoid (and greatly misguided) belief that they would try demanding her soul if she let her guard down. "I thought you would be more selfish considering the fact you're a Devil who is supposed to be greedy about their possessions."

She also had the (equally misguided) suspicion that Akeno and Rias were or would become her rivals due to the close proximity they casually shared with Shirou.

"True enough." Rias admitted. "While I intend to keep my adorable servants by my side for as long as possible, one of the primary goals of Devils is to inflame and encourage the desires of humans. That is a major part of our existence. And love is something all human hearts desire deep down." She gestured back to the snow-haired boy dodging and blocking Kiba's strikes even though the number of strikes he blocked matched the number of bruises he received. He also received a particularly nasty blow across his face, almost knocking him flat onto the ground.

Shirou stood up, grinning with blood dripping from the corner of his mouth, Shirou having no doubt bitten either his cheeks or his tongue. "HAHAHAHahahaha! Zat...That the best you got?!" He looked a bit jarred from the previous blow, but he refused to show it outright.

"Besides." Rias continued. "I get the distinct feeling you would have enough trouble even if I didn't oppose you." She gave a small laugh at her own joke. Even Kiyome herself couldn't help the half-pitiable/half-amused smile that came to her face.

"I guess you have a point." If there was one thing Kiyome knew about Shirou, it was the fact that he is as dense as he is battle-hungry. And Shirou REALLY liked a good fight. Almost as much as he liked cooking, and that was really saying something. "He's really stubborn."

Shirou immediately recovered from the injury he sustained and went right back to his fight with Kiba. It was obvious from the beginning that Shirou still was not on the same level as Kiba. He had gotten better at evading or blocking Kiba's attacks, but he had yet to lay any substantial blows on his opponent. It would be easy to make a hilarious video of clips where Shirou is knocked flat on his ass. The difference between their power was that hilarious.

Yet Shirou never stayed down. He never rested.

He just kept getting right back up, keeping that same look of determination on his face.

"In some ways, that stubbornness is also one of his most endearing traits." Kiyome said, admiration once again sneaking onto her face.

"You're wearing that look again~" Akeno teased, causing Kiyome's face to flush even more deeply. "I'm actually envious of how happy you look~"

"GAH! FUCK!" Shirou screamed during his beating at the hands of Kiba for the umpteenth time.

"S-Shut up!" Kiyome stood up, crossing her arms under her bust. "It's not like he's the ONLY reason for me to smile so stop acting like me smiling explains everything about how I'm feeling!" She sighed. "I really wish he would-OH MY GOD!"

All heads turned to face the same direction as Kiyome, all three women of the Occult Research Club raising an eyebrow in response to the sight.

Shirou stood in front of them, smiling awkwardly while he clutched his bloody right shoulder. Sticking out said shoulder was a large splinter of wood at least six inches long. Kiba stood dutifully behind him, looking both embarrassed and ashamed as he showed his half of his broken practice sword.

"Buchou, I told Kiba I wanted to practice catching a sword with my teeth like a badass and I got a splinter in my shoulder."

Rias turned to Kiba, the blonde prince bowing his head in apology. "Once again, I am very sorry."

Only for a few mere seconds did Rias consider scolding Shirou for his foolish behavior, but then thought better of it. It would do as much good as scolding a fish for trying to swim. Besides, it wasn't as though the wound was lethal.

"So do I go see a doctor about this or...what?" Shirou asked, not looking anywhere near as pained as he should be considering he had half of a wooden sword stuck in his shoulder blade.

His crimson-haired master gestured for him to step forward. "We may as well fix it here and now. It doesn't seem like anything other than a flesh wound so a simple healing now will-" She reached out with her hand to grab the splinter in his shoulder but was surprised when Shirou suddenly pulled away, not with hostility but embarrassment on his face.

"W-What's wrong with you?!" Shirou squeaked. "Doing it here of all places?! There are other people here!"

"What are you talking about?" Rias asked, attempting to reach for the splinter again. "We should really get that broken sword out of there, so I can-" Again, Shirou stared at her with suspicious eyes.

"I'm not letting you touch me until you promise not to-" It was at that point that Koneko stepped forward behind Shirou, reached forward, and RIPPED the broken splinter out of his chest. "-..." There was silence as Shirou's eyes went wide. He kept his mouth closed, his lips quivering. He fell to his knees, expression blank as he clutched his wound with one of his hands. He inhaled deeply. "FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!"

Koneko dropped the bloody splinter onto the ground, wiping the blood off of her hand on Shirou's back. "...Like a bandaid."

"Gah, I hate you, you little bitch...!" Shirou cried, tears forming in the corners of his eyes as his expression contorted into pain. He hunched over, letting out a long whine, crying out from the pain. After a few seconds, he raised his head, breathing heavily. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean that..." He suddenly looked nauseous, hunching over again. "Ah, I take that back...This is the worst pain..mmmmmnnnnn..."

Koneko rolled her eyes. "Pussy."

"FUCK YOU!"

Rias stepped forward, doing her best to prevent their fight before it began. "Enough of that, you two." She turned back to Shirou. "Now can I heal your wound?"

Shirou narrowed his eyes, wincing in pain as more blood oozed from his wound. "There's no way in Hell I'm getting naked with everyone else here!"

A long, awkward silence ensued.

"Come again?" Rias asked. She smiled softly. "I understand that you're a growing boy with an interest in the female body, but I'm afraid that a minor wound like that won't require that extreme. Maybe if it had punctured an artery or another vital organ, but you seem fairly fine other than rapid blood-loss."

Then it was Shirou's turn to look confused again. "Huh? Wha-No! I thought..." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "I thought that wounds like this could only be healed effectively through full-body contact?"

"Well, the more severe ones, of course full-body contact is best and more effective, but not entirely necessary." Rias again gestured to Shirou's injury. "And this one isn't quite as severe as other injuries I've seen. Just normal contact with the healer's hand should be enough."

"Then why was I sleeping naked in the same bed as Akeno for the past few days?"

.

.

.

[Come again?]

Almost everyone said it in unison.

"Akeno. She told me on day one something like "You won't return to 100% unless we completely share our bodies" or something like that." Shirou answered, looking completely oblivious to the fact that was on everyone else's minds. "She said that I wouldn't be well enough to complete more training unless we used that method to heal me." Everyone stared. "...What?"

Everyone was uncertain how to break the news to him, so instead they turned to Akeno.

Not a shred of shame appeared on her face, the raven-haired older sister type giggling as everyone came to the same conclusion.

"I couldn't help it~ His expression every morning is just too adorable~" Akeno teased, smiling at Shirou. It took a few seconds more after that before he finally caught on. His face flushed in embarrassed anger as his mind thought back to all of the time he had to endure Akeno cuddling him in her sleep, feeling her bare bosoms against his arm or his back (depending on the sleeping position). Shirou's anger and embarrassment was quickly joined by humiliation. "See what I mean~? How can I not want to tease my adorable Kouhai where he wears a look like that on his face~?"

Shirou clenched his fists, his face becoming red as a tomato. "I-That-YOU TRICKED ME!"

"...I doubt it was difficult." Koneko stated.

And like that, Shirou's embarrassment quickly changed to rage, said rage directed towards his monotone comrade.

"You wanna fight, short-stuff?!"

Koneko's eyes narrowed, a tic mark appearing on her forehead. "Call me "short" again and I will demolish you."

"Bring it on, shorty!" Shirou made a "come and get it" gesture to Koneko before not-so-subtly flipping her off. Koneko took a heavy step towards Shirou, the animosity between the two reaching an all-time high. An all-out war between the King of Delinquents and the snow-haired loli was prevented when Kiyome stepped between them, keeping them at arms-length from each other.

"Both of you, stop it!" She turned towards Shirou. "You're hardly in a condition to fight anyway with that shoulder!"

Blood suddenly spewed out of Shirou's wound just to prove her point. "Oh god DAMMIT!" Shirou fell to one knee, groaning as he clutched his wounded shoulder again.

With the most violent of the two quelled by a fit of excruciating pain, Kiyome turned to Koneko, giving her an equally sharp look. Koneko frowned, perhaps having not really expected to receive the same scolding Kiyome usually reserved for Shirou.

"YOU...need to hold me back." Kiyome's words were met with a surprised look from Koneko. "Because in five seconds, I'm going to strangle Akeno."

"...Huh?"

Kiyome glared at Akeno with a hate that surprised Shirou. "I swear, if you punched his V-Card, I will punch YOU."

However, Kiyome neglected to realize one thing: Akeno Himejima did NOT take a challenge like that laying down. If anything, issuing such a threat only empowered Akeno to take things a step further especially if she sensed amusement in that direction.

And that explains why she suddenly walked up to Shirou, wrapping her arms around his non-bloody arm, nestling his arm comfortably between her breasts. Shirou's face started steaming again, an almost adorable squeak escaping between his lips.

"Isn't that a bit rude?" Akeno squeezed tighter. "All I did was healed his injuries using my body~"

Kiyome clenched her fists and tried to take a step further, but Koneko suddenly wizened up, grabbing Kiyome by her wrist to hold her back. Kiyome let out a light growl as she glared at Akeno.

"That better have been the ONLY thing you did to him with your body."

Poor Shirou, caught in the middle of the sudden, unexpected (to him at least) hostility that began between his two Senpais. The sudden "battle" left Shirou at a loss, only able to watch as the conflict unraveled before his eyes.

Rias, sensing the storm coming, stepped between the two, giving both of them a sharp look.

"You're both showing a rather immature side in front of our Kouhai." She said. "So both of you, just calm down."

"That's tellin' them, Rias." Shirou snapped sarcastically.

"Your crabbiness is not helping the situation, Shirou." Rias bit back.

"Oh, I'm sorry if you find my impolite attitude distasteful, but you're not in a position to complain between us because you're not what one with A FUCKING HOLE IN YOUR SHOULDER!" Shirou winced again, unable to cover his unpleasant-looking injury due to the fact Akeno was still holding his one good arm in her custody. "Speaking of which, can we get some alcohol on this bitch?"

Akeno placed a hand to her mouth. "Oh my, you have such a perverted mouth, Shirou~"

Shirou flushed. "I meant on my hole!"

"Oh my~"

"I'm not joking! Having that hunk of wood torn out only made the hole hurt worse!"

"OH my~"

"GOD DAMN IT, AKENO!-" Shirou winced as a piercing pain shot through his skull. "Cut it out!"

Shirou was uncertain as to why Kiyome suddenly started looking smug.

"You heard him." Kiyome said. "He doesn't want you touching him." She crossed her arms, smiling confidently as she turned her back to Akeno. "Yet even when I'm slapping him, he never backs away." Akeno released Shirou's arm, staring at Kiyome.

However, something about being one-upped in any way by another woman struck a competitive chord in Akeno's heart. Even with the charming smile on her face, Akeno was considering several ways in which she could gain the upper hand against Kiyome. In the end, she decided that the most blunt method was best.

"Well, if he was so unhappy about being next to me, then what was the thing poking me between the legs every morning?"

"AKENO!" Shirou cried out in a mix of frustration and embarrassment.

Kiyome was silent during the first second-

"I'm going to kill you! Nobody will ever find your body!"

-and she snapped during the next second. Koneko wrapped Kiyome in a bear hug, locking he older girl's arms at her side.

"...Abe-senpai, don't do it." Koneko warned. "No offense, but Akeno-senpai will _destroy_ you."

"I've wrestled with all sorts of creatures before while trying to administer medicines! I'll take her down!"

"Ufufufufu~ Do you think I upset her?"

Shirou watched in utter confusion as events unfolded, possessing no idea who was in the right or what the fight was even about. The only thing he knew was that his self-preservation instincts were telling him not to touch this conversation with a ten-foot pole.

In the end, Kiyome calmed down and Akeno actually apologized (at Rias's urging) for going so far.

The resolution only came when Shirou almost passed out from blood loss and the argument had to be cut short so Rias could focus on giving Shirou a quick healing.

And thus, training ended early that evening.

* * *

Shirou rotated his arm clockwise, trying to make sure that it had healed properly with Rias's treatment. Sure enough, just having Rias's hands was enough skin-contact to heal the wound he had received at the hands of Kiba (although it was indirectly Shirou's fault for suggesting such a stupid idea like trying to catch a blade with his teeth). Most of his body was still covered in bruises, but those would heal naturally without magic.

What Shirou noticed most was how much less stiffness he had and he wasn't as tired as he had been when training had first started. Rias had also taken note of this.

She had said that it was a sign he was, in fact, improving, even if it was mainly in body. They had agreed to spend one week on training his body, then one week training his magical ability, then back to training his body and so-on and so-forth. Changing the type of training everyday was proving ineffective, so they agreed it was best to focus on one for an extended period of time before focusing on the next.

Next week, if his body had physically improved by then, he would receive more lessons from Akeno on how to use magic.

He brushed off his new shirt he obtained from the nurse's office. Shirou couldn't exactly continue the day walking around in a blood-stained jacket and shirt, so they went and took one of the spares from the nurse's office, the ones that are usually kept for the students who get their uniforms torn or stolen or are otherwise unable to wear them.

Shirou considered taking his to be repaired, but Rias promised to get him a new one and return the borrowed jacket and shirt later on.

"Hmmm...Training's not going as well as I hoped..." Shirou was improving, but he recognized one major issue: He had no technique. "Kiba is all crazy with his twinkle toes, moving like the friggin Flash and then Rias and Akeno have their magic, and even Koneko is more agile than me..." It was frustrating. He knew the areas where he was lacking, but he hadn't the slightest idea on how to fix these issues.

He could train his body to its limit, but he could not overcome the gap in skill and experience. Not on his own.

 _"...Maybe I need to come up with a signature move or something."_ Shirou thought to himself. He grinned, raising a fist. "Yeah! That's it! I'll create my own original technique! Like the Kamehameha or the Rasengan! Or the Hellzone Grenade!...Or the Wind Scar...or...uh...uuuuhhnh..." Shirou sank deep into thought, trying to think of a move he could manage to pull off on his own while in a fight.

He was so deep in-thought that he almost ran right into his crimson-haired master when he turned the corner to head to the clubhouse. She didn't flinch whereas Shirou had been startled enough to that he ended up stumbling backwards, almost falling flat on his ass.

"Oh! Buchou!" He stood up straight and bowed his head. "Sorry! Just been thinking about stuff. Wasn't looking where I was going." He felt too embarrassed to confess what he was thinking about. "I was-" He paused when he noticed the serious expression on Rias' face, like she was about to lecture him. "OK, whatever it is, I swear I didn't do it!"

Whatever claims Shirou had of innocence for whatever infraction he believed she thought he committed were completely ignored, Rias shaking her head.

"No, you're not in any trouble." She assured him.

That gave Shirou enough relief to exhale. "That's good-"

"But we do need to talk."

 _"Dammit!"_ He cursed mentally. He could only imagine for what Rias needed to talk to him about. Even if Shirou had come to accept these people as his friends, it was a force of habit to be pessimistic when someone needed to talk to him alone. Aloud, he asked, "Concerning what subject?"

"Akeno." Shirou tensed, his face flushing in embarrassment as he considered the numerous situations with Akeno Rias could be referring to.

Shirou raised his hands. "Before you start, I swear to Devil that we didn't do anything! We just laid in the bed, naked!"

"It's not-"

"OK, so her hand may have brushed up against _it_ once or twice while she was asleep, but there was no gripping or stroking movement involved!"

"Shirou, I-"

"And I was not staying up all night just to enjoy the feeling of her body! I'm not like that!"

"That-"

"YOU try getting to sleep when you have a sexy onee-sama's body squeezing against yours!" Shirou defended. "It can't be done!"

Shirou started panting, jabbing a finger in Rias' direction as he finished his preemptive defense for whatever Rias had intended to say.

Crossing her arms under her generous bosoms, Rias raised an eyebrow. "You done?"

The sound of Shirou coughing into his fist, his face deeply blushing was the response she got.

"If you had patiently waited for me to continue, you would have learned that I was not here to discuss that..." Rias paused. "At least, not in the way you think."

 _"Oh no_. _"_ Shirou swallowed hard, sensing some sort of great embarrassment coming his way. "What do you mean, Buchou?" He knew something was definitely up judging by the serious expression on Rias' face, but she gave no clear indication if she was annoyed, upset, indifferent, or experiencing any related emotion.

Rias' eyes looked off to the side, the club president looking as though she was contemplating her words. After a few seconds, she turned her head back to Shirou.

"You know how we all care about you, right...?" Rias asked.

"Oh dear Devil, is this an intervention!?"

"Huh? No. I'm just explaining how we all care and-"

"Are you sure? This sounds like it's going to end up being an intervention."

"W-What? No, I-!"

"I'm not giving up street fights! Some of those assholes have it coming!" Shirou raised a fist, his thoughts full of seething anger at the thought of the grunts he faced on the street. "Someone fucks with me, they get a good-MMPH!"

His words were cut short when Rias impatiently walked over to him and pinched his lips tightly together, narrowing her eyes in discontent. "Enough."

A nod was the only response Shirou could give. Rias released her pinched fingers, allowing Shirou to pull away and rub his sore mouth.

"Ahem! As I was saying, you know that you're our comrade and friend, correct?" Rias asked again. Shirou nodded. "Well...as I'm sure you've noticed, Akeno appears to have been acting strangely around you, more teasing than normal...I understand it has caused you some discomfort, and I apologize for that. It's just that I believe she has gained a sort of _special_ affection for you."

Shirou cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"

The question was so simple and so blunt and yet Rias found herself unable to comprehend it initially. "You know. It's the way she acts around you, hugging you and being teasing you more than others. Not to mention the unnecessary skinship over the past few days (although I do not necessarily disapprove of this in particular)."

"Yeah. And?" Shirou blinked, still completely oblivious as to what Rias was saying.

She could only stare in momentary shock. "You...really haven't noticed?"

"It's pretty obvious my Senpai is kind of a lecher and perverted, but I don't see anything wrong with how she expresses herself." Shirou shrugged. "Some people like ogling girls naked, some people like sexually harassing guys, I like punching thugs on the street, and everybody is doing their thing. I'm in no position to judge."

Again, Rias paused. "You really don't see _anything_ different about the way Akeno treats you from others?"

"Of course she treats me differently. We're friends after all. Why wouldn't she be friendly with me like she is with the others?"

Rias blinked, staring blankly. "...Words cannot describe how much pity I feel for Kiyome right now, you adorable yet very foolish boy."

"Huh?" Shirou said yet again. Even though Rias was speaking the same language as him, Shirou was having great difficulty understanding what Rias was talking about concerning Akeno. Shirou found it obvious that she was eccentric, but he still wasn't sure what Rias' point was in this entire conversation. The time spent talking there could have been spent having Shirou trying to get his first official contract (as his previous one ended in abject failure).

Before continuing, Rias took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. She knew Shirou was dense from her various interactions with him and from learning of him from Kiyome, but this was getting a little on the ridiculous side. But her concerns were important and she could not let Shirou continue without being aware of the situation.

"Shirou, I need you to listen carefully, understand? Pay attention to this discussion."

"OK." Shirou agreed.

"As I've told you, Akeno is very close to you." Rias stated yet again. "I know it may not seem any different to you how she treats others, but I assure you, you have become somewhat special to her...and that's a bit of a problem considering the circumstances and the way in which she became attached to you.

For the umpteenth time, Shirou found himself at a loss, unable to figure out exactly the meaning of what he was being told. "I don't get it."

Rias sighed. "Whether you see it or not, Akeno has grown very attached to you, but it's not an attachment formed under normal circumstances. I think it started showing around the time I recruited you to serve under me as my Devil servant with Akeno's request."

"You mean when I died?" Shirou asked, subconsciously rubbing the middle of his chest.

"I was hoping to avoid putting it that way." Rias responded in an apologetic tone, seeming somewhat sheepish. "But yes...You gave your life to protect her, and I don't think she will ever forget that."

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward. "Well...Yeah. So? She feels grateful towards me. Is that a problem? I mean, now we're comrades so I'll have to watch hers and everyone's backs. It's what comrades are supposed to do, right?"

"Yes, but you most likely won't _die_ in the process." Rias countered. "It's not that you saved her that is the issue, it's that you lost your life while protecting her, dying for a person you didn't truly know."

"Still not even seeing the issue here, Rias." Shirou said in a bored tone, looking around to see if anything interesting caught his eye.

"That's the point of this discussion, Shirou." Her tone was slightly harsh but measured. "It...It has something to do with Akeno's past..."

Shirou frowned. "Akeno's past?" He reiterated. "What does this have to do with Akeno's past?" Again, Rias hesitated, looking as though she was considering taking back her words. However, no matter how she tried, she could not un-ring the bell.

"It's...complicated." Rias replied vaguely. "Without her permission, I don't feel comfortable revealing any of this to you. Until Akeno herself reveals such information, I'm afraid I can only give you the vaguest of facts to explain what I'm trying to say to you."

"How is that different from anything you've BEEN doing?" Shirou retorted, immediately turning away when Rias stared at him with a scolding expression.

"My point is...It's just that, well, Akeno is...She doesn't want someone to die for her." Rias managed to speak after a few failed attempts. "When you died protecting her, I believe it may have forced her to relive some of those memories. It was like the world's cruelest replay for her."

"Someone died protecting Akeno before?" Shirou asked, easily picking up on Rias' words even though she, in her own recklessness, had not noticed her slip until it was too late.

"I...Yes." Rias knew there was no point in hiding that crucial fact. If anything, it made explaining things even easier. "This event occurred before we met, before I obtained my Evil Pieces, the tools I used to revive you as my servant. Someone close to her died while protecting her and that grief still haunts her, even now. You shared the same fate as that person close to her, but the main difference is that, this time, I was able to resurrect you and prevent her some further grief and regrets...but there is still a problem. Akeno...I think she feels like she owes you out of both guilt and grief for not preventing your death. And because of that, she has gained this abnormally strong attachment to you, even stronger than how she feels about Koneko and Kiba and possibly even me. I cannot say exactly how deep these feelings go, but I am certain that you are special to her now."

"And you want me to...what? Keep my distance? Try to discourage her attachment?" Shirou guessed. He hadn't realized the things Rias had spoken about before, but when he REALLY thought about it, he supposed he could notice some abnormalities in the way Akeno behaved with him.

 _[It's a promise from your Senpai that I will pay back the life you saved...]_

Those were some of the last words he heard as a human...

Rias shook her head. "No. Nothing of the sort. Quite the opposite actually."

Confusion colored Shirou's expression. "Huh?"

"I am trusting you with this information in the hopes that you won't hurt her." Rias explained. "Nor do I want you to take advantage of her emotions."

In a rare moment, Shirou displayed a genuinely insulted expression. "Of course not! I would never do that to someone!" He placed a hand over his heart. "Bonds are something that are precious. That is what Ka-san always told me. I admit I don't have much experience with attachments to "humans" or beings reminiscent to humans, but I know just as much as everyone else about how wrong it is to hurt others with their own emotions...I have no intention of hurting my Senpai."

A staredown took place between Rias and Shirou, both trying to discern the other's true intentions.

It did not last very long as Rias' serious expression faded and gave way to a light smile.

"I'm relieved to hear that." With that said, she turned in the other direction, back towards the entrance of the ORC's clubhouse. "I hope that, until Akeno's feelings come to a resolution, you will continue treating her as the same senpai you've known as well as protecting her in the same way she wishes to protect you."

"Yes, Buchou!" Shirou replied with gusto, a determined look in his eye. Even though he was blatantly unaware of Akeno's feelings (or what depth they actually possess), or anyone else's feelings for that matter, he knew that he could not screw around in this situation. He was a delinquent. A street demon, but he now knew the feeling of camaraderie and friendship. He was determined to follow and fulfill his master's hopes of protecting Akeno.

"Now, come along. We still have normal club activities."

"Yes, Buchou!"

* * *

"But seriously, my boss can be a little bit of a bitch sometimes, you know?"

"No no. I get it. Some people can just be like that."

Shirou presently sat on a stool in front of the bar counter, arms resting flat in front of him as he listened to and replied to the words of his associate. Despite being underage, entering this place had been a fairly easy accomplishment for him. He had never been in a bar before, but he had always thought one had to be older to enter. It was either the rules of that place were lax or they just refused to sell the actual alcohol without being given an ID.

"But at the same time, it's not like I can just get up and quit." His associate complained. "Pretty much all I can do is sit here and bitch and moan! It's a real pain in the ass, ya know?"

"It does sound rough." Shirou agreed. "What with the job market being pretty trash right now, you're stuck with the choice between staying with a job you hate or risk and potentially lose everything by quitting. There's no clear cut answer."

His associate, his client, smiled softly. "Color me impressed~" The older woman teased, taking a sip of her booze, doing nothing to diminish the pink already tinging her face. "You've changed since our last meeting~"

The snow-haired boy raised an eyebrow. "In what regard?"

The woman he was speaking with was the same older woman he had attempted to form a Contract with, Kalawarner. He had been uncertain as to whether or not they would meet again due to the odd note on which their previous Contract attempt had ended. As before, he seemed to possess a deep lack of experience on the matter due to only having become a Devil a few weeks ago despite it feeling like it had been much longer.

Kalawarner leaned on her arm, staring at him. "You seem more attentive, more...right."

"Huh?" Shirou responded dumbly.

The dark-haired woman rubbed her chin, thinking. "Well...if I had to say it..." She paused to take another sip of her drink before letting out a sigh of satisfaction. "...you seem much less confrontational, more comfortable in your own skin than you were before. You seem like you actually care."

But that explanation flew straight over Shirou's head. "I'm still not following."

Sighing, Kalawarner shook her head. "Forget it. I guess you haven't grown as much as I thought."

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

"Nothing~ Nothing~" Kalawarner waved off Shirou's question, laughing silently to herself.

Shirou could only stare at the older woman as they quickly slipped into an awkward silence initiated by him. It didn't have to be that way, but it was. It wasn't an awkwardness resulting from a lack of conversation topics nor was Shirou uncomfortable around his current client. It was the exact opposite. He wasn't sure how to give voice to the thought in his head.

He had a question, but he was oddly anxious about asking it. He placed his hands in his lap, staring absentmindedly at Kalawarner's glass which she held gingerly in her left hand. Kalawarner seemed too interested in her beverage to truly acknowledge his stares. Shirou knew he should say something or make some kind of notice to capture her attention, but he wasn't sure if he had enough of his wits to continue the conversation from there and finally ask the question that's been bothering him.

They sat in silence for another five minutes until Kalawarner had consumed every last drop of alcohol from her glass, the older woman shaking the glass in her hand, watching the melting ice cubes circle around the insides over and over again in an endless cycle.

"Are you gonna ask me something or not?" Kalawarner suddenly asked, sounding impatient.

Pink tinged Shirou's cheeks, different from Kalawarner's cheeks which were red due to the alcohol in her body. "O-Oh...right." He bowed his head. "Sorry..."

Kalawarner held up a hand to silence him. "Don't apologize. I'm too buzzed to really care about that kind of stuff..." She gently set her empty glass down on the counter, turning on her stool to face Shirou, her expression quickly morphing into amusement as she gave Shirou a playful nudge on the shoulder. "So come on~ Out with it, champ~"

"OK." Shirou was not entirely certain if it was polite to ask the client he was supposed to be helping rather than the other way around, but he would just die of embarrassment if he tried asking this question to Rias or the others. He would prefer it was someone he barely knew who helped him get an answer. "Hey, Kalawarner...you have a lot of experience in-"

"Bed?" Kalawarner guessed. "Are you curious about how I look naked?"

"What?-No!" Shirou answered immediately, his voice cracking from his embarrassment.

"Heehee~ Just relax~ I'm only kidding~" Kalawarner teased. Shirou narrowed his eyes at her. "Alright. Alright. I'll be serious now."

"It's just..." Shirou kicked his legs back and forth, averting his gaze to the ground. "...I need help figuring out how to please girls."

"Ufufuf~ It looks like the little Devil boy is becoming a man, huh~?" Kalawarner teased again, her speech beginning to slur slightly as she took another glass of liquor the bartender set down next to her.

"N-Not in _that_ way!" Shirou whined, his face turning beet-red. "I mean-like-! It's just that most of my friends are girls and...I...I don't know how to make them like me..." Shirou hung his head.

Kalawarner leaned in, so close that Shirou could smell the booze on her breath, looking interested. "What do you mean?"

"I mean...they already like me because we're friends and all, but...I dunno." Shirou sighed, subtly leaning away from Kalawarner to increase the distance between them to a more comfortable amount. "A friend of mine told me today that another friend of mine cares a lot about me and I...I just don't want to let anyone down. And then I have another friend who seems to always be fighting with the friend that cares a lot and I never have a clue about what's going on."

Again, Shirou cursed his lack of understanding of the female mind. All of the girls in his life said a lot of odd things and he was never quite sure how to react to them. As his history proves, he always somehow picked the wrong choice in any given situation and either got slapped or scolded. He needed advice on how to handle these types of situations so he could improve his friendships with the girls he knew.

"Well, you shouldn't be too hard on yourself." Kalawarner advised. "That's the general mind of man you just described. Always so ignorant of female wants and needs." As she said this, she knocked back over half of her glass in one go, giving a heavy sigh as she set the glass back on the counter.

"I know that! I don't want to be like that because...last time I..." Shirou hung his head. "I made someone who cared about me cry and I would really prefer not to make that mistake again. Like I said, I just don't want to let anyone-"

A heavy groan escaped Kalawarner's lips. "Hold on...Shush shush shush shush shusshhhhh...just a bit quiet for a moment..." She rubbed her temples, letting out another groan. "...Damn, I'm feeling dizzy...Apparently seven's the limit from hereon out..." Kalawarner sighed before turning around on her stool, wobbling slightly due to the sudden shift in balance. But something about the way she moved struck Shirou as odd.

"Are you...alright?" Shirou asked, bearing both worry and curiosity as he observed Kalawarner stumble when she tried to get out of her seat. She leaned on the counter for balance, but even with such a display, something seemed "off" to Shirou. However, such thoughts did not change the fact that even he possessed _some_ gentlemanly qualities. "Here."

Kalawarner's eyes gained an odd look in them when they turned to look at Shirou's outstretched hand.

"Come on." The calm expression on his face hid away his actual embarrassment and uncertainty behind this gesture. "I'll help you home. Just lean on me."

A smirk flitted across Kalawarner's face before quickly disappearing, the older woman gladly grasping Shirou's hand with her own. Shirou threw one of her arms over his shoulder and wrapped one of his arms (albeit hesitantly) around her waist.

"Well aren't you a sweet one~" Kalawarner teased.

"S-Shut up!" Shirou snapped, growling in annoyance. "A-And I still need you to answer my question!"

Again, a secret smirk appeared on Kalawarner's face.

"Of course~"

* * *

The town became eerie when the sun sank over the horizon. A ghost town wouldn't have been too much of an exaggeration to describe it. The street lights only seemed to emphasize the darkness that laid just outside the circle of light created by the bulb, ready to consume any and all who stepped into its reach.

Most humans had a natural fear of the dark. It was subconscious, but many could not bear standing alone in darkness. It was as though their most primal instincts were warning them of the truth of the world...

The world in which monsters truly did lurk in the shadows.

Humans like Kiyome Abe, however, showed no such hesitation, having regularly interacted with these "monsters" so often that it had come to feel like a natural part of their lives. If anything, it came to feel more underwhelming than anything.

Considering the "creatures of darkness" she had encountered so far, one of whom was her friend/crush, she could say, without a doubt, that the creatures and "pets" she took care of were far more terrifying. From Kappas to even Hydras, her family had had experience with almost every single known monster in all of the time they had been beast tamers. By normal human standards, she was almost fearless in normal circumstances.

So the violent way in which she was trembling had absolutely nothing to do with fear.

Her face was bright-red, her trembling hands managing to hold on tight to the bags of groceries she had purchased not even ten minutes ago. It was her belief and hopes for the future that allowed her to manage to keep herself together. As stated before, it was not fear that made her shake...but nervousy.

It had been a year, but it felt like it had been longer since she and Shirou had first met. That day had been the day she first experienced love in its most romantic form and the first time she ever showed some sort of issue expressing her feelings. She couldn't properly put it into words, but asking Shirou out on an actually DATE felt like a Herculean task to her. She had actually made attempts to do so before, but she always ended up getting flustered and smacked Shirou across the face in order to cover up her embarrassment.

Whenever she attempted to properly convey her feelings to her ignorant junior, it felt like her heart was seizing up and her tongue got tied in knots. She couldn't think, she couldn't breathe. She always got so tense that it felt like she was going to explode.

Even when she wrote a note in the first bento she made for Shirou, she couldn't say the "L" word. She ended up trying to erase the embarrassing word with so much force that she accidentally snapped her pencil in half.

But, in the end, that attempt had succeeded (sort-if)! Shirou had finally started acknowledging her even if it was not romantically! It was a huge start, far more than she had expected to receive in the first place!

And after the events of that day, she knew she could not be passive in her pursuits any longer.

Now that Akeno had, for whatever reason, become interested in Shirou, the risk of Kiyome losing her love to another woman was far greater than it had ever been before. If there was one thing Kiyome knew about Akeno, it was that underneath that peaceful and older sister-like appearance, Akeno was a crafty and skilled temptress.

It was only made worse by the fact that Shirou was dumb as nails. He would be ensnared by Akeno's feminine wiles without even realizing what happened!

Just thought of it made Kiyome so anxious that she had started biting her nails.

Of course she didn't have low self-esteem. She knew full-well how superior her figure was compared to the other girls at their school. While she was not so conceited as to ignore the beauty of other girls, she confidently placed herself at least within the top ten of the most beautiful.

Beauty was not the issue though.

It was the fact that Akeno's shamelessness far exceeded her beauty. Unlike the dark-haired girl, Kiyome could never bare herself before Shirou. Even when she thought about the locker room incident, she ended up having so much blood in her face that she started feeling dizzy. It was made even worse by the fact she had just stood there, staring dumbly back at Shirou.

She didn't lack guts, but rather she was still a normal girl at her core and couldn't do such a shameless thing like Akeno.

Her position was put in an even far more dangerous place as a result of the fact that Shirou and Akeno had ALREADY seen each other stark naked. They know every part of their bodies. In Kiyome's mind, it was only a matter of time before Akeno started getting friskier and Shirou wised up.

And that was why she had gone to the grocery store.

In one of her few moments of mental clarity, she realized she had already figured out the best path to Shirou's heart. The perfect way she could express her feelings without fail.

Through Shirou's stomach.

While she had been physically unable to speak or write the "L" word, she would relate her feelings through her culinary abilities. Shirou was a cooking-maniac almost as much as he was a battle-maniac, maybe even more-so.

She had resolved herself to make the most romantic meal ever, even if it took her all night to prepare. She had looked up many recipes, studying ways on how to cook food into heart-shaped patterns or designs. Even if Shirou misunderstood her words, she knew with all of her heart that he would at least _notice_ if she conveyed her feelings through the food she cooked.

At the same time, she was nervous about what would happen if he _did_ notice. She was not afraid but nervous.

She was nervous about what she would say in that moment, but the thought of Shirou finally noticing her as a woman never failed to bring a happy smile to her face.

That is why she was flustered but determined.

"Just you wait, Shirou Fujimura..." She took extra care while holding her bags. She wanted all of her ingredients to be in mint condition. She intended to pour every last drop of her feelings into her dish!...

It was only a shame that she would never have gotten the chance to use those ingredients.

The street light Kiyome had been walking under suddenly flickered at leave a dozen times before quickly dying out. It had been noticeable enough to draw her eyes upward.

"..." It was not a shocking event, but it was an instinctive movement to turn her eyes upward.

Bzzzzzt!

The light in front of her then suddenly flickered, this time more violently than the last, and it too went dark.

Kiyome raised an eyebrow, confusion covering her face. "What the...?" Trying to take it off her mind, she started walking again.

BZZZZZZZ-CRACK!

The next light after the previous one also began to short out, the glass bulb and covering suddenly shattering, glass raining down around Kiyome. She raised her arms in time to defend herself from the shards of glass, but her arms ended up being cut up as a result. Kiyome winced again when she looked at her scratched up arms. It wasn't very severe, but it didn't look pretty either.

"What the Hell is going on...?" She asked to herself, staring up at the street light that so spontaneously exploded. She was no electrician nor was she a scientist of any kind, but Kiyome was almost certain that street lights were most certainly not supposed to do that.

BZZZZZZZ-CRACK!

As if desiring to join its sibling, yet another adjacent street light flickered out and exploded.

BZZZZZZZ-CRACK! BZZZZZZ-CRACK! BZZZZZZZZ-CRACK!

One by one, each and every light on that street suddenly unleashed a whole barrage of glass shrapnel with no specific purpose in mind.

It was at that point in time that Kiyome realized her current situation:

She was on an empty street...at night...alone...in pitch-black darkness...

All this scene was missing was some intense horror movie music signalling the approaching death of a character.

That was the way that Kiyome saw it. She was not normally a fearful person, but something about that situation felt... _wrong_. Perhaps it was the chill going down her spine. Perhaps it was how vulnerable she suddenly realized she was...

Or perhaps it was the powerful feeling that she was being watched...

But she knew she had to get out of there.

BANG-CRASH!

"Who's there?!" Kiyome spun on her heels, turning to face the source of the sudden commotion, having come from somewhere in the nearby alleyway. Her "fight-or-flight" instincts were screaming at her to pick the most obvious choice she could, being a relatively normal human being. She stepped back anxiously, prepared to chuck her bags and run. She really wanted to cook for Shirou, but she would prefer to live to see him eat the meal too. Kiyome swallowed, forcing herself to take one step closer to confirm the cause of commotion. "Hello?!"

Nyaaaaaan~

An oddly familiar black cat suddenly leaped out of the alleyway, knocking over a nearby trashcan in the process as it suddenly ran about in the night air. Kiyome might have been imagining it, but she thought for a moment that the cat had turned to stare at her, like it was trying to tell her something. However, she had no chance to confirm it because the cat's black fur easily blended in with the darkness around it.

Kiyome stood frozen for several more seconds before her chest loosened up.

She let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness...It was just a cat." With a crises seemingly averted, Kiyome turned back around to leave-

"Hmph. A cute face for a human~"

She came face to face with an unfamiliar woman, her heart jumping so hard that Kiyome almost felt it fly up her throat. Kiyome took an instinctive step back, feeling suddenly afraid...like she was looking at a _true_ monster. A creature she could never tame no matter what method she used.

The woman gestured to her kimono. "Of coursssse, no other exisssstence could ever compare to my beauty~" Kiyome made the mistake of staring into the woman's narrow, serpent-like eyes, the sight of those slits suddenly paralyzing her. She couldn't tell if it was magic or fear at first.

"W-Who-?!"

The mysterious snake-faced woman smiled, but Kiyome felt no kindness nor warmth emanating from that smile.

"You ssssee...we have a certain _friend_ in common...And you're gonna help me hurt him in ssssso many waysss~" She produced a hand from her kimono, only, rather than normal fingers, she possessed sharp, talon-like claws. "Sssso pleassse die for me~!"

Without any hesitation nor mercy, she raised her menacing talons high into the air.

"Farewell, morsssel~"

She brought her hand down.

" _Iyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!_ "

* * *

"Just lay back and let the ecstasy take you~"

Shirou couldn't help but let out a slight whimper at the erotic sensation of the woman's tongue against his neck. Even though it wasn't desired, his body became aroused against his will. It was natural for any hot-blooded male to feel in such a way regardless of personal feelings given the situation.

He wasn't sure how he ended up in this situation, but Shirou found himself on that black-sheeted bed, his arms pinned to the bed by Kalawarner's surprisingly strong arms. He knew it wasn't that he was holding back. He desperately tried pushing her off (He really did! He was a man, but he refused to be cowed by a woman's feminine wiles!), but it was to no avail. For some reason, Kalawarner was physically stronger than him.

"C-Cut it out..." Shirou whined, feeling so embarrassed and humiliated.

For a moment, Shirou's hopes rose when he felt Kalawarner's soft, wet tongue, lift away from his neck, a trail of saliva connecting that spot and Kalawarner's tongue.

When their eyes met, Shirou saw none of the good cheer or warmth that he saw in the older woman's eyes before. No teasing or joy.

Instead there was mere lust and desire.

"You don't have to worry." She leaned in and whispered into his ear, "Just leave~ It~ All~ To~ Me~" Again, she lifted her head, brushing one hand against Shirou's face as she hugged her own body against his, Shirou's face flushing further as he felt every single soft curve against his body. He tried wriggling against her, moving every part of his body that he could, but in this situation, he was hopelessly outmatched.

"Kala-MMPH!" Shirou's words were cut short as Kalawarner pressed her open mouth against his, easily bypassing his teeth and intertwining her tongue with his own. She did nothing but ravish Shirou's mouth with pleasure only she could provide, continuing their embrace for at least seven minutes before she had to release Shirou's lips in order to catch her breath. "S-Stop it! Leave...me...aloooone!"

Her heavy breathing was laced with ever-increasing arousal as she rubbed up against Shirou, her lewd smile becoming even lewder.

"How adorable you are~" Again, she tasted the side of Shirou's face with her tongue, looking as though it was a delicious, sweet treat. "I just _love_ the taste of young virgins~ If you feel the need to struggle, I don't mind getting a little kinky~"

Her breath carried the scent of alcohol and her advances went practically unopposed despite Shirou's best efforts to break free.

He kept clinging to the object in his right hand: His cellphone.

The screen had lit up, revealing a name on the caller ID:

 _Kiyome._

* * *

 **Next Chapter - The Storm Descends! A Dire Situation and the Fated Rematch!**

* * *

 **And that is how this chapter ends. With Kiyome _seemingly_ killed and Shirou being sexually assaulted by a possibly drunk Kalawarner...**

 **And no. It's not going to stay that dark. Just something to signal the approaching climax of this story arc. In two more chapters just about, this arc will end. I intended to end it sooner, but I've been trying to get some development done and stuff.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	10. Chapter 8: The Storm Descends! Part 1

**And it's time to continue where we left off...except a little bit into the past to fill in the blanks of what happened!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except Shirou!**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: The Storm Descends! A Dire Situation and the Fated Rematch! (Part 1 of 2)**

Shirou could only barely remember at first how the situation had started. His flustered mind caused him to recollect the details more slowly than normal.

He had just wanted to help his client back home. The walk from the bar to Kalawarner's house felt like it had taken centuries. Perhaps it had to do with the fact that Shirou had a somewhat unwanted passenger hanging on his back, but it couldn't be helped. He did not hesitate to help her out even if, before, a part of him would have thought it an issue that was in no way his problem. And now here he is. This openly kind gesture was a testament to how much he had changed.

The streets seemed oddly darker than they were before (although it made no difference due to Shirou's special "Devil Night Vision") as they made their way home. Shirou was more worried about Kalawarner unknowingly tripping over something and falling flat on her face.

It was only made even more difficult to focus by the fact that after every single step Shirou took, Kalawarner followed soon afterwards, occasionally stumbling and pressing her ample bosoms against his back.

Shirou would never have let himself become a pushover to a woman simply because he made contact with her breasts. Female delinquents (and there have been a few of those) have tempted him in a vain attempt to trick and defeat him with more to no avail. Shirou was not apathetic towards the female body, but he knew how to keep his priorities in order and how to avoid giving in to temptation.

But Kalawarner was by far the most aggressive, more-so than almost any woman he had ever encountered before.

His face had become so red that it felt like a single prick with a pin was all it would take to cause his face to explode. This situation was by far the most dangerous. Almost as dangerous as when Akeno was using skin-to-skin contact to heal his body. A more lecherous part of his mind wanted to dive all in that, but his more logical side was what reminded him that he knew enough about the female race to know that something like that gets a dumbass slapped.

Besides, Rias would most likely cut off his balls if he got involved in any ecchi business with a client. It was not paranoia. It was a fact. It was a huge breach in professionalism.

So Shirou bit his tongue, trying to erase all sense of feeling from his body so he would not be further tortured by the feeling of Kalawarner's "secret weapons" bouncing against his back.

However, any attempt to do so ended with abject failure. It was made even harder to ignore due to how Kalawarner was breathing heavily into his ear, the tingling sensation making his mind far more vulnerable towards her "physical assaults".

"Kalawarner, could you please try..." Shirou bit his lower lip, trying to think on how to word it. "...maybe try taking shorter steps...?"

"Mmmnnn...it's too waarrrrm..." She moaned. It could have been deliberate or not, but she started brushing up more intimately against his body, literally nuzzling her face against his own. "Won't let you let me get warmerrrr?" She sounded like a whining child mixed with a sexual predator.

All Shirou could do was swallow and suppress his sexual desires.

If he hadn't been a Devil, he would have thanked God and all of the Heavens when he finally reached the familiar building where Kalawarner lived if it weren't for the fact he knew he would receive he familiar sensation of needles being stabbed into his skull. Even then, he probably wouldn't have done that if Kalawarner's hand hadn't brushed up against something...something that a woman wasn't supposed to touch in a normal situation, even if the man was wearing pants.

"Wha!" Shirou shirked away, flustered.

"Whoopsie~" Kalawarner squealed, pulling her hand away from Shirou's crotch, looking disoriented. She waved her hand, smiling apologetically. "Zorry 'bout dat...So dizzy that I can't see straight~ Can't even...Can't even move my hand right. Zorry-zzzz...Sorry~" Again, she got up close and laid her face against Shirou's, sighing. "Ah~...much better...Nice and warm~"

"R-Right." Shirou agreed, once again trying to push those embarrassing thoughts out of his mind. He knew that the only way to put this situation to an end was to get Kalawarner to her bed and collect whatever payment she intended to give him (preferably something that didn't come in the form of bodily affection). He helped Kalawarner through the front entrance of her apartment building, once again grateful to find the elevator in working order.

It was probably put there for handicap access, but if Kalawarner was not handicapped in her current state, Shirou did not know the meaning of the word. That and he shuddered as he pictured all of the misleading or embarrassing situations that could occur if they had taken the stairs.

When Kalawarner started humming to herself, Shirou knew she seriously needed her rest. He half-supported/half-carried her all the way to the elevator, watching as the big 4 button lit up after Shirou pushed it. There was a light bump against his feet as the elevator slowly started its ascension. It was a good thing that the apartment building only have five floors. Shirou had paid enough attention to remember the floor number as well as Kalawarner's apartment location due to the fact that it was easy to remember the room at the end of the hall on the right.

There was a a small "DING" before the elevator came to a stop, the doors sliding open to allow Shirou to exit

SNIFF SNIFF

Shirou felt a huge own his spine as he felt a small pressure against the back of his neck, disturbed by the sound of Kalawarner inhaling through her nose.

"Aaaaaah~" Kalawarner let out a pleasured sigh. "For a young boy, you smell nice~"

Shirou stared at her with even more surprised eyes. "Uh...thanks...?" He had been training, sweating, and bleeding for the past few hours. No sane person would mistake his scent for pleasant. "Come on. Let's get you back to your bed..."

Her arm over his shoulder and his arm around her waist, he finally managed to get Kalawarner back home, standing right in front of her front door.

 _"Thank Devil!"_ Shirou sighed, placing a hand on yet door knob. All it would take was a single turn and-

CHCK!

The door knob turned somewhat before sticking, refusing to turn all the way around.

It was locked.

Hanging his head, Shirou sighed. He leaned forward and tapped his head softly against the door.

"Kalawarner, I don't suppose you have a key...?" He knew the obvious answer. That trench coat of hers had no pockets. There was no way she could have carried her keys on her. She probably had one of those doors that you could lock and still close without a key. "Right, I-"

"Yes~"

Her response caught Shirou off-guard, causing him to give Kalawarner a startled look.

"W-Where?!" Perhaps she was just messing with him. Or perhaps she was so inebriated that she just _thought_ she had her keys. "I don't see anywhere on your clothes where you could possibly keep a key!"

Kalawarner giggled, snorting in an unladylike-like way. "Who said anythin' 'bout keeping it on my clothes?" As if to emphasize what she was getting at, Kalawarner leaned forward, showing off her ample cleavage.

"...No. Nooooo!" Shirou quickly saw where this was going and could already picture the numerous ways in which things could get complicated. "You're joking, right?" He hoped to all that was unholy that she was joking.

The woman childishly stuck out her tongue, giggling. "Who needs wallets or pockets when my babies can hold anything important to me~?" She smiled softly at Shirou, showing an odd tenderness and adorableness that made his heart skip a beat.

Shirou averted his eyes. "Alright, alright...Just...get the key."

"Can't." Kalawarner answered bluntly before raising her unsteady hand in front of Shirou again. Again, she had that same adorable smile. "I can't see jack and I can't properly control my hands~"

"Then how are we supposed to get the key?!" Shirou screeched, his face turning even redder. Even someone as dense as him could see where this conversation was leading and he was somewhat sure he didn't like where it was going. He did his best to ignore Kalawarner's not-so-subtle nudging, but it was getting increasingly difficult to ignore. "We can't get in without the key, Kalawarner!"

However, the smile on Kalawarner's face made it plainly obvious to him that she intended to play this out, perhaps forcing him to openly express himself on the matter they both knew was quickly approaching.

"You can always get it yourself~" For some reason, she didn't seem the slightest bit discouraged by what that suggestion entitled. Shirou assumed she was just too drunk to realize it.

"Yea-Imma go ahead and _not_ do that." Uncomfortable, Shirou moved his head away from Kalawarner, suddenly becoming more conscious of the distance or rather lack thereof between them. It was getting hard to tell if Kalawarner was really that drunk or if she was just sexually harassing him to provoke a reaction. He considered asking Rias when he returned, but considering the current situation, he just could not see a favorable outcome for him resulting from that conversation.

For some reason that Shirou could still not figure out, Kalawarner pouted.

"Prude." She muttered.

A growl escaped Shirou's lips. "It's not being prudish, but rather it's not reaching around in your cleavage for a key that you may not have even placed there!" Shirou retorted, still blushing. "Seriously! For all I know, you're so drunk that you could say anything that pops into your head even though you yourself can't tell if it's true!"

"I'm sorry, but all I heard was "Weh weh weeh, I'm a little prude-y boy"~" Kalawarner taunted, laughing to herself in her drunken daze. "It's not like your thinking about molesting my breasts, are you~?"

"W-Well-no, but-" Shirou couldn't help but feel that Kalawarner was doing this for some actual cognizant reason.

"Then there you go." Kalawarner said, waving her hand in some odd gesture that probably would have been more clear if she had been sober. "Come oooon~ I bet you touch girls' breasteseses all tha time~ What's one more zet~?" It was hard for Shirou not to notice how her slur seemed to appear and disappear at random throughout their conversation.

Shirou turned away, lowering his head. "W-Well...no...I mean-Never consciously." His face literally _hurt_ from how badly it was burning.

"Oh?" Kalawarner appeared interested in that. "But surely you're not a virgin, lil' boy~? You must have girls lining up outside the door to your house~!"

That struck a chord in Shirou's heart, riddling him with an odd sadness.

"...No...Not really." All of his annoyance, embarrassment, and exhaustion...it all turned to sadness. "I mean, other than my friends and one other person, you're the first girl to ever do anything other than stare in fear and disgust at me...No, perhaps woman is best. Coz even the adult women have that look in their eyes. Either they heard from their kids or heard from their neighbors, but everyone around this place fears and hates me-WAIT A SECOND!" Shirou suddenly straightened up, his irritation returning one thousand fold. "How did we go from talking about your goddamned boob key to me talking about my backstory!?"

"It's coz you're Prude-y McPruderson over here and won't get the key for me~" Kalawarner pointed out, taking far more pleasure in this than she should have been.

To be fair she had a point. That was what Shirou thought. If Kalawarner consented, and as long as he wasn't having any impure thoughts about it, he could just retrieve the key and they simply agree to never discuss the matter ever again for the sake of both of their prides and shames.

"F-Fine..." Shirou finally consented, feeling as though he was making a mistake for some reason. He puffed up his cheeks in a way that could only be described as "adorable" and did his best to avoid direct eye contact with his client. "J-Just...close your eyes, OK? I can't do it when you're looking at me like that...A-And remember: I'm only doing this because it's a last resort! Don't misunderstand!"

"Hm?" Kalawarner hummed. "Of course~ Of Course~" She leaned in closer to Shirou, giving such a generous view of her chest that he could almost see her nipples. He wanted to look away, but knew it would only end up even more awkward if he just "rummaged around". "Take your time as you please~"

Groaning, Shirou steeled himself, trying to will his body and mind from straying towards more perverse areas. He knew that if his willpower broke, something humiliating would happen. He still wasn't sure what Kalawarner was thinking, but he got the distinct feeling that something was seriously going on. He couldn't stop his body from trembling in nervousness and shameful excitement. It was hard to hide his deeper feelings with his "little buddy" going crazy inside of his pants. He was literally sweating from the effort it took to suppress this feeling.

Feeling it was best to stop procrastinating, Shirou took one final deep breath before leaning forward, reaching his hand in between Kalawarner's scarcely concealed cleavage, looking as he reached around to hide her key. He had no idea why she would even put it there, but any conscious thought was buried underneath the pain from his burning-red face and the ecstasy he felt shame in experiencing as he felt Kalawarner's marshmallow-feeling mountains wrapping around his hand and arm.

"Hah~" Kalawarner let out a light squeal as Shirou accidentally slipped, his finger brushing against a small, hard "protrusion" in the center of her right breast.

"S-Sorry! I...I thought it was the key..." He hung his head, trying to return to the matter at hand rather than his mistake.

"No no, it's fine~" Kalawarner assured him, a familiar and secretive smirk coming to her face. If only Shirou could understand the intentions that smile held.

Shirou held his breath, his heart beating so quickly and so harshly against his ribs as he felt around for the key Kalawarner claimed to have hidden in-between her woman parts. He had (albeit accidentally) felt a woman's breasts before, but never had it been so drawn-out or personal as it was.

He swallowed, trying to make his mind focus on anything else besides his lecherous thoughts.

When his fingers finally brushed up against something small and metallic, generously squeezed between Kalawarner's melons, he let out a sigh of relief, gripping it tightly before finally pulling his hand out. A small, bronze-colored door key was pinched between his fingers.

"Thank God..." He whispered to himself, only realizing his mistake when that familiar sensation of needling a pierced his skull. "Ouch!" He winced in pain.

"You alright...?" Kalawarner asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah yeah!" Shirou replied quickly, giving a quick shake of his head to get the pain out of his mind. "Let's just get you inside before you pass out." Shirou, his hand still trembling from his previous stress, reached out and tried to insert the key into the lock, scraping the sides twice before he maintained focus for long enough to insert the key.

"That would be nice..." Kalawarner agreed, looking more unsteady on her feet but still retaining an odd smile. Shirou turned the lock and then used the knob to open the door, this time succeeding in this endeavor "There should be a light switch to your left there." Kalawarner raised a shaky hand, pointing to to a small switch sitting on the wall.

Shirou flicked the switch upwards, a small light illuminating the front entrance to Kalawarner's apartment. The living room was exactly the same as it had been before. Shirou was summoned in that room both times Kalawarner made a Contract with him, so he was not quite certain in which direction her bedroom laid.

"The hallway to your left..." Kalawarner noted, gesturing to what turned out to be nothing more than an empty wall. Kalawarner tapped herself on the head, sticking out her tongue. "My bad~ To the left then~"

And Shirou did indeed have better luck in noticing the hallway Kalawarner mentioned. There was a total of three doors to the right, none of them having any sign like "Bedroom" or "Bring Kalawarner Here, Dummy!" on the front. If left to his own devices, Shirou would have just fumbled around trying to figure out which room to enter. Kalawarner poked Shirou in the face, poking his cheek once or twice before she held up two fingers, wiggling hem energetically with an even more dazed look on her face as the alcohol gained an even stronger grip over her.

"Two is my favorite number~" That is what she said, but Shirou took the hint and continued to half-carry/half-drag Kalawarner through the hallway, coming to a stop at the second door and throwing it open.

Inside was a simple room. Two windows with closed, black curtains and a queen-sized bed with black pillows and black sheets. The walls were painted a dark violet color. Shirou couldn't help but get a gothic or emo vibe from the room. It kind of felt like the type of room where someone goes to die or when someone has already died. Shirou couldn't help the odd feeling. It felt...

...just _wrong_. Someone like him, he felt, should not be there.

His hesitation must have been obvious because Kalawarner turned and gave him a teasing smile.

"What's wrong, slowpoke~?" She taunted in that same drunken tone. "Bed's right there~"

Shirou snapped out of his thoughts, blinking twice before nodding. "R-Right." Shirou took about five steps before Kalawarner tightly gripped his shoulder, pulling herself up straight. She smiled at him.

"Alright, I think I can make it from here." She said. "A few steps shouldn't kill me~"

It was an almost miraculous recovery from her previous condition of barely being able to think straight. Something crackled slightly in Shirou's head, but the pieces just didn't come together at the time. He took Kalawarner's words completely at face-value. He propped her up so she could potentially maintain a balance, first supporting her by her shoulder, then by her hand, letting her separate her body from him.

It was only when she she parted from him that Shirou realized that his side was drenched in sweat, having been given no time to breathe due to Kalawarner being practically glued to him. He blushed in embarrassment at the thought of whether or not Kalawarner had noticed. He had enough bad traits that people talked about saying he possessed without adding "sweaty guy" to the list. If Shirou became "the sweaty guy", he believed he would have to kill himself out of shame.

He helped Kalawarner regain her balance to the point that she was just holding his hand rather than his whole arm.

"You sure you can make it from here?" Shirou asked, eying the short distance between them and the bed as he slowly released her hand from his grasp.

Kalawarner seemed to just wave off his concern. "It's a few feet between me and my own bed." She reasoned, taking a few steps forward. "I'm sure I can-whooooaaa~!" Kalawarner suddenly stumbled, her hand lashing out at anyone or anything, her hand grabbing Shirou by the wrist in this scenario, dragging him along and causing him to stumble forward with her.

The older woman reached the bed first, having turned around just as she reached it, the force of the collision causing her to fall flat on her back on top of the bed, legs kicking high into the air. Shirou, having been pulled along, was dragged along by the force of momentum and, having been pulled in the same direction, landed in the same position, landing right on top of Kalawarner. The only thing that kept him from falling face-first into her breasts was his fast reflexes. He managed to position his arms on either side of Kalawarner, supporting himself.

It wasn't a comfortable distance though, their lips being mere inches apart.

Again, Shirou's face came to the brink of practically exploding.

"W-Waah!" Shirou screamed before pushing himself off of his client, sitting himself down beside her, his hands in his lap partially to hide the awkward "swelling" that started to occur between his legs. He bowed his head in apology. "I-I'm very sorry about that. I-It was not by intention and I am sorry if I hurt you during the fall." He rubbed his face, trying to ease his blush.

There was a heavy sigh from the woman laying next to him.

"It's fine." She sounded oddly disappointed and even a little irritated. With a light grunt, Kalawarner pushed herself into a sitting position, reaching her hands into the airs and stretching her arms. Again, Shirou averted his eyes as another generous glimpse of Kalawarner's tempted his eyes. "So, I suppose you'll be wanting your payment soon, hm~?" She spread her legs apart, kicking off her shoes.

Shirou scratched his cheek, turning away. "U-Um...I guess so. Unless there's another task you wish to contract me to perform-" He jumped when a hand suddenly touched his shoulder.

He turned to see Kalawarner giving him an odd smile that seemed somewhat familiar. "Well, now that you mention it..." She started leaning on him, her bust pressing up against his arm. "Perhaps you could-"

RIIIIIIING! RIIIIIIIIIING! RIIIIIIIIIIING!

Then the sound of a cell phone ring tone cut Kalawarner off before she could finish her sentence. Shirou knew he wasn't imagining it because he could feel his cellphone vibrating in his pocket.

Someone was calling him.

Giving Kalawarner an apologetic look, Shirou held up a finger to silence any further questioning as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his mobile phone, his eyes wandering over to the caller ID:

 _Kiyome_

"Huh..." Was all Shirou said. _"Pretty late...wonder what it could be..."_ Shirou opened the flip phone and prepared to accept the call when a hand suddenly positioned itself over his, snapping the phone shut while another hand reached out and pinched Shirou's chin between its fingers, forcing his head to turn in the direction of the owner.

Something about Kalawarner's soft smile and welcoming face made Shirou's heart skip a beat.

"Come on now." Kalawarner whispered softly. "Isn't it rude to make a woman wait~?"

Something had changed. He didn't know what. But somehow, Kalawarner had changed herself enough in the last minute that made her seem significantly more attractive. It was like some sort of odd charm washed over him. Shirou was not going to act inappropriately with his client, but he could never deny that she was, in fact, quite beautiful.

 _"I'm really jealous of whatever lucky guy manages to win her heart..."_ Something about his previous thought caused Shirou to frown. He was not typically a jealous person (not that he knew of). Not to mention he barely knew Kalawarner, so bearing such a level of jealousy felt...odd.

"Shirou," Kalawarner captured Shirou's attention again, "what do you think of me...?"

Her face had somehow become even closer to Shirou's own, their lips a tantalizingly short distance apart.

The odd tugging in Shirou's chest became stronger, Kalawarner doing nothing to pull away.

So maybe it would be alright to move a little closer. That's what Shirou thought. For that moment, he thought of absolutely nothing but the gorgeous woman in front of hi-

RIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

He was snapped back to his senses by the sound of his cell phone ringing again. Shirou blinked twice, his face flushing more deeply than before as he shuffled a few feet away from Kalawarner, raising his phone to his face to read the caller ID again while trying to ignore the expression of displeasure on Kalawarner's face.

 _Kiyome_

Again, the name of his friend appeared in his caller ID.

He didn't know why, but Shirou started feeling uneasy by he second call.

"Come now~" He tried to pick up the call again, but found his attempt obstructed once again, Kalawarner grabbing him by his wrist, this time turning him to face her more forcibly than before. She tilted his head back, staring directly into his eyes with her own brown orbs. "Wouldn't you rather spend some time with me~?"

"I-uh..." Shirou found himself troubled, his ability to speak coherently becoming somewhat shaken.

"I mean _the world_ to you, don't I?" Kalawarner asked. Shirou found himself nodding, having done so in an instinctive way that surprised even himself. "For someone with such a fearsome reputation, your youthful face, your small, strong...it's very intoxicating~"

"Th-Thank you." Shirou knew it...something was wrong. He couldn't figure out what, but something was definitely wrong about this situation. His mind felt fuzzier and fuzzier with every word Kalawarner said. It felt like he was moving through syrup. _"Maybe I'm more tired than I thought...?"_ He could only guess as to why he was feeling as he did. He hadn't used much energy and neither did he ingest anything since leaving the ORC, so it couldn't have been drugs.

Kalawarner gently caressed Shirou's cheek, smiling affectionately. "Is something wrong, Shirou~?"

It started feeling difficult to see straight. He wasn't feeling dizzy so much as just as though he was falling into a sleep-like lull, like his body was becoming heavier than it should have been. He had assumed that perhaps he had been running on adrenaline up to that point and perhaps the mental exhaustion finally caught up to him after the flustering trip back to Kalawarner's apartment. Even still...something didn't feel right...

"...Shirou?"

The snow-haired boy blinked as he realized Kalawarner was still talking to him. Shirou rubbed his eyes, trying to regain his focus but the feeling refused to fade. He felt more embarrassed than before as he was yet again mesmerized by Kalawarner's beauty and due to his rather improper state.

"S-Sorry..." Shirou apologized, feeling more surprised by his increased amiability. Sure he had lightened up, but he had never been the "shy school boy" type of guy. That was yet another source of embarrassment for him. "I...I'm just feeling a little tired..."

"Oh? Then why don't you lay down?" Kalawarner suggested, motioning towards the very spacious bed they were sitting on. "Come on~ Surely your master won't mind taking a few minutes for a small rest? She must be running you ragged, isn't she?"

"Yeah...ragged..." Shirou just found himself nodding along with everything Kalawarner said, but he knew in his gut that something was really, really, really wrong. He wanted to say something, anything, of his own volition that isn't just being parroted back at Kalawarner, but his ability to speak on his own was starting to wane more and more as time went on. "I...I think I'll lay down a bit..."

He leaned back onto the bed, the minor headache beginning to subside somewhat.

Even with his mind so fuzzy, he managed to utter a few words. "K-Kala...I...I don't feel-"

"Ssssshhhhh~" Kalawarner placed a finger to Shirou's lips, silencing him. She leaned over and stared deep into his eyes, making Shirou feel as if he was the only thing in the world to her. The thought made him blush deeply. "It's alright, Shirou. Just lay back and-"

RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

And like that, Shirou felt a sudden clarity rushing through his mind.

He raised his head, staring at the caller ID and seeing Kiyome's name once again flashing across the screen.

 _"This is the third time she called..."_ Shirou noted, frowning. _"Something...Something's wrong."_ He knew in his gut that something bad was happening. Bit by bit, his mind returned to him, the thought that Kiyome was in trouble giving him something deeply important to focus on. _"I...I shouldn't be here...Kiyome's in trouble!"_

When he attempted to sit up, he found his path obstructed by Kalawarner's arm, the older woman quickly taking the younger boy in her arms again, preventing any chance at escape.

"Come now," The dark-haired woman purred, "wouldn't you much rather play with me~?"

Despite his previous reactions to Kalawarner's actions, just hearing her say such a sudden thing towards him felt...wrong. The feeling was dulled before by his daze, but he was up and alert now and he now knew without a fact that something was wrong.

"Wouldn't it be better to just forget everything else and just stay with me?"

"N-No!" Shirou's response was immediate. He broke away from Kalawarner's grasp, feeling even more uncomfortable by her affectionate gesture. He felt so _used_ for some reason. He didn't notice how Kalawarner's expression had darkened for a moment. "There's something important I have to go do. You can send your payment for the Contract to Rias!"

He leaped from the bed, ready to go bursting out the door-

-and was grabbed forcibly by the shoulder soon afterwards, yanked onto the bed so forcefully that his head almost hit the wall when he was sent flying.

It was so sudden that Shirou was initially unable to figure out what happened. He tried to sit up, but his arms were immediately pinned to the bed, his cellphone still within his hand, and his legs meeting a similar fate. In five seconds flat, Shirou had been completely immobilized by an assailant.

"Well, you see, Shirou..." His lovely client said, her eyes hidden behind her bangs. "The only thing I have interest in paying with is my body." Shirou found his body forcibly seized by Kalawarner, the woman mounting him and licking her lips like a predator about to devour her captured prey. "After all, virgins taste better than any other kind of man~"

It was in that moment that something precious was taken from Shirou...

Kalawarner leaned in closer, her flushed face so close to his own. Shirou shut his eyes tight, feeling a humiliating mix of embarrassment, excitement, and shame. Mostly shame.

He didn't see anything. He only felt a soft, moist sensation against his lips. Something warm and slimy wormed its way through his teeth and into his mouth, swirling around his tongue and exchanging saliva. Only a fool could not have realized what was happening. Shirou felt his body become more excited against his will. It was so passionate and full of bestial lust that Shirou's body could not deny its wonder.

He only dared opened his eyes when he felt the foreign presence leave his mouth.

All he saw was a trail of saliva, a practical bridge connecting his and Kalawarner's mouths and the lewd, almost starving look on the woman's face. She sat up, a blissful expression on her face as she held her hands to her cheeks.

"So delicioooouuus~!" She squealed like a little girl. "Even for a virgin, this taste is unbelievable~!"

Even with that expression, Shirou could see that her hunger had only been whetted further. His only hope out of the situation was one of two options...

"K-Kalawarner-san, please stop this!" Shirou begged, throwing away all pride to talk the woman down. "Y-You don't want to do this! It's just the alcohol messing with your mind! I know! Ka-san once got drunk after only three glasses of sake! I had to chase her all throughout the neighborhood after she stripped butt-naked to make her put some clothes on!"

The sad part was that it was a true story...From the age of nine, Shirou seriously had a lot of responsibilities.

But Kalawarner looked unmoved. If anything, Shirou's attempts at making her realize her actions only served to amuse her and intensify her flames of desire.

"Sorry, but I already did steal your first kiss~" She said in the same cute tone. She removed one of her hands from one of Shirou's arms and traced a line down the center of his chest. "Don't you think I~ should~ fin~ish~ the~ job~?" She leaned in closer to his ear, as if to whisper something.

Instead, she stuck out her tongue, sensually licking his ear lobe before nibbling on it.

"MMMnnnnhhhh!" Shirou whined, wishing he could really kill himself out of humiliation. Kalawarner continued doing this for at least a minute, blissfully drinking in all of Shirou's pleasure and embarrassment.

Kalawarner placed a finger to her chin. "Ufu~ That's a good reaction~ For a tough guy, you really do have an adorable side~"

"S-Shut up!" Shirou snapped back, beginning to struggle against his captor. "L-Lemme go! L-Lemmo go, dammit!"

He opened his mouth to scream, regardless of the fact that it was an unmanly way to call for help and escape from this situation, but this attempt, too, was foiled when Kalawarner covered his mouth, smirking victoriously.

"Don't worry~ I'm not selfish in bed~" That was quite literally the _furthest_ thing from Shirou's mind at the moment. "However, just for tonight, you're all mine~"

And she kissed him again...

* * *

Back to the present.

...And so Shirou had winded up in his current predicament, licked all over his body by Kalawarner as if she were a dirty sex kitten.

Kalawarner had unbuttoned his dress shirt and was in the process of licking down Shirou's neck. She looked quite serious about savoring every "taste". She was surprisingly strong to the point Shirou could not move anything except his one arm. He tried a (albeit dirty and underhanded) smack across the face, but unfortunately Kalawarner's reflexes easily matched her physical strength.

After a few licks of his cheek, Kalawarner gave a shudder of excitement. "To think that even a virgin could have such a taste~!" It sounded like she was praising him solely for being a virgin, a compliment that left Shirou uncertain how to interpret it.

If Shirou couldn't appeal to her sense of self, he figured he could at least try to appeal towards her morality. "Look, I don't know how drunk you are, but I seriously need to go! I think a friend of mine is in trouble!"

Hope briefly filled Shirou's chest as Kalawarner raised her face away from him, sitting on top of him with a blank expression on her face. At the very least, it _looked_ like she had understood what he was saying. If there there was enough of her sober self still conscious, there was definitely a way out of this situation.

"That so?" Kalawarner asked in a neutral tone.

Shirou nodded in response.

His hope quickly crumbled away when Kalawarner's lewd and cheerful smile returned to her face.

"Then we had best get this done quickly~ I don't mind virgins who go quickly~"

If Shirou had not already been flat on the bed, the shock of that blunt and remorseless response probably would have made him face-fault.

The worst part was that her logic was technically correct.

"B-But I-I-" Kalawarner pinched his lips shut, leaning in closely and smiling seductively.

"I think I've heard enough talk~" Kalawarner said, releasing Shirou's lips with the intentions of seizing them with her own lips. "Look at this way: you're first time could have been worse than a woman like me~"

Again, her logic was sound and Shirou could not fully deny it...

But it still felt wrong.

There was only one way to end this situation...Shirou didn't want to do it because he did not wish to hurt Kalawarner, but she was leaving him with no choice.

"I don't want to."

"...Come again?" Perhaps it was the blunt honesty of his words or perhaps it was how expression when from the delicious embarrassment and various virgin expressions that Kalawarner craved to a blank face, but Kalawarner's lewdness vanished in an instant. To the point that she didn't realize she just made an unintentional innuendo.

"I don't want to have sex with you or do anything of the like." He said it with a painfully blank expression, seeming completely unaffected by Kalawarner's sexual charm. "I don't find you attractive and I don't want to have sex with you."

While initially silent, Kalawarner laughed. "Ha~! Come on, now~ Surely it's obvious you're not getting away without giving me a lil taste~" However, Shirou noticed it immediately. The hesitation. He knew at that moment that his suspicion had been correct. It had taken him a little while, but he had figured out a great deal about Kalawarner over the course of their conversation.

Shirou shook his head, doing his best to maintain his blank expression. "No. I have been patient and calm, trying to tend to your desires by playing the "helpless school boy", but no more."

"W-What? Yeah right~!" But uncertainty became clearer and clearer on Kalawarner's face. "Nobody who is disinterested would ogle me as much as you do when you think I'm not paying attention~"

"No. That is your mind imagining what you WANT to believe." Shirou countered, trying to remain monotone. "I have no sexual interest in you, and you wanna know why?"

Kalawarner slowly began to show irritation, her previous sensual voice fading into annoyance and a hint of fear, as if she knew what Shirou was going to say.

"Oh come off it, now-!"

"It's coz you're old."

...

...

...

...

The silence was so thick that you could cut it with a butter knife.

"...old...?" Kalawarner squeaked, her expression a mix of various stages of shock and pain.

In any normal situation, Shirou would have been beaten into a coma for saying such things, but in this case, it was a natural insecurity Kalawarner held. She herself feared that fact more than anything else, becoming incredibly paranoid concerning her age and appearance. It had been subtle during their first meeting, but Shirou easily saw her true nature. It was because he was quite capable when it came to dealing with people (when he actually thought about what he said before saying it). His life of solitude had granted him ample opportunity to observe the behavior of people from afar and he had seen women like Kalawarner before...

"You crave younger and sometimes underage boys to wow them with your sexual prowess even though you yourself are most likely just average in bed when compared to other adult women." Shirou reasoned. Kalawarner didn't react, so clearly he was on the right track. "Their minds are also somewhat immature so they're not at the point in their lives where they can normally see your age through subtle signs like those crows feet."

"C-Crow's feet?!" Kalawarner stiffened, her expression contorting into terror. She felt all over her face, looking like she was going through a crises. "What crow's feet?!"

Shirou placed his one free hand to her face, gently touching her. "Oh, I mean those crow's feet right abou-HEADBUTT!"

In the end, Shirou's plan worked.

Faster than Kalawarner could react with her guard lowered like that, Shriou quickly gripped the side of her face, raising his head quickly and smashing his forehead against Kalawarner's as hard as he could. Whether it was the shock or the pain, the rest of Kalawarner's grip immediately released, allowing Shirou to finally wriggle his way free out from under her.

He gave her no opportunity to recapture him, quickly fleeing to the other side of the room and out the door.

And only Kalawarner was left in the room, clutching her face while sitting on her knees on the bed, a dazed expression on her face...

"Oh! By the way," Shirou's head popped out from behind the door frame, peeking into the room, "all that stuff I said was a lie. You are one foxy momma with a rockin' body and, if it weren't for my current circumstances, I would probably have had no hesitation nor regrets in partaking in all of that, so please don't take anything I said before seriously. I hope we can discuss is more when you're sober...Bye!" With that, he disappeared again, his conscience clear.

The sound of a door slamming shut alerted Kalawarner to his departure from the apartment.

And Kalawarner was alone again, staring at the area from which Shirou had disappeared.

"Of course, I hope you realize..." She removed her hand from her face, revealing a heavy blush and a hint of drool dripping from the corner of her mouth. "...now I'm only so much more determined to taste that goodness. Shirou Fujimura, you're the first boy to have fully captured my interest~"

Being manipulated, outwitted, and turned down all in one go was something Kalawarner had never experienced. Yet it only served to strengthen her "appetite".

"One way or another, I will savor your taste~" It was what she swore to herself no matter what.

Then her eyes caught something. A flashing screen at the corner of her bed.

A cellphone.

"And it looks like I'll get another chance real soon~" She said, smiling to herself as she picked up the device, _accidentally_ unlocking it in order to peruse Shirou's personal contacts and information. "Now let's see-" Her eyes immediately laid themselves upon an image. It must have been sent the moment she opened the phone, causing her to accidentally open it. "Oh my..." She frowned. "Well, Devil boy, it looks like you're heading into one helluva shit storm..."

Without another word, Kalawarner dropped the phone, slowly walking out of the room.

The phone was left behind, a disturbing image on the screen.

It depicted a young woman, blonde hair styled in drills. She wore a uniform similar to Shirou's...

...and she was bound and gagged with cuts and bruises covering her body.

* * *

It was raining by the time Shirou had run out the front entrance to the apartment complex. It only took a few seconds for him to get soaked to the bone in that heavy downpour. The wind was blowing hard, only further strengthening the harsh cold his body felt. If it weren't for constant moving his body so much and building up heat, Shirou probably would have gotten hypothermia.

He ran out into the open streets, his feet splashing into every puddle he came across. If it weren't for the street lights, Shirou would not have been able to navigate through the almost blinding rainfall even with his ability to see in the dark.

It was as if the world itself was working against him, using the power of Mother Nature herself to impede his path.

He literally had no information on where he was supposed to go. No evidence, no clues. All he had was the gut feeling that Kiyome was in some kind of trouble and the thought of her getting hurt made him sick.

She had been the person he actually _knew_ he longest. The first person to become his friend even though he had failed to realize her importance to him back then.

Looking back on it, he felt like an idiot.

He had learned a lot about people and their behavior from observation, but his own detachment to humanity had made him blind to the obvious truth.

He had hurt her and she had still forgiven him. She, who had remained by his side even after seeing his disgusting nature, never truly hated him.

If something happened to her because he had arrived too late, he would never have been able to forgive himself.

So, even without direction, he could not stay put.

"Kiyome!" He called out, his voice quickly drowned out by the sound of crashing thunder. "KIYOME! WHERE ARE YOU?! KIYOME!" He started screaming at the top his lungs, trying to make his voice heard over the sound of rainfall and thunder, running from street to street, trying to cover as much ground as possible in the hopes that Kiyome would end up within the range of the sound of his voice. "KIYOME!"

The more he called out and the more he ran, the stronger the feeling that Kiyome was in danger became. He just could not shirk that fear.

"Damn it!" Shirou cursed to himself, stopping to take a breath and rest his legs after about an hour of nonstop running. He had covered almost all of the main roads in town by that point. If Kiyome was out there, she didn't or couldn't hear him. "Should I try calling Ria-?" He froze as he reached into his pocket. He had been holding his phone in his hand before he left.

It wasn't there anymore.

"DAMN IT AAAAAALL!" He screamed until he went hoarse, cursing every last bit of his misfortune. Even now, even after repenting for his previous behavior, fate acted so cruelly. Just like _before_ , regardless of whether or not he actually did something wrong, the world sought to punish him endlessly with misfortune and by taking away the things he cared about. "KIYOMEEEEEE! WHERE ARE YOOOOOU?!"

Nyaaaaaaan~

The sound of a cat drew Shirou's eyes downward towards a little black shape on the ground.

"Huh...?" The black furred cat took a few moments to register in Shirou's mind. "Kuroneko...?" The black cat standing in front of him was dripping wet, looking awfully displeased with her current state. She glared at Shirou as if her current state was all his fault, as if he was the one who made her go out into the pouring rain. "Look, I don't have any treats or ear scratches right now! I have to find someone!" He was about to turn around and continue his search when-

 _"Follow me."_

"Huh?" Shirou blinked once. Then twice. He looked to his left and then to his right, but he didn't notice anyone around. "Did...Did someone just talk to me?" There was not a single living presence around him other than the cat. He scratched his head in confusion. "I better hurry. This cold seems to be messing with my brain."

Nyaaaaaan~

Kuroneko mewed at Shirou again, clawing at his pants leg and clearly trying to catch his attention. Shirou initially brushed her off, but when he tried walking away, Kuroneko suddenly leaped right in front of him, mewing impatiently. It was only then that Shirou began to suspect.

"What is it girl? You trying to tell me something?" The black-furred feline turned about in a perfect circle, making an attempt at gesturing at Shirou. "You...You want me to follow you?"

The cat gave an annoyed hiss as if to say "Obviously!".

It may have been weird in the eyes of other people, but Shirou had come to understand and trust Kuroneko as a friend and companion. One thing he knew for a fact was that this cat was far more intelligent than she appeared.

"Alright...I'll trust you on this then." Shirou decided. "Lead the way."

Nyan~

Kuroneko actually seemed to nod in response, turning around and running in the opposite direction.

Shirou gave chase.

Even with all of the rain soaking her and hindering her senses, Kuroneko appeared to possess a good idea on where she was going, easily avoiding any obstacles that blocked her path. She slowed down when Shirou had trouble keeping pup through the weather but she never once stopped running.

They had been running for ten minutes or so before Kuroneko finally slowed to a walk, signaling to Shirou that they had arrived at their destination...wherever it was. It was a street even darker than the others, all of the street lights completely broken for several blocks at least. All in a perfect line.

Shirou had chills rolling down his spine the moment he stepped onto that street. He felt...on-edge.

Nyaaaaaan~

Kuroneko mewed again, turning to look up at Shirou.

He knew he shouldn't have looked. He knew that he wasn't going to like whatever laid on that street. His brain was screaming at him countless times to ignore it and turn away. That he wouldn't be able to take the shock.

A part of him wished he had listened at the time.

He traversed the street, being careful not to trip or slip on the wet road.

And then he saw them.

Two paper bags just laying in the road, knocked over with their contents spilled onto the ground. The foods that were damaged or weren't packaged air tight were soaked, having absorbed so much water it all started to look like swollen, wet bread.

In the middle of the massive mess was a single, rectangular object.

An IPhone with a cracked screen.

Shirou knew it was Kiyome's because there was a small tennis ball sticker in the lower right corner (although all of the color had been washed away by the rain).

He knew what had happened when he observed the scene. It was obvious.

The large claw marks in the street, the damaged street lights, and... _the blood_. And above all else there was that putrid stench that only one person he knew could give off, its stink tainting the air even now.

All of these added up in Shirou's mind and produced the answer he had feared most:

Kiyome had been taken by the Stray Devil Eliade.

Shirou clenched his fists, biting down on his own teeth so hard that it felt like they would break.

He knew they would end up fighting again, but not so soon. And this time. The shoe was on the other foot. Rather than being hunted down like prey, Shirou would have to go on the offensive and find Eliade first. And while he did not know where she was, he knew someone who most likely did...

It was time to pay a visit to an _old friend_.

* * *

 **Next Time - The Storm Descends! A Dire Situation and the Fated Rematch! (Part 2 of 2)**

* * *

 **And that is where we end the current chapter ends~! Hahahahaha! I end it at the most dramatic part to make you hunger for more!...**

 **OK. You want honesty? It was running on for too long so I decided to make this the cut-off point. I just couldn't help but feel it was a little bit awkward having Shirou having an epic confrontation in the same chapter where he was molested by Kalawarner...Didn't feel right. So I split that craziness up into two parts. Next part is almost done, so patience is appreciated~!**

 **Also, just got traumatized by Sunrider: Liberation Day...So if anyone knows any good comedy series that could bleach my brain, it would be most appreciated.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	11. Chapter 9: The Storm Descends! Part 2

**And here we go with next chapter. Chapter after this one will be the finale to this arc. I promise.**

 **Also, for those of you asking about Sorry, Babe, I Just Ain't That Kind of Hero, I'm working on it. Up to 2700 words. I'm taking it slow and easy coz this is more of a casual project and if I pressure myself, then it will stop being fun.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 9:** **The Storm Descends! A Dire Situation and the Fated Rematch! (Part 2 of 2)**

To say Kaido was pissed would be an understatement.

He was FURIOUS.

Since their whopping defeat almost a week ago, the Yellow Diamonds had been suffering severe attendance issues. It was only natural. It wasn't like heir injuries would magically heal after a few days.

A large number of his boys had been killed and eaten by Eliade before and a majority of the ones who remained were in the hospital. For those who were injured in the fighting, they had suffered injuries from broken bones to temporary paralysis to burns of varying degrees. Yeah weren't dying, but they would not be at 100% for a long time. A few months at best. And now the Yellow Diamonds were the laughing stock of the "Kuoh Underworld" due to their humiliating defeat.

They couldn't very well say "We were beaten by a bunch of Devils". They had no evidence now that Eliade's power had worn off. They were just completely normal humans at the worst possible time.

Now they only had eight active members remaining including himself.

They had ended up needing to hide in one of their back-up hideouts to avoid getting jumped by rival gangs. It was another abandoned warehouse with large steel doors (there were surprisingly quite a few in that town).

"It's all because of those damned Devils..." Kaido loathed every single one of those wretched creatures. One way or another, they had cost him dearly. And Shirou Fujimura was the worst of them. "Sora, Chouno, Ida, all of them...What happened to them is all because of that bastard Fujimura, bringing everyone else into this shit...God-fucking-dammit." He took several deep breaths, trying to placate his rage and frustration. _"Well, it's not like things can get any worse..."_

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

The front doors to the warehouse was blown right off its giant metal hinges, the giant doors crashing to the ground.

"KAIDO! WHERE THE FUCK IS SHE, YOU SLIMY BASTARD!?"

Kaido sighed. _"I stand corrected."_ He knew, due to his luck so far, that it could only have been one of the two people hated most. Eliade would have made more of a presence, so it could only have been-

"BOSS!" One of his underlings called out, screaming in fear. "I-It's Fujimura!"

Again, Kaido sighed, too pissed off to deal with this shit. "What do you want this time, Fujimura?" He said with a cool but very sharp tone, suggesting his suppressed anger. He was in the mood for neither a fight nor for seeing Shirou in general so he had some hope this confrontation could be sped up.

"Where is she, Kaido?!" Shirou asked again, raising his voice angrily.

Kaido raised an eyebrow. "I have no idea who you're talking abou-HURK!" He was cut short by he hand that tightened around his neck, Shirou's face suddenly so close. It was clear that Shirou had become faster since the last time, that or the demonic power loaned to Kaido closed a greater gap than he first thought.

The expression on Shirou's face was not one of simple anger. It was raging fury and killing intent.

"You KNOW who I'm talking about!"

"Do I now?" Kaido replied sardonically. "And how would I know who you're talking about if I don't know who you're talking about? As much as I enjoy our little chats, I have no id-GAK!" Shirou's grip on Kaido's throat tightened.

"Don't fuck around with me Kaido!" Shirou warned. "I'm not in the mood for bullshit! Tell me where Eliade is!"

Kaido smirked mockingly. "And why would I do that?" And then there was the sensation of flying through the air before his back smashed against the opposite wall, the force of impact knocking all of the wind right out of Kaido. Before he could even attempt to recover, a familiar grip wrapped around his neck again, lifting him up and banging him against the wall again.

It was clear that Shirou's rage was only swelling larger and larger as time passed. "Is that enough incentive for you?!"

"Hehe..." Kaido coughed, Shirou's tightening grip restricting his airway. "I wonder...what that psycho bitch did...to piss you off..." Shirou drove his fist into Kaido's stomach. "GAK! Fuck!"

"Listen up, Kaido!" Shirou commanded, slamming his former aggressor against the wall once again to make him keep quiet. "If you don't help me, someone's going to die! Do you get me?!"

Kaido sneered. "I thought death threats were a little beneath you, Fujimura." He taunted. "I guess I was wrong to even have the slightest bit of belief that you hold back anything." He gave a sarcastic laugh after that, taking every opportunity he could to mock Shirou's attempts at grasping at straws.

Again, Shirou slammed Kaido against the wall, strongly resisting the urge to bust his skull open due to sheer impatience. "It's not a threat, jackass. Eliade's taken someone. Someone important to me. She's in trouble and I don't think she has much time left. Tell me where Eliade is so I can take her down." Shirou loosened his grip, doing his best to tame his anger and frustration to a more calm level.

Then, a knowing smirk came across Kaido's face, taking greater even further pleasure.

"Ooooh! I get it now. That snake took one of those bitches from that club of yours, huh?" Kaido guessed. "I _really_ hope it was that red-haired bimbo with that cocky-ass expression of hers."

Deciding it would be alright to vent a little anger, Shirou brought his fist around, striking Kaido across the face. Kaido stumbled slightly, but Shirou retained his firm grasp on Kaido's throat, glaring daggers at the older boy, just _daring_ him to make a move that gave Shirou a reason. Blood started dripping from the corner of Kaido's mouth, signalling that Shirou had either cut the inside of Kaido's cheek against his teeth or that one of Kaido's teeth had been broken.

"Wrong answer." Shirou growled. "Try again."

Kaido cringed in pain, groaning from the sudden blow. "Damn...I guess you're more into the physical abuse-type of torture than we are..."

"You're only making this harder on yourself, Kaido." Shirou stated. "One way or another, you're going to help me."

"Oh?" Kaido scoffed at Shirou's request before spitting a glob of blood from his mouth of to the side. "And why should I help you, _Mr. Demon King_?"

This was a battle Shirou knew he could not win with punching and kicking. He had to use words. He had to play this situation right or risk losing it all.

"Because..." Shirou took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "...Because you have as much of a reason to take down Eliade as I do." He reasoned. Kaido raised an eyebrow. He still looked angry, but also intrigued. "I remember what you told me. Remember? You told me that Eliade killed "over half your boys"."

For a brief moment, a hint of pain and perhaps...regret(?) crossed Kaido's face before immediately vanishing, returning to his previous spiteful expression.

"Yeah...She did..." Kaido clenched his fists at his side. "Sora, Chouno, and Ida...those three clowns were among the first members of the Yellow Diamonds...They were my best friends...Can't even tell their parents what happened. Everyone thinks that they're just missing." Again, regret stained Kaido's expression with a mix of sorrow. "Who was gonna believe that a supernatural snake demon ate their corpses...? Ida's sister? She's praying every night, praying for Ida to come home. Because of that bitch, Eliade, I can't ever tell her the truth, that there's not even a body to bury anymore..." Kaido took a deep breath. Before, Shirou had wanted to punch him, manipulating him solely to get what he wanted, but now...

Now Shirou genuinely felt sorry for the guy. Those clowns he called his gang...they were actually his friends...

Either out of pity or perhaps feeling Kaido didn't need a threat hanging over his head, Shirou released Kaido's throat, allowing the leader of the Yellow Diamonds to stand on his own. He coughed a few times while rubbing his sore throat with his hand, wincing in pain.

"Kaido, Eliade is a Stray Devil." Shirou crossed his arms in front of his chest, shaking his head. "This isn't the first time she's killed people. It certainly won't be the last. Not unless you help me here and now. If you don't help me, another person is going to die if she isn't dead already..." A sharp pain pierced Shirou's heart as the grim image of Kiyome's potentially mangled body passed through his mind. "You really suffering all this for _her_?" Shirou jabbed Kaido in the shoulder with his finger. "Answer me this: If Kiyome dies because you were too stubborn to tell me where Eliade was...how are you any better than that monster?"

It was probably the last question that finally got to Kaido.

Kaido looked off to the side. "And what makes you think she's not dead already?"

There was hesitation on Shirou's face for a moment, the question cutting him deeply at his core. During the fifteen minutes it had taken to track Kaido down at his base, Shirou had asked that question to himself over a dozen times, trying to justify any hope that Kiyome was still alive even though Eliade had killed and devoured every other human she had ever been in contact with excluding Kaido and the remnants of the Yellow Diamonds. And every time Shirou asked himself that question, he was faced with the gut-wrenching possibility that he was wrong...that he had already been too late since the last phone call in Kalawarner's apartment. If that was the case, then...

"Because I have to believe in her still being alive." Shirou let out a heavy breath, having said those words. "And I know Eliade wouldn't miss an opportunity to torture me...Either she is holding her hostage, waiting to kill her in front of me to further harm me or Eliade plans to kill me in front of her to damage her and leave me with the guilt of being unable to protect her..."

"Geez..." Kaido sighed, shaking his head. "I really don't get you Devils...I also really don't feel like having some unrelated chick getting killed because of this shit you've gotten into."

"Tell me where she is, Kaido." Shirou requested again, this time far more calmly than before. "Let me put a stop to this before more people get hurt."

That moment was the most vital. Shirou had tried to appeal to Kaido in the best way he could manage, but it was all up to how Kaido responded whether or not it would pay off. If Kaido rejected the request to reveal Eliade's location, then all hope of finding Kiyome alive if at all was completely lost. There was no way that Shirou had any hope of finding the Stray on his own. He could try returning to the ORC to ask Rias, but there was no way he would have had enough time to go there and search the entire town, grasping at straws while trying to find Kiyome.

A series of emotions flashed across Kaido's face, a variety of confused and mixed-up feelings welling up in the young man's head to the point that it looked as though he would explode.

With the confusion Kaido was clearly experiencing, his answer could have been anything. There was no predicting how he would react.

"So what's it gonna b-"

"HRAAAGH!" Kaido drove his fist into the side of Shirou's face, burying it in the snow-haired teen's cheek. Shirou jerked back from the force of the assault, but he easily managed to keep his feet planted firmly on the ground. The way Shirou's body tensed was as though he was fully prepared to counter any further assault, ready to take down his assailant in the quickest and most efficient way possible.

That was a major trick Shirou had picked up during his training, however short-lived it was. He managed to figure out some ways to pinpoint the obvious weak points of an enemy in a fight.

However, Kaido made no further attempts to attack Shirou. Instead, he grunted, shoving his hands into his pockets before giving Shirou a death glare.

"Do I take that as a "no"?" True, it was the answer Shirou expected, but not the worst case scenario. Shirou could always force the answer out of Kaido. He had endured enough abuse from others to know just the right ways to hurt someone. It actually kind of scared him sometimes.

Kaido stepped away, rubbing his knuckle. He continued giving Shirou a dirty look before spitting out another glob of blood off to the side. He sighed.

"I just wanted to make sure you don't get the wrong idea." Kaido explained, ultimately explaining nothing at all. "I still want to kill you someday, but...this is an innocent chick? Someone who doesn't have anything to do with this shit, right? If it was one of those crazy bitches from your little Devil club or whatever, you wouldn't be so pissed. They can obviously handle themselves."

"Yes." Shirou confirmed. "She...She was only taken to get back at me. Just like when Eliade had you guys attack me, she wanted to toy with me before killing me out of revenge...It's my fault she was targeted..."

"About what I expected." There was a light whistle as Kaido blew, clapping his hands. "Someone hand me a pencil an a piece of paper, sticky note, anything to write on."

The few other occupants in the room who had been frozen in awe and fear immediately leaped into action, scavenging for something that matched Kaido's request. Shirou looked around as they tripped over themselves, going through all of the scattered junk that the building had collected over the course of time.

It felt like Shirou's heart had been in a crusher grip and had only just now been released.

There was definitely hope now.

One of Kaido's underlings ran over, carrying an old-looking marker and a torn piece of notebook paper. He handed both items over to his boss, shooting Shirou a cautious, distrusting look before retreating to what Shirou believed to be a safe distance should any kind of fight or battle break out.

"There's this old cemetery in the woods, probably belonged to some rich type before being abandoned. Behind it is a huge, old building..." Taking the marker in hand, Kaido gestured another underling forward, turning him around and placing the piece of paper flat against his back. "I only met Eliade two times after we made our deal, but it was always at this place. If you'll find her anywhere, it'll probably be there. Just follow the map from the park and you should find it."

With a final "Tch!", Kaido finished drawing the map, capping his marker and out stretching his hand drawn map towards Shirou.

Hopeful and relieved, Shirou took the map in his hand and turned to leave.

He was halfway to the door when Kaido called out again. "For the record, I really hate you a lot and still want to rip out your throat and I REALLY don't care which of you dies..." Shirou expected as much. "...but if there's some chick who just got dragged into shit coz of you, I hope she gets away."

Shirou couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "If that's your way of wishing me luck saving my friend, then thanks."

Kaido narrowed his eyes, clearly displeased with Shirou's interpretation of his words as the King of Delinquents departed.

* * *

To say it was a scene out of a horror movie was an understatement.

This place was outright terrifying.

Shirou knew he had found the right place after bumping into a large mental fencing surrounding a great deal of land. Shirou saw a row of large, point-ended metal bars rising into the air, preventing any improper entrances.

And by "bumping into it", Shirou quite literally bumped into the fence. After following Kaido's crudely-drawn map from the park, Shirou found the air slowly thickening with a disturbing white fog. It started off as fairly bearable, but it came near impossible to see his own hands right in front of him the further he traversed into the woods. It was eerie. Shirou knew that none of the forecasts called for fog yet there it was. It was...unnatural.

He found himself almost getting lost a few times, but managed to keep on-track thanks to Kaido's map. He managed to memorize it by the time he entered the fog, so it was one advantage he had had.

The major hazards in those woods were mainly holes in the grounds, tree branches, tree roots, and wild animals that lurked within. Shirou almost broke his leg when his foot got caught in what he suspected to be a rabbit hole. He managed to catch himself in time, but the thought of how badly he would have gotten teased...it was humiliating. That twerp (Koneko) never would have let him live it down.

After somewhere between fifteen to twenty minutes, Shirou ended up hitting the fence with his face by accident.

It would have taken too long to circle around so Shirou did the only thing that any sane seventeen-year-old young man would do in a similar situation:

He crouched down, being sure to put a bit of a spring into his legs...and he jumped.

Thanks to his impressive Devil physical abilities, making a clean jump over a relatively short fence was pretty much child's play.

The _landing,_ on the other hand, was significantly less graceful. It was not a matter of skill or grace but rather a matter of poor aim.

Due to the poor visibility conditions outside, Shirou had been unable to see anything on the other side of the fence. Crashing into something was a high possibility with such a reckless action, but "fate" and "misfortune", that smug prick, decided to lock hands and do a chorus line together while they were at it.

Once he was over the fence and halfway back to the ground, Shirou had gotten his foot caught on something. For a brief second, he suspected that he had been grabbed, but the firmness and unmoving nature of the object led him to believe it was inanimate.

And thanks to that inanimate object, Shirou's direction and momentum were turned downwards, causing him to smash face-first into the ground.

He knew he hadn't broken anything, but it still hurt like Hell.

If it had been a cartoon, Shirou imagined this would have been the part where his face was sanded off.

Sadly, it was not a cartoon. It was reality, the shitty place with real-life consequences.

Shirou stood up, rubbing his aching face as he turned his head to catch a glimpse at the object. Despite the apparent impossibility of the event, the fog had lightened considerably. He could actually see again. It was like one of those commercials for contacts or glasses and this was the "after" when the lens were placed over the eyes. Still somewhat foggy, but significantly easier to see than before.

"...what the Hell...?" His eyes widened in stunned horror as he recognized the object he had tripped over. It was a large stone half-buried in the ground with very faded markings etched into the front. Even before he examined it more closely, he immediately knew what the object was. It was the cross-shape that gave it away.

It was a gravestone.

 _"Well, I tripped on someone's grave...That's not a good omen..."_ Shirou thought to himself, taking a large, nervous gulp. He stared at the ground beneath his feet, looking as though he expected bone-y hands to emerge from the dirt and drag him down by his legs. _"...I'm standing on top of a dead person."_

That thought sent even stronger chills down his spine, shaking him to his very core.

He found his hands subconsciously reaching for his ears, making contact with black plastic. He was, of course, touching his newest pair of headphones. This new pair was colored completely black, sharply contrasting with his snow-white hair. It wasn't his color, truthfully, but he wasn't the one who had bought them. They had been a gift from a friend due to how badly he needed a new pair.

They were a gift from Kiyome.

He was so accustomed to wearing headphones all of the time that he sometimes forgot he was even wearing them.

But this pair was special. More importantly, they were a reminder. A reminder of the person he was fighting to protect.

Shirou clutched the spot over his heart tightly. "Kiyome, please be alright...Just a little bit longer..." He looked into the distance, peering past the fog where a massive silhouette laid in the distance. It appeared to be a massive building, the one Kaido had directed him to. "I'm coming for you, Eliade. I'm going to take Kiyome back."

* * *

BANG! CRASH!

One half-hearted kick from Shirou was all it took to shatter the rotted door of the building to pieces. It was fairly easy considering the fact nature seemed to have done most of the work _for_ him. Shirou shoved his hands into his pockets, looking at the entrance room of the building as if it had insulted his mother, and walked in, his feet kicking up the scattered fragments of the door.

If not for the rotting floorboards, the cobwebs in every nook and cranny, the chipped and faded paint on the walls, the absolutely atrocious smell that permeated in the air, or the unending feeling of dread and despair that filled the air and promising death to any who entered, it could have been considered a pretty nice home for a wealthy person. Despite the disgusting conditions, Shirou could tell someone wealthy had owned this massive mansion-like building...

...And that person was probably rotting in one of the graves outside.

Shirou shook his head, trying to get that morbid thought out of his head.

He was not normally good with things like death or gore. It was only because his mind was focused solely on rescuing Kiyome that he managed to keep his mind and thoughts away from those kinds of things. He, the guy who had made people cry and bleed on a daily basis, found the sight and scent of corpses to be nauseating and almost terrifying.

 _"...-to...I don't wanna die..."_

 _"It...It'll be alright..."_

A sharp pain shot through Shirou's skull, causing him to hunch over. It felt like his lungs suddenly collapse, forcing all of the oxygen out of his lungs. His left arm started feeling as though it was on fire yet frozen at the same time, a searing pain sticking spikes into each and every one of his nerves in his left shoulder down to his hand.

He bit his tongue to avoid screaming. _"What the Hell is this?! I-Is Eliade attacking me already?!"_ He covered his mouth, cringing as he resisted the urge to vomit from the pain that tortured him so.

Again, images passed through his mind.

 _He was in a room that was vaguely familiar...there was...A girl. He knew her...but he could on,y make out her blonde hair._

 _They were both smiling._

 _There was a knock at the door, and he suddenly felt excitement. He didn't care about caution._

 _He ran to the door and threw it open.._

 _And then the room changed..._

 _Blood splashed against the walls like paint on a sadist's canvas...there were people, but they weren't moving..._

 _...but somebody was screaming..._

And then the world finally returned to normal, his vision becoming as it was. The monster grip around his heart finally released, permitting him to breathe again. Shirou only just then noticed how soaked in sweat he was. He had not even found his enemy and had already almost had a panic attack. It was humiliating.

Taking a few deep breaths, he managed to regain his regular heartbeat.

Trying to fully snap himself out of it, Shirou slapped himself in the face. "Calm down, Shirou. It's just this house psyching you out." He exhaled. "You still have to find Kiyome." Nodding to himself, Shirou straightened his posture.

He continued walking rough the large room, making his way to the broken stair case. There were two, but the one before him looked more stable (although that was not saying much). He would have grabbed onto the banister for support if it weren't for the clear safety hazard the banister itself posed to anyone who walked these steps.

Every single step produced an unnerving, drawn-out _creeeeeaaaaak._ Shirou fully-expected Eliade to appear out of the ground to try and gobble him up like the monster she was.

Shirou raised his hand to his face, noting how sweaty it was. Just the sight of it frustrated him.

"What am I doing...?" He growled. "I was coming in here so gun-ho about it, but now I'm shaking like some kind of pussy...Dammit..." He clenched his fists, his footsteps coming down hard on the staircase, the pressure almost breaking the steps before he reached the top. He didn't know how he could have gone from brass balls to pussy in five seconds. "Dammiiiit. ELIADE! GET OUT HERE AND FIGHT ME, YOU SCALE-COVERED BITCH!"

He found himself out of breath, mentally drained from that one proclamation.

However, his proud, confident voice was quickly drowned out by the overwhelming silence that swallowed that house.

It was only then that he realized how alone he was.

 _"Heeeeelp!"_

Every nerve in his body tensed. He briefly entertained the notion that he had just imagined that just like the images from before.

 _"Pleeeeasse! Heeeeeelp!"_

That time he knew he hadn't imagined it. There was someone screaming for help...

"Hold on!" Shirou didn't know why he called out. He just felt a sudden rush of urgency, panic filling his heart. A new-found energy filled his legs, Shirou bursting out into a sprint as he navigated his way through the dilapidated and rotting building, trying to search for the source of the cry. Again, a surge of panic ripped through Shirou's being like a blade ripping through flesh. "Hello?! If you can hear me, let me know where you are! Hello!?"

 _"Pleeeeaaaassseee! I'm so scared! Help meeeee!"_

Shirou's ears helped him to immediately home in on the direction from which the noise originated. He turned right and started running down the adjacent hallway, finding himself running down a long hall of rooms.

 _"I don't wanna die! Please! Somebodyyyy!"_

The sound of the screams getting louder and louder finally led Shirou to a slow yet complete stop outside one of the doors. Not having any patience, he immediately rammed into the door, putting all of his weight into it. It only took one try to smash the door in, splinters falling to the ground.

"I'm here!" Shirou called out upon entering the room. It looked like it had once served as some sort of work office that went through a horrible accident, bookshelves overturned with numerous books looking as though they had been through a fire and then vandalized for the hell of it. "It'll be alright. I'm here now. I'm human...well, mostly anyway." Shirou spoke calmly to the unseen occupants of the room, trying to make them show themselves.

 _"Eeek!"_

Shirou immediately turned his attention to the direction from which the sound originated. He knew he was looking in the right direction. Someone had seen him. He knew because he heard the sound of shuffling feet the moment he turned. Someone didn't want to be seen, which only reinforced his determination and desire to seek them out.

"Please, don't be afraid." Shirou said in a soothing voice. As his eyes scanned he room, searching for potential hiding places, his eyes eventually falling upon an overturned desk pushed up against the wall. "Hello...?" With footsteps light as a feather, Shirou slowly moved towards the desk, strongly hoping that this wasn't going to turn out like a scene from a "jumpscare" type of game where some horrifying monstrosity was waiting to jump out and kill him...

Well, true, he may have been hoping for a bit too much considering where he was.

Shirou propped his hands over the edge of the desk, feelings a tightening sensation in his gut as countless horrific scenarios played before his eyes. However, with how far he had come, he could not back down. He looked over the top of the desk, peering into he small space between the desk and the wall.

 _"Wah!"_ Two figures shirked away from Shirou, clinging to one another desperately as if for warmth (but out of mutual terror in reality). Shirou himself had been so stunned that he stumbled away in surprise.

Then it finally hit him.

 _Kids._ These were _live_ children. For whatever reason, Eliade had deigned to let them live or perhaps was in the process of hunting them down.

For Shirou, this meant the chances of Kiyome being alive were far greater than they were before. He was about to go running out of the room, screaming for Kiyome's name when his conscience and common sense made him freeze in his tracks.

 _"Wait-no...No matter what, Kiyome wouldn't forgive me if I left two kids to die...even if it meant saving her..."_ Trying to get his emotions under control, Shirou decided to keep his focus on he two children for the moment. Again, he peered over the desk, trying to keep a calm but pleasant expression on his face as he got a good look at the two terrified children. "Hey there. It's alright, I promise. I'm going to get you out of here."

 _"Nii-chan, I'm scared..."_ One child, a young blonde-haired girl, whimpered, burying her face into the other child's shoulder.

Shirou frowned. "W-What's wrong, I'm right..." But something made him trail off. It was a soft but persistent sensation in the back of his skull, like a river current brushing up against a barrier.

The other child, a boy, embraced his friend, hugging her tightly with a determined but equally frightened look on his face. He looked so strong in that moment, as though he was ready to risk everything to keep her safe. _"Don't worry...We'll be okay...I promise..."_

They didn't even seem to realize he existed. He may as well have been invisible up to the point when the boy, his appearance undistinguishable, turned to face Shirou, looking him right in the eye. Shirou opened his mouth to speak first-

 _"Look out!"_ The boy threw his body over the girl's, but Shirou was much slower to react.

The teen barely turned his head a meager few degrees before a familiar, scaly appendage slammed against the right side of his body. The force of the surprise impact knocked all of the wind out of him, possibly cracked at least two of his ribs, and send him flying right into the one bookshelf that wasn't knocked over. Dozens of charred book remains rained down around Shirou, the noise further disorienting him.

"Well well well, look we we have heeeere~" A familiar, disgusting hiss filled Shirou's ears, the Devil servant quickly being lifted up off of the ground as if he were nothing more than a rag doll. He was slowly turned around to face a familiar monstrous face, her one miss infant from a set of two a clear reminder of their last confrontation. "A little morssssel hassss returned to the feasssssst~"

Spit and saliva sprayed all over Shirou's face, his expression contorting into disgust as a shiver shook his body. With his one free arm, Shirou used his sleeve to clean off his face, shooting Eliade a disgusted look.

"Seriously, I'm beginning to think it's a medical condition by this point." Shirou taunted glibly. He was not smiling. "I didn't think you'd ever show your ugly-ass face in front of me again."

"Ah. Witty." Eliade responded, deadpan. "Here's my retort." She suddenly started squeezing Shirou tightly in her grasp, putting further pressure on his already/possibly cracked ribs.

"Gaaaaaaah!" Shirou screamed in pain, most of his body immobilized.

"Yes! Yeeesssssssss!" Eliade cheered, looking as though she was listening to music. "There'sssssss that beautiful ssssound I've been waiting for!" She tightened her grip further, expressing even greater joy at the sound of Shirou's helpless screams. "You have no idea how long I've waited for thisssss~"

"Yeah?" Shirou asked, wriggling around in apparent-agony. "And you have no idea how long I've waited for THIS!"

Thankfully, Eliade had been so busy gloating that she had neglected to notice how close she had brought her own head to Shirou's. It granted him the perfect opportunity to bring back the legendary might of the headbutt, swinging his head backward before lunging forward with all of his strength.

There was a heavy THUD as Shirou's skull collided with Eliade, the blow jarring the Stray enough that she loosened her grip on Shirou, allowing him to escape and yet again prove the effectiveness of such a simple technique. However, the landing wasn't exactly clean, Shirou landing on his side and right on top of his (potentially cracked) ribs, a sharp pain shooting through his nerves.

" _Kraaaaaaaaaaaah!_ " The Stray screeched in agony, covering her face with her hands as she writhed around, her tail lashing out violently. Apparently she could not quite take what she dished out, meaning she did not respond well to pain. He made sure to save this bit of information.

It was almost funny. Shirou had seen five-year-olds who reacted to pain better.

But there was no time to focus on that. It was a matter of mere minutes before Eliade recovered.

 _"The kids!"_ Shirou realized, terror filling his being as he remembered the two children from before, potentially caught up in the violent frenzy of the Stray. He tried scanning the room again, but saw no trace of them nor any signs that they had moved out of hiding.

 _"...I...I don't want to die...Save...me..."_

A heavy wave of pain and anguish washed over Shirou, burying and almost crushing his heart completely. Shirou placed a hand over his heart, clenching his teeth tightly. More images flashed before his eyes.

Akeno's tears at his death, the faces of his friends, all of trouble he put everyone through.

And then that girl. Always that girl.

"Dammit..." He clenched his fists tightly, his legs moving before his mind could fully comprehend what he was doing. "EAT SHIT AND DIE, YOU UGLY SNAKE-HAG!" Shirou charged at Eliade, running as fast as his legs could carry him until he was less than a foot away from her. It had to be timed perfectly.

The moment Shirou was at a good distance, he pushed his feet against the ground as hard as he could, propelling himself through the air. He maneuvered himself and outstretched his legs, pointing the soles of his heels in Eliade's direction as he flew through the air. All of these factors amounted to one mean drop kick straight to the Stray Devil's face, the force knocking backwards and ruining the balance she had with her tail.

It was absolute luck that the window had been right behind her.

There was the loud sound of shattering glass Eliade's upper body crashed into the window and kept flying out into the open night air, her wail of shock and pain echoing through the emptiness. Shirou could hear the tinkling against the ground outside followed by a harsh grunt of pain. It would have been so much more epic and dramatic if the lower half of her body had not still been sitting flat in the middle of the room. Her tail was so long that she was able to keep in such a (almost comical) position without much difficulty.

"Kids, I'm gonna lead her away!" Shirou called out, uncertain of how petrified Eliade's other two victims were. "The moment she follows me out of the area around this room, I want you both to RUN! Run as fast you can and don't stop until you get back to town! Don't even think about popping your heads out until you're absolute sur-!"

" _WREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETCH!_ " Eliade's inhuman shriek, a mix of pure, unyielding rage and pain. " _I WILL RIP YOU TO SHREDS!_ "

Already her scaly tail was beginning to slither out through the opening Eliade had created in the window, signalling her quick recovery from her disabled state. Shirou had to resist the urge to curse. He thought he would have had a bit more time to plan his next move than just that.

He turned to run out of the room but caught himself at the doorway, turning to face the direction of the desk. "Remember, run as soon as it's clear! Don't let Eliade find you!" He took off out the door. Normally, leaving the children alone would have been a risk, but now that Eliade was nice and steamed, Shirou knew she would focus her attention solely on him. Despite all of the advice he had received from his mother, he still possessed the incredible ability to piss off women so much that he was the only one they could think about...even if the "woman" in this scenario was a psychopathic snake demon.

But Shirou did not let that fact hang around his thoughts for too long. Eliade was thrashing around on the ground one story below him, getting more worked up as she continued writhing in fury.

Shirou ran back down the path from which he had come, needing to make damned well sure that he didn't accidentally lead Eliade right back to the kids.

He ran back down the hall, running back to the main staircase that led to the ground floor of the foyer, pausing at the top as he contemplated the next course of action.

His blood was pumping so quickly that he felt like it was being sucked through a never-ending straw by some guy who just didn't know how to take a breath. His heart was violently pounding against his ribs, screaming at him to pick a direction and run like Hell before he got mauled to death. He had to-

He jumped out of the way just as a speeding figure lunged right past him, crashing into the wall behind him. A great deal of the wall next to where he had once been standing had been almost completely destroyed, the dust and rubble tossed into the air by the impact of the speeding object. If Shirou's heart hadn't been trying to rip apart his insides before with its incessant beating, it was certainly doing so now as silence slowly devoured every previous thought that had been going through his head.

A lone shadow rose from the rubble, a familiar, cheerfully deranged expression on the figure's face.

"Heeeeeere'ssssss, Eli!"

"Shit!" Thankfully, Shirou's instincts kicked in before the demon had had enough of his terrified expression to actually start attacking him.

He dodge-rolled forward just as Eliade's drill-shaped tail buried itself deep into the ground where he had once been standing. It was significantly easier to dodge Eliade's attacks than their previous encounter though. A testament to how effective his combat training had been thus far. He didn't feel confident about surviving a direct attack, but he was able to avoid dying in the first five minutes. That suffices as a big enough improvement.

SHLNCK!

He rushed forward, feeling a harsh breeze as razor sharp claws flew over his head, cutting up the banister next to him. But Shirou didn't stop running. He knew that the moment he stopped running, he was dead.

Eliade was no slouch though.

For every foot of ground Shirou's covered, Eliade covered just as many. If he kept running like that, it would have turned into a contest of stamina.

His odds in such a contest were questionable.

He crossed to the other side of the room, heading down the hall opposite the one he had recently exited. It was best to enter a more narrow space, one where Eliade could not use her tail quite as easily. From what Shirou gathered, Eliade's tail was her primary weapon. Not to mention she didn't seem very skilled at turning. At the very least, it gave Shirou some kind of advantage.

For some reason, the hallway seemed to go on forever, the cracked paint and shattered windows looking like they were copied and pasted all along the sides.

"Run all you like, Fujimura Ssssshirou," The snake hissed, "but I WILL kill you!"

Shirou shut his eyes tight, resisting the urge to punch his own chest to stop his heart's uncontrollable beating.

When Eliade struck him with both of her claws, his legs instinctively giving way beneath him, causing him to half-fall/half-slide away before regaining his wits and stumbling back to his feet. He saw the stairs leading down before he even realized it.

A narrow staircase on the left side of the hall at the end.

He grabbed the edge of the stairs' entrance's frame and practically threw himself down the stairs, smashing into the small wooden door that laid at the bottom.

It wasn't a graceful landing, Shirou flopping onto his face.

A soft brushing sound of flesh against wood and the creaking of the stairs behind him let Shirou know that Eliade was quickly closing in on him. He had a _very_ limited amount of time to escape or find a hiding place. The soft hissing sound emanating from Eliade's mouth was hardly making his situation any less stressful.

With that in mind, it took a total of five seconds to scan the room Shirou was in, determining that the surprisingly massive room had once been the building's library, having fallen into a horrible state of disrepair like he rest of the structure. No less daunting. There were holes in the ceiling with ropes and cloth of some kind hanging from the opening. There were books in the same damaged state as those in the office. However, surprisingly, there were quite a few of the bookcases that were still standing.

Ample number of hiding spots.

Shirou didn't even think. When he heard Eliade approaching, he threw himself onto the ground behind one of the bookcases.

"Oh Ssssshirooooouuuu~" The snake's voice sounded close. She had entered the room only moments after he hid, sounding as though she were playing a game. "How long are we going to play thissss game of cat and mousssssse?" Her words were playful but her tone was deadly. She was trying to get a response out of him to reveal his location. "We both know how thissss endssss~"

CRASH!

Shirou jumped at the sudden noise of Eliade's tail shattering a bookcase into tiny little splinters, almost letting out a squeak of shock until he realized that his bookcase hadn't been the one that was struck. He risked a peek around the side of the bookcase, observing as Eliade hunched over the wreckage of the case she just destroyed, searching for any sign of her prey's presence.

A sharp gasp escaped his lips when Eliade's head started turning in his direction.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are~" Eliade taunted, the sound of her tail moving across the ground driving Shirou to near-insanity due to suspense.

CRASH!

Again, Shirou cringed at the sound of Eliade's tail easily ripping through whatever material it struck. He subconsciously reached for his chest, remembering full-well where he had been run through by the monstrous demon.

Edging towards the end of the bookcase he was currently on, he kept his hand over his mouth, trying to muffle or mute any noise his breathing could have been making. He made sure to move his feet as slowly as possible, his body in a crouched position for so long that his back had started to hurt.

"If you come out now, I promisssse to forget how much I hate you~" The serpent said, acting as though her tongue was made of silver. "We know that it isssss a matter of time before I find you. Then-"

CRASH!

Shirou felt all of the color drain out of his face as the bookcase right next to his exploded into pieces in order to match its brethren. If he had moved only a few seconds earlier, his body would have ended up as a scattered mess amongst the wreckage. He had almost _died_...again. And this time there probably wouldn't be any Green Mushrooms to save him.

He had to move quickly! There was another exit on the other side of the room-

CRASH!

"I really thought you would have been more determined to ssssave your girlfriend!" The serpent was relentless, determined to make Shirou suffer as much as possible before he died. It would be her greatest and final chance to avenge all of the humiliation and suffering he had caused her. "Jusssst what kind of hero are you, hm~?"

That was what made Shirou freeze.

He was still in a crouch, trying to get a good starting position in order to sprint away, when Eliade's words struck him. He had almost completely forgotten why he was there in the first place. Why he was risking his life by venturing into the house of the snake...

Kiyome.

His sole reason for having come so far was because of her. She who had finally opened his eyes with her kindness.

Shirou looked down at his open hand in front of him, his back to the bookcase, well-aware of the monstrous destruction occurring at the other side.

 _"I-I'm trembling..."_ He thought to himself, staring at his hand as it shook violently, unable to remain still. He grit his teeth, wrapping his other hand around his wrist, squeezing his arm as if to order it to stop. _"Don't tell me...I'm...I'm still afraid? Of her?"_

He had barged into Eliade's territory, guns ablaze, in order to rescue Kiyome, but here he was, trembling like a baby.

It wasn't caution or tactics that keep him frozen in place.

It was fear.

Even after encountering the demon snake twice before, his fear hadn't waned in the slightest. Just like their last encounter. He just couldn't bring himself to move as he normally would. Never once before in his entire life had he encountered anyone as frightening as Eliade. He had been so used to standing on top that he had forgotten what it was like to truly feel afraid of someone.

And because of that fear, he could barely breathe let alone fight.

He wanted to stand up, to attack, to do _something_! But no matter how hard he tried, Shirou's body refused to obey him. He was petrified by fear, by his own cowardice. He wanted to play the hero, but he failed...

Because of him...Because of him, Kiyome was going to die.

That thought was worse than any other fear or pain Shirou felt at that moment.

She was the person he treasured most, even as much as his mother if not more...and she was going to die because he was scared...

CRASH!

"There's only a few more bookcases before I find you, Fujimura~" She emphasized this by destroying yet another case, the splinters scattering right in Shirou's direction this time.

He had had to duck away immediately to avoid one particularly large piece of debris that probably would have stabbed him through the skull with the speed of a bullet if he had not had enough instincts to pull out of the way in time. Again, it felt like his heart was about to rip itself apart by bashing itself repeatedly against his ribs.

He hesitated again. He was going to die. Then Kiyome was going to die.

Because of him...Because of him...Because of him...

Shirou clenched his fist tightly in front of him, resisting the urge to cry due to his own uselessness.

Again his eyes wandered over to a large, discarded piece of wood fragment only mere inches away from his hand. Shirou wasn't initially sure of what he intended to do when he slowly reached out and wrapped his hand around the width of the sharp piece of wood. He managed to retract his right hand before Eliade's senses took notice of his movement, holding the sharp piece of wood tightly to his chest, breathing heavily.

With him in such a state, there was no way he would be able to save Kiyome...

He had only one course of action.

He took a deep breath, lifting up his right hand high into the air. He shut his eyes tightly, taking a deep breath as he mentally prepared himself for what he intended to do. He knew it was all he could do in that situation, but it was still a frightening choice...

Shirou shook his head. _"Shut up! Just shut up and do it!"_ Shirou took another deep breath, deciding that procrastinating would only increase his suffering.

"RAAAAAAAAAH!" With a powerful scream, Shirou brought the poorly-made stake into a downward arc.

It was the only way.

There was an unpleasant sound as the stake passed through living flesh.

Blood slowly gushed from the hole created by the stake, kept from flowing more freely due to the fact that the stake was still in-place.

His jaw involuntarily shut tight, almost biting off his own tongue. The pain was excruciating and Shirou could not help but scream yet again.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Quickly gathering his wits, Shirou shoved himself out into the open, determined to do it before he lost his nerve.

His left hand was right in front of him, the stake firmly in place with gushing blood beginning to trail down the rest of his arm, either continuing to stain his clothes or dripping onto the ground.

Eliade cocked her head in confusion, staring curiously at Shirou's self-inflicted injury. "Ara? Is this your way of admitting defeat? Do you intend to bleed yourself?"

Despite the immense amount of pain Shirou was in, he gave a cocky smirk, more-so to hide the amount of suffering he felt.

"Not exactly..." Shirou grunted out, keeping his grip tight on the end of the splintered piece of wood. Biting down as hard as he could, he ripped the stake free of his hand, blood immediately spewing out of the open wound like a geyser. Shirou had to avoid looking at the hole right through his hand in order to keep from becoming nauseous. "...I was too weak..."

"Hm...?" Eliade still stared in confusion, her dangerous tail flicking back and forth, as if deciding whether or not to pounce on its owner's prey.

Shirou raised his hand to in front of his face, forcing himself to stare at the blood flowing freely from his trembling fist. "This is the price for my cowardice..." He glared at Eliade. "I almost gave up. I almost gave up on myself and I almost gave up on Kiyome. I had to punish myself for my stupidity."

There was a soft pitter-patter as his blood continued to drip onto the ground.

"The pain of the consequences of whether or not I lost here would be greater than any wound or fate you could ever inflict on me!" He declared it boldly with significantly less fear than before. "So, no matter what else I do-" Shirou suddenly rushed forward, relying on both his speed and the surprise on Eliade's face as he pulled his fist back. "-I WILL DEFEAT YOU HERE AND NOW! I WILL RESCUE KIYOME!" Shirou threw his fist forward-

SHLCK!

-only to have five of Eliade's sword-like claws pierce through his right shoulder.

"Oho~" Eliade laughed. "I'm sssssorry, wassss that sssssupposed to be your "big heroic comeback" moment~?" All she had to do was simply separate her fingers and Shirou would be ripped to shreds from the inside out.

"No." Shirou answered, prompting a confused expression on the demons face. He extended his left hand forward, ignoring the pain as well as the blood dripping from the noticeable hole. "This is." A crimson-red magic circle formed in the palm of his extended hand.

It was a split-second after that that a bright light shone in the center of the circle, Eliade halfway through her next blink as a huge ball of flame erupted forth, slamming into the unsuspecting snake woman and knocking her through the air like a rag doll. Her sharp claw slid neatly from Shirou's flesh, allowing him to drop to his feet. Eliade crashed into the wall shortly before the flame exploded outwards as though it were a bomb.

Eliade didn't start screaming until she finally processed the fact that not only had Shirou hit her back but also that she was on fire.

"WAAAAAAAAAAGH! ITS BURNIIIIIIIIIING!" She screeched as though she were an ungodly banshee. She thrashed around violently, trying to slap the flames on her body out of existence.

 _"It's just like Akeno said..."_ While she screamed in agony, Shirou let out a groan of pain, clutching the latest hole in his chest. Still, he could not help but feel pleased. _"My demonic powers react to my imagination and my feelings..."_ Shirou was still working on controlling his power, but if he struck close-range, there was no way his attack could have missed. "No more cat-and-mouse, Eliade! Now it's dog-eat-dog!"

The roar of the fire was overshadowed by the wailing screeches of the snake demon, writing in intense pain, only deepening the grasp the massive flame had on her.

"INSSSOLENT RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!"

When his "Devil Senses" started tingling, Shirou immediately rolled out of the way, narrowly avoiding the bad end of Eliade's drill-like tail, the massive appendage making an equally massive hole in the wall behind him. Eliade let out an even more intense scream as she swung her tail around, trying to strike Shirou with with blunt force.

Timing his next move just right, he took a massive leap over the tail, sliding over its burning scaly mass before crash-rolling onto the ground, letting a groan of pain as his wounded shoulder struck the ground. The tail kept moving, crashing straight through at least three other bookcases before it had extended to full length and lashing back around. With her body alight, Eliade's tail only served to further spread the flame Shirou had conjured, slowly lighting many other areas of the abandoned library.

"I'LL KILL YOOOOOOU!" Shirou raised his guard as the demon's silhouette gradually began to grow, its original size greatly enhanced by the powerful light of the flames. She raised her arms high into the air, her malicious claws looking far more ominous in the artificial light.

The silhouette lunged forward, bringing down her claws in an attempt to skewer her unfortunate victim.

Shirou easily side-stepped the half-baked attack, the demon's claws sinking deeply into the ground, creating a massive hole in the wooden floor with sheer strength alone. He made sure to make some distance between them, but not so much that she could strike him with her tail which was still lashing out randomly. Her entire body was alight, the Stray still rolling around to snuff out the flames.

Shirou had no sympathy for her, but he was somewhat discomforted by the brutality. And that discomfort quickly became nothing compared to the amount of smoke that was beginning to fill the air, clogging his throat. He covered his mouth with his sleeve, trying to slow the amount of smoke inhalation.

"KI-KILL YOOOOOOOOOU!" Eliade snapped back to an upright position, turning around to face Shirou as the flames burning her slowly began to die down. Her face was hidden by a mix of smoke and flame, but Shirou could see her eyes glowing red with hatred and fury.

She lunged at Shirou again, violently swinging her talons at him. He managed to evade each and every strike, but his reaction time was becoming slower. The fire he created was beginning to spread, quickly becoming a giant that threatened to envelop and devour the entire room. One misstep and Shirou would quickly find himself a victim of his own magic, consumed by the flame. Each step had to be planned precisely to prevent this, leaving Shirou's attention and preparation split between the two threats to his life.

The floor below started to creak harshly, the fire slowly eating away at any and all supports and foundation. The longer the fire remained lit, the weaker the floor below his feet became. After that, it would spread to the ground floor below and eventually spread all across the manor.

He had not quite thought it through very far.

"DAMMIIIIIIIT!" Eliade shrieked. "SSSSTAY SSSTILL AND DIIIIIE!"

Paying no heed to the dangers of their surroundings, Eliade continued her mindless assault, her body instinctively avoiding the monstrous flame that threatened to rend both of their flesh from their bones with its violent appetite.

However, it was only after the recent strike that Shirou started to notice something.

Rather than being driven against the wall like mouse forced into a corner, he decided to be creative.

Using his enhanced Devil agility, he somersaulted right over Eliade's head, getting an unpleasantly harsh shave from her claw as it scratched across his face during its downward arc towards the place where Shirou had been standing seconds before. And that was when he noticed _it_.

Even after Shirou had vacated that small area, Eliade was still attacking. Not him, but where he had been standing. She kept lashing out violently in the five seconds Shirou was airborne, her claws raking through the wooden wall in front of her. She was laughing like either a maniac or a mental patient in a straitjacket.

It was only after Shirou's feet landed gracefully on the ground, a soft _creeeeaaaak_ emanating from the burning wood, that Eliade straightened quickly turning her head to face him, flicking her tongue in a hostile fashion while hissing.

Shirou really wished she hadn't turned and not for the most obvious reason.

It was painful just to _look_ at her, her body deformed by the fireball that had attempted to consume her previously, her clothing and flesh alike completely torched by his hand.

The image of Barbie doll melted in a microwave before having a blow torch taken to its face is what came to Shirou's mind, the only way he could _lightly_ describe how Eliade's appearance had become even more grotesque. At least 66% of her face had been charred black, her left eye closed and her right eye darting about in random directions looking for God-knows-what. If Shirou hadn't had over several gallons of adrenaline coursing through his body, he probably would have thrown-up at the sight.

It became even more obvious the longer Shirou observed Eliade.

Even though he was standing right in front of her, a vulnerable victim, she did not lunge out. Instead, she seemed to scan her surroundings, turning her head slowly while casually flicking her tongue every now and then while slowly moving forward. What Shirou first suspected to be caution due to the continuously deteriorating state of the burning room seemed to be something else entirely...

Curious, Shirou took a step back, wincing as his single step produced a despairingly longer _creeeeaaaak_ than normal.

As though Shirou had tripped some sort of alarm, Eliade's head turned in his direction, her remaining eye boring holes into his body.

"GOT YOOOOOOU!" She squealed, slowly beginning to slither forward.

Shirou wasn't sure what his line of thinking was at the time. All he knew was that it led him to pick up a large chunk of a shattered bookcase and chuck it in the opposite direction, a loud _thud_ signaling its landing which was hidden by the smoke.

He shut his eyes tight, almost certain that fate would have conspired against him to prove him wrong...

 _Hissssss!_

...And death did not come.

When Shirou realized Eliade had not lunged for his throat, he came to the fair conclusion that he was not dead just yet.

Taking a soft breath, he slid one eye open, staring at the snake demon, her head turned in a direction opposite of him. A pleased expression broke across her face.

"SSSSHIROU FUJIMURAAAAAA!" She lunged in the direction of the discarded chunk of woman, her claws ready to rip apart her nonexistent target. Shirou couldn't help but wince as her claws ripped through the adjacent wall as if it were made of paper.

The smoke in the room was beginning to suffocate him, so the distraction couldn't have come at a better time. He had an opening and he now knew that he had the upper hand. It was only a shame that he did not have the time to gloat at the present.

Before Eliade could regain her wits and realize the deception, Shirou took off running, uncaring of how unstable the floor beneath him was or how foolish it was to show his back to his enemy.

Again, Eliade's head darted in his direction, like a hound having caught the scent of his target. She quickly started slithering in his direction.

"PERISSSSSSH!" She lunged forward again, but, due to her situation, she didn't see Shirou's smirk. "I'LL PEEL YOUR FLESSSSH FROM YOUR BODY ONE LAYER AT A TIME!" She opened her mouth wide, prepared to sink her fangs into flesh.

"Heh, nice try!" Shirou kicked off to the right, narrowly avoiding the monstrous claws of the Stray yet again. Eliade did not stop flying despite this, continuing her powerful pounce until she slammed face-first into the wall, permanently imprinting her face in the frame for years to come...or however long it took for the room to burn down. "I guess you took more damage than I thought, huh, Eliade?"

The Stray peeled herself off from the ground, throwing a hateful look in Shirou's direction.

"It's not that you didn't notice me about to move," Shirou reasoned, "it's that you couldn't. It looks like a fireball to the face does some impressive damage, no?"

Shirou ducked to the ground immediately as Eliade lashed out with her tail, failing to pierce him by at least several feet. A great percentage of error on her part that further reinforced Shirou's theory to the point where it was undoubtedly fact.

"From the way I figure, I must have badly burnt your eyes." Shirou said, trying not to let that unpleasant image get into his head. "Your vision is probably all but gone now. Your vision in your right eye is probably fuzzy at best. You're as blind as a bat!"

"Grrrrr! SSSSSHUT UP!" Again, Eliade lunged only to be evaded once more.

"The only way you can figure out my location is through sound." Feeling like experimenting again, Shirou cautiously pulled off his right shoe, covering his nose with his sleeve again as the intoxicating smell of burning would continued to overwhelm his senses. With no hesitation, Shirou chucked the shoe off to the side.

A drill-like tail piercing right through the spot where the shoe landed was the response Shirou received.

"Of course, your not very good at it judging from the collateral damage you cause." Shirou taunted. "If you could have figured out where I am right now, you would have already been able to kill me. The best you can do is lash out like the rabid beast, hoping to catch me."

"You DARE quesssstion my power, you misssserable insssect?!" The beast hissed in rage. "I'll ssssshow yooou!"

"You mad, bro?" Shirou taunted, making a gesture with his hands he knew she wouldn't be able to see. "Then come at me! Come at me bro!"

As obvious as it was, such an invitation was not necessary.

Learning from previous mistakes, Eliade raised her massive tail one again, poising it to strike.

The drill-like appendage ripped through the air, once again falling short of its mark and piercing the ground right in front of Shirou, her senses having failed her once again. A large array of cracks began to break up the ground around the area, making it significantly less stable than it was to the point that it looked like the floor was beginning to collapse in on itself.

"Ha! Missed me!" Shirou taunted further, eliciting another hiss of hatred from the Stray. "However, perhaps I should thank you for being so stupid. Now I can do-THIS!" Shirou extended his hands once more, focusing on a single thought with all of his might, concentrating-nay-DEMANDING his demonic power to do as he asked, just like before. As cheesy as it sounded, only one image came to mind.

The image of a blue, bolt-like blast.

And such was the form of the spell that flew free of his conjoined hands, soaring to Eliade's tails which was embedded in the ground.

It was a light but sharp sound, like the cracking surface of a thinly frozen lake.

Ice suddenly began to appear out of thin air, filling in the cracks in the ground formed by Eliade's tail and freezing over several inches of her flesh. A bit overkill, but with the room around them ablaze, a thinner layer would not have lasted long. Before even a few seconds had passed, an icy-blue ring completely ensnared the Stray's serpentine tail in the wooden floor.

Eliade yanked at her tail, trying to pry it free of its icy restraint to no avail. Her tail remained firmly rooted into the floor. She let a strong string of hissing sounds, growls, and curse words, desperately trying to regain her freedom of mobility.

"Bitchin! It worked!" Shirou cheered, throwing a victorious fist into the air. If he had had to have been truthful with himself, he saw that move having a 50-50 chance of succeeding at best. It was something he could only imagine working on TV. And that was not the end to his move. "Now all I need iiiiiiis-MORE ICE!" He extended his hands out in front of him yet again, this time focusing on a more solid shade, calling upon his power once again.

"Asss if I'd let you!" Eliade screamed at him, still trying to yank her tail free from Shirou's trap. Having realized that was not going to work for a time, she instead chose the next best option and her "favorite": Leaping at him like a deranged animal, claws poised to rip him apart.

Shirou gave a toothy grin. "I think you just need to _chill_ out!"

...He immediately regretted the pun, knowing full-well he would have punched _himself_ if it was any other situation. But there were more important things to focus on for the moment.

The magic circle in his hand glowed a magnificent crimson-red light before a massive boulder-sized hunk of ice shot out of it with the force of a cannon, speeding towards Eliade with no signs of slowing.

With the fact that the boulder of ice being larger than her entire upper body, it was fairly obvious that defense was the best decision as of that moment. Even if she couldn't see, she could _hear_ the huge mass flying through the air. So of course Eliade crossed her arms over her chest, acting as a defensive barrier against the brute force. Despite her smaller frame, such a defense proved successful, her arms taking most of the blow and protecting her main body from any severe injuries.

As the immediate threat appeared to have ended, she took this time to poke her head out from behind the block of ice to smirk and gloat.

"Wassss that the bessst you had?!"

It was a matter of seconds before her tail was freed from its icy bonds and, when that happened, she had ample opportunity and time to strike Shirou when he was least expecting it. Her plan was to subtly slide more of her tail through the hole and then pierce Shirou from the ground. He was so focused on her main body and so certain that he had her pinned that he neglected to take into account how long she could remain immobilized. Even if he dodged the first strike, all she had to do was keep puncturing through the floor until she either ran him through or the ground beneath them collapsed, a point after which she could easily do away with the miserable wretch and move on to figuring out how to restore the beauteous figure he had so rudely destroyed.

"Not a chance in Hell." Shirou replied, causing the snake to stiffen.

Curious, she peeked her head out from behind the massive block that blocked her view. She tensed as she saw the familiar glow of crimson light fill the area.

"And funny thing about Hell: It's got fire!"

With a grunt of effort, Shirou shove his hands forward, releasing yet another massive fireball, just as big if not bigger than the previous one he created to wound Eliade. Her instinctive reaction was to once again duck behind the massive boulder, using Shirou's own attack as her attempt at defense...And that was exactly what Shirou wanted.

Halfway through its flight, the fireball seemed to narrow into a smaller, slimmer shape, surging through the air like a bolt. Shirou felt relief. Whether it was stress or special circumstances, his spell acted as he desired even though he had not become fully trained in magic yet.

Rather than splash against the surface like most flames would, the bolt of fire pierced into the center of the ice block, cracking the surface like it was glass.

A short pause, as if the universe was building up tension.

CRACK! CRASH!

A deafening shriek filled the air, strongly surpassing the roar of the flames building around them. The boulder of ice that Eliade had held suddenly burst apart into dozens if not hundreds of smaller pieces, as sharp as broken glass as fragments ripped through her skin, vanishing into the heart of the flames.

"Damn you!" Eliade screamed, grasping at the dozens of new cuts covering her body. "DAMN YOOOOOOOOOU!"

"Shut up already!" Shirou was already four steps away from Eliade by the time she had regained control over her hearing. She reacted too slowly as Shirou leaped high into the air, pulling back his fist for a powerful blow to the face. He didn't really want to get close, but if he kept spamming magical attacks, he would run out of stamina and demonic power in no time. He had to fight Eliade personally at some point.

He _needed_ to. He couldn't afford to succumb to his fears again.

He brought his fist around, striking at Eliade's horribly deformed face. He felt a soft cracking sensation as something gave way beneath his knuckles...However, in such close quarters, he was hardly well-protected.

Using same opening as Shirou, Eliade brought her claws around, slashing at his side. Shirou managed to twist and curve his body to avoid being cut in half, but he cringed as the blades passed through his flesh like it was made of butter. If it weren't for the fact he had been run through several times already in the past month or two, it probably would have been the worst pain he ever felt in his entire life.

He could swear that he felt the blades of Eliade's claws graze his ribs, one-by-one.

Shirou shut his eyes tightly, trying to endure the pain as he focused on the more important act of "not dying". Blood spewed vigorously from the wound, the blood either forced out due to the strain he was putting on his body or because Eliade had clipped a vital somewhere. He was frightened to consider the latter.

Using Eliade's face as leverage, he pushed hard using his knuckles, throwing himself back up into the air.

The intense heat had finally thawed the ice around Eliade's tail enough for her to finally break free. She brought it around with a harsh grunt, trying to hit Shirou midair, but, as before, her sight was horrible. Her sense of hearing was impeccable, most likely allowing her to hear the movement of air around Shirou, but it was drowned out by the increasing roar of fire that continued to swallow the room.

After dodging the strike, Shirou brought his fist around to strike again, giving Eliade a cross hook to the face. Then he brought his other fist around, hitting her again. Then his other fist again. Again and again, faster than Eliade could react in her current state, Shirou delivered punch after punch to her face, doing his best to leave no opening like he had before.

He thought that if he could just pummel Eliade into submission, he could avoid further injury by keeping her from being able to counter...

And that was why he was too focused to notice Eliade bringing her tail back around for a second attack. Apparently numerous blows to the face were not as distracting to a snake-woman as they would be to most other existences.

It was like swatting a pesky fly with how easily Shirou got hit, being sent flying deep into the belly of the beast that was the mass of flames consuming the room.

Shirou was positive he would have hit the wall, fall to the ground, most likely unconscious, and die amidst the flames he himself he created. If not that, he expected all of his bones to break on impact with whichever surface due to the force with which he had been hit. And if not _that_ then he was absolutely certain that the blow itself would have killed him and he would have already been dying mid-flight.

NONE of these scenarios happened.

There was a loud assortment of snapping, crunching, and crashing sounds as Shirou's airborne body smashed straight through an adjacent wall. He was not sure which noises belonged to the broken-down wall and which noises belonged to his breaking-body. Every part of his body was starting to hurt so it was hard to tell where anything was actually broken on the assumption that _everything_ wasn't broken already.

He recalled hitting the ground face-first, sliding across the furry surface of what he suspected to be a carpet, catching a severe case of rug burn right on his face.

However, he took the immense pain like a man!

" _MMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNNNNNNNNNNNNN_! _FCKINMTHRFCKR! MMMMMMMNNNNN_!"

Shirou started screaming, his voice muffled by the very same carpet that pained him as he began smashing his fist against the ground. The excruciating burn's sensation continued to irritate his nerves, but his rational mind knew that it would not take Eliade long to catch up. It was best to get up and get a feel for his surroundings before he was caught with his pants down.

His left hand was really beginning to burn. It was either the exacerbated pain caused by the hole he had stabbed into his hand or he had been burned when he went flying through the vortex of fire. Either way, the pain would not be vanishing anytime soon.

With a harsh groan, Shirou pushed himself up to all fours.

The moment he did, a sharp pain ripped through his chest. It was either his cracked ribs or he stab wounds Eliade had inflicted. More blood flowed freely from the slash wounds on his side and the scratches on his face.

There was nobody alive who would envy his current state.

He could not quite recall a time when he had ever been this injured...

 _"Run! You have to run! Don't let them find you!"_

 _"Keep running!"_

 _"I-I can't!"_

 _"They're getting closer!"_

Shirou rubbed his temples, trying to alleviate yet another rush of pain, this time affecting his head.

With another grunt, he managed to push himself into an upright position, then managing to get himself on one knee. So far, so good. All he had to do was lift the other leg around and he would have a crouch-

"GAK!" The moment Shirou got on his other leg, he cried out in pain, all of his injuries crying protest to the movement at once, causing him to stumble and fall forward again. However, this time...

His right hand touched something wet. It was soaked into the carpet of the room, but it was dense and fresh enough that the carpet still felt as moist as it did.

It was an unpleasant wetness. Rather squishy-feeling.

Wanting to put an end to the mystery, Shirou regained the guts to push himself in a semi-upright position, feeling the mystery liquid with his hand once again before bringing his hand to his face, his eyes widening at the color.

Crimson red.

It was blood. His hand was apparently bleeding still...

Shirou sighed, his alertness level dropping. "Damn...I guess I should find a way to stop the bleeding before I...lose all of the blood in...my left...hand..." His words came more hesitantly, the pieces before him refusing to fit together.

When he had stabbed himself earlier, he had stabbed his left hand...

 _"So why is my right hand bleeding?"_ But he knew the the truth. His right hand had not been injured once over the course of his fight with Eliade. There was no injury to his hand and thus no way for his hand to have been bleeding.

The blood wasn't his.

Shirou looked upward, looking to spot where his right hand had touched.

Sure enough, there was a massive oval of blood staining the carpet, having spread for a wide area before running out of the volume needed to move. As there always is with blood, there was a single source at the center of the blood pool-

"OH-Oh my God!" Shirou covered his mouth in horror, forgetting the blood on his hand as he gasped in horror. "OH MY GOD!" If he had been any less petrified, he would have screamed at what he saw...

The corpse in the center of the room, it's lower body missing and so much flesh and bone missing that it could not be accurately described as even a human let alone male or female, so much scattered meat and tubes that it looked like they had gone through a meat grinder.

At the same time, though, it was made much easier to disassociate this... _mess_ with a human no matter how cold it may have been.

If only the same could be said for the others.

Too shocked and horrified to speak, Shirou could only stared in wide-eyed terror as he looked upon the numerous corpses hanging around the room, all in various stages of rot and decay.

Even though these rotting corpses were once people, Shirou had no doubt that they were nothing more than play things to Eliade, playing with them until they broke. After that, they were food...or garbage judging from the _interesting_ places Shirou found blood and entrails hanging from...

You don't just _happen_ to get splattered corpses on the ceiling. Shirou realized that when blood dripped from the flat ceiling above onto his face, making it filthier than it was before, having already been coated in dirt, soot, and caked in more blood.

All of these people died horrible, agonizing deaths...so many...some looked elderly, some were children, others looked as though they were homeless.

The stench was overwhelming, forcing him to fall back to the ground, bile beginning to escape from his mouth and between his fingers.

These were once people. People who once had people who loved them. People who had bigger dreams and ambitions than an indecisive guy like him ever could have had...

And Eliade had killed them so brutally. Without a shred of remorse...

"Oh~ I ssssee you've found my _party room_ ~"

Shirou practically bounced to his feet, turning on his heels to face the pained sneer of the Stray Devil Eliade. He winced, his wounds paining him yet again. He stumbled away, glaring daggers at the Stray who continued to taunt him.

"Aaaaah~" Eliade sighed in relief. "Much better...sssso much quieter~ I can hear properly here~" She gently brushed the tips of her fingers against her ears, letting out even heavier sighs of relief. "And judging from that sssssmell, we are in my party room~ I am only sssorry that there are no more sssssnacks for you~"

Shirou didn't lower his guard for a moment. Without the roar of the flames buzzing in her ears, she was most likely significantly more aware of her surroundings as she said.

He should have felt afraid, close to pissing his pants. The adrenaline was starting to wear off. Countless pessimistic thoughts concerning failure should have been flooding his mind to the point of driving him insane...

And instead, all he felt was anger. Frustration.

"How many...?" His fists started tightening at his side. "How many people have you killed in this horrible place...?"

"Kekekekekeke!" Eliade licked her lips hungrily. "I can hear it, you know...Every heavy breath you make...the blood slowly draining from your body...your heart beating against your ribs...I can literally hear your disgust, your terror~ Where did all of that confidence go~? Weren't you going to-oh what was it?...Oh yes-Kill me?!"

Against, Eliade whipped Shirou harshly with her tail, flinging his wounded body through the air with ease.

His impact was only cushioned by one of the more intact corpses in the room, filling Shirou with the urge to vomit again as he quickly pushed himself to his feet, wishing to immediately scrub every part of his body clean.

"Oh what'sss wrong~?" Eliade taunted, her true fury beginning to show on her expression. "No more heroic sssspeechesssss?! No more "heroic counterattackssss"?! No more thingsss to FAIL at?!" Again she bat Shirou around with her tail, quickly surging it around so as to slap the other side of his body as well to even out the force.

Again and again, she slapped Shirou back and forth with her monstrous tail, showing a terrifying grin as Shirou was beaten back and forth like a punching bag. Shirou didn't even try defending himself. He just let Eliade beat him back and forth before delivering a powerful blow to his torso, knocking him back onto the ground.

Just as before, Shirou showed no hesitation in standing back up, wiping blood from the corner of the mouth onto his sleeve. He increased the intensity of his hateful glare.

"Answer me! How many!?" Shirou was unfazed by Eliade's attacks. It was more like his mind was focusing on the one subject...the many people who had died in that place before him, who had suffered Eliade's cruelty. "...Do you even know the names of any of these people...who any of them were?"

"Kehehehe!" Eliade hunched over, laughing at the idea. "Don't be-STUPID!" She sent Shirou flying again with yet another lash of her tail. She cackled maliciously to herself, enjoying as Shirou suffered. "Would you disgusting humans pay attention to the names of all the ants you step on? Or the names of the cattle that you push through your slaughterhouses? No! That's because they are insignificant!"

Shirou growled as he pushed himself to his feet yet again. "Y-You-!" He said it like it was the worst curse word he could think of.

"A better question though..." Eliade slithered forward, pulling her tail out of Shirou's reach. If anything, that made him even more suspicious of her motives. Her tail was sliding in a different path, moving towards a pile of corpses near the walls, looking as though it was acting independently of the owner. "...isn't there _someone_ you should be more concerned about?"

The snow-haired boy's entire body tensed up, knowing full-well where the conversation was leading. He clenched his right fist while raising his left hand to feel the headphones on his head, surprisingly intact as if they were given some sort of divine blessing.

"Where is she...?" Shirou asked, trying to gain better control over his ever-growing anger.

"Kehehehehehe~" Eliade continued cackling, seeming quite mirthful despite the fact she was on the crispy side presently. "I thought it was obvious that she was in this building...I'm surprised you didn't flee to find her the moment you blinded me." She gave a soft growl and winced as she gently touched her scarred face. "Imagine how easy it would have been...course, it wasn't like it would have made any difference~"

It felt like his heart suddenly stopped in place, like a heavy weight was pushing on his lungs, keeping him from refilling with air. He instinctively knew what was going to happen...but every part of his mind did its best to suppress any and all possible realization...

"What...What are you talking about?!" Shirou raised his voice again, taking a hostile step forward. "Where is she?! Where's Kiyome!? Tell me where she is!"

"Kufufufufu!" Eliade's tail was slowly beginning to retract, beginning to curl up next to her main body. "Sometimes, you should watch what you wish for~"

Faster than Shirou could react...no...Shirou didn't want to react. He knew what laid in wait...but he didn't realize it...

Eliade's tail lashed out yet again, but this time...this time was different, Shirou knew.

There was no killing intent in her movement this time...only the same cruel playfulness. The kind a sadist got off of watching her victim suffer.

Shirou raised his arms, almost being knocked flat on his butt when a heavy object suddenly slammed right into him. Eliade had held back, so he was able to keep his balance this time.

A warm sensation started slowly oozing over his arm, coating in a crimson shade of red...blood.

Shirou looked down and it felt like his insides were being stirred up by broken glass. Just like every other body other than his and Eliade's, the body in his arms was a corpse...definitely a corpse. It was so cold, skin so pale that it was almost doll-like.

Only this was no doll. It was once a living human-being.

Only difference now other than a lack of a pulse was, obviously, the lack of a head on the corpse.

It was a messy cut, teeth marks lining a perfect circle around the person's neck stump, huge chunks of flesh missing with the spinal cord hanging out of the opening.

Whoever it was had suffered worse than any other, her head treated like a dog's bone.

He could tell that it was, in fact, a "she" due to the fact that her body was noticeably feminine, having once possessed an enviable figure...and...

She was wearing the girls' student uniform of Kuoh Academy when she died, the outfit torn and bloodied.

Shirou felt his legs go numb, causing him to fall to his knees as his legs became as useful as jelly in terms of holding him up. He tried desperately, but he couldn't stop his arms from trembling. He hated himself for that. If he was careless, he could have ended up dropping the girl...But he couldn't stop even knowing that.

It hurt so much and it took all of his willpower to keep from breaking entirely.

He look up at Eliade, staring at her with a harsh yet pathetic questioning expression. "...N...No..." He wanted to deny it with all of his might, but he slowly began to understand what Eliade was saying...what she had done.

"I can hear it. The sssweet, tasssty sssound of dessspair~" Eliade practically swooned, laughing. "Oh, how I wish I could ssssee the delicioussss look on your face~ How crushed you must look now, it's practically killing me not to know~" She cocked her head back and let out a high-pitched, victorious laughter. "Ssssshe was dead long before you even got here! Don't get too down on yourself, _hero_! Kahahahahahahaha!"

Shirou tightened his grip on the body, his trembling slowly spreading to the rest of his body. "Why..." He turned his head upward to stare at Eliade in outrage, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "Why would you do this to Kiyome?! SHE NEVER DID ANYTHING TO YOU!"

Eliade covered her mouth with her hand, hissing lightly. "Ah, but ssshe wasss important to _you_ , and that wassss the point~"

"Why?! Why her?! Why not come after me directly-?!" Shirou winced, his left arm beginning to burn more intensely than before. "Dammit! She never had anything to do with this!" He looked down at the lifeless body in his arms, then turned his head to the Heavens, screaming at the top of his lungs, "SHE NEVER HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS!"

He began to remember how pathetic and worthless he truly was.

Before him, Eliade cackled mercilessly, eating up all of Shirou's despair, his pain, as if it was some sort of treat.

Sharp pain pierced through Shirou's skull once again.

 _"Onii-chan...does...does God hate me..."_

 _"No! It's going to be alright! I promise! Just stay awake!"_

 _"Did...Is God angry with me...?"_

 _"No no! God loves you! He's going to protect us, I promise! Just stay awake...Please...stay awake!"_

 _"If Devils exist...then that means God does too...He...He's supposed to protect people.."_ Shirou thought to himself, biting down so hard that it felt like his teeth might break. "WHY DID YOU LET THIS HAPPEN TO HER?!" Hot tears started rolling down the sides of his face, feeling like fire trailing down his cheeks. "AREN'T YOU SUPPOSED TO PROTECT HUMANITY?! JUST WHAT SIN DID SHE COMMIT TO HAVE DESERVED THIS?!"

"Don't you know, ssstupid brat~" Eliade taunted, flicking her tongue at him. "Thissss issss the fate that awaitssss all humansss who mix with the affairssss of Devilsss~ Her life was probably doomed to misssery the moment she met you~ You are an existence that causes nothing but missssery~"

It felt like nails driven into Shirou's heart, each word Eliade said being something he had once told himself over at least a dozen times before. Every last person, friend or enemy, who has interacted with him had fallen to misfortune, to fates that none of them deserved.

It was the pattern he noticed and had been noticing since he was nine...when he first woke up.

He was told it was alright to live, but he could never wash away the stains of misfortune that he inflicted upon others.

His love, his friendship, it all seemed to do far more damage to a person than his hatred and anger ever could. He had seen it a number of times before.

No matter how he tried to reason or rationalize this absurd situation...

It was always his fault.

"Dammit..." He held the headless body tightly, sobbing loudly as he balanced her in his arms. "...I'm sorry..."

He felt sorrow, endless grief, the desire to just disappear...but there was something else too. A familiar feeling that he knew all too well. It was small at first, overwhelmed by his despair, but it gradually began to build up, increasing in strength every time he looked down at Kiyome's corpse in his arms.

"Would you like to know _how_ she died, Sssshirou _-kun~?_ " Eliade said it so casually, so pleasantly, but she did nothing to hide the malicious undertone. "How sssshe sssspent her final momentsss before I plunged her into the void~?"

Shirou felt all of his facial muscles tighten, the feeling in his chest beginning to swell further into something more monstrous.

"It was quite a ssssight to behold~" The snake woman started slithering around, looking mirthful as she explored her room of corpses. "Even if I can no longer ssssee, I will treasure her expression of fear and terror for asss long asss I live~ I can picture it clearly~ The pain. The suffering. All sssso...delicioussss~"

In her arrogance, the Stray failed to notice the air, the increasing pressure.

"..." Shirou said nothing. He kept his gaze lowered, his eyes hidden behind his bangs.

"I didn't want to make too much of a messs, you see?" Eliade gestured towards the countless corpses in the room. "These were my meals, sometimes toys to _tease_ and chase around when I was bored...but Kiyome _-chan_ was different~ Her death will alwayssss holds a ssspecial place in my heart~"

It felt like something was cracking inside of him. A small crack at first, quickly branching out to form a larger net, becoming less and less capable of holding back the feeling swelling up in his chest.

Eliade continued. "Of course I played around with her first~" She casually shoved around one of the corpses on the ground with her tail. "Chassssed her through the rain, even let her sssend messages to you-not that you bothered replying back~ Perhaps if you had acted a little bit sssooner, jusssst maybe you actually could have _done something_!"

The size of the _crack_ became even larger.

"After I realized we weren't going to have any _fun_ before the grand finale, I decided to just toy with Kiyome-chan a bit more~ I admit she was clever. Managed to evade me for quite a long time, but in the end, it had the expected ressssult~" The feeling in the air shifted, Eliade scowling. "And after I caught her, that missserable bitch had the NERVE to sssslap me! THE NERVE!" Eliade gripped a corpse with her tail and smashed it against the wall in a fit of frustration. "And ssso I thought: "Why not make it an eye for an eye?"~"

She began to slither and slide through the room, tracing a circle around Shirou with her tail, taunting him as if she could have killed him at her own leisure.

"Sssso I nipped her on the cheek." Eliade explained, making a light chomping movement with her mouth. "Just a little something assss payback...and do you know what she called me?! A beast! A BEAST!" Again, murderous rage appeared on Eliade's deformed face. "Sssso I broke her arm...But do you want to know how I really killed her~?" She smirked. "I bit her head off~ A bit cliche, I admit, but there's nothing quite like listening to helpless screams as you slowly crush someone's skull between your teeth~"

It was reaching its breaking point...this feeling like a beast trying to break its chain.

His entire arm felt like it was on fire, an unexplainable energy filling up that side of his body.

"Her last wordsss?" Eliade asked rhetorically. "Well, that was by far my favorite part~" She leaned in closely to Shirou, so close that she easily could have bitten out his throat. "She kept crying "Shirou! Shirou!" saying all of these ridiculousss thingsss about you being her "knight", her hero~ It wasss like a rat asking a mouse for help, both dissssgusssting vermin with no power to stop the hungry sssnake on the prowl~ She spent her very lassst moments, every lassst one, waiting. Waiting for a pathetic piece of shit like you~ To her last missserable breath, she wasss certain you would sssave her~ I pity that girl, having fallen for a ssssniveling wretch like you~"

And then that thing inside him snapped, the floodgates bursting open.

Countless images ran past his eyes, memories from the last year...the year he had failed to recognize as blissful due to his own ignorance.

 _"Uh...Hi there! My names Kiyome Abe and you-Well, I know who you are. Everyone does, but...uh...hey! Can you do me a favor, Fujimura-kun? Please?"_

 _"Come on! Put your back into it, Fujimura-kun! It's not that heavy! I'm carrying twice as much as you!"_

 _"You're such an idiot...But you're a pretty neat guy."_

 _"Mind if I sit here with you and Kiryuu? Come on! One more person to your little carnival won't hurt you!"_

 _"Um...sorry about what I said before. It was meant as a joke..."_

 _"Your bark isn't all that scary, "Demon Boy". Won't stop me from sitting with you."_

 _"You got into ANOTHER fight?! Come on, Shirou! This habit of yours isn't good for you!"_

 _"...Geez. Let's get you cleaned up!"_

 _"You're so hopeless without me, ya know that?"_

 _"Hey...uh...Shirou...um...what do you think of me?...Oh screw you!"_

 _"Please! I know you're a softy deep down!"_

 _"You idiot, you're not going to rest until you give me a heart attack, are you?_

 _"I know I can't read his mind and tell what he's thinking because he won't let anyone in because of that UNBELIEVABLE stubbornness, but I know in my heart that Shirou is a really kind and gentle person."_

 _"You need to be careful during training, Shirou. I...I don't want you getting too beaten-up."_

 _"H-Here! I bought these for you! I know you really liked your old headphones better, but I...I hope you think of me when you wear these_ _-I-I mean-! You'd better be grateful is what I'm saying! Hahahaha!"_

Shirou rested the headless corpse in his lap, burying his face in his hands, trembling.

"Kehehehehe~ What? No comebacks?" Eliade hissed into his ear. "Nothing to say?"

"...fff..."

Eliade raised the place where her eyebrow had once been. "What was that? You have to speak louder~" She slowly reached out and gently wrapped her hand around Shirou's throat. "While you still can~ Come on~ What final words does the the _big, bad_ Demon King of Kuoh have for the great and powerful Eliade?"

"...ffffhehe..." An odd hiss escaped Shirou's lips, temporarily confusing the Stray Devil. "...fffhehehehehehe..."

The noise he was making sounded...odd. In her confusion, Eliade backed away, observing her next victim cautiously.

"...Pffffthehehehehehehehe." Shirou was...chuckling? "Pfffftehehehehehehehehehe! Hehehehehehehehehe!" He gently set the corpse onto the ground, keeping his face buried in his hands. "Hehehehehehehehehehehehehe!" He slowly stood up from the ground.

An odd feeling arose in Eliade's chest. A feeling she was not familiar with.

"What...What is going on with you?" Eliade backed further away in uncertainty, unconsciously releasing her grasp on Shirou's neck.

"Hehehehehehehehehe!"

He slowly pulled his hands away from his hands away from his face, like he was peeling away some sort of mask. His expression was chilling. Rather than the expected broken expression of despair...there was a smile.

A sarcastic smile full of self-loathing.

"Hehehehehehe!" His laughter continued with the same, abnormal sound. "Hahahahahahahahahahaha!" He turned his laughter towards the Heavens, stretching out his arms as if he wished for all of the world to see. "Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!" The pressure in the air seemed to increase further and further as time wore on, to the point that even Eliade could not ignore it.

"What...What the Hell issss wrong with you?" For the first time, Eliade was unnerved, uneasy around her prey. There was no anger in his voice, no despair. Hatred for her and himself, perhaps, but not fear and not anger. "Cut it out!" The broken false joy on his face was sending chills down her spine.

The laughter paused, Shirou blinking as if he were snapped out of a trance.

He turned his gaze downward, looking at Eliade as if he had just realized she was there.

Then his grin returned, filled with the same, broken, maniacal presence.

"Sorry bout that..." His calm, level tone sharply contrasted his expression and his previous laughter. "I just...I've had a major revelation thanks to you..."

"Is that so?" For a moment, Eliade was a used, certain that he was completely broken, absolutely ready to be slaughtered as brutally as possible. "So you're going to show it by laughing like a fool all the way to your grave?"

Shirou gave a hollow laugh. He placed a single hand over his eyes, tilting his head back and continuing his insane laughter. It was five terrifying minutes before he turned his gaze back to Eliade.

"No, it's just... I guess you've really shown me what I truly am..." Shirou said, his tone even more pathetic. "I'm just a piece of shit who can't protect one innocent girl..."

More images flashed before his eyes.

When she smiled.

When she cried.

When she was angry.

All of these times, it was expressed on his behalf...

Shirou's arm suddenly began to glow, emitting a powerful, bluish-white light that illuminated much of the dark chamber of death.

"I am someone who is too weak to protect anything..." Shirou hunched over, his bangs shielding his eyes as the light began to swallow his left arm, changing it into _something_. "...I can only destroy." A harsh, freezing gust began to blow, swirling around Shirou's body as the bright light around his arm glowed brighter and brighter. "My power is not to create but to destroy, befitting a weakling like me...so if that's the case..."

"GAK!" A heavy wave of power exploded off of Shirou, actually blowing Eliade several feet away.

Shirou lowered his left arm, the glowing finally dying down. In the place of his original arm was a dark-blue metal gauntlet, a light-gray "fur" trailing all the way from the back of his hand up to his elbow. At his hand was an odd-looking shape. Two small gems on either side of a mouth-like device, the "mouth" possessing sharp, beast-like "fangs".

"I will use this power to destroy every one of you fuckers!" A powerful blue aura covered his transformed left arm. The area around his feet slowly began to freeze, slowly being covered by thick layers of ice. "I'll destroy, destroy and keep destroying...Keep destroying until the beast inside me stops howling..." Shirou cocked his head to the side, as if examining Eliade. "And I think I'll start...with your eyes!"

And then he vanished. Eliade, who prided herself on her own speed and strength, had not been able to catch a single whisper before he seemingly disappeared.

"Boop~!" Eliade only heard a light, musical tone in front of her before a harsh, piercing pain ripped through her eye sockets. "I see! So this is what a person's eyes felt like! So squishy and soft like jelly~! It's squishing all around my fingers~!" He said something so brutal so cheerfully all while wiggling his fingers around inside Eliade's eye sockets. "So gross~"

"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Eliade screamed in agony, pulling herself away from Shirou and covering her face with her hands, blood dripping between each of her monstrous fingers. "GAAAAH! MY EYES! MY EYES!" She couldn't stop screaming, rocking back and forth as blood flowed from her sockets.

Shirou casually stepped away, looking down at the blood and other unpleasant substances coating his fingers and dripping down his arm, his expression full of curiosity as he flexed his fingers.

"Well, these are _your_ eyes, so I guess it makes sense." Shirou stated plainly.

"G-Get away dammit!" Shaken to her core with fear for the very first time, Eliade tried to back away. "Stay back!"

"Hm?" Shirou cocked his head to the side, his expression changing to one of complete disgust. "Is the filthy snake trying to tell me what to do...? How disgusting." He rubbed his chin, looking pensive. Then he snapped his fingers, realization on his face. "Oh, I think next I'll rip out that disgusting tongue of yours!"

"G-Gah! Damn you!" Eliade cursed, keeping one hand over her bleeding eyes as she attempted to move away. This wasn't how she planned things to happen. Shirou was supposed to break into a million pieces. She was supposed to brutally slaughter him like an animal. This was not the script she played in her mind! This wasn't supposed to happen! _"Where the Hell issss all of thisss power coming from?! He'sss a filthy human-blooded brat! A newborn Devil! He can't be this ssstrong!"_

Eliade stumbled when her tail was met with some heavy resistance, refusing to follow her as she moved. She didn't recall the room being that freezing before either.

She looked behind her and, to her horror, found at least 1/3 of it frozen against the floor. She turned to look at Shirou, resisting the urge to whimper at the sight of his ominously blank face. He showed not a single shred of emotion this time.

"Did you really think that that would work? Did you really think you could escape me with such a pathetic retreat?" Shirou taunted, looking so much more powerful now that he had the upper hand, his right arm extended and a magic circle vanishing from his own hand. "I've seen right through you, Stray. Your physical attack power is lower than normal Devils so you try to compensate with your speed, magic, and the versatility with which you use your body. You exploit your opponent's fear of you like a common playground bully in order to inhibit their own movements...You, Stray Devil Eliade, are a coward!"

The blue aura swirling around Shirou extended into its surroundings, spreading throughout the room and freezing every single place it came into contact with. The primary body of the aura remained with his arm, slowly beginning to morph and change into an ethereal beast...a wolf. The "wolf" opened its mighty maw, letting out a monstrous roar-like howl.

"And with that knowledge, I WILL CRUSH YOU!"

* * *

 **Next Chapter - Shirou's Rage! Awaken, Canis Regalia!**


	12. Chapter 10: Shirou's Rage!

**And after that shit that went down, we've finally reached that special point in the story!...The finale! I give you my word that this is the last chapter of the Eliade Arc. I promise you. I promise you.**

 **Now it's time to go see just how batshit crazy Shirou has become~! Onward with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own shit except Shirou.**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: Shirou's Rage! Awaken, Canis Regalia!**

"Koneko, Kiba, have you found it yet?"

"Yeah. We're heading in the right direction." The snow-haired loli nodded, observing their surroundings through the fog. She stood several feet ahead of her Master along with Kiba. There was a heavy feeling in the air, ominous even. "I can smell that idiot from miles away."

Kiba managed a weak smile. "I didn't know you were so concerned about his position from "miles away"."

It was almost funny to see Koneko's body straighten, her eyes widening in surprise. However, she quickly returned to her more passive expression. "...It's hard not to smell him. He really stinks." Kiba did not pry into the matter any further, but here was a faint, amused smile on his face.

"So we're on the right track then." Rias reasoned, having received the first bit of good news all day.

It had been several hours since her newest servant had last made contact with them. It was natural for her to worry as his Master, but she had not yet gained a sense of urgency, not knowing the contents and details of the contract nor the amount of time it would have taken to complete.

The latest news came less than thirty minutes ago, during which the hunt for the Stray Devil became their top priority.

She had always considered Eliade to be a threat to the safety and stability of her territory, but before, she had had the luxury of time to smoke her out into the open. If it wasn't for the latest bit of information simultaneously shortening the list of more likely locations, she would have probably brought ruin to each and every one of Eliade's hiding holes until she found the Stray.

Rias never knew that Shirou was so resourceful and skilled at deduction.

A soft tug on Rias's sleeve drew her attention to Akeno, standing behind her with an uneasy and on-guard expression. "Rias, do you think he's already found the Stray?" Only a fool could not sense the worry in her voice.

Rias crossed her arms under her bust, gaining a pensive expression. "Possibly."

 _Yes_ was what she really thought inside her head. She was certain that there was a more than fair chance that Shirou had already gone on to face the Stray Devil alone, but did not want to cause Akeno further worry with the honest answer. Rias knew how dangerous it would be for a novice Devil to engage a former Mid-Class enemy on one's own.

Several years back, when she was still in the process of learning and practicing her magic, she had been...a little full of herself. Overestimated her and her servants' power and tried taking on her first Stray Devil without proper authorization. She and her servants had been victorious, but it had been quite a close call. They were not quite prepared for their first serious fight.

Shirou was far below the level of practice and training they had had back then. Kiba and Koneko were admittedly below Rias and Akeno in terms of power, but they were both still strong and far more powerful than Shirou.

There was no reason to mention _any of this_ to Akeno.

Any single piece of this information would only worsen her fears.

It wasn't like Rias herself didn't possess the same worries.

"Buchou," Rias was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of Koneko's voice approaching, "it's definitely up ahead. Both Shirou-senpai and the Stray...and our _other objective_." Koneko's expression was passive, but Rias was more skilled than most at reading the girl's emotions. She was as relieved as Rias was.

What was more relieving was the last bit of information Koneko had relayed.

"That's good." Rias said. "Then there's still hope. However, we must move quickly. Two of us will go to Shirou's aid and the other two will retrieve our other objective. Akeno-!" However, the raven-haired girl was already stepping forward.

"I will go with Kiba to help Shirou." She looked as though the matter was already decided. "In the worst case scenario where we need to retreat, Kiba should be able to carry him to safety while I hold her off. I think I can last long enough until you and Koneko arrive."

Kiba turned to Rias and nodded. "You can leave it to us, Buchou."

"...They are the strongest other than you." Koneko agreed.

To have her servants outnumbering her in such a way, Rias could not help but find it a little unfair. But it spoke volumes of how much they cared about their comrade, so she was willing to let this one slide.

"Alright then." Before she had even finished her own announcement, the matter was over and done with. "Let us carry out our mission and rescue our comrades! There's no telling how much trouble Shirou may be in, so be prepared for a retreat at any moment! All that matters is retrieving our objectives! Destroying the Stray is secondary below everything else!"

[Understood.]

"Then go, my adorable servants!"

[Yes, Bu-]

Their strategy meeting had adjourned and every one of them had barely taken a single step towards their respective objectives when they felt _it_. It wasn't as noticeable before, but it had built up over time...A heavy pressure that began to permeate in the air. It was unlike any of them had ever felt before. If it were a physical weight, it would be no exaggeration to say that the entire area if not the entire town could have been crushed underneath its immense mass.

And it was still increasing. The air itself trembled before the magnitude of this heavy pressure that felt as though it was eating away at them.

It appeared to be originating from the large building hidden in the mist.

Kiba had already drawn his sword, his guard raised as high as it could go. "What...What is this power? Is this...the Stray?" He had never encountered a Mid-Class Devil before, only High-Class and Low-Class, so it was hard to gauge what the average power Devils would possess. Even so, this felt unreal.

"No, it's definitely not Eliade's." It was obvious even before Rias revealed the truth. "No normal Stray could possess this amount of power." Worry crossed her expression.

It was Akeno who snapped everyone back to action. "No time to think about it! Our objectives remain unchanged!"

The second person to act was Rias. "She's right! Kiba, Akeno! Go on ahead! Koneko and I will handle things on our end!"

[Yes, Buchou!]

The blonde prince-like boy nodded. "Right!"

And so the two continued their path towards the shadowy building, off to save their friend...carrying a heavy unease in their hearts.

* * *

It was absolutely stunning, how quickly the tables could turn.

In one scenario, a ferocious snake pursues a mouse with abject cruelty, treating the poor creature as though it were nothing more than a toy. The snake, a creature of arrogance, holds the mouse in utter contempt, looking down on the creature to the point that chasing it becomes a game. A cruel, sick game to determine how long before the mouse breaks and surrenders itself to its inevitable fate. It was how it always went. The snake would torture the mouse, making their bodies seize in terror once they are cornered, then slowly ensnaring the creature with their bodies, devouring the mouse whole.

However, there is also the scenario in which the mouse finds himself forced into a corner. Natural instinct would be to fight back, but what if the snake pushed in too far...?

 _Screams..._

 _Laughing of mad men..._

 _The white room heavily stained with red..._

 _Cries that wish for salvation that will never come..._

 _A face of a girl, desperately giving her hand..._

"What's the matter, Eliade~?" The snow-haired boy taunted with manic glee. "Scared of the little newborn Devil!?"

He maneuvered his body through the air like a circus acrobat, spinning and rotating as the massive snake-woman swiped at him hastily with her blade-like claws, hearing the air folding around the boy's body as he flew. However, no matter how swiftly and no matter how powerfully she struck at him, Shirou easily avoided each attack as if he was making fun of her...

 _The desperate pleas for the pain and terror to stop, only to fall on deaf ears..._

And he was.

Quickly avoiding the recent strike, Shirou oriented himself upside-down, looking up at Eliade from his perspective, technically looking down on her from his vantage point. He pulled his leg back as gravity started pulling him back towards the ground, Eliade positioned directly below him. He straightened his arms to decrease the amount of glide his body made, adding a rather weak wind spell to redirect his body while simultaneously increasing his speed.

"GAH! DAMN YOU!" Eliade screeched, desperately trying to fight while trying to flee.

Again, Shirou easily evaded her half-baked strikes, bringing his leg forward in an upward arc (downward from Eliade's perspective), slamming his leg against Eliade's skull with as much force as he could muster, dazing the Stray and pushing her back with ease.

"I have you now!" The snake tried lashing out with her claws, either to grab his leg or sever it. "SHITTY BRAAAAAT!"

 _The terrorizing grins around him, of those who wanted nothing but sick amusement, as they finished breaking another innocent soul..._

"Oh no!" Shirou cried out, his expression alarmed as the creature's talons slowly beginning to close around his leg. All Eliade had to do was take out one of his legs an his mobility would have been screwed. He would die!...Then Shirou regained his previous smile. "Just kidding~! IT'S THE OTHER WAY AROUND, YOU BITCH!"

 _The broken promise..._

He resisted the urge to laugh at the expression of shock that registered on Eliade's face.

Shirou twisted around so much that it wouldn't have been a surprise if his leg popped out of its socket. He kept twisting until. He was oriented right-side-up once more, using his leg within Eliade's to pull himself forward with Eliade as leverage. He raised his left arm, still clothed in the mysterious wolf-shaped gauntlet and glowing an icy-blue color. Eliade knew what it was and how dangerous it was, so she knew immediately that her first move should be devoted to ridding the child of it.

The Stray raised her claws to sever his arm before he could use the weapon, Shirou throwing his own fist forward, the aura around his weapon increasing immensely. Eliade still had her superior speed. Everything Shirou had was just bluster. She kept telling that to herself, deriding him as a piece of lowly human trash. He was just lucky before. She would sever his arm and then kill him.

This overconfidence was the only thing keeping her from caving into the emotion known as fear.

Eliade had always had her wits. She had claimed countless lives using nothing more than her cleverness. Each and every prey she had ever pursued ended up at death's door, begging for their misery to be put to an end. It had been a twisted pleasure to break grown men, mutilate the women and their _false beauty_ , and the children...the children were so adorable and gullible that she could have just eaten them up, believing even the stupidest of lies like "I will resurrect your parents if you bring four friends to perform a special ritual".

She never suffered a hungry night.

That night should be no different. It would end with the child's arm.

Where he got his sudden burst of strength of power from was most likely his weapon, and that would be gone once she struck.

After that, she would take a great deal of time breaking him down from scratch.

"DIE, FUJIMURAAAAA!"

"Pass!"

It happened in a flash. One second, Eliade was aiming for Shirou's arm, the next Shirou was slamming his gauntlet against her claws despite his fist having been pointed in her direction. Rather than aiming for the core of Eliade's body, he managed to read her movement's and counter in the direction that possessed the most threatening potential for danger.

"Don't you know it's dangerous to play with knives, Eli~?" Shirou cautioned mockingly. "Dummy~! Don't worry! I'll help you out~!"

The aura surrounding Shirou's gauntlet intensified, slowly spreading to Eliade's sharp claw as if they were some kind of magnet for the mystical substance. There was a harsh, thundering _crack_ as ice suddenly appeared on the blade-like nails, slowly becoming enshrouded in a thick blanket of ice surrounding each and every nail that made contact with Shirou's gauntlet. It was only then when Eliade started to get an inkling of Shirou's power.

"Sssso yourssss possssesssesss an ice-attribute, huh?" Eliade taunted, desperately pushing her claws against Shirou's gauntlet, trying to find someway to escape their locked weapons and rip his head off. "It doesss not matter! My Ssssacred Gear issss far more powerful and I am sssssuperior even without it!"

"Sacred what?" Shirou cocked his head to the side, still smiling while continuing to push forward. "I have no idea what those are, but I don't want to be talked down to by a lowly snake so could you shut up please?" His expression suddenly warped, contorting into a look of utter disgust. "Your voice is as disgusting as your appearance so shut up before I hurl." The playful tone was no longer present.

"I AM SSSUPERIOR!" Eliade's temper flared. "A LOWLY LOW-CLASSSS DEVIL LIKE YOURSSSELF HASSSS NO RIGHT TALKING DOWN TO YOUR BETTERSSS!" Again and again, this miserable brat did everything he could to anger her, as if he were strong enough to defy her. "I'LL KILL YOU SO SLOWLY THAT IT WILL APPEAR THAT YOUR SUFFERING WILL HAVE ENDURED THOUSANDS OF YEARS! I will skin you alive like a common animal! I will dismember you slowly until you're nothing more than a head and torso! And after that, when you begin to bleed to death, I will pierce your skull a thousand times without stabbing your brain! And only then will I bite that miserable head of yours off! I'll chew slowly..." Eliade's insane smile became just as manic as Shirou's. "...just like that stupid, INSOLENT, BITCH OF YOURS!"

Silence ensued and, for a moment, the force Shirou was putting into his punch lessened, leaving Eliade with yet another look of arrogance.

"That's right! Remember your place, insect!"

However, Shirou did not respond. He just kept boring into Eliade with his unyielding stare.

It took a few seconds before he inhaled, preparing to speak, having switched to his gleeful smile once again.

"You know, I _was_ thinking about letting you live before~" And it was back to disgusted fury. "And now I want to see you feeding on your own tail. Fuck your tongue, I just want to see you dead!" Then he perked up, looking as if he had just realized something. He smiled in a disturbingly pleasant fashion. "And if you're somehow still alive, then I'll rip out your tongue~ I'm not too picky about the order~" His manic grin made yet another comeback, Shirou suddenly pushing forward with a great deal of strength, looking as though this was the first time he was actually _trying_ to fight even a little seriously since he began releasing that unbelievable pressure.

"Tch! Don't get cocky, brat! You-You jussst got the drop on me!" Eliade bluffed, finding herself continuously pushed back by Shirou's surprising strength. "Jusssst you-" However, her words were caught in her throat.

The aura which was swirling around and swallowing the beast's nails continued to spread and coat her fingers in the same manner, ice forming out of thin air.

"I change my mind again." Shirou's expression flipped again. "Now I want to break all of your fingers."

"What are you-?!" However, the ice did not stop there. It traveled all the way up the Stray's arm, the layers of ice encasing her arm becoming thicker the further it spread. It looked like an odd, violent swelling of her arms, a huge block of ice encasing her shoulder. And it became far more disconcerting when a harsh _crack_ was heard, a large fracture appearing on the icy surface of the layers covering her arm. Normally, that in itself would not be as worrying...if not for the sudden piercing pain Eliade felt in her arm, like a knife piercing her arm. "Ssstop...SSSSTOP IT!"

The snake woman desperately tried clawing at her arm, trying to yank it free from its imprisonment, but it was no longer a matter of overpowering Shirou's attack. It was trying to escape from it. Whatever he had done, or perhaps due to the aura connecting her arm and his Sacred Gear, she could not pull away. She could only watch as more fractures appeared in the ice, a sharp, horrible pain torturing her nerves the further each crack spread.

Then-

CRASH!

It happened all at once, the glassy ice being reduced to nothing more than at least a hundred massive fractures...and then it shattered into even hundreds more pieces.

Shirou pushed away and landed on his feet, skidding several feet away. He slowed and gradually stopped himself by dragging his armed fist against the ground.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAH! IT HURTSSS! ITHURTSITHURTSITHURTSSSS! YOU SSSSHIIIIIT! DAMN YOOOOOU!" Eliade was finally allowed to fall to her back, flailing about in agonizing pain as blood spewed out of the stump where her arm had once been. It was as though her arm itself had turned into ice and shattered as well, leading shredded remains of flesh hanging off her body. "DAMN YOU! SSSSCREW YOU! FUCK YOOOOU, FUJIMURAAAAAAAA! YOU FUCKING BASTARD! DAMN YOU! IT FUCKING HURTSSS!"

That screech of pain caused a wave of irritation to wash over Shirou.

He straightened himself, his arms hanging at his side with an expression that looked like an odd mixture of frustration, rage, and irritation.

"How **DARE** you?!" Shirou clenched his right fist, biting down so hard that it felt as though his teeth would crack. For a few brief moments, it looked as though he achieved mental clarity, having broken through his state of insanity with sheer rage. "Kiyome...HOW THE FUCK DO YOU THINK SHE FELT!? SHE NEVER HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS AND YOU-YOU-!..." He made a series of rasping hisses and his entire body was shaking with rage. Immediately, his expression returned to disgusted irritation. "For every last bit of pain you made Kiyome feel, I will make that ten times worse for you...I'll make you regret the day you ever crawled out of your hole, snake."

And then he vanished.

Eliade raised her guard again, prepared for an attack on her most vulnerable spots. Even if she could not see, she knew her own body well enough. All she had to do was-

"GAK!"

And that was when she felt a harsh force jab her in the back, Shirou's elbow being slammed into her back being the cause.

Shirou's rough hand grabbed her by the skull, Shirou rushing forward and yanking his arm downward, slamming Eliade's head against the ground with a loud _THUD_.

He leaped away when the snake demon lashed out with her remaining good hand, trying to shred him to pieces with as little hope as she had. Shirou again slipped out of her range, her tail still pinned to the ground by the ice-casing. For whatever reason, her tail had not undergone the same process as her lost arm.

"What's the matter~?" Shirou taunted, again switching back to his more whimsical facade. "Ice got your tail~?"

Eliade stood herself up straight, hunching over and clenching her remaining hand into a tight fist, a harsh, growl-like hiss escaping from between her lips.

"That'ssss it...THAT ISSSS IT!" A powerful aura began to build up around her. "No more of thissss game! I will not be made a fool in my own domain!" The aura began to center around her own arm, the same arm as Shirou, her left. The air around her began to vibrate, as if filling with an unknown energy. "Kufufufufufu...KAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

As the air trembled (albeit to a lesser degree than the air around himself), Shirou cocked his head, confused and completely unmoved by Eliade's reaction. "I'm sorry, but was there a gas leak...?" He seemed completely unconcerned despite Eliade's growing confidence.

"NO! This isss where your demisssse truly beginssss!" Eliade proclaimed, her arm beginning to glow with a bright-green light. "It is as I told you before, you FOOL! You are not the only one who possessessss the legendary power created by God! I, TOO, possess a Sssssacred Gear! A Ssssacred Gear that allows my power to far exceed yourssss!"

The bright light faded, revealing a green, fingerless gauntlet. If Shirou had felt inclined to mention so, he most likely would have pointed out how much it looked like a toy.

Unfazed, Shirou smiled pleasantly as before. "I'm sorry, but did you hit your head or do you really not remember me saying I don't know what a Sacred Gear is~?"

"Kahahahahahahaha!" Eliade laughed mirthfully. "How fitting! The newborn Devil doesss not even know of the exissstence of Ssssacred Gearssss even though he himself isss a wielder!" Eliade shook her head, smirking maliciously. "Sacred Gears are powerful toolsss created by God Himssself, granted to thossse with humans blood, allowing them to achieve remarkable featsss! That issss the Sssacred Gear!" Eliade's own expression contorted into disgust...Or Shirou assumed at least. Her disfigured face was naturally disgusting so it was hard to discern any particular emotion. "Unfortunately, as shocking as it isss, I myssself am a half-breed, possessssing tainted human blood from my father." Then she raised her gauntlet-covered hand towards the sky. "At the very leasssst, I obtained one treasssure from that waste of flessssh..."

Eliade began to glow with a strange power, the light-green aura spreading to the rest of her body, including her tail which was still buried underneath a block of ice which also pinned her tail to the ground.

"BEHOLD! The power of my Sssssacred Gear!" The snake demon outstretched her arm stump and her one remaining arm as if as a dramatic gesture. "With this, my power will greatly increase to something at least double what it was before! Behold!" Shirou decided not to point out her repeated use of "Behold!" as Eliade gestured to her tail, still pinned against the ground.

Still glowing with the same, light-green aura as before, her tail being to tremble, as if struggling in a tight space. Then-

 _CRASH!_

Again, the sound of shattering ice filled the air, ice fragments being scattered all across the ground.

When all became silent, Eliade once again stood proudly, shaking her newly-freed tail back and forth as if to taunt Shirou with her freedom.

"Your magic which unfortunately destroyed my arm..." Eliade slammed her tail against the ground, sending a huge quake-like tremor throughout the room, causing dust and rubble to spray down from the ceiling, covering the ground below as if warning of potential collapses. "...it has been reduced to NOTHING before my power! With this power I posssesss, I will make you ssssuffer for toying with me asss you have been! I have been too overconfident and too lenient for my own good, but that endssss now!" Eliade bore her new gauntlet towards Shirou. "My power, this Twice Critical, will be the harbinger of your demise, foolish humaaaaaan!"

"Oh? That so?" Shirou questioned, sounding rather disinterested. "Then why don't we test that theory?"

"Feel the wrath of your maker, Fujimura!" Eliade lunged forward, claw poised to strike. She brought her arm in a downward arc, slashing at Shirou's body.

Shirou showed no concern as he leaped out of the way. "Whoop whoop whoop whoop! No thanks!" The Stray's claws continued on their offensive path, carving straight through the ground. However, the raw force of the strike created a continued shockwave that ripped through the ground for an extra several feet. "That would have really hurt~! Hahahahaha~!"

Eliade sneered. "Then how about THIS?!"

He was halfway through a midair rotation when Eliade's tail swung around, slamming right into his side like a massive baseball bat. The Demon King of Kuoh was flung through the air like the first cupcake thrown in a food fight. The only difference between the two scenarios was that Shirou did not splatter on impact.

Wooded cracked and splintered as Shirou's was thrown clean through, slamming, tumbling, and rolling across the ground at regular intervals before finally coming to a crash stop at the wall two rooms away. It was a good thing it ended there because the only thing on the other side of _that_ wall was the open air outside the room. The shock to he dilapidated building shook loose a huge chunk of the ceiling which also collapsed right on top of Shirou, dropping several pounds of hard wood on his skull.

"What wasss that you were sssaying before?" Eliade mocked, her arrogance having been replenished by her minor victory. "You were going to ssstart with my tail?" She cackled ominously as she slithered into the room through the hole Shirou had created on his flight. "Unfortunately for you, I'M NOT QUITE FEELING AS ARTISTIC!" Eliade lashed out with the drill-like appendage on her tail, attempting to skewer him for the umpteenth time.

"Hehe~!" What was most surprising was how Shirou was smirking in spite of the situation. His expression flipped again. "Are these really the only tricks you know, Eliade?" He changed back to his manic state. "Pretty pathetic if you ask me! Hehe! Hahahahahaha!"

The blue aura around his arm rushed forward, released as a sort of beam-like attack from the mouth of the metal "wolf head" that made up a majority of its form. Rather than fly forward as expected, the beam made a sudden "L"-shape, slapping against the ground.

A massive wall made up of several jagged spires of ice immediately rose from the ground, at least seven feet tall and eight feet wide, formed right in front of Shirou.

"I told you!" Eliade screeched, her tail continuing on-course without opposition. "YOUR PATHETIC TRICKSSS WON'T WORK ANYMORE!"

CRACK-CRASH!

The drill-like appendage easily pierced through the wall of ice, shattering it to pieces, continuing on to crash straight through the wall behind the ice and impaling whatever happened to be between the two. "Kuhahahahahahahahahahahaha! I told you, Fujimura! My powersss have far exceeded what they were before! Thisss wassss the expected end resssult! The only quesssstion is who I should go after once I have finissshed conssssuming your corpsssse. I wonder~ Should it be that Thunder Priestessss? Or should it be the ssssnow-haired loli? Or maybe I should ssstart from the top, with that crimssson-haired Pureblood~?" She arched her head back and continued with her insane laughter. "Kuhahahahahahahahahaha!"

"You know," A voice suddenly broke in, "as much as I've enjoyed watching you hang yourself further with each passing second, I just thought this moment would have been the most _delicious_ time to completely shatter all of your hopes and dreams~ Hehehehehehehehehe~!"

Every part of Eliade's body tensed up simultaneously, registering the presence standing behind her.

"Now that you have finished boring me, I think I'll start taking trophies~" Shirou smiled brightly for several seconds to himself before his expression flipped again. "Starting with that toy of yours."

Eliade spun around on her tail, swinging her clothed claw at Shirou in fear and desperation.

Shirou leaned to the side, his expression unchanging as he avoided the haphazard strike with ease. He brought his leg around to Eliade's head, delivering a heavy roundhouse kick to the face. The shock of the blow dazed her into confusion. Before she could recover, Shirou threw his fist which was armed with his Sacred Gear. He drank in the look of ignorant terror on Eliade's face, the snake either hearing the object flying towards her face or perhaps it was just instinct.

All Shirou knew that if she had a normal female bladder, she would have been wetting herself the moment his gauntlet made contact with her face.

There was a loud crack as Shirou felt certain that Eliade's jaw gave way beneath his fist. He slammed his feet against her torso as a jump board, pushing himself into a backflip and landing on his feet.

There was an eardrum-shattering shriek as Eliade grabbed her broken jaw, collapsing onto the ground. Hot tears were flowing down her face, the intense pain mixing with the ever-increasing terror this sudden turning of the tables caused her. She fell to the ground, but didn't fall into unconsciousness just yet.

After hitting the ground, she tried clawing her way across the ground, trying to flee or make some distance.

"Ah how the mighty fall~" Shirou refused to relent, giving taunt after taunt to the downed Stray. He slowly approached the Stray, thinking about the many ways she should suffer which during each step. "But I believe our playtime has come to a nice and tidy end~...Well, excluding the part where your guts get splattered everywhere of course~!"

"WAH! S-STAY AWAY!" Eliade started clawing at the ground with even greater fury, trying to escape the boy with seemingly no limit. All Shirou noted was that her jaw was not broken despite his previous assumption.

Shirou's expression once again reverted to disgust, Shirou spitting off to the side. "At least take your death with a little dignity." He created a magic circle in his hand, prepared to finish the fight once and for all. "Of course, I doubt a creature like you is capable of such a thing..."

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Eliade tried to claw away faster, but Shirou immobilized her by stomping on her tail.

[Shirou!]

"Hm?" Shirou paused, letting the spell's power fade from his hand. He released his grasp on Eliade's tail as he turned to face the two people addressing him. He recognized he blonde-haired prince and his dark-haired Senpai anywhere. "Ah! Kiba, Akeno. What a surprise~"

The two were clearly surprised by the state of their comrade, bruised, bloody, but alive. What surprised them more was the fact he was not only in one piece, but even victorious, showing no signs of being death even though he was far from uninjured. They had clearly been expecting a fight, Kiba having a sword in hand and Akeno's fingers crackling with electricity.

Akeno stared, mouth agape. "Shirou-kun, you..."

"You're alright!" Kiba was the first who snapped out of shock, deciding to enter on a more pleasant note. He sheathed his sword, extending a hand towards Shirou. "We came as soon as we learned you were in trouble, but I-"

They had ended up completely neglecting the Stray at their feet until she stealthily rose upright.

"HYAAAAH!" Well...not so much. She lashed out, attempting a last-ditch effort to decapitate her assailant, putting every last bit of remaining strength into this last strike. "DISAPPEEEEAAAAR!"

A faint smirk appeared on Shirou's face. He casually extended his Sacred Gear to his left, the "wolf's" metallic maw opened wide, the gem eyes glowing a bright yellow light. "Big mistake~" Shirou moved his arm slightly to the left, causing Eliade's arm to slide neatly into the wolf's open mouth.

By the time Eliade realized her mistake, it was too late. It happened so fast.

The wolf's sharp fangs clamped down on Eliade's arm.

There was no warning. No twitch. No anything.

Just the sound of steel ripping through flesh.

Shirou tore his arm away from Eliade, removing the one link that attached her arm to her shoulder.

"MY AAAAAARRRMMMMSSSS!" Blood spewed from the stump where Eliade's other arm had once been. She writhed around in agony, blood oozing from both places that used to hold an arm. "MY ARRRMSSS! MY ARRMMSSS ARE GOOOOOONE!"

"Didn't I tell you already, Eliade?" Before Eliade could react, Shirou's unarmed hand snaked out, grasping Eliade by her neck. She wriggled violently against him, trying to maneuver her tail to strike, but Shirou stomped on her tail again, completely and effectively immobilizing all movement. "This is the endgame. THIS is where you die!"

"NO! Please!" Eliade begged, shaking her head desperately. "D-Don't kill me! PLEASE! Don't kill meeeee!" She started to break down, tears slowly flowing from her burnt eyes, mixing with the blood dripping down her face. "I'll turn myself in, I'll stop killing and eating humans, I'll do whatever you say, but please don't kill meeeee! I'm ssssorry! I'm really sorry, BUT PLEASE DON'T KILL MEEEEEE!"

Again, Shirou felt the sensation of something snapping inside of him once more.

"What was that...?" Shirou loosed his grip on the choking Stray's neck, allowing her to speak again.

"Shirou-kun...?" Akeno tried approaching Shirou but he waved her off.

"No." He said quietly, hiding his eyes under his bangs. "What did you just say...?"

Foolish, Eliade believed she was being granted the chance to escape the situation alive. He naive part of her believed that Shirou was giving her the chance to repeat her oath to change and spare her.

She nodded so vigorously that it looked as though her head would snap off. "Yeah yeah! I promissse to sssurrender and change myself! I really am sssorry! I am ssso sssorry for killing all of thesssse people! I promissse!"

It was almost hilarious how oblivious she was to the fact that she was signing her own death warrant.

She got a hint when Shirou slammed his Sacred Gear against her face, letting out a bestial roar as he felt her nose break underneath his fist. It was only his tight grip around her throat that kept her from being sent flying. There was only one emotion on Shirou's face:

Rage.

Burning, unyielding rage.

"You're _"sorry"_?! THEN BRING HER BACK, YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT!"

Eliade opened her mouth to reply. "I-I-"

Her words were cut short as Shirou's fist collided against the side of her face for a second time, her blood splattering onto his fist. "I SAID BRING HER BACK, DAMMIT!" He couldn't stop himself from punching her again and again, screaming a cacophony of swears. He punched her once. Twice. Three times. Four times. Five times. Six. Seven. "BRING THEM _ALL_ BACK!"

It was on the eighth punch that Shirou felt an outside force tightly grasp his arm, preventing him from delivering the next blow.

With the same burning intensity in his eyes, Shirou turned his head to face the person who had forced him to stop.

To her credit, Akeno was unwavering in the face of that terrifying stare. Even though Shirou was in a state where killing someone was not out of the question, she stood her ground, giving him a harsh scolding look.

It was most likely because his good nature had begun to shine through, recognizing Akeno as his "friend".

It was for that reason alone that he reigned in his rage slightly. "Do..." He took a deep breath, trying to keep his face from contorting back into unbelievable fury again. "Do you know what she's done?!"

Akeno nodded. "I do."

Shirou turned away, looking as though he was trying to speak but only producing a series of harsh hisses and choking sounds. He bit his lower lip, his eyes beginning to burn as tears formed in the corners of his eyes.

"Kiyome..." He breathed out, trying to suppress the oncoming sobs. He hung his head, looking as though he was gasping for breath. "From the very beginning...nobody else...believed in me like she did...She saw through all of my mistakes...She never gave up on me...even after how blind I was..." Tears rained down from his eyes, splattering against the ground. His grip around Eliade's neck tightened. "THE SNAKE DESERVES TO DIE!"

"Agh!" He easily saw through Akeno's to stop him, striking out with a sharp wave of force, knocking her off to the side.

"Akeno!" Kiba vanished and reappeared, possessing as much speed as Shirou had displayed before, catching Akeno and holding her carefully in his arms. He looked down at his senior, worried. "Are you alright?"

However, Akeno's expression was complex. Sad and hurt mostly. "I'm fine, but Shirou..."

Massive amounts of power began to gather around Shirou's relatively smaller frame, fury etched into his face. The same icy-blue aura as before exploded outward, threatening to rip the entire building apart.

"Shirou, you have to stop this!" Akeno called out, but Shirou showed no indication of hearing her. His focus was entirely devoted to the Stray whom he was strangling with his one remaining hand. "Please, just listen to me!" With his injured state, it was quite obvious Shirou could possibly die underneath the rubble if he was not immediately killed by the unstable power he was unleashing.

The look in his eyes...it was not the look of someone who desired to live.

Shirou gathered all of his power into his left fist. "This is where you die, Eliade!" His arm was beginning to burn as though it was on fire, every last bit of energy draining from his body.

"NO PLEASE, SPARE ME! I DON'T WANNA DIE! I DON'T LIKE PAIN! DON'T KILL MEEEE!"

Shirou threw his fist forward for one final blow. "IT'S TOO LATE FOR THAT!"

" _That's enough, Shirou_!" Perhaps it was the forceful tone of her voice or perhaps it was the surprise that threw off his focus. Regardless of the reason, Rias Gremory's voice forced Shirou to halt his attack less than two inches away from Eliade's face. She stared at Shirou with an air of authority. "I believe this has gone on long enough."

Every eye in the room turned towards Rias, almost failing to notice the snow-haired loli walking up close behind her. Koneko stared at Shirou and, for a brief moment, their gazes met. They held it only for a split second.

And that split-second left Koneko terrified of the thought of what her Senpai was capable of.

"Sorry, _Buchou_ , but you don't have the authority to stop me." Shirou took a deep breath, keeping his tone calm and level. "I will end this here, with my own two hands. You can go ahead and kill me, but then I will go ahead and take her with me. You can't do anything to stop me."

Rias observed the surroundings. The chaos, the destruction, Akeno and Kiba. Then she turned back to Shirou.

"While I have many objections about the way you are handling this, I know I cannot stop you." Rias nodded to him, waving the matter off entirely. Then a small smile appeared on her face. "...but then again, _I_ wasn't intending to."

Both Rias and Koneko stepped to the side, allowing Shirou to stare into the dark room behind them. He couldn't understand the meaning or motivation behind their gestures. All the while, his grip around Eliade's neck was tightening further and further, the Stray Devil gagging and choking as her air passageways became strongly restricted. He ended up _hearing_ it first.

The sound of footsteps.

 _Tip tap tip tap tip tap_. The footsteps echoed throughout the empty silence, like a sort of awkward drumbeat in the darkness.

"What is...?" He trailed off, noticing a figure approaching the doorway. He was unable to see their face at first, but once he caught a single glimpse, he froze. It was an involuntary feeling. Every muscle in his body just suddenly loosened, every single muscle at once, his hand allowing Eliade's neck to slip from his grasp, the sobbing Stray hitting the ground with a heavy THUD. It was like some unknown signal was sent from his eyes to the rest of his body, telling him to just "Stop.". And he obeyed.

 _Tip tap tip tap tip tap._ With each passing second, the figure came closer, finally fully visible to everyone.

Shirou's eyes went wide, his body moving on its own. He stepped off of Eliade's tail, taking several steps forward before stopping. His entire body felt like it had suddenly gone numb.

"K...Kiy..." He lost the ability to speak, unable to comprehend the sight in front of him.

The figure who approached was a woman with noticeably impressive assets. Her hair, having once possessed a shiny blonde color, was now caked in dirt and blood. Her student uniform, torn in several places, was as dirty as her face. Despite the apparent mild wear and tear on her body, she looked altogether fine. She was limping towards Shirou, but it didn't seem any more severe than a sprain or perhaps something twisted.

With her eyes covered by her bangs, she slowly approached Shirou, continuing forward until she stopped right in front of him.

She looked up at him with her blue eyes, the boy looking as though he was trying to suppress the trembling of his body with the strain that appeared on his face. The two just stared at one another for a long time, not a single person saying a word.

This silence went on for over ten minutes.

The girl reached out a single hand, raising it towards Shirou's face as if to caress him-

"YOU IDIOT!"

SLAP!

That was not what happened. Instead, the girl brought her hand harshly across Shirou's face, jerking him to the right due to the force of the blow.

SLAP!

She brought her hand back around, backhanding the other side of Shirou's face. Two matching, pink, hand-shaped marks appeared on either side of his face. Shirou winced as his own hot tears rolled over the painful marks on his face.

Everyone stared in shock. That was _not_ the happy reunion they had expected.

"...Oh shit." Koneko wrapped up all of their thoughts quite eloquently.

"Just what the Hell were you thinking, coming here on your own, Shirou!?" She screamed at him. "Did you really think you would just bust in, play hero, and rescue the damsel in distress JUST LIKE THAT!? Seriously! Are you that big of an idiot?! Does common sense just bounce off of you like rubber?!"

Shirou's eye twitched. "Well excuse the HELL out of _me_ for trying to save your sorry ass! Geez! Talk about ungrateful!"

"I would have been grateful if you had done a little more thinking with your rescue!"

"Come on! I was doing great!"

"Oh yes, you were doing _swimmingly_ up to this point, weren't you?! How many times did you get stabbed?!"

"Please! I could have handled this with one hand tied behind my back!"

"From the looks of the holes in your hand and chest, I would not doubt that you actually _tried_ to do that!"

"It's not that bad!"

"Not that bad?! When you can see through a hole in your hand, that's bad. When you have had sharp knives run through your chest, that's FREAKING TERRIBLE!"

"I told you, I had the situation under control!"

"Then why did Rias need to bring me in to stop you from killing a person!"

"She's not even a person! She's a creepy, psychotic snake...woman...thing?!"

Kiba raised his hand. "I believe she may be part Lamia-"

The two quarrelers glared at him. [Shut the FUCK UP, Kiba!] Kiba shrank away.

"Well I'm sorry for being reckless towards your rescue because of the fact that the girl I care for possibly more than any other was in danger!"

"Well _I'm_ sorry for getting on your case because I was worried about the fact that the boy I love more than any other almost DIED!"

"Screw you!"

"Screw you!"

"SCREW YOU!"

The two sank into silence, panting as they tried to catch their breath from the heated argument up to that point. Everyone else was silent, once again due to awed shock, the cause, however, being significantly different than the previous time. Kiyome's cheeks were a deep shade of red, her eyes glaring sharply at Shirou. Shirou was lucky because the blood flowing down his face contributed to the blood loss that prevented him from having the blood necessary to actually fill up his cheeks.

"...Wow." Koneko commented, everyone just...staring.

Shirou and Kiyome exchanged their own stares again, the previous heated frustration completely gone. Their expressions were completely different.

Tears began to sting Shirou's eyes again, more pain stinging him the longer he stared at Kiyome's face.

He let out soft squeaks as he suppressed sobs. "Kiyome..." His Sacred Gear vanished in a flash of light.

Kiyome smiled brightly. "...Shirou." Her bright smile filled Shirou's heart with an incredible warmth, a feeling that was indescribable. An odd mixture of many emotions ranging from relief to joy...Shirou could not contain himself.

"Kiyomeeeeeeeeee!" He burst into tears, tackling Kiyome and wrapping his arms around her, holding her tightly in his embrace. He buried his face into her chest, tightening his hug as he finally let out all of his tears. "Kiyome, Kiyome, Kiyome, Kiyomeeeeee!" He cried like a child, letting out all of his anger, grief, frustration, and sorrow as well as his happiness, his relief, and exhaustion.

"It's alright now, Shirou." Kiyome said soothingly, rubbing the back of Shirou's head as he vented all of his tears. "You're an idiot, but your the bravest idiot I know." Kiyome knelt down on her knees when she felt Shirou's own legs cave in underneath him, the boy hanging on as tightly as he could.

"I take it _this_ is why you were so upset before, Shirou?" Shirou only snapped out of his "episode" for a moment when he heard Rias's voice. He saw Koneko carrying a familiar corpse in her arms, looking rather queasy, as if she was smelling the inside of septic tank. When they re-entered through the massive hole in the wall, Koneko unceremoniously dropped the corpse onto the ground. "She was dressed in our student uniform and everything."

That was when the realization finally hit Shirou.

He pulled away from Kiyome, eyes wide in surprise as he tightly grasped her shoulders. "Oh yeah! I thought...How are you ALIVE, Kiyome!?" Shirou asked, incredulous as he looked back and forth between the corpse and the living person he was holding.

"I...I just never died..." Kiyome stated, flustered. She looked uneasy when she laid eyes on the corpse whose body was incredibly similar to hers. "I have no idea who that is..."

"It is likely it was her final method of torturing you, Shirou-kun." Akeno hypothesized, stepping forward to join the group. "You are someone who earned the most of her hatred. She probably wished to break you with the sight of your supposedly-deceased friend, using the corpse of another of her victims...She was a disgusting creature." Akeno looked at the downed Stray Devil with the utmost contempt.

Rias nodded in agreement. "She kept Kiyome tied up in a tool shed on the outskirts of the property."

"Her final words to you in the event she managed to defeat you were most likely going to be the fact you would die without saving Kiyome who was still alive...filling your last moments with intense regret and grief."

Shirou avoided her gaze, looking at the ground in shame. "A...Akeno, I...I just...I'm sorry...I..." He released his grip on Kiyome, letting himself slump to the ground.

Akeno exhaled, her eyes closed. "It's fine. I'm no worse for the wear and I suffered no serious injuries."

"Yes, but..." Shirou turned and bowed his head in shame, needing every last bit of remaining stamina he had to keep from falling face-first onto the ground now that his adrenaline and unknown power had run out. "...please understand...That...That person you saw, I didn't mean to be that...It's not me. It's just not me! I..." Akeno suddenly knelt down in front of him, placing a finger to his lips to silence him.

She smiled. "It's fine. I've suffered worse punishments than that." She removed her finger from his lips. "We're all just happy you're alright."

Again, Shirou's eyes felt like they were burning, tears threatening to further shame and humiliate him in front of everyone.

He wiped his eyes on his sleeve, unable to help the wide smile that took the place of his tears.

"Uh...Buchou, I think we have problem!" Everyone was suddenly alerted by Kiba's tense words. "We appear to be missing one Stray Devil!"

That pretty much jolted everyone into action. Even Shirou, who was barely standing, had to half stumble/half run over to where Kiba was standing. They all gathered in a semi-circle around the unconscious body of the Stray Devil. Ever since Shirou had almost killed her, she hadn't uttered a peep. She just laid there, almost like a corpse herself.

"What's wrong, Kiba?" Rias asked, uncertain what the issue actually was. "Did she attack or...?" And then her eyes went wide as she, too, realized whatever it was that Kiba was unnerved about.

One-by-one, everyone gradually came to realize what, exactly, was wrong with that picture.

No living person's eyes could ever sink in enough to appear as black holes. No living person would ever be able to open their jaw several feet. No living person had such ungodly pale skin. Even someone who was not human would not be able to have such traits naturally.

Shirou confirmed his suspicion when he casually kicked "Eliade's" tail, watching as it caved in right underneath his foot. There was an odd sound like plastic being crumpled up, Shirou's foot going straight through the "tail" like it was paper.

That and the horribly unpleasant smell.

Kiyome gagged when it hit her nostrils. "Rias, please tell me this isn't-?"

The crimson-haired girl rubbed her temples, sighing to herself. "I'm afraid so." Frustration appeared on her expression. "She used her previous layer of skin to take her place as a dummy while she escaped during our distraction."

"...Never underestimate a slithering snake." Koneko commented.

"She shed her skin..." Shirou clarified. "She used it to hide her escape. The smell would have blocked any of us from catching a whiff of her disgusting self and since she has snake attributes, she can slither away without making much noise...Dammit!" He buried his face in his hand. He had let Eliade get away because he had decided to get emotional! "Now what do we do? Eliade's gotten away and she's going to keep claiming more victims!"

"No." Rias replied. "I doubt she will be active any time soon." She gestured to their surroundings, mainly in the directions where Shirou had caused an immense amount of collateral damage during his fight. "I doubt that, after a battle like that which left her in this state, she will be in any condition to feed normally. Besides...I think you terrified her enough to keep her on-edge for a while."

Shirou crossed his arms, somewhat dissatisfied but understanding of the situation.

"And if she _does_ resurface," Kiba cut in, raising his sword, "we'll be ready for her. You won't have to face her on your own next time."

"...Yeah." Koneko agreed, trying to look disinterested. "We can't let you make us look bad again by taking on the Stray by yourself."

"Hehe, if that's your way of telling me you were worried about me, then I appreciate it." Shirou responded with a smile.

Koneko merely rolled her eyes...but she didn't deny it.

Turning his head to the side, Shirou did his best to hide his snickers at Koneko's face. In reality, though, there was just no amount of tears or words that could ever fully describe how relieved he felt.

Shirou's body tensed, the familiar presence once again sending chills down his spine. He turned his head towards the entrance to the room, his eyes widening in surprise as two small figures stood in the doorway.

It was the two children. The blonde girl was nervous-looking, but tightly held onto the boy's hand while the boy, whose face he still could not make out, was grinning like a goof. They were both clothed in some sort of hospital gowns, but they were both smiling at Shirou.

Without a single word, they turned their backs to him, locked hands and walked down the hall, completely unnoticed by any of the other people in the room. They disappeared into the darkness without a trace, leaving Shirou staring at them in wonder.

He only snapped out of it when Kiyome waved her hand out in front of his face, causing him to blink.

"Earth to Shirou..." Kiyome frowned when she saw the puzzled expression on his face. "Are you...okay?"

Shirou look back to the door, trying to discern whether or not his eyes were playing tricks on him, but he saw nothing. "Yeah...I'm fine. I think I just hit my head harder than I thought..."

"If that's the case, then we had best return for now." Rias decided, clasping her hands together. She looked at Shirou. "You fought very nobly, Shirou. While I dislike how you went off on your own, I find your reasons for doing so most honorable and I am proud to call you my servant."

Shirou blushed in embarrassment. "T-Thank you."

Everyone turned to Rias. "We came here with the primary objective of saving Shirou and Kiyome and that objective has been accomplished, so I believe our business here is concluded."

"W-Wait, Rias!" Shirou called out, causing Rias to turn back to face him. He blushed again, lowering his head. "D-During my fight with Eliade...I summoned this weird thing...A wolf...gauntlet thingy...Eliade called it a [Sacred Gear]...What is that exactly?"

Rias placed her hands on her hips, thinking. "Well, I think it requires more explanation at a later date, but if you wish for the simplified version, they are powerful tools created by God from the Bible and are granted to those with human blood. Some Sacred Gears have simple abilities and you will find that many historic figures possessed them, but there are also Sacred Gears that could actually pose a threat to Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels like the one you possess."

"Yeah...now that I think of it, I think Eliade said something similar..." Shirou looked at his left hand as though it were alive. "So that thing...it's my Sacred Gear?"

"Yes." Rias confirmed. "Whatever it was, it was an incredible power and we will definitely research a bit about it. Once we return, I will look into it and let you know once I've learned the name."

"[Canis Regalia]." There was a pause in which even Shirou was surprised by his own outburst. "I...I mean...I think that's its name..."

"Oh?" Rias raised an eyebrow.

Rubbing the back of his neck, Shirou looked off to the side. "Yeah, well...I don't know. When I was using it, that was just the name that came to me. It was like a...whisper or something, at the back of my head. I think its name is Canis Regalia."

It was obvious Rias was only more curious by that point, but she also looked ready to put the subject off for the moment.

"Very well then. I'm sure after the amount of power you used with your Canis Regalia, you must be exhausted." Rias motioned for everyone to follow her. "Let's return home so you can rejuvenate and rest for now. Everyone, let's go."

[Yes, Buchou!]

Everyone with the exception of Kiyome called out in perfect sync, following their master as she led them out of the room. Akeno took her place by Rias's side while Kiba and Koneko followed close behind. Shirou lagged at the back of the group, supported by Kiyome who loaned him her shoulder. It should have been an awkward arrangement, but both were incredibly comfortable with each other's presence and showed no qualms.

They were halfway to the door when Kiyome suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"Hey, Shirou, look." Kiyome motioned towards the window next to him with her head. Shirou turned to observe whatever it was that interested Kiyome so.

It was probably the only window in the house that wasn't shattered and that greatly surprised Shirou considering the things that went on in that place.

A bright orange light was starting to rise in the distance, illuminating the horizon.

"It's morning..." Shirou realized. There had been so much going on that he had forgotten how much time had actually passed. He only then noticed just how truly exhausted he really was. He didn't even realize he had started crying again, mesmerized by the beauty of the sunrise mixed with his own personal relief.

"And..uh...Shirou..." Kiyome said, her cheeks blushing.

Shirou turned back to Kiyome, a questioning look on his face. "Hm?"

"Thank you." She had said those words like a confession of sorts, moving in front of Shirou and placing her hands on the sides of his face.

The intensity of Shirou's blush matched hers, only his was more due to embarrassment. "Um...Kiyo-MM?"

And then her lips met his.

It lasted only seconds, but it felt like an eternity of bliss, a hot, intense feeling filling up Shirou's chest. He wished to bask in this incredible feeling forever, but it was not to last.

Kiyome pulled away, an embarrassed by satisfied look on her face as she gazed at Shirou's stunned face. "I...H-How was it? Y-Your first I mean?"

Shirou did not respond for several moments, just staring at her in embarrassed shock as his face lit up like a thermometer.

"GAK!" Blood suddenly spewed from all of his wounds simultaneously despite the fact he should have been almost empty. He then slumped to the ground like a rag doll. Kiyome let a squeal of terror as she looked down at him, covering her mouth.

"OH MY GOD!" She screamed. "I KILLED HIM!"

"No no, he's fine." Rias waved off Kiyome's concerns, smiling pleasantly. "I think that last shock must have been too much for him in that exhausted state." A small glint in her eye left Kiyome with the feeling that she was being teased.

"BLEH!" Shirou spat up blood out of his mouth, staining the ground next to him red.

That gave Rias more food for thought. " _Although_ , on the other hand, you can never be too careful. We should really get him home."

"I don't think his eyes are supposed to roll back like that."

"That's a lot of blood."

"I said let's get him home! Koneko!"

"...Yes, Buchou."

"Don't just pick him up like that! He's injured!"

"Gaaaaaaah!"

"Oh hey, I think he's conscious again!"

"BLEH!"

"No, he's just...spitting out more blood."

"For Christ's sake! You're going to kill him!"

"Relax, we know what we're doing!"

"Ara ara, I don't think he's supposed to be turning that white~"

"Huh? Really? I thought-"

"COULD YOU ALL KNOCK IT OFF FOR JUST FIVE SECOOOONDS!?"

* * *

She was HUMILIATED.

Eliade had barely survived the encounter with the newborn Devil, having lost both her magnificent beauty and both of her arms. She could eventually recover from any damage to her appearance, but her arms...they were gone. She would forever be an armless freak. She had been defeated, scarred, crippled, and humiliated. So to say that she was angry would not have been correct.

She was FURIOUS.

Words could not even begun to describe how much she _loathed_ that insolent wretch, making her beg for mercy as she did.

There was no way to recover her pride after such a shameful defeat. She was superior to that brat and yet he won. She COULDN'T lose. She even had the Sacred Gear which doubled her already incredible power. For her, who was formerly ranked Mid-Class, that power should have been enough to deal with even a High-Class Devil.

"...And yet I wasss treated like a toy!" Eliade screeched in fury as she balanced on her tail. Without her arms to help her, keeping balanced was significantly more difficult than it had been before. "Damn him! Damn that Fujimuraaaaaaaaa!" She screamed out her frustration and hatred into the dim sky above. She had no fear of being discovered because she had gone even deeper into the woods. Even if someone from Rias Gremory's Peerage tried coming after her, it would have been child's play to evade them and hide.

She bit her tongue, resisting the urge to unleash a barrage of swears and slurs directed at the snow-haired delinquent. She swung her tail violently, destroying a nearby tree with ease.

"It wasss only becausssse he suddenly unlocked that weird Ssssacred Gear of hissss..." She rationalized. It was that thought that made her perk up. "Yeah! That'ssss it! The only reason he wasss able to defeat me was becausssse he cheated using that Ssssacred Gear! I doubt he even hasss proper control over it!" The more she tried rationalizing what happened to suit her, the greater her arrogance became. "Graaaaah! I will follow that brat to the endsss of the Earth if I have to! I will watch him until the day he diesss and, the moment he lowerssss hissss guard, I will end his wretched exisssstence!"

" _That so_?"

Eliade straightened, her body tense. She twisted around on her tail, turning to face the speaker. "Who are you?"

The figure, a mature woman with a beautiful appearance that gave Eliade the impression she was being taunted, sat on one of the heavy limbs of a nearby tree.

"Just someone interested in seeing how a dramatic plot plays out." The woman replied curtly, her dark-blue hair blown gently by calm morning breeze. "I admit, while I expected quite a lot, I was truly surprised by the outcome."

Eliade growled in frustration. "What are you sssspeaking of? Anssswer me!"

The woman's lip curled in disgust. "Don't speak to me in such an arrogant tone, Stray."

"What did you ssssay, you wretched bitch?!" Eliade hissed. "How dare a lowly human like you talk down to a god like me?!"

""A _god_ ", you say?" The woman parroted, a clearly taunting tone in her voice. "I was not aware a god could ever be as hideous as a being such as you."

It was then that the woman had hit the one button that any sane, _normal_ person would have been too terrified to press.

"You-You filthy, lowly humaaaaaan!" Eliade's screech pierced through the open air, her uncontrollable rage overcoming any and all sense of caution and rationality. She never even considered why a human would have even been this far in the woods in the first place. "Show respect to your betters! Compared to you, I am God!-No! I am _greater_ than God! You should kneel and revere me! You should-" Her proclamations were punctuated with a blindingly bright object that ripped through the air, embedding itself halfway into her chest. "W-Wha-?!"

The Stray Devil Eliade could only look down in horrified shock at the spear of light that had pierced her chest, unable to speak.

She looked so up at the woman in the tree, noticing her scornful expression as she generated a similar-looking spear of light. "To your last breath, you simply do not know when to shut your mouth. Your arrogance is your mortal sin." The woman lectured, Eliade beginning to tremble in fear and pain as smoke rose from the sound in her chest. "To think you had he audacity to compare yourself to Him...Return to the void from whence you came, you disgusting excuse of a Devil!"

Eliade let out a bloodcurdling scream seconds before the second spear pierced through her skull.

And, as if consumed by a sudden, massive flame within her, Eliade's body and crumbled into ashes.

With the Stray Devil dead, the woman let out a sigh of content, extending a pair of feathery, jet-black wings from her back. The wings of a Fallen Angel. She pushed herself forward, allowing herself to gently float down to the ground, folding her wings as her feet made contact with the ground below.

Kalawarner rubbed her temples. "Even though I didn't manage to get wasted, I have this headache." However, she quickly found herself smirking. "Ah, I've been quite a naughty girl, wouldn't you agree~?" She turned on her heels, facing a tiny figure who revealed themselves from the shadows...

A young, female cat walked up to Kalwarner, a satisfied expression on her face.

"You needn't hide it." The winged woman brushed her hair from in front of her face. "I'm not exactly blind you know."

The feline smirked. _"If I had truly been trying to hide myself, you never would have noticed me even if I had placed my claws at your throat."_ She sat down on the ground, flicking her tail back and forth lazily. _"This has been quite an interesting night, suffice to say. Shirou-chin really surprised me with that comeback-nyan~"_

"..." Kalawarner narrowed her eyes at the creature. "But I am curious. Why did you not attack me?"

 _"Would you go out of your way to crush every ant that crossed your path? I have no interest in such a meaningless fight."_ Despite the hash words, it was clear that there was not actual intent to mock Kalwarner. Simply pointing out the fact of how large the gap between their strengths was. _"Besides, I could ask the same of you-nyan~"_

"Well, it's as you implied. I would have been no match." Kalawarner turned to leave, stretching out her wings to take flight. "My only interest was seeing how Shirou-kun fared in playing the hero's role."

 _"Why the interest?"_ The cat asked. _"Better question: Why alert Rias Gremory to her servant's plight? I could swear that Fallen Angels had no such love for Devils-nyan~"_

Kalawarner pulled something from her pocket, a cellphone, and tossed it over to the black-furred feline.

"Return that to him if you have the time to dig into my personal motives."

The feline leaned forward, stretching her legs while letting out a light yawn. _"No thanks. I would much rather take a nap than go through the hassle."_ When the feline stood up again, she narrowed her golden-yellow eyes at the black-feathered woman. _"And by the by, I thought I should warn you: Shirou-chin is **my** plaything. I have a penchant for not liking those who use or "break" what is mine. And trust me, you do not wish to be on the receiving end of my ire. I am more lenient on you today because he ended up alright...and I got to see how my beloved baby sister again."_

"Congratulations." Kalawarner responded without any real interest.

 _"It would be a shame for me to have to kill a person on such a pleasant night for me-nyan~"_

"If you're worried about him, then rest assured, I have no intent to take his life from him." A lecherous look crossed Kalawarner's face. "His _virginity_ on the other hand...that's a different story."

* * *

 **Devil Reborn Redux Arc 1: Delinquency of New Devil - END**

* * *

 **Next Chapter - A New Day! Shirou's** **Mom is Coming Home?!**

* * *

 **And we have finally reached the conclusion of the first story arc of Devil Reborn Redux! Shirou's a new person, he's already racking up the ladies~, he saved his best friend (apparently-now-girlfriend) he's unlocked his Sacred Gear, and he is not dead! Words cannot describe what a lucky sonnuvabitch he is!**

 **Next chapter will be devoted to wrapping up the final events of this arc as well as introducing a new character to the story! One who has been only mentioned!**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

 **Bye-Bye!**


	13. Chapter 11: Shirou's Mom is Coming Home!

**And now that the drama and angst is over and Shirou is no longer batshit insane, let us continue with a more lighthearted story of DxD. Don't worry, the Raynare Arc will start next chapter. I promise.**

 **Also, current chapter of Sorry, Babe, I Ain't That Kind of Hero is up to 4000 words. About halfway done. Since Devil Reborn is my primary story, I've decided to work on that story bits at a time to prevent from stressing myself. 2000 words every chapter of Devil Reborn...unless of course I get bored for a bit and have nothing better to do. XP**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything except Shirou Fujimura. High School DxD and everything else goes to their respective owners. Please support the official release! BTW, Volume 21's out! Hells yeah!...God, I know at least two of my favorite characters are going to die. I can feel it in my gut...**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: A New Day! Shirou's Mom is Coming Home?!**

Again. Shirou could not believe he had ended up in this situation _again._ After everything he remembered happening last, he had expected some sort of reprieve from the mess that his life had somehow turned into when he wasn't looking. He could not believe that even that minor request to the universe had been too much to fulfill.

"Mnnnnn..."

He almost had a heart attack when he woke up, still half-certain he was engaged in battle against a giant snake woman when he found his arms pinned down and his body aching as though he had been hit by a speeding truck. It was only seconds after that he remembered he actually _defeated_ Eliade the previous night. This only led him to question his further situation to the point that he looked to his left side, his face burning and his jaw almost dropping right off of his face.

On his left, he had a beautiful young woman with a Yamato Nadeshiko-appearance, her hair now laying freely around her rather than in her normal pony tail. Her peaceful, sleeping face was even cuter than her normal expressions. When she was sleeping, she was in her raw state, showing a peaceful nature that Shirou did not expect. It would have been a much more adorable, pleasant experience had she not been clinging to his left arm, hugging it in-between her voluptuous bosoms. It was an unbearable combination of eroticism and cuteness that Shirou couldn't help but feel an almost painful "pressure" building up.

It was almost unfair how strongly he was being assaulted. Usually, he was unable to sleep with her in the bed because she usually arranged their sleeping positions in a rather intimate, erotic, or misunderstand-able way, so he never was able to see her with such a gorgeous expression.

"Mnnnn..." Akeno let out another soft whine, hugging Shirou's arm more tightly between her breasts, allowing him to feel their softness as well as their elasticity. He was not sure whether she was asleep and this was an innocent accident or if she had woken up and was teasing him.

And if it was just that, Shirou felt he could deal. He had gotten a little used to dealing with Akeno's antics.

However, it was his other occupant that really made his heart ready to jump out of his chest.

He had only noticed her when he realized that he was experiencing the sensation of marshmallowy mountains on _both_ of his arms. Akeno, he somewhat expected, but he had had no idea who else could have been there...

The sight of golden-blonde hair, styled in elegant drills was the first clue concerning her identity. She was so beautiful, more-so than Akeno, and her smile was absolutely dazzling. While Akeno's smile was a soft, warming presence, this girl's smile was almost blinding with its beauty. He was not sure what had changed since the last time he saw it, but he felt as if he wanted to stare at it forever.

However, what really gave her away were her breasts.

He had only seen this particular pair once, but that moment felt like it had lasted an eternity, allowing him to subconsciously save the image to his brain.

And that was how he recognized Kiyome by the sight of her breasts. He was not proud of it, but that was just how it was.

What actually worried him was what exactly happen and _why_ she was naked in his bed with her breasts bare for him to see. So many scenarios played in his mind that it made him dizzy. He kept playing back the events of the previous night in his head, but he couldn't remember-

 _"And...uh...Shirou..."_

 _"Hm?"_

 _"Thank you."_

And then he remembered the softest, incredibly tingly sensation against his lips, like a volt of electricity shot into his body through his lips. He remembered the joyful expression on Kiyome's face as she kissed him...kissed him...kissed him...with her lips...

Shirou's face lit up red like lights on a Christmas tree. Every last thought he had had seconds ago was drowned out by that passionate memory. He had been kissed so gently yet so passionately at same time by a girl he had been friends with...

So he responded how any sane or rational man would react in such a situation after experiencing such a pleasurable sensation:

He screamed.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhhhh?!"

No normal person could remain asleep for much longer after having been made to listen to such an incredibly loud scream. It was made especially more difficult when the person screaming had been laying right next to you. It would have felt like someone was shoving a nail through your eardrum.

This was the fate that Kiyome and Akeno were subjected to.

Kiyome jerked upright so quickly that she lost her balance. "Huh?! Wha?! What's going-IYAAAAH!" There was a heavy _thud_ as she hit the wooden floor head-first. She managed to avoid any severe injury, quickly pushing herself to all fours. "...Ow ow ow...That really hurt..."

"Hmmm...?" Akeno sighed out, significantly more elegant and calm with her awakening. "Is something happening...?" She calmly sat up, a ribbon in her mouth as she started tying her hair back. Her bountiful breasts bounced and swayed with each of her movements. The eroticism became too strong.

Shirou shivered as blood started flowing freely from his nose, his face burning. "I-I'm sorry! I-"

"Geez, Shirou," Kiyome whined, wincing as she rubbed the back of her head, "you really shouldn't scare me like that! After last night, I don't need that kind of stress!" She stood up, placing her hands on her hips as she gave Shirou a scolding look. "I thought you were going into shock or something." She stretched her arms, letting out a small yawn. "But I was really surprised how comfortable your bed was last...night..."

She trailed off, staring at Shirou's increasingly reddening face. His head jerked back as more blood spewed from his nose. "Huh? What's wrong with you?" For a brief moment, Kiyome wasn't quite sure what had elicited such a reaction. To her, Shirou had just woken up screaming and was acting strangely. She did not realize the reasoning behind it until she realized where Shirou was staring, or rather, where he was trying to _avoid_ looking, pinching his nose to stem the amount of blood spewing from his nasal cavity.

Following Shirou's gaze, Kiyome's eyes wandered down to her chest area, taking quick notice of her lack of coverage. Shirou was trying extra hard to avert his eyes as Kiyome's gaze latched onto him, her own face turning a shade of red to match his. She let out a sharp squeak as her hands moved to cover the pink of her nipples.

"Ufufu~ No point in playing modest now, Kiyome~" Akeno teased. "After all, how can you act like this after you were the one who insisted sleeping naked next to Shirou last night~?"

Kiyome glared at Kiyome, Shirou feeling that a great danger was quickly approaching.

"Not to mention you've already seen his..." Akeno purposefully trailed off, hiding her smile with her hand while motioning to Shirou's nether regions with her eyes. Again, Kiyome let out a squeak, averting her eyes and trembling as she did her best to suppress the cocktail of emotions that she held inside of her.

Shirou blinked, looking down.

There was a small pause.

"Huh...I thought I felt a draft..." It was the only thing that he could say that wouldn't make the situation more severe. "..."

"...I...I can't believe I saw it..." Kiyome was mumbling to herself, covering her face with her hands while her gorgeous blonde hair trailed down her back. "What...What's wrong with me...?"

Shirou cupped his hands around his tool, his blush intensifying. There was no book anywhere that could ever fully explain how one could deal with or process such a situation. No really, Shirou had no idea how the Hell someone could deal with a situation like this. It was like a situation from some sort of ecchi harem manga! There was no way he saw this scenario playing out where he didn't get slapped in the face or (worse) kicked in the balls.

He looked at the two girls standing stark naked in his room, confusion filling his mind. "OK...so I get why Akeno is here despite the lecherous needling..." Then Shirou turned to face Kiyome. "But can I ask why you're here, Kiyome? I can't really see a reason as to why..." He only started realizing his words when Kiyome's glare was turned on him, anger and hurt on her face.

"You jerk!" She moved further away, trying to protect what little shred of modesty she may have had left. "I was so worried about you after you got hurt trying to save me! I literally got butt-naked just so I could help keep you from dying of your wounds or bloodloss and you-you-YOU'RE A JERK!" She lunged out and tore the blanket from Shirou's bed, using it to cover her body.

Shirou raised his hands in surrender. "Kiyome, I-"

"Don't look!" Kiyome demanded, suddenly more hostile than before.

Shirou took notice of the bandages covering his chest. He looked at his left hand, taking notice of the not-so-vague mostly-healed scar. It was where he had previously stabbed himself back in the abandoned library. Despite the fact he had been run through and had several ribs broken, the pain that had caused him incredible suffering before was all but gone. It was as though he had never sustained his injuries in the first place.

"I...uh..." He wasn't quite sure how to vocalize his thoughts, feeling even more flustered than before. "There's something I..."

Kiyome raised the blanket to her face, covering up the lower half while averting her eyes. Her expression was considerably more shy than before. "I just...I just felt like it might have been my fault since...well, you only got worse after we...well...after I...you know..."

"Kissed me?"

"Don't say it like _that_!" Kiyome cried. "I-I just wanted to do whatever it took to help you heal faster!" Tears of embarrassment appeared at the corners of her eyes. "I-Is that so wrong?! To want to be able to help the boy I love-I-I mean the boy who saved me!?"

"Well...you didn't have to." Shirou scratched his cheek nervously, looking the other way. "I kind of appreciate it, but you didn't have to..."

A warm feeling filled Kiyome's chest as she smiled softly at Shirou. "I know. But I just...I felt it was right that I helped in some way. I really do care about you...The fact that you went so far for me, how you risked your life to save me...That you cared for me that much. I...It made me really happy..." Her blush became much cuter, displaying a side to her that Shirou wish she showed much more often.

"No," Shriou responded, "I mean you _really_ didn't need to do it. Technically speaking, you didn't do anything. The skin-to-skin healing spell only works with Devils from the same group."

There was a pause.

"What?" Kiyome asked, her face going blank.

"Yeah...Er...since you're not a member of Rias's family...it doesn't work..." Shirou turned to Akeno who was snapping the hook of her bra back on. "Is that about right, Akeno?"

The raven-haired woman smiled mischievously. "Mmhm. The only thing you actually gave him was a rather generous show of both your body and your cute look of humiliation." Something about the smile on Akeno's face...it sent chills down Shirou's spine.

"B-B-But-But you told me that, if I slept naked next to him, it would help increase the rate at which he healed!" Kiyome cried, her tears of humiliation falling with renewed force. "It took me an hour to force myself to get naked and another hour after that to force myself into the bed! Why would you make me do that?! You said I was helping him!"

Akeno smiled pleasantly. "I lied~" It was amazing how cold the air became after Akeno's casual words. Shirou felt the danger he previously felt intensifying with each passing second, feeling that the mix of horror and humiliation on Kiyome's face was something of a bad omen. They all just stood there in awkward silence, waiting for someone to break it. At the same time, however, Shirou felt that the longer the silence continued, the more violent it would have been once that silence broken.

Shirou scratched his neck nervously, blushing. He knew he had to say _something._

"Uh..." He bowed his head. "Thank you for the wonderful present."

However, he had chosen to say the wrong thing.

It was made plainly obvious by how Kiyome started clenching her fist around the corner of the blanket that covered her. "Shirou..." Her voice came out as a harsh, furious yet quiet growl. She looked up at Shirou, tears streaming down her cheeks while her face was steaming red. "YOU JERK!"

The next thing Shirou knew, Kiyome had done a flying kick through the air, nailing him in the gut. Shirou gag as all of the wind was knocked out of him, the force of the blow propelling him towards the nearest object behind him.

Unfortunately for him, the nearest object behind him was a glass window.

There was the sound of shattering glass and that was about when Shirou realized he was falling.

There was no dramatic words, nothing particularly impressive, there was only five seconds of hanging in the air followed by a drawn-out, earth-breaking _thud_ against the hard, late-winter ground.

Shirou laid there, dazed and in-pain, groaning. "Well...it was a fine ride up til this point..." He let out a soft whine, trying to sit himself up. He knew nothing was broken. He had fallen from the rooftop of the school and suffered only light cuts and bruises. However, it was not as though he could not feel the agonizing pain that any sane person would experience after suffering such a fall. He fell back to the ground, the new bruise on his recently-repaired ribs was rather unpleasant. "Ow...damn, does Kiyome take Tae Kwon Do or something...?"

He winced, rolling himself over on his stomach so he could push himself up using his arms.

 _"Naked. Beaten up. And very much ashamed..."_ Shirou thought to himself, amused by his own pathetic state. _"It could be worse though. At least nobody else is around to see..."_

" _Well, I expected an enthusiastic and unique welcome home, but this is overdoing it Shicchan_."

Shirou paled as a shadow blocked the sunlight in front of him. His body began to tremble as he turned his head upward, glimpsing the person who spoke to him.

"Why are you face-down on the ground like that?" There was a sudden, sharp gasp from the youthful-sounding voice. "Did somebody hit you?! Did they steal your clothes, too?!" Somehow, the fact that she thought he had been forcibly stripped was even more embarrassing than the situation he was actually in.

The person in front of Shirou had the youthful appearance of a twelve-year-old girl, her ocean-blue orbs looking down at him. She possessed hair of a similar white color as him, tied up in a big, blue ribbon. She was dressed in yellow sandals, a red skirt, a white coat, and a small black-T-shirt with the phrase "Got Milk?" on the front. She looked so cute and adorable with that worried expression on her face, like a young girl worried for her older brother.

However, Shirou knew better, possessing a good idea as to this woman's identity.

The girl pouted, placing her hands on her hips. "Its been several months since I last saw you and you're not even gonna say "Hello"? How mean, Shicchan!"

Shirou swallowed anxiously. " _OK, Shirou, the situation may be bad right now, but it'll be fine just as long as she doesn't see Kiyome or Akeno!"_

"Hey, Shirou!" Shirou felt his heart seize up as Kiyome stuck her head out the window. "Where's the toothpaste?! Or the towels! If I can, I want to take a shower before you regain feeling in your bod-" It was then that she took notice of the small girl standing in front of Shirou. "Hey, Shirou, who's the loli standing next to you?"

The girl looked up and smiled blankly. "Oh, hi! I'm Mikoto Fujimura and I'm the person _not_ hanging my outrageously large breasts out a window for the whole world to see!"

Kiyome looked down at her bare chest, getting the message. She squealed, covering her breasts and running back inside, leaving Shirou all alone with the woman who shared his surname.

With his only lifeline gone, Shirou looked up at Mikoto, the girl's smile looking as though it were made of glass.

"U-Uh, look, I know how this looks, but-MMPH!" Mikoto lashed out, pinching Shirou's lips together to prevent him from speaking.

"Shush shush shush! No words." She said, giving no room for argument. She stared at him with a deadly serious face. "Just answer one simple "yes or no" question for me."

Shirou swallowed nervously, knowing full well where this was going. "Mmhm..."

It was like a dam burst open.

"WHERE DID I GO WROOOOOOOOONG!? WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Mikoto clenched her fists at her side, letting countless tears rain down from her eyes. She started bawling like a child, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes only to have more tears replace them.

"N-N-No no no!" Shirou quickly pushed himself up to his knees, waving his hands erratically. "Y-You didn't do anything wrong! Honest! The situation is not how it appears! I know how it may seem, me being naked and having an equally naked girl in my room asking to use my bathroom and-Oh dear G-Ma-me," He almost bit his tongue trying to avoid mentioning God or Maous, "I realize that it sounds really bad! But I swear! It's nothing like that!"

"B-But I saw heeeer!" Mikoto cried, sniffling as she tried suppressing her tears. "Boys, _especially_ you, j-just don't h-have naked girls in your room!"

"I know, I know, but-" Shirou frowned. "-Wait. Why "especially" me? What's that supposed to mean?"

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"Right! Right! Sorry! I mean, it's nothing like that! I would never do something like _that_ out of the blue!" Shirou swore again and again, trying to calm the small female in front of him. "Come on! You know me better than that!"

The shorter of the two slowly came to stifle her crying to a mere sniffle, eyeing Shirou with hopeful eyes. "Really? So you weren't doing lewd things with that strange woman from before even though you are both naked?"

Shirou's eye twitched. "OK, it still kind of sounds like you're doubting me, but no we were not. It was just a-"

However, it turned out that fate and the universe in general _really_ hated the young man known as Fujimura, for it was at that moment that the front door to the Fujimura residence decided to open, revealing a bombshell raven-haired young woman with a towel wrapped around her body, only serving to make her appearance even more provocative than it was before.

"Oh, Shirou-kun~ Glad to see you're alright." Akeno greeted casually as if Shirou _hadn't_ been kicked out a two-story window. "I have the shower running and just wondered if you would like to join me? Just for the sake of saving water for two showers of course~"

Shirou face-palmed, cringing as he turned to face Mikoto again, the girl's eyes bulging to the size of dinner plates as tears began to form again. "Oh no..."

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"P-Please don't cry! I know how it looks, but I swear-" Shirou's protests were met by a childish slap to the face, Mikoto quickly continuing to cry afterwards. "Ow!"

"You're a big liar!" Mikoto accused. "I can't believe you have been doing lecherous things every time I leeeeeaaaave!"

"I'm telling you it's not like that!" Shirou screamed. Then he turned a burning gaze on Akeno. "And you! I'm begging you, put some fucking clothes on! I-" Shirou froze in place, feeling the uncomfortable sensation of harsh stares on his back, a feeling he could practically sense even without his Devil instincts. Sweating nervously, he turned on his heels, facing the street adjacent to his house.

It was only then that he noticed several mothers with mostly elementary school children, having stopped with their mouths agape in shock while covering their children's eyes in disgusted horror.

"Uh...Good mornin'!" Shirou greeted awkwardly. It was also then that he realized he was still not wearing any pants. He cupped his junk in his hands to hide what little dignity he had left, smiling lifelessly. "Haha! I bet you're all wondering why I'm naked next to a person who looks like a child and another woman who's also practically naked! Haha! Well the answer is actually a funny story-" Shirou scooped up Mikoto in one arm when he saw one of the mother's pulling out a cellphone. "-Fuck! Shit! Gogogogo! Inside NOW!"

He tackled Akeno back inside and slammed the door shut behind him, locking it tightly and praying that he had enough time to run before the sound of police sirens came.

 _"Why does this shit always happen to meeeeeeeeeee!?"_

* * *

Suffice to say, the breakfast table that morning had been rather awkward for its four occupants (everyone now fully-clothed in their respective uniforms)...well, it was only really awkward for two of them. The other half of the people at the table were behaving as though a police officer _hadn't_ just come to the house, requiring half of a hour of their time to correct a grievous misunderstanding that resulted from very unfortunate circumstances only made worse by how the officer initially caught Shirou halfway through a window in the back of the house.

Akeno and Mikoto sat on one side of the table, the former smiling pleasantly while sipping on some morning tea while the latter sat at he table with drying tears in her eyes, sucking on he straw to a juice box. On the other side of the table sat Kiyome and Shirou, both possessing similar expressions of shame and humiliation directed towards the ground, hands in their laps as they tried to come to terms with everything that happened.

Mikoto continued slurping on her juice even after the box was completely empty. "..." The box gradually contracted and imploded inwards the harder she sucked on the straw. Either she really liked juice or she was trying to avoid being the one to break he silence. An outright dirty tactic, but an effective one.

In a way, each person at that table was silently daring another to break the silence.

Shirou was not going to be the one to do it. He knew that, after the morning he had already been having, it would have only gotten worse if he became the person to intervene in that harsh silence. He would not-

BANG!

"OW!" Shirou cried out involuntarily when the heel of another person's shoe kicked him in the shin. He glared at Kiyome, the only person with that kind of physical access. "What the Hell-MMPH!" He clamped his hand over his mouth, having realized his outburst too late. _"Dammit!"_

"Huh?! What's wrong, Shicchan?!" Mikoto gasped, sounding worried. "Are you still hurting from when the officer tasered you?!"

"No!" Shirou replied, staring at the ground in embarrassment.

"You sure? You did hit your head pretty hard when you fell."

" _Yes_ , I am sure." Shirou stressed, crossing his arms.

"I mean, I can't believe he tazed you in your-"

"OK!" Shirou cut in irritably. "We don't need to talk about it anymore." He growled in irritation. "We wouldn't even have been in that situation in the first place if "Ms. Tae Kwon Do" over here hadn't kicked me out of a window!"

Kiyome stood up, her face red in either anger or embarassment. "Excuse me?"

Shirou placed a hand to his mouth, feigning a gasp and shock. "Oh, I'm sorry if I sound a little irritable and insulting, but I was kind of KICKED OUT A FUCKING WINDOW!" He took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself.

"I don't appreciate you using that kind of language, Shirou." Mikoto scolded, pouting adorably when she clearly intended to look stern. Shirou shrank back into his seat, as if just remembering she was there. "And if anyone's to blame, it would be all three of you for being naked together in the first place."

Shirou and Kiyome hung their heads, embarrassed again.

Akeno looked left and right, as if looking for other participants in the conversation before gesturing to herself questioningly.

The saddest part was that, despite misunderstandings on her part, Mikoto was right.

"I mean REALLY!" Mikoto stood up in her chair, as if to make herself seem taller than she really was. She buried her face in her hands, shaking her head. "I can't believe I let my lil' Shirou become a sexual deviaaaaant!" She looked as though she were close to tears again.

Shirou shook his head. "No! I keep telling you it's not like that!"

"Yeah, he's just the _normal_ kind of deviant." Kiyome quipped, smiling playfully when Shirou shot her a sharp look. He was somewhat startled when he realized she was joking.

"Y-Yeah..." Shirou agreed without thinking. Then his eyes widened. "Wait! NO! I'm not any kind of deviant! I have no sexual interest in either of these two women at all!"

Kiyome's raised an eyebrow, looking irked. "Oh, well thanks a lot."

"Fujimura Mikoto-chan, was it?" Akeno asked, trying to obtain clarification. "You see, while it is true we were, in fact, sleeping nude together, nothing has happened to your Onii-chan's chastity, so you don't need to worry." Akeno spoke again when Mikoto opened her mouth to interrupt, gesturing to Shirou. "As to why were naked at all, it has become quite a common gesture between teens."

"Yes, right before the guy shoves his penis into their vagina." Mikoto interjected, face blank.

Kiyome and Shirou both did a dry spit-take and even Akeno looked mildly surprised.

Mikoto narrowed her eyes at the two women and the young man. "You may take me for a fool or a child, but I am neither of these things." She crossed her arms over her chest, puffing up her cheeks. "I WON'T LET ANYONE VIOLATE MY BELOVED SHICCHAN'S PURITYYYYY!"

The snow-haired teen's hands covered his face, his face turning a deep shade of red. "Come on! I'm not little anymore! Stop treating me like a kid, _Ka-san_!"

That last word made both Akeno and Kiyome freeze, their expressions turning into glass smiles. They both turned to Shirou, chills rolling down the poor boy's spine. They entered another silence, this time far more severe than the last.

"Hey, Shirou..."

"...what was that thing you said before?"

"Huh?" Shirou blinked twice. "What do you mean?" He was more uncomfortable than afraid of the stares he was receiving. However, the two girls offered no elaboration as to the meaning behind their words. If anything, their gazes became more intense. He turned his eyes over to Mikoto. "Uh...Ka-san, I think I need a new lesson on how to interact with women...I've survived so far but I just don't feel I have the tools needed to cope with this situation."

"There!" Kiyome jabbed an accusing finger in Shirou's face. "You did it again!"

"What?" Again, he looked at Mikoto for assistance. "I really...Ka-san, you're a woman. Some help please?"

"And again." This time it was Akeno who expressed surprise.

Mikoto looked between the two females and Shirou. Then realization flashed across her face. "OOOOOHHHHHH! Now I get it!" Again, Mikoto looked hurt, turning her eyes back to Shirou. "I'm hurt, Shicchan! You really didn't tell them about me?!"

Shirou averted his eyes. "Well...sorta. They know you're often traveling for tournaments, buuuuuut..." He trailed off, looking more nervous than before. "...I don't think it ever came out that my mom was barely four feet tall..."

"...Ah...agh..." Kiyome's left eye started to twitch, her mouth agape. Akeno was silent and not smiling, and that was saying just as much.

Akeno, however, was better at regaining the ability to talk than Kiyome. "So...Shirou, what you mean is...do...does that mean that this girl...this woman is your...your-"

A nervous nod was Shirou's response. He sighed, sweating nervously. "My mom."

"Your mom?" Akeno parroted, shocked.

Kiyome let out a high-pitched shriek, accidentally biting her tongue. "YOUR MOM!?"

"His mom~!" Mikoto sang, poking herself in her cheeks with an adorable expression on his face.

The two younger women were out of their seats, absolutely stunned by the revelation that the two Fujimuras had just made. They looked from Shirou to Mikoto, trying to discern any similarities other than their hair color. Their personalities, from what was observed, were polar opposites. Mikoto was altogether bright and soft while Shirou was vulgar and rough.

Again, Shirou sighed. "Yes. This is my mom, Mikoto Fujimura. Ka-san." He was sweating waterfalls from a mix of nervousness and embarrassment. He could literally feel the timer on a bomb counting down. Only problem was he had no idea how long until that bomb finally dropped. He looked at Akeno and Kiyome, the sensation of his ribs constricting his inflating lungs proving most uncomfortable. He could see the small spark of electricity moving through their brains, realizations quickly coming along. "ANYWAY, it's been really nice seeing you again, Ka-san, but we really have to-" He was seconds too late.

Kiyome suddenly leaned over the table, staring Mikoto in the eyes. "You're really Shirou's mom!? What was he like as a baby?! What does he like most?! What does he like least?!"

"Do you know if he has any particular fetishes?" Akeno asked casually.

"What would a woman need to do to earn your motherly blessing?"

"Are there any traits you would like in a girl Shirou brings home to meet you?"

"Is there a type of way Shirou likes his lunches prepared?"

"Girls, come on!" Shirou stood up, moving over to his mother and spreading his arms to shield her from the two approaching girls. "Ka-san just got home and there's more important things to discuss at the moment-"

"Yes, I am Shirou's mommy~" Mikoto answered cheerfully without hesitation. "He was absolutely ADORBS when he was wittle~ He likes cute things, especially children and animals! And he dislikes horror movies because they used to make him wet the bed when he was little!"

"Ka-san!" Shirou whined, his face burning red as Akeno and Kiyome's attention became even more focused on his mother.

However, Mikoto didn't cease in the slightest, still smiling brightly. "I don't know what kind of fetishes he has because a boy his age isn't old enough to have sex yet~" A sharp feeling like a blade could be felt from her words. "And the woman would need to be a good person, a Christian preferably because I can trust them more not to corrupt my adorable baby boy's purity~"

At the side of the table, Kiyome shot Akeno a victorious look.

"At the same time, however, I want a girl who can talk or seduce him into having children once they're married." Mikoto added, looking pensive. "I really want to have grandchildren before I die, so kind but great at seduction coz I think Shicchan would need a lot of convincing to have kids...Hmmm."

Akeno mimicked Kiyome's previous look, taking pleasure in Kiyome's "defeat". Meanwhile, Shirou started banging his head against the table, silently praying for the blissful release of death and suffering further agony from his attempts at prayer.

"But not too lecherous at the same time." Again, Kiyome gloated about her victory through her expression.

Mikoto tilted her head to the side, still thinking. "However, I would not recommend taking Shriou's cooking duties from him." Mikoto stuck out her tongue. "He's really possessive of his kitchen. One time he even bit me on the finger when I tried cooking with him!"

"I WAS TEN!" Shirou cried, switching back and forth between frustration, humiliation, and depression. "I...I just..." He attempted to speak several times, but each time, nothing more than fragmented noises escaped his lips. He let out a heavy sigh, covering his face with his right hand. "This...This really isn't how I expected this morning to go..." It was as though the previous night had become a distant memory, every last sensation of pain and anger completely overshadowed by this lighthearted atmosphere. A more childish part of him had kind of been hoping to milk the feeling of being a hero...

"By the way, Shicchan, I've been meaning to ask something..." Mikoto's face emptied of all expression.

The chill down his spine was Shirou's signal that something was off. However, he calmed his expression, responding normally. "What is it?"

"Those injuries. Tell me where you got them."

It was hard not to feel how quickly the atmosphere of he room became ice-cold. Mikoto's expression possessed a harsh seriousness, all previous cheer gone. It was like the three teens had been frozen in place, unable to plan a proper response to the question she had asked. While all three of their respective reasons were different, they all found themselves unable to answer truthfully. It was through sheer will that Shirou maintained enough brain power to attempt to formulate any kind of response.

The small girl was even smarter than she let on. Shirou knew that for a fact. Whatever she gave away, it was only because she knew infinitely more.

"And don't you _dare_ lie to me, _Shirou Fujimura_." Mikoto added, her face threatening severe punishment. "I'm not blind. I saw the bandages and your arm. _What happened_?"

Sweat dripped down the sides of Shirou's face, Shirou subconsciously covering the scarred skin tissue on his hand. He had let his guard down before. Being stark naked, it would have been hard _not_ to notice his partially-healed wounds. And he knew she was not playing around. She only used his full name when she was upset, angry, or serious or any combination of the three.

"I..." He wasn't sure how to answer. The only answer Mikoto would accept would be the truth. He knew what she wanted. But he couldn't. He _wouldn't._ "..." He paused briefly, hiding his eyes behind his bangs. "Nothing happened. I've had the scar on my hand forever. I also wear the bandages on my chest for the same reason I wear bandages on my left arm."

" _Shirou_..." Mikoto said again in a warning tone.

"Nothing happened." Shirou reiterated, unwilling to change his answer.

"I am your _mother_." The deceptively small woman reminded him. "And how do you think I feel, coming home and finding you with such injuries, not even getting a phone call or ANYTHING?!" For the first time, Mikoto raised her voice in anger. "I wanted to enjoy a happy teary-eyed reunion with my precious baby boy, but instead I find him naked with two ho-bags and injuries all over his body! Are you still getting into fights?! Did one of those thug wannabes do this to you?! I've warned you countless times not to get involved with them, Shirou! You KNOW how dangerous it is!"

" _Nothing happened._ " Shirou responded in the same tone albeit a bit more forcefully. Despite his usually short-tempered personality, never once did he raise his voice in anger against this woman.

Kiyome and Akeno still looked miffed from the "Ho-bags" comment, but were equally concerned with the current situation unfolding before their eyes between the mother and the son. Neither possessed any ill-intent towards the other, that much was clear, but at the same time, they were fighting a silent war to "destroy" one another in this "battle".

For ten long minutes, nobody said anything. Shirou and Mikoto stared at each other silently for what should have been a warmhearted mother-son reunion that had been in the making for several months.

Without saying another word on the subject, Shirou rose from his seat. He leaned in and wrapped his arms around Mikoto, Kiyome staring in shock and awe at his lack of hesitation in embracing the woman. Mikoto, while clearly dissatisfied of the outcome, hugged him back with as much silent affection as Shirou.

"...I love you, Ka-san." After those four words, Shirou retracted his arms, turning his back towards her and turning his front towards the front door. "While I really want to stay and catch up after you just got back, I really have to go to school now. I promise we can have fun and talk normally when I get back." _"And the current subject is forgotten"_ is what his eyes seemed to say, subconsciously attaching it to Shirou's words.

As he was already dressed in his school uniform following the first events of that embarrassing morning, there were no issues in him immediately walking out the door. He didn't even bother bringing his school bag. The moment he had the opening, he walked out the door.

Kiyome and Akeno exchanged worried glances, giving Mikoto one final look of concern before following after Shirou.

They walked his normal route of school together, but the atmosphere was far from sociable.

Neither girl was sure what exactly had happened or how to even address it (whatever "it" was). All they knew was that Shirou was clearly not okay.

"Sorry about that." Shirou apologized. He turned his head and gave a smile. "I got you two involved in a little family drama back there."

Kiyome's eyes went wide at the sight. A lone tear was rolling down the side of Shirou's face. But his smile didn't seem fake, she knew that for sure. She had known him long enough to know when he was really smiling and when he was smiling to cover up some kind of pain, and she knew for a fact that, despite everything that just went down, Shirou was genuinely happy.

"Despite that, I'm really glad Ka-san is home again!" He gave a cheery grin, showing off his smile and his tears of joy for the world to see.

Kiyome had never met his mother before, but she could somewhat understand why Shirou was happy. If they were like this before he ever met Kiyome, then it was likely that his mother was the only solace Shirou ever had in his lonely everyday life. She was a bottle of sunshine, seeming rather open and forthright despite being an adult. At the same time, she wasn't entirely immature and understood the world around her. She was a mother who loved her son and Shirou was a son who loved his mother. Kiyome looked at Akeno and found herself just as surprised to see the odd expression on her face. Akeno's expression looked...sad. Happy and amused, but sad at the same time.

"Shirou..." Akeno spoke up, causing Shirou to turn his gaze towards her. "Your mom...She doesn't know about you, does she? About how you live or how you are now?" She was clearly referring to his previous delinquency as well as his current existence as a Devil.

For a brief moment, Shirou's smile faded into unease. He did not answer.

It was clearly it was not something he wished to discuss. Akeno nodded. "Then she won't hear about it from me."

"Nor from me." Kiyome piped up.

Shirou gave an appreciative look before a heavy yawn escaped his lips. "Damn...I think I'm more tired than when I went to sleep...And that's saying something considering the fact I was _dying_ when I fell unconscious." He stuck out his tongue. "Bleh. Anyway, now that the matter of Ka-san has officially been put off, I've been wondering...What happened after I fell unconscious last night?"

"Not a lot, honestly." Kiyome answered, frowning. "After you collapsed, we managed to get you somewhere safe to recover from your fight. Rias said that you were suffering more from exhaustion than your actual injuries."

"Kiyome, you remember what Rias said." Akeno said, reminding Kiyome of something. "We're to wait until the Occult Research Club has gathered before discussing the events of the previous night. There's too much to discuss in this short period of time. School is already halfway over as it is, so we had best hurry."

[Right!]

Agreeing to hold off on the serious conversation, the three continued the route to school, officially arriving several hours late by the time they got there.

* * *

Nobody really questioned Shirou coming in late that afternoon. Even though he had come to be more honest and open, he _was_ still the feared and revered "Demon King of Kuoh". Possibly because of the spreading rumors that he was behind the disappearance of the Yellow Diamonds from the streets, everyone had become even more on-edge around him. This meant no more whispers. Most of everyone else was too afraid of him to even whisper about how hey hated him.

So, luckily for him, it was a significantly quieter morning, giving him a lot more time to catch up on some sleep. He was still recovering from his exhaustion of the previous night combined with the exhausting events of that morning.

Once the final bell rang, Shirou immediately headed to the Occult Research Clubroom. It may have been impatient, but he had been eager to discuss everything that happened, hopefully get a few more questions answered. He was certain Rias also would have wanted to ask some questions. However, Shirou was surprised to find that he had arrived earlier than anyone else.

He was honestly surprised. He was usually the last person to arrive at the clubhouse. Only Kiba ever arrived later than him and that was only because he had to repeatedly find ways to politely get rid of his crowd of fan girls.

It was hard for Shirou to imagine how annoying that must have been. Fan girls seemed obsessive and annoying. From what Shirou observed of Kiba's life, he couldn't understand why Issei would want a mob of girls like that for a harem.

But that was beside the point.

Shirou was alone in the ORC clubhouse for the first time since he became a Devil. And he had no idea what to do while he waited. He never had the opportunity to do anything other than the immediate affairs of Devils.

 _"Come to think of it..."_ Shirou poked his head out of the clubroom, looking at what was only one of the many halls within the old school building that acted as Rias's base of operations. _"I don't think I've ever fully explored this place..."_ He looked both left and right, realizing that nobody was coming yet. It was likely that they would not arrive for at least ten minutes assuming hey had no prior engagements.

His feet started moving before his mind had been made up, dragging him along through the previously unexplored portion of that hallway. For such an old building, Shirou was surprised how well-maintained it was. Most old buildings like that one were usually in shabby states, but it was the absolute opposite of how it looked on the outside. Shirou assumed it had to do with building an occult atmosphere befitting the name of their club.

There were no lights nor were there many windows in halls, however. They were Devils, so they didn't need normal things like light or sunlight. The few windows that did exist in that building were most likely just there for ventilation, to get some fresh air when the weather was right.

All of the halls looked like someone had copied and pasted to the point that Shirou felt that he could have been walking in circles at times. It was...boring. He had thought he would have run into something more exciting while exploring a clubhouse that housed Devils, stuff like goblins or trolls or hell hounds or other mythological existences. Shirou was not too well-versed in mythology, so he was not certain what kind of creatures Devils like Rias would have in the building. He had at least expected hellhounds.

He was somewhat disappointed. Shirou really wanted a dog. As much as he wanted a cat, Shirou also really would have loved to have a dog. Even if it was a dog from Hell, a Hellhound was still a dog.

He was about to just throw in the towel and head back to the meeting room when something caught his eye. A feature that was different from the rest of the halls. It was mundane, something he knew he normally would have ignored.

Yet for some reason he still made his way to the set of double doors at the end of the hallway.

It felt strange for there to just be double doors there. He was on the second floor so they obviously didn't lead outside. Not to mention there were a lot of strange-looking seals and talismans attached to the door along with magical chains wrapped around the door handle with some sort of lock on them. Shirou approached the door, grasping the metal lock in his hand, lifting it up to eye-level. He gave a good tug on the lock's chains, seeing for himself just how well this door had been locked. Only someone with explosive magic power or monster-like physical strength could break these doors off their highs.

It was likely that only Rias or perhaps Akeno would have the key to it. And if that weren't chilling enough, there was tape pasted on yellow tape all over the doors with the words "KEEP OUT" printed in bold capital letters.

It may have been his imagination, but Shirou could have sworn that his scarred left hand was beginning to burn a little. It was an odd, mild, burning sensation, as if telling him something.

With all of these ominous omens, only someone who was incredibly stupid or incredibly brave would have pursued anything that laid beyond doors with such intense security.

"I wonder how I get this door open..."

And Shirou was both of those things.

After the previous night, he knew the supernatural was no joke. He could have died. Yet, at the same time, the curiosity of what was causing the intense reaction from his arm-no-from his Sacred Gear was eating him alive. He would be driven mad with curiosity if he did not even try to check it out. Besides, what could have been the harm, is what he thought. If it was actually dangerous, there was no way Rias would have kept whatever it was on campus. These were the thoughts that Shirou used to justify his desire to sate his curiosity.

He reached out and grasped one of the talismans on the door, tugging at the end and preparing to rip it off.

" _I wouldn't do that if I were you._ "

"WAH! I SURRENDER!" Shirou threw his hands up high into the air, turning and facing the person addressing him. "I wasn't gonna do it, ma'am! Honest! I was just messin' round is all!"

"I let you out of my sight for a few hours and you're about to go trespassing." The girl scolded. "I thought I raised you better, Shicchan!"

Shirou's eyes widened in surprise as he laid eyes on the girl who spoke to him. "K-Ka-san?" It was his mom. "W-What are you doing here?"

For a moment, Mikoto looked bashful, even awkward, emotions Shirou rarely saw on his mother's face. "Well...it's just that...I..." She took a deep breath, as if preparing to eat something bitter. "I just feel like I should...apologize for this morning. I just got back and was already digging into your personal affairs like I thought you were some kind of criminal..."

"Ka-san..." Shirou's eyes softened considerably.

"And I should trust you more than that." Mikoto decided. "I don't trust the shameless hussies you hang around, but I do trust you, Shirou." Tears started forming in the corners of Mikoto's eyes.

 _"Here we go again..."_ Shirou thought with a small smile.

"Because...Because you're my baby boy! You've been through a lot and I just wanted to protect you! I didn't mean to hurt your feelings like that! I just love you so muuuuuuuch!" The dam broke free and Mikoto lunged at Shirou, wrapping her arms around him in a big bear hug.

Shirou wrapped his arms around his mom's tiny frame. "I...love you too, Ka-san. I know you're just trying to look out for me." He patted her on the back, letting her relieve all of her tears. He thought that this would have waited until he got home, but it appeared that that would not be the case.

Believe it or not, this was actually pretty normal for the two original members of the Fujimura Residence.

Over the years, they developed a certain level of co-dependence and familial love to the point that they could not help but act overly hostile at times.

Mikoto would leave, Shirou would do his "Shirou stuff", Mikoto would come back after a few months, they would have some argument about something (usually about Shirou's behaviors which Mikoto suspected but not definitely knew), and then they would make up in some over-dramatic fashion (usually with tears and hugs on Mikoto's side). Before his encounter with the members of the Gremory Household, this was the only display of affection he openly understood.

It took ten minutes for Mikoto to stop and regain her normal states, thus ending the periodic ritual of the "Fujimura clan".

"So...uh...Ka-san..." Shirou frowned. "Why ARE you here?" He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, gesturing to the door. "Do you know what's behind there?" For a few moments, Mikoto stared at Shirou with serious eyes, sending chills down his spine. If she was wearing such a face, Shirou knew that whatever she would explain was going to be important, that there was something incredibly dangerous or important behind those doors...

"No idea~" Mikoto shrugged, smiling while sticking out her tongue in a childish fashion. "I think it might just be a room that's being renovated~! Or they're keeping equipment in there for club-related stuff! Whatever it is, you probably shouldn't touchie~" Mikoto started looking around, turning on her left leg like she was some kind of wind vane. She looked thoroughly amazed by the sights. "I'll tell ya though~ These Occult Research Club guys really know how to make something look authentic! If you didn't know any better, you'd most likely think that this place actually belonged to demons and junk, right, Shicchan?"

Shirou swallowed nervously, letting out a forced laugh. "Haha! Of course! It's not like those things actually exist! Haha!" He really wanted to kick himself. "I mean, can you BELIEVE that crap they spew at Church?! Hell, Devils driving humans to sin, Devils turning humans into Devils! The Bible's a crazy book, right?!"

Mikoto frowned. "I don't remember the Bible saying anything about turning humans into Devils..."

 _"Oh shit!"_ Shirou paled. _"Quick, you fool! Say something to throw her off! Something to stop her from growing suspicious about this place!"_

He lashed out and grabbed the sleeve of Mikoto's jacket. "HEY, KA-SAN! Wanna meet my friends and fellow club members?!" He blurted out. _"NO, YOU FOOL! Anything OTHER than that! Rias and the others are suspicious as Hell! Ka-san will definitely suspect something!-No wait! Calm yourself, Shirou! She's your mom, but she respects your privacy and your wish to keep family and friend life separate! She'll definitely-"_

"OK~! Sounds great~!" Mikoto replied with a smile.

 _"Dammit!"_

"I really am happy you found a nice club to join, Shicchan!" Mikoto cheered, smiling brightly. "I can't wait to meet all of your fi-friends!" Mikoto, unbeknownst to Shirou, wanted to slap herself. She had almost said "your first friends"...she knew full-well why he never had friends before and she almost brought up those same painful memories... "A-Anyway! Lead the way!"

Shirou sighed, realizing there was no escaping his blunder. "Fine...Just...temper your expectations, okay? These guys...they're not...They're great people. Please be polite with them."

"Right right!" Mikoto cheered. "Alley-oop!" Without invitation, she leaped onto Shirou's back, wrapping her arms around his neck while wrapping her legs around his waist. She drove her heels into Shirou's thighs. "Tallyho! Giddy up! Mush! Charge! Forward March! Upward and onward!" She leaned forward, staring at the side of Shirou's passive face. Mikoto pursed her lips. "...Please?"

Shirou sighed. "Alright." And so Shirou carried his mother upon his back, doing his damned well best to ignore how weird that sounded aloud. _"Now it's time to introduce my friends who are the essentially the spawns of Satan to my overprotective loli mother...this'll be fun."_

However, he paused after taking a few steps, turning his head to pay anger glance to the double doors.

The burning in his arm intensified with every passing second.

* * *

One could almost quite literally _taste_ the awkwardness in the air.

Of course the source of it was Shirou. The moment he walked into the clubroom carrying his mother on his back, Rias had frozen mid-speech concerning whatever it was that she had been talking about. Everyone, including Kiyome, had gathered in the fifteen to twenty minutes Shirou had been gone, meaning that now _everyone_ was present to experience the entirety of the awkward sensation inflicted by Shirou's presence.

Even Koneko stopped eating and looked up from her snacks.

There were mixed expressions among the members from worry to confusion to curiosity.

Mikoto's eyes scanned the room around her, the lower half of her faced buried against the back of Shirou's head. "Mmmmmmm..." She let out a low buzz that held faint traces of dissatisfaction.

"...Shirou." Rias said, being the first to break the silence. He looked from the child-looking woman on his back and back to him. "Is...Is there something I need to be worried about?" There was another pause. "Shirou, if you need to talk, we're-

"OK, we went off the rails way too fast. Thanks for that, Rias." Shirou said sarcastically. "Now that somebody broke that ice in the most awkward and somewhat insulting way, does anybody else want to say anything?"

Silence was their general response.

"No?" Shirou asked. "OK then." Shirou reached behind him and grabbed Mikoto by her waist, lifting her over his head and hugging her against his chest. "OK, Occult Research Club, meet Ka-san. Ka-san, meet Occult Research Club. I believe you've already met Akeno and Kiyome." Shirou gestured to the two mentioned females who waved casually in response.

"I-I'm not actually a member of the Occult Research Club!" Kiyome piped up. "Shirou is-I-I mean these guys are just good friends of mine so I hang out with them sometimes." Kiyome blushed deeply. "I-It's very nice to meet you, Ka-san!-MMPH!" Kiyome covered her mouth. "I-I mean F-Fujimura-san!"

Mikoto turned her head sharply, smiling pleasantly at Kiyome. "Ah! Hussy #1-san~! How have you been doing since this morning when you flaunted your slutty body and seduced Shicchan out of wedlock~?"

"OK, that took a few seconds longer than I thought it would!" Shirou pulled Mikoto away, eyes wide, holding her back like a feral cat about to claw someone's face off. "We are leaving now! So sorry about that!"

"But-!" Shirou immediately clamped his hand over Mikoto's mouth, pulling her away.

"Leaving!" Shirou reiterated.

"What? WHYYYY?!" Mikoto whined, pulling Shirou's hand from her mouth. "I haven't even said _anything_ about how you can practically see Hussy #2-san's black lace through her clothes, probably soaked with her hussy-MMPH!" Again, Shirou covered Mikoto's mouth, the faint wish to die apparent on his face.

"Again, I am very sorry for this, Rias-buchou, Akeno, Kiyome-Hey!" He pulled his finger away from Mikoto's mouth as she tried to nip at him with her teeth. He wagged his finger at Mikoto. "No! Bad! No biting! That's a bad!" Mikoto gave a throaty growl, but her eyes were directed at Kiyome and Akeno. "Why are you being so hard on Kiyome and Akeno?! They're my friends! The first friends I've had in six years! SIX YEARS! What have they done to offend you so badly?!"

Mikoto shot Shirou a sharp look. "I thought I made it obvious. They violated SHICCHAN'S purityyyy!" Mikoto started crying again. "It's not right! For two huss-GIRLS-" Mikoto corrected herself when she saw Shirou's scolding eyes. "-to just pop in and sleep naked with my beautiful baby boy, robbing him of his innocence and now I find him in a den of sin with two more sexy girls and a bishounen who could make any guy turn gay for him...it just ain't right! I don't want the wrong woman to end up with the beautiful baby boy I've raised!"

Koneko blinked, surprised she had been included in the rant while Kiba looked around, gesturing to himself with a questioning look. He seemed uncertain of whether it was an insult or praise that Mikoto believed he had the ability to turn anyone gay.

Rias raised a hand for permission to interject. "Fujimura-san, forgive me for interfering in a matter that seems to be family business, but I believe you are incorrect on two accounts." Mikoto looked as though Rias was some alien creature, showing a distinct air of hostility before returning to a calmer state.

"Oh?"

"It concerns the way in which you view Akeno and Kiyome's respective characters." Rias continued, showing her warm yet elegant smile. "From what I understand, the source of your discontent is that you are in disagreement with the unique sleeping arrangement between the three-"

"I swear to God that if you suggest that same garbage about sleeping naked together being a normal thing, I will shove a needle through your eye." Mikoto threatened with an overly serious look. "I possess the blade skills to do it without causing permanent damage, so don't think I won't." Rias was too deeply dumbfounded to form a proper response.

"Aaaaand this is why I don't talk about you to my friends." Shirou noted with a deadpan expression. "You're being too judgmental right now, Ka-san. These are people who are important to me. Especially Kiyome. You're also important to me. I don't-"

"Alright alright!" Mikoto raised her hands in surrender. "OK, how about this: Rather than starting a huge fracas-And yes, I did just say _fracas_ -I will listen to any and all excuses you have to give me. For now, I will disregard the nudity part...but you have to give me ONE good reason as to why these women were sleeping in your room. One reason that could possibly explain why you were with these two women. If you do, then I will get on my knees and apologize to everyone for what I said."

Kiyome raised her hand. "Uh...well, we-"

"Not from you, ho-bag!" Mikoto spat out, getting ready to cry again. Kiyome shrank away as if she had been bitten by a dog. "It has to be from Shicchan!"

"Uuuuuuhhhhhh-

"See?!"

"Gimme a sec!" Shirou cried, irked at how little time he had been given. "I...It's just taking me time to vocalize the reason-and there _is_ a reason! I...uh...I...It's just that...well...you see..." Shirou wracked his brains, forcing it to run at 100% capacity in order to think up a plausible reason that would throw off even his mom. "It's...uh...we were..." Shirou exchanged glances with Kiyome, asking for suggestions, but Kiyome shrugged, just as unsure as he was. "...doing a project for school...?"

Mikoto turned her head to shoot him a disbelieving look. "You get two more tries."

Shirou swallowed nervously. "Uh...there was...it was raining and-"

"Doesn't answer why they were in your bed or your room." Mikoto cut in, crossing her arms impatiently. "You get one more."

 _"Shit!"_ Shirou complained in his mind. _"Think, Shirou! I know it hasn't done you any good so far today, but you have to use your brain! What is the one thing that will always shock a parent no matter what?! What is something that can make Ka-san too preoccupied to even consider that Kiyome and Akeno are loose women without telling her I've been risking my life to fight a giant snake woman literally from Hell...Yeah, that'd probably be the wrong thing to do..."_ Shirou looked at Mikoto, still hanging in his arms with an expecting look. _"Come on...What could I possibly tell my mom that would distract her from all el-That's it! I got it!"_

It hit Shirou like a ton of bricks. Such a brilliant idea that he didn't know why he didn't think of it earlier!

"Well, Shicchan?" Mikoto asked, still very much impatient. "I'm waiting."

Shirou did not look her. Without a word, he gently set his mother on the ground. Mikoto gave him a confused expression, watching as he casually made his way across the room. Every eye was on him as he strode over to the other side of the room, none more surprised an a certain blonde when he stopped right next to Kiyome. He casually extended his hand to her, offering to help her up. Kiyome stared at him in confusion, but she accepted his hand, pulling herself to her feet.

It happened in a flash. One of Shirou's arms lashed out at Kiyome, wrapping around her waist.

"E-Eh?!" Kiyome let out a light squeak of embarrassment as Shirou pulled her closely, hugging her body closely against his while keeping his eyes on his mother. "W-What are you-?!"

"There's no point hiding it anymore, Kiyome!" Shirou declared, trying to avoid biting his tongue off as he quickly listed off his words. "Ka-san has to know or else she won't stop talking bad about you!"

To say Kiyome thought Shirou had a screw loose would have been something of an understatement. "I really don't understand-"

"Don't worry! Ka-san is a kind, loving woman!" Shirou stated very loudly, speaking over Kiyome's objections. "It may take some time, but she will come to accept it!" He turned Kiyome's head to face her. "To accept _us_."

[...What?]

Every other voice in the room spoke in perfect unison in response to Shirou's words.

"Ka-san," Shirou said, addressing his mom directly, "there is something I feel you should know! I didn't get the chance to tell you before, but I don't feel comfortable keeping it from you any longer!" Shirou hugged Kiyome more tightly, deeply hoping that she understood what he was doing.

Mikoto raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what is "it"?"

Shirou took a deep breath. "Ka-san, Kiyome is my girlfriend!" He spun around on his heels to face Kiyome, tilting her body back and holding her tenderly. He leaned in closely, his face burning red, and whispered, "Please don't murder me for this."

There was not even a second to respond before Shirou pressed his lips against Kiyome's doing his best to erase all sense of hesitation as he kissed his friend.

"Well...didn't see that coming..." Rias noted, genuinely surprised by her two friends' actions for the first time.

"It's nice to see they're at that stage though." Kiba said, smiling awkwardly.

"Ufufu~ I might get jealous at this rate~" Akeno teased.

"Hm..." Koneko hummed. "I ship it."

Kiyome only stated in wide-eyed shock as Shirou kissed her in front of a crowd of observers. For everyone else, it was a mere ten seconds, but for her, it felt like a blissful eternity. She was still in a daze when Shirou finally pulled away, his face flushed.

To say Shirou didn't feel the same electric current as before would have been a lie. He _liked_ it. He _liked_ kissing Kiyome. It filled him with a hot feeling in his chest. It was an unbelievably pleasant sensation. However, the way he had taken her second kiss...he didn't like it. For Shirou, a kiss was an act of romance, not something to throw your mother off the trail that would eventually lead to you being discovered as a supernatural creature of darkness. He didn't like doing it this way.

When Shirou finally pulled away, he and Kiyome could only stare at one another, one shocked and the other feeling a mix of guilt and self-loathing.

When Kiyome placed her hands to the sides of Shirou's face, Shirou had been almost certain he was going to be slapped. He closed his eyes and-

-he again felt the tingling sensation of Kiyome's lips against his.

She was kissing _him_ this time.

It was addicting, the taste of his saliva was. It was wrong to do it this way, but she didn't care. She didn't know _what_ was going through Shirou's head. Regardless of what it was, she wanted to take advantage of the one opportunity she had to act on her feelings. Last night had been a mix of relief and adrenaline. _This_ was what she had desired in the year she had known Shirou, ever since she fell in love with him. The taste of the saliva in his mouth was like the sweetest nectar. She kissed the lovable fool with every last ounce of passion she could muster. Her only regret was that she hadn't had the guts to do it sooner.

She couldn't help but feel somewhat happy about the stunned and flustered expression on his face. Whatever kind of act it had been before, he certainly realized it was nothing like that anymore.

Grabbing tightly onto Shirou, she turned to face Mikoto, a new, more powerful confidence in her heart. "That's right! Shirou is my boyfriend and I am Shirou's girlfriend! I've been in love with this dope since we met during my Second Year!" She sighed. "However, it was hard to finally get him this far because he had trouble opening up. But I swear on your God, my God, whichever divinity you wish for me to swear upon that I am undeniably, madly in love with Shirou Fujimura!"

Shirou stared at Kiyome, eyes wide. "...so...last night...you really...? That was...?" He suspected, but he never expected anyone to blatantly admit such a thing.

Kiyome blushed deeply, nodding. "Did you really think I would get naked for just any guy...?"

That was a minefield Shirou managed to avoid with stupid comments. His answer should have, of course, been "no", but he knew he would have answered something with something stupid. A girl just confessed to him for the first time in his life...He just knew he would have done _something_ stupid...He always did.

"Really?" Mikoto asked, seeming dubious. "Then how come that other hu-Akeno girl was naked in your room?"

To her credit, Kiyome did not seem fazed in slightest by the loli woman's steely gaze. "Shirou and I were planning to have sex, our first time. I only invited Akeno over so I would feel less self-conscious about being naked."

Mikoto stared. "What?"

[What?]

Again, the other club members spoke in unison.

"...What?" Shirou asked seconds after everyone else. He quickly recovered though. "Er-I mean-Right!...Right...?"

"...Is that so...?" Mikoto asked. However, Shirou couldn't help but notice the change of her tone. She was, at the very least, beginning to feel convinced by Shirou and Kiyome's claims of romance. "...well...having been a teenage girl myself once, I guess I can kind of understand that...Hmmm..." There was a "but" coming. Shirou knew it. "BUT...how do _you_ feel, Shirou?" Shirou stiffened as he felt his mother's probing gaze return to him. "I need to know, here and now, is this the truth? Do you have the same feelings as her...?"

That was the most difficult question Shirou had ever been asked. If he had been asked that same question a month or two ago, he would have asked what kind of drugs she was taking, but now...

Shirou glanced at his friends. Then he looked as his mother.

And finally, he looked at Kiyome standing next to him, her form as beautiful as it had always been...but beauty was not a good reason to love. Shirou knew that.

He thought about everything they had gone through, how long he had known her, all of the time she had slapped him across the face. At the same time, however, each thought was repeatedly drowned out by countless other images and thoughts. How bright her smile was. How beautiful her eyes were. How nice she always seemed to smell...

And above everything else, he remembered one important thing: She approached him when nobody else would...Before _everything_ , she had been there.

He took a good five minutes of contemplating his answer before finally responding to the question.

"I don't know." The looks of shock on everyone's faces were almost priceless, but Shirou did not wish to dwell on that. "I don't know because I've never experienced that kind of love before. I never had the opportunity. Everyone was always looking at me like I was some kind of monster...like I was something less than human." Shirou took a small breath, trying to keep this from turning into some kind of sob story. "But Kiyome...she was among the first people in a long time to really _look_ at me. To acknowledge me as a person. And over time, I came to see her for who she was and not just the crazy psycho girl who slapped me senseless on a daily basis." He let out a small grin at his own words, Kiyome face-palming and a few snickers coming from the peanut gallery.

It was the moment of truth. There were no lies, no deceptions. Even though the entire situation was started as a result of a lie, Shirou refused to speak anything but the honest-to-God truth.

"Ka-san, you know the scars you saw before...?" Shirou rolled up his sleeve, showing the numerous faded marks that resulted from his battle last night as well as the larger scar in the center of the back of his hand. "As I'm sure you've guessed...these didn't just appear out of nowhere. Something...Something happened..."

Mikoto narrowed her eyes. If that was a good thing or a bad thing, Shirou wasn't sure. She didn't say anything anyway.

The others looked on in stunned silence. Kiyome gave him an expression that clearly said "What the fuck are you doing?", but he assured her with a calm hand on her shoulder.

"Look...a while ago..." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck, bracing himself to pull off this whammy of a half-truth. "...Something bad happened." He could not quite find the words to properly explain what he was trying to say. He could not tell the truth about Devils, but he would tell as much of it as he could. "Kiyome was put in danger because of me...I ended up risking my life to save her and, even then, I almost lost her." He felt the touch and warmth of another person's hand wrap around his own, holding it tightly. "It felt like I died inside...The thought of never seeing her again, of never hearing her voice again...I couldn't bear it. I almost threw my own life away and I really would have if Kiyome and the rest of my friends hadn't been there to set me straight..." Shirou shook his head. "No...What I mean is...I would gladly throw away my life for her. I would give up every last breath if only to protect her." Mikoto stared at Shirou with curiosity that only seemed to swell with each passing second. "But I know that's not what she wants. She wants me to live. All of them want me to live and-and that thought, it makes me really happy. So...to really answer you...I would gladly die for Kiyome, but I also want to live for her. I want to live for her as if it is my sole reason to exist." Shirou placed a hand over his chest, feeling his heartbeat against his ribs. "And, although I am not truly sure, I would really like to think that this feeling, the warmth inside my chest...is love. It-It's what I _do_ believe. I believe with all of my hear that I am in love with this nutjob of a girl who is stupid enough to give her heart to a guy like me! I believe I am in love with Kiyome Abe!"

There was a long silence that followed after that declaration.

All Shirou could hear was the sound of his own breathing and the sound of his heartbeat resonating with his eardrums.

Nobody said anything. Not a single word. Not even a peep.

Not a single word he spoke was false, but he still felt nervous.

He had done it. Shirou had actually done something he never thought he would have ever done in his life time other than see a woman's bare chest: Confess that he was in love.

The only person with anything less than a passive expression was Kiyome who was standing next to him. Kiyome was staring at him with a steaming, red face and eyes the size of dinner plates. Her cheeks were puffed up in an adorable way, as if every word she could ever speak was being denied access through her mouth. He could not tell if she was embarrassed, happy, or flustered by how his confession easily overshadowed hers. It could have been all three.

Mikoto just stood there, staring blankly like a puppet without a puppeteer.

Her next words would decide what direction this situation would take. If she decided to reject everything he said anyway, then it proved they would have a new issue entirely. Shirou refused to have his words thought of as lies. He would never speak such passionate words about his friends if they were lies.

"Is that so...?" Shirou tensed when those three words came out of Mikoto's mouth. They could have been some kind of subtle threat or final warning, but Shirou did not waver. He kept his determined gaze on his mother's small form.

"Yes." Shirou answered again. "If nothing else, then the words I have spoken are the purest form of the truth and I will not take them back."

Mikoto stared at Shirou and Shirou stared back. She didn't say anything else.

After a short pause, Kiyome was the one to break the silence. "D-Does this mean-"

"OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOSH!" Mikoto suddenly lunged from her place in the middle of the room, almost knocking Kiyome to the ground with her forceful tackle. "OHMYGOSH! OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH!" Mikoto buried her face into Kiyome's chest, letting out even louder screams and squeals of joy. She pulled away and beamed at Kiyome. "Ican'tfrickinbelieveit! My baby boy is in LOOOOOOOOVE~! OH MY GOSH! I never thought this day would come-"

"KA-SAN!" Shirou whined in objection.

"-until you were in college!" Mikoto continued, looking away from Kiyome. "Let me _finish_ , Shicchan!" She turned back to Kiyome, tears pouring from her eyes again. She grasped Kiyome's hands in hers, her eyes shining. "Thank you very much for falling in love with my baby boy! I normally would never trust girls with outrageously-sized bazongas to be with, but after such a passionate confession, how can I forbid such a relationship?!" However, she suddenly turned her head sharply to face Rias and the others. "However, I never want to catch _any_ of you alone or naked with my boy. Especially _you_ , pretty boy!"

"W-What?" Again, Kiba looked wounded and confused by how much he was being picked on.

He was quickly forgotten when Mikoto turned her attention back to Kiyome. "I give you my motherly blessing, Kiyo-chan!" It had hardly gone unnoticed by how she suddenly started referring to Kiyome as "Kiyo-chan". "I'm SO sososososososososoSOOOO sorry for being mean to ya earlier! I didn't know you were Shicchan's girl!" Mikoto started shaking Kiyome's hands up and down, almost pulling her forward off her feet due to the height difference. "I'm really really really really really really sorry!"

Kiyome blushed, smiling awkwardly. "I-It's fine, Fujimura-san-"

"No!" Mikoto shouted. She started smiling, eyes shining. "Call me "Ka-san", or "Mom"! Come here, you!" Without Kiyome's consent, Mikoto leaped high into the air, wrapping her arms around the poor blonde's neck with her crushing bear hug. In her joy, Mikoto completely failed to observe Kiyome's increasing discomfort and the slow decrease in her ability to breathe.

"A-Alright, Ka...san..." Kiyome looked over Mikoto's shoulder mouthing the words "Help me" to Shirou.

"Yaaaaaaay~!" Mikoto cheered, tightening her arms around Kiyome's neck.

Harsh choking sounds came from Kiyome's throat the further her air passageways were constricted. She started coughing, grasping at her neck. She tried pulling Mikoto off, but that only made the child-like adult tighten her grasp even further, producing an unpleasant cracking sound that Shirou was 67% sure necks were not normally supposed to make. Kiyome started clawing at Mikoto's back, trying to get her attention, but she seemed to take no notice, too deep into her joyful cheering.

"Uh...Ka-san..." Shirou only spoke up when Kiyome's eyes started rolling into the back of her head, her face beginning to turn blue. "...I...maybe you should let go? NOW?"

Mikoto pulled her face away, turning her teary eyes on Shirou. "Oh! That's right! I haven't congratulated Shicchan yet!" Mikoto pulled her biggest, goofiest smile yet, releasing Kiyome and holding her arms out open towards Shirou. Kiyome dropped lifelessly to the ground. "COME TO MOMMY~!" She practically flew through the air when she jumped at Shirou.

"Yipes!" Shirou instinctively dropped to the ground. Mikoto flew right over his head, only managing to avoid face-planting against the wall due to her surprisingly incredible reflexes, allowing her to catch the ground with the soles of her shoes. Shirou rose to his feet, crossing his arms into an "X". "No hugs! You always end up crushing someone's internal organs when you get emotional like this!"

The amount of tears in Mikoto's eyes slowly increased, but she was still smiling. "How can I _not_ be emotional?! My baby boy's got his first girlfriend! I _have to_ hug you!"

"You can't afford to pay anymore medical bills, Ka-san!"

"Gimme a hug!"

"No!"

"Come ooooon~!"

"Get away!"

"Awww~! Shicchan's so adorable when he's running in abject terror~!"

"That's a little frightening, Ka-san! I'm not giving you a hug!"

"Waaaaah! You're being mean, Shicchan!"

"Yeah, _Shicchan_ ~! Give your Ka-chan a hug~!"

"Ufu~ Should I make it an order as your Club President?"

" _You_ _two_ , stay out of this!"

"I think you should-"

"Shut the FUCK up, Kiba!"

"...Senpai has a surprisingly cute side."

"Nobody asked you, short-stuff!"

"...Mmmmmmm!"

"AAAH! NOW I HAVE TWO SNOW-HAIRED LOLIS TRYING TO KILL ME!"

"Shicchaaaaan~ Come here and gimme a huuuug~"

"...I will break you in half."

"Can't you take a joke!?"

"...About as well as you can take a broken spine."

"Why does this shit always happen to meeeeeee!?"

* * *

It was already dark by the time Shirou and Mikoto decided to leave the Occult Research Club.

Mikoto rode on Shirou's back, arms wrapped around Shirou's neck as he trudged down the empty street, rubbing the bruise on his left cheek. He was fortunate that Koneko stopped trying to hit him when his mom started strangli-hugging him. There was nowhere she could strike without also hitting an innocent woman. So in a way, one death penalty spared Shirou an even worse death penalty.

He would have liked to say the night got better from there...but it did not.

There was no saving that night after Rias suggested Mikoto go on a "request" that she told Mikoto the ORC undertook to "raise funds for club activities". They could not take the magic circle for obvious reasons, so Shirou had to walk Mikoto over to the location chosen by his client.

And that was how Mikoto met Kalawarner. Long story short, it was not a pleasant night for Shirou. Shirou could still taste despair along with...a few other things.

As it turned out, drinking bleach was not a possible suicide method for a Devil regardless of the humiliation one felt.

They were kicked out due to the collective tab they had begun to build up and the lack of funds to pay said tab. Shirou would have paid with the money he had in his wallet, but there was no amount a seventeen-year-old boy could have that could realistically pay for the amount that the two adult women drank.

That's why the child-sized woman on his back was singing a slurred sea shanty whose words he just could not make out. It sounded like she was trying to talk with her mouth full of water. Shirou was half-certain that she herself did not even know the words to the song that she was singing.

"So...what did you think of my friends...?" Shirou asked, trying to break the drunken silence. He didn't sense any further conflict between Mikoto and his friends, but he had to be sure. "They're really good people."

"No no no!" Mikoto denied, waving her unsteady hand through the air. "I fuggin' loved dos guyzzz! Dey...dey were really, really amazin!" She laid her head against Shirou's back, letting out a soft hum.

"Yeah," Shirou agreed, smiling softly, "they are."

Mikoto hiccuped, almost slipping and falling off Shirou's back before regaining her balance. "Sssshhhhirou...I'm really grad dat..." She buried her face in Shirou's back, letting out a humming sound. "...dat you...got shome frinds..." Shirou stopped when he felt Mikoto's tiny body begin to tremble against him. "I'm surry...I wassch such a failyur of a momma..."

"Ka-san, no you're not." Shirou objected, sighing sadly.

"I...I'm surry...surry dat I can't be arund as musch as I want tah..." Mikoto cried. A growing warm, wet sensation on the back of his shirt let Shirou know genuine tears were flowing from her eyes. "I know dat...I shoulda been 'round more tah-tah take care of yah...I juscht want yah to know dat...dat it's not cuz I wanna..."

"I know, Ka-san..." Shirou knew all too well how she felt. This was a more solemn part of their reunion ritual. Whenever Mikoto came back to town, she got so excited that she ended up getting drunk and then she broke down into tears, saying these same words every time, showing genuine sorrow. Sometimes he suspected her of being bipolar, being excited and cheerful one moment and then depressed and grief-stricken the next. The main reason he tried not to trouble her was because, at times, she looked like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Mikoto kept sobbing into Shirou's back. "I love you...I love you, I love you...

"I know you love me...Seven years ago, you proved it. You..." Shirou felt his own eyes beginning to sting. "...You were the one who gave me my name seven years ago...You were the first person to acknowledge I was alive in that place..."

"I did...I did..." Mikoto agreed, her nods further smearing her hot tears against Shirou. "You were muh speshial boy...I love yah so much...I named yah Shirou coz...I thought it wasch susch a bewtiful name...you...you were a bewtiful boy, Shirou..."

Shirou smiled softly, blushing. "I know. You tell me that all the time." He pushed Mikoto upward, trying to help her maintain a better balance against him. "I love you too, Ka-san. And...And I have great news for you too!" So much had happened that Shirou had almost forgotten the whole reason he had initially agreed to willingly become Rias's servant. "I know how much you want to be homes, so...I..." He tried figuring out the best way to word it. "I...came into some money. I won a contest...sort of..."

"...huh?" Mikoto hiccuped again, but showed confusion at Shirou's words.

"I can't say a lot, but I can tell you that you don't have to worry anymore." Shirou stated with a smile. "I have the money situation all taken care of. I know it sounds shady, but it's on the up-and-up! I'm being paid a lot of money! I have enough money to take care of myself for the rest of my life now!" He tried to avoid making himself sound as pathetic as he thought his words sounded. "Ka-san...you don't have to work anymore...We can live together now. Thanks to someone important, you don't have to fight in tournaments, you don't have to travel to make money for me to live here..." He took a deep breath. "Just...please don't leave anymore..."

He waited for her to respond.

He waited.

And waited.

And waited.

However, Mikoto did not respond. For five long minutes, she remained silent, quieter than a corpse. Shirou knew she hadn't passed out into a drunken coma because she was still holding clumps of his shirt tightly in her grip. She wasn't trembling anymore, but she still had the same tension in her breathing.

"Ka-san?" Shirou was troubled by her lack of response. He thought he had made her angry or perhaps she didn't believe him.

Mikoto's arms loosened up around Shirou's neck, causing him to turn his head to face her.

Her joyful smile was beautiful. "That's fantastic...Shicchan..." She finally completely unwrapped her arms from around Shirou, letting herself side off of him, her feet clopping against the ground. To her credit, she did not even stumble. "I just remembered something!"

Shirou frowned. "Ka-san...Did...Did I say something wrong?"

"Nonononono! Nothin like dat, Shicchan!" Mikoto said. "I mean I remembered dat if fergot somethin'! Back at da club place! It's somethin important!"

"Like...your keys?" Shirou asked, confused. "Do you want me to go back and get it?"

Mikoto shook her head. "Nah nah! It's fine!" She assured him. "I can get it!"

"But, Ka-san-!"

"Relaaaaaaaax~" Mikoto smacked his back playfully. "I'm just gonna be walkin down a street! If a pedo comes anywhere near me, I'll kick their face and cut their balls!"

Shirou stared at her in shock.

Mikoto pursed her lips, confused. "No no...I'll kick their balls and cut their face..." Another pause. "No, it sounded better da first time." She turned on her heels and started running in the opposite direction. "See ya at home, Shicchan! Promishe!"

"Wait! Ka-san! I-" But she was already long out of earshot. Shirou sighed. "Dammit."

Some things just did not change.

* * *

Rias had stayed behind that night, intending to finish some remaining reports a little after club activities had concluded for the evening.

It was not a glorious job, but it was her job.

She had to catalogue the acquisitions gained from contract payments from their clients. It was necessary because it was rare that any contracts were repaid with the same amount. She had to catalog the money and objects substituting for monetary repayment obtained. It was far more complicated overseeing Devil contracts than most people would think. After all, he servants need their share.

The items and wealth obtained essentially belong to the Gremory clan, but, like any job, their servants were compensated for the contracts they carried out.

She sat at her desk, going over everything one more time before she decided to clock out for the night. Devils needed sleep too.

"Let's see...Hmmm..." Rias hummed to herself. "Koneko brought one of the rare original prints of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and a diamond ring, Kiba received ten thousand yen (approximately $100 in U.S. currency) for babysitting a widow's baby boy, an unusually slow night for him, and Akeno brought back a cursed sword from the Sengoku Era (authentification pending), a sacred scroll on the Art of Fire, and one unicorn horn, a rarity. Impressive...and let's see..." She stopped penning on the paper for a moment, thinking of the payments she accounted for before now. "Overall, not a bad income so far for this week."

Her chest swelled with pride in her servants.

...well, most of them.

She looked at all of the items catalogued under Shirou's name...or rather, the lack thereof.

Since becoming a Devil, Shirou had failed to collect a single payment for any of the contracts he had carried out. Granted, he did have a somewhat rough manner when it came to people, but even when she took that into account, it still didn't seem right that he had not obtained a _single_ payment.

From what she read, most if not all of his contracts were with one client: Kalawarner. No surname.

Rias frowned. The name was not familiar and she couldn't find any information on such a person living in Kuoh Town. It could be a documentation error or perhaps she was not there legally, but something...something was definitely off-

BANG!

The door to the room slammed shut, snapping Rias out of her thoughts.

She looked up from the papers on her desk, trying to catch a glimpse of the newest entrant into the room.

She smiled softly at the sight. "Ah, Fujimura-san, you've returned." While speaking pleasantly, Rias swiftly moved her hands across the desk, hiding any and all documents relating to their Devil activities. "What can I do to help you?"

However, something felt _wrong_.

Perhaps it was the sickeningly sweet on her face. Perhaps it was the cold aura around her. Or perhaps it was how her arms hang limply at her side.

But Rias knew something was wrong.

"So, I've heard that...you've been Shicchan's benefactor and friend for about two months now~" She said in a cheerful monotone.

Rias returned the smile, trying to avoid creating any suspicion. "Yes...I...We have all done our best to befriend Shirou." She said. "But you should really be grateful to Kiyome. She has been by his side longer than the rest of us. She spent more time than anyone getting through the shell he used to wear."

"Yeah...Shirou did have that abrasive side to him..." Rias paused, uncertain if she misheard something. "And tell me, Rias Gremory, did you ever wonder why that was exactly?"

"What?" Rias frowned, confused by the direction is conversation was going. "I...It's because of how everyone perceives him. Deep down, he is a kind, gentle young boy, but his coldness and harsh nature always seems to be pushing everyone away. It's his own personal issues that ironically result in his current alienation that causes these issues."

"Come now. I thought you were supposed to be a noble." Mikoto teased. "Better education, more good fortune, more skilled in the manipulations of others."

Those words made Rias stop cold. She hadn't mentioned anything about nobility.

She kept her expression calm, hiding her hands under her desk, prepared to summon her power should the current situation take a sour turn.

"Wow, threatened already, Rias Gremory?" Mikoto taunted, smirking darkly. "I had expected more from _that guy's_ younger sister~" The fact Mikoto outright mentioned her brother put Rias further on-edge.

"...It looks like the ditzy mother is not as innocent as she appears." Rias noted, managing a weak smirk. "Tell me. Does Shirou even suspect how much you keep hidden from him?"

"I don't want to hear that from a filthy Devil like YOU!"

It happened faster than Rias could react with her magic.

Mikoto lunged forward, drawing a blade reminiscent of a tanto from the pocket in her skirt. She flew over Rias's desk, grabbed Rias by her throat, and tackled her to the ground, holding the crimson-haired girl down with her surprisingly incredible strength. Rias couldn't help but cross her eyes at the silvery blade hovering three centimeters from the center of her face.

"You...!" Mikoto growled the word like it was some kind of curse. "Seven years...I spent seven years protecting that precious child and you... _you_...you ruined _everything_ in the blink of an eye!" Mikoto lifted Rias's head up before slamming it back against the ground. "Damn you...I absolutely loathe you Devils! Every time that boy gets hurt, you're there...damn you all!"

"I don't understand what you're saying." Rias said calmly despite her life hanging in the balance. She could not user her magic. She knew that the moment she tried, she would have her throat slit in an instant.

"Don't toy with me, Devil!" Mikoto tightened her grasp around Rias's throat, resisting the urge to strangle her to death. "I know your kind well enough...Tell me, did you arrange his death like a gutless cur or are you one of the types to kill your desired servant yourself?"

"I think you may be going senile in your old age." Rias said, angered by the accusation. "I would never deceive nor cause misfortune to someone just to obtain a new servant."

This did not go over well with Mikoto, her expression becoming absolutely blank. "I think I'll start by cutting out your eye." She moved her knife to the left, slowly lowering it towards Rias's left eye. The knife circled around the edges of Rias's eye socket, as if Mikoto was trying to decide which direction she should cut in.

"I...didn't...hurt him!" Rias choked out, clawing at Mikoto's hand which was slowly crushing her esophagus. "He agreed...to become...my servant...!"

"Don't give me that garbage!" Mikoto screamed, her fury increasing with each passing second. "Only a Devil could manipulate Shirou into becoming a demon...No matter how harsh the world was towards him...no matter the cruelties he faced, he never once hated humanity! That boy is the bravest, kindest child I had ever met! He would never purposely become a Devil! Don't you lie to me and tell me he forsook his human life!"

"Not...willingly..." Rias gasped out, struggling to continue taking in enough air to retain consciousness. "...He...is kind and brave...He died...saving..." Her voice trailed off, her eyes rolling into the back of her head.

However, Mikoto frowned at her last words, deciding to loosen her grip on Rias's neck, allowing air to once again flow into her lungs. Rias suddenly inhaled deeply, her eyes going wide at the shock of being able to breathe again. "What was that you said...?" Mikoto glared figurative daggers at Rias while holding a more literal dagger against her face.

Rias took another deep breath, wincing in pain as Mikoto's knife created a small cut across her cheek. "He...He died before his time, but it was not my doing nor that of my family's." Rias explained, relieved that she was not being strangled to death. "It's like you said. He is a kind and brave child, regardless of the cruelties he's faced. He sacrificed his life protecting Akeno, a debt I wished to repay by granting him a second life...If he had not done what he had, I would have lost Akeno for good. There were no more second chances for her to live." Rias returned Mikoto's glare, reaching her hand and grasping the sharp edge of Mikoto's knife, uncaring of how her hand was cut against the sharp edges. "If you truly believe that I would ever deceive or harm that child, then you may as well kill me now."

The two women stared into one another's eyes, unwavering despite the intensity they stared at each other.

One minute.

Then two.

Then five.

Then ten.

Eventually they lost track of time, knowing that at any second, the other would falter.

In he end, it proved to be Mikoto who faltered first. Mikoto let out an annoyed sighed before magically withdrawing her knife into her sleeve, letting it disappear entirely. She sat, straddling Rias's stomach with an irritated face. "For a Devil, you have balls. I will give you that." She kept her hand around Rias's throat, but her previous killing intent was gone.

"Does this mean you believe I hold only good intentions towards your child?" Rias asked.

Mikoto narrowed her eyes at Rias. "Don't assume anything, Gremory. I still find you Devils to be incredibly reprehensible." Mikoto looked off to the side, looking more irritated than before. "The only thing I believe is that my baby finds you to be his closest friends. If I took you out here...I would only hurt him more." Mikoto removed her her hand from around Rias's throat.

Rias raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised that thought only came _after_ you almost asphyxiated me."

That was clearly the wrong thing to say, Mikoto's expression of hatred being renewed tenfold. "You can question my height, my intelligence, and even my mental stability, but don't you _dare_ question my love for my child, Gremory." She clenched her fists at her side. "You act as though you understand the suffering of others, acting as though you were a saint, like you can cure their pain with a wave of your hand when you understand _nothing_. You don't even understand the true reason behind why Shirou suffered in the first place. You are the type of person I hate the most."

"Then tell me," Rias requested, "what _is_ Shirou's suffering? If I have apparently missed it, then why can't you simply explain it to me?"

"If you cannot see what is obvious with your own two eyes," Mikoto said, snubbing Rias, "then why should I bother explaining it to you?"

"What does that mean?"

"I stand by my words." Mikoto stated. "And I want you to remember one-no-two things!" Mikoto raised her index finger. "One: If you _ever_ tell Shirou about _any_ of this, I will cut out that tongue of yours. Two: if you _ever_ hurt my baby-" It happened in a flash, Mikoto summoned her knife from her sleeve, stabbing it into the ground next to Rias's neck, just barely nicking the skin. "...Well, I'm sure you can draw conclusions from my unvoiced threat."

Mikoto again retracted her knife, finally stepping away from Rias. She turned her back to Rias, walking steadily towards the door.

Rias stood, staring in shock, stunned by the events that had just transpired. She kept her hand on her neck to put pressure on the place where it was now bleeding from.

Swinging the door open, Mikoto took two steps before pausing, turning to face Rias with the same disgustingly pleasant smile she had entered with.

"So remember to be good, Rias-chan~"

And then she left.

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** New Arc! The Fallen Angel Ruckus Begins!

* * *

 **Yeah...remember when I said the drama and angst would be done...yeah...Hahaha! Bet I fooled you guys!...But come on~ At least Shirou isn't a total bitch like in Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan! AND I personally think that this chapter was fairly comical and fluffy~**

 **I have also managed to hint at more of Shirou's past and why he is as he is and why he was what he was.**

 **Also...looks like he has one mean momma!**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

 **Bye-Bye!**


	14. Opening 2 - Day to Story

**Song: Day to Story (Date A Live II)**

 **Singer: Kaori Sadohara**

 **[Sore ha sore ha hatenai tabi]** Opens with a view of the starry night sky, a younger Shirou sitting next to a young girl with blonde hair, both sitting on a hill underneath a sakura tree, staring at the night sky as a shooting star streaks across the sky.

 **[Kimi wo sukuu yuusha no monogatari]** Shirou's eyes widen in awe and wonder as the sun rises, its reflection sparkling in his eyes. The sun is shown rising in the distance, painting the horizon a reddish-orange.

 **[10 Second Instrumental]** The POV rises into the sky which gradually becomes a bright blue color before displaying the title of the story:

Devil Reborn Redux

The POV quickly falls upon Kuoh Academy.

 **[Aru otogi no kuni]** Shirou is shown walking his normal route to school, school bag hung over his shoulder.

 **[Tabidatsu ha yuusha]** He is surprised to see Kiyome, Issei, Matsuda, and Motohama waiting for him, before smiling, walking to catch up to them.

 **[Sougen kakenuke]** They are suddenly surrounded by a pack of faceless delinquents, Shirou displaying an expression of irritation before there is a white flash.

 **[Mezasu ha ohime sama]** As the light clears, Shirou is revealed with his fist raised in irritation, the delinquents all unconscious in a pile while Shirou's friends stand in the background, sweatdropping at his usual behavior.

 **[Makkura na doukutsu]** Issei stands in the Occult Research Clubroom, surprised and somewhat nervous, in front of the members of the Occult Research Club.

 **[Kaze fukiareru yama]** Issei is startled as Shirou throws an arm over Issei's shoulder, gesturing him forward to meet everyone and dragging him forward as everyone smiles at Shirou's changed behavior.

 **[Koeteku tsurugi wo kazashite]** Resting in a large tree overlooking the ORC, Mikoto looks on, a soft smile growing on her face as she observes Shirou.

 **[Hitomi ni utsuru yuuki no honoo]** In a chapel Asia is knelt down before an altar, praying while a lone tear streaks down her cheek, falling to the ground.

 **[Yami no te wo furiharai]** In an ominously dark chamber, numerous silhouettes gather, the most ominous among them standing in the background, black, feathery wings spread out.

 **[Kimi no te wo nigiru]** An image of Raynare flashes across the screen, the woman smirking maliciously.

 **[ima datte Yume datte]** Within the abandoned Church, Koneko tosses a large Church pew at Freed.

 **[Tsurugi wo te ni]** Freed lunges forward, cutting the pew in half and clashes his sword against Kiba's.

 **[Kimi no KOTO Mitsukeru yo]** Issei jumps around haphazardly, dodging the explosive spears of light thrown by Raynare. The Sacred Gear on his arm radiates a powerful green light shortly before Raynare charges, spear ready to impale him.

 **[Yami wo saite]** Issei spins on his heels, bringing his fist around which causes his Sacred Gear's energy to collide with Raynare's spear.

 **[Taore tatte Tsuraku tatte]** Shirou dives from the treetops of the woods, his Sacred Gear shifted into the form of a blaster, barraging Mittelt and Dohnaseek with icy-blue blasts, the explosions creating a massive smoke screen as he lands on the ground.

 **[Makenai kara]** His eyes widen in shock as the smoke clears, revealing Kalawarner staring guiltily at him.

 **[Kono te wo gyutto tsukamaete]** Kalawarner turns around, slipping into the darkness. Shirou screams out for her, reaching out to give chase.

 **[Kienai yuuki no honoo ga]** In the midst of a heavy darkness, Asia fades in, a bright light glowing from her chest which whites out the screen. The vague form of a young woman with silvery hair appears within the light, smiling brightly at an unseen person.

 **[Sekai terashite iru]** Shirou is standing on the same hilltop, holding hands with Kiyome as they look out at the newly-risen sun, both smiling brightly at the new day.


	15. Chapter 12: Fallen Angel Arc Begins!

**Sorry...I know I promised I would get Sorry, Babe, I Just Ain't That Kind of Hero out sooner, but...I think I goofed up chapter 2. Not as entertaining as I thought it would be not to mention I remembered how much 1st Person POV SUUUUUUUUUUCKS! I may need to end up rewriting the story but I'm still continuing it. At the very least, I need to rewrite the chapter or change SOMETHING. That or wait for my writer's drive to reignite...Anyway, since that's hit a brick wall, I decided to switch back to Devil Reborn! On with the story!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own anything except Shirou Fujimura. High School DxD and everything else goes to their respective owners. Please support the official release!**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: New Arc! The Fallen Angel Ruckus Begins!**

"What THE HELL is your problem!?"

"My problem is that you don't know how to show up to school without bashing someone's skull in along the way!"

"Hey! Not my fault that every godforsaken monkey on this planet has a death wish!"

"Oh? So now all other humans are monkeys now?"

"What? Of course not. Not all of them. After all, I'm staring at one big gorilla right now!"

"What did you just call me?!"

"It really says a lot that you immediately assumed it was you."

"Screw you!"

Issei groaned to himself, laying his head on his desk as he looked at the pair arguing in front of him. "This is the fifth time this week...How long have those two been at it?" He was, of course, referring to the snow-haired delinquent and blonde-haired "Ojou-sama" in front of him who were, obviously, screaming at each other at the top of their lungs.

The brown-haired girl next to him took off her glasses to clean them, possessing a similar exhausted expression. "About twenty-five minutes now." Kiryuu placed her glasses back over her eyes, expressing dissatisfaction. "I really don't know what happened. They looked like they'd been getting along rather well lately. It was to the point I thought Shirou finally manned up and popped her cherry..."

"Sounds like trouble in paradise."

"I hope he dies..."

Matsuda and Motohama were at the back of their "little group", grumbling to themselves. When they found out that Shirou and Kiyome were actually friends, they had become significantly more hostile towards him, always giving him the evil eye or trembling in envy while imagining what kind of "access" Shirou had to his "girlfriend". Shirou never appeared to really notice their frustration or perhaps he ignored it. They considered spreading lots of nasty rumors about him for betraying their "Bro Alliance", but they couldn't think of anything to say. Every insult or exaggeration had already been made concerning the Demon King of Kuoh. There was literally nothing left to say to ruin his reputation. He was already at the bottom of the barrel like them and there was no way to get back at him.

And that fact kind of pissed them off. They couldn't do anything to hurt him out of spite.

Still, they were growing equally tired of the repetitive arguments between Shirou Fujimura and Kiyome Abe. As Issei had said before, this was the fifth time _that week_ that the two had had such a vicious argument. Everyone always ended up just sitting about, sighing to themselves when it happened.

They weren't quite sure when their group of six became "everyone", but at some point in the past week or two, Shirou's friends had all started hanging out together, especially during the class periods they shared together. Something they seemed to bond over was the growing frustration with how hostile the two people in their group who were the closest to getting together had become.

"-east I know to put the seat down!"

"Why is that always such a big deal to girls?!"

"It signifies a modicum of class, something you seem to lack!"

"How 'bout you take that broomstick out of your ass, Ms. Uptight?!"

"Yeah? Well-"

"Abe! Fujimura! That's enough!"

There was a heavy _thud_ as the teacher slammed his hands down on the desk in front of him and both teens were immediately quiet.

Kiryuu rolled her eyes. "Here we go again."

A vein bulged out of the teacher's forehead, his increasing frustration and annoyance quite apparent. It was one thing for two students to have a quarrel. Teens will be teens. However, it was significantly more infuriating to have two students quarreling right in the middle of class halfway through the school day, _right in front of the teacher_. Everyone else was too frightened by the two participants in the argument to dare interfere.

Their teacher was usually a patient man, but he was a stickler for the rules and regulations and was furious when they were violated, especially when it involved his least favorite student (AKA Shirou Fujimura).

"I want both of you to report to the principal's office IMMEDIATELY!" The teacher commanded in a booming voice.

"But-"

"What?! Come on, Sense-"

"NOW!" The teacher pointed in the direction of the door, strongly urging Shirou and Kiyome to leave the room.

The two teens shot sharp looks at one another, apparently blaming one another with their eyes.

Without another word, they left the room and walked down the empty hallways in the direction of the principal's office. The pair noticed through the windows of the doors for other classrooms that there were quite a few heads turning in their direction as they passed. They supposed it was rather understandable. Their argument was hardly inaudible after all. Just the thought of everyone having heard their words was enough to bring a flustered blush to her face. She had intended to say what she had to say at the top of her lungs, but it was significantly more embarrassing when others may have heard.

She tried to just keep her head down whenever they passed by one of the seemingly countless doors that lined the halls unlike Shirou who strode casually with his hands in his pockets. It was almost surprising to see how completely unaffected he was by the uncomfortable attention.

Then again, it wasn't like he wasn't used to that sort of attention.

Traveling in silence, the two kept walking until they reached the end of the hall, free of any remaining prying eyes. Kiyome opened her mouth to speak, but Shirou extended his arm, motioning for her to remain silence.

Shirou scanned 360 degrees around them, making sure they were completely and utterly alone.

He quickly snapped to attention, turning to face Kiyome. "OK, we're clear!" He hissed in a whisper. "Go!"

Not needing further instruction, Kiyome did as commanded, rushing over to a nearby window while checking both ways to ensure that there was no chance of interruptions or detection. She slid the window open and poked her head outside, looking down at the ground below to make sure nobody was below her. Once she was 100% certain that they were, still, completely alone, she looked back inside, facing Shirou and giving him a nod. "Coast is clear!" She hissed back. She hung herself over the edge of the window, slowly pushing herself out onto the grassy floor less than a foot below.

Shirou had to avert his eyes to avoid the very tempting glimpse of her panties that her position had given him. He wasn't a King-level lecher like Issei or his friends, but Shirou was far from apathetic to the wondrous assets a woman possessed.

Once he was sure that Kiyome had gone all the way through, Shirou made to follow, quickly lunging through the window, rolling into a crouch as he hit the ground next to Kiyome. After landing, he stood up, brushing the dirty from his clothes. He turned to Kiyome, expressions of mutual understanding appearing on both of their faces.

"Are we good? You think anyone noticed?"

"Don't think so. There's less than 100 degrees of visibility from all of the classroom window unless someone was right next to it." Shirou reasoned. "There's no way any of the other students noticed us from their seats, so I think we're good for now. However, we have to get back before lunch is over without being noticed."

Kiyome let out a soft smile, blushing lightly. "So...we have plenty of time for this, don't we?" Shirou averted his gaze, his own face beginning to heat up.

"I guess so..." He took a deep breath, turning to look at Kiyome, their gazes remaining locked for several agonizingly long seconds.

With the speed of a demon (both figuratively and literally), Shirou reached his arms into the nearby bushes, snatching out a small, green-colored box from within the brush. It was a cooler.

There was nothing particularly noticeable about it, but its color was just the right shade to blend in with the bush it had been hidden in. Shirou popped off the top and retrieved two, finely insulated bento boxes from the ice-filled chest. He took notice of the designs on each box, handing the one covered in a plain red color to Kiyome. "This'd be yours, m'darlin'."

"Ufufu~" Kiyome giggled while graciously accepting the boxed lunch. "Why thank you...s-sweetie..." She hesitated with the last word, quickly becoming flustered as the awkward word slipped off her tongue. She covered her mouth with her hands and lowered her head in embarrassment.

Shirou, meanwhile, was busting his guts laughing. ""Sweetie"? You sound like my grandma! Hahahahaha!" He hunched over, wrapping his arms around his stomach, holding nothing back.

Kiyome's face lit up red like a thermometer, her eyes boring holes in Shirou's skull. "S-Shut up! I've n-never tried the cutesy couple talk before!" She started playfully beating Shirou on he chest with her fists, Shirou yucking it up all the while. However, he decided to play along to spare her feelings.

"Haha-Ow ow ow-OK-Hehe-I'll stop! I'll stop! Hahaha!" Shirou raised his hands in surrender, grinning cheerfully as Kiyome finally retracted her fists, the blonde bombshell pouting adorably. "I'm sure we'll both get the hang of this soon! I think we have quite a bit of time before anyone figures out what we're doing!"

"...Yeah!" Kiyome agreed after a pause. "I'm honestly surprised it hadn't become obvious by now. I mean, we're hardly the best actors..." She reached out for her bento on the ground, but her hand was gently grabbed by Shirou, the ever-pleasant soft smile appearing on his face. Her face felt like it was on fire as she turned to face him. She gave no resistance as Shirou tilted her face upward, leaning in close to her. "...Shirou..."

Their lips met in a tender embrace, the loving couple experiencing the sensation like that of an electric current flowing through their bodies.

It lasted a full minute before Shirou pulled away, both teens taking a small breath before smiling at one another.

"I love you, Kiyome."

"I love you, too, Shirou."

This was their (somewhat) secret relationship that had begun the day Mikoto Fujimura had returned to Kuoh Town. Granted, the confession had been spontaneous and improvised initially as a ploy to throw his mother off the trail of demons and monsters, but their feelings for one another was genuine. Shirou had never expected to experience such feelings for another human being, the blissful feeling of loving and being loved by a woman. Kiyome, likewise, felt ecstatic that the boy she had fallen in love with finally returned her affections.

However, Shirou acknowledged the potential risks down the line.

He was the school thug, a juvenile delinquent, the feared and revered "Demon King of Kuoh". Even though his hostile attitude had decreased significantly, there were still countless rumors that kept his infamy at unbelievably high levels. It didn't help that quite a few street gangs had gone "missing" (the Yellow Diamonds amongst see numbers) during Eliade's feeding frenzy. So, if anything, his reputation had become even worse. The only people who believed in Shirou other than the ORC and Kiyome who bore witness to the events causing similar disappearances were Issei, Matsuda, and Motohama and their popularity was almost as low as his, so they were not considered worth much as character witnesses.

It had gotten to the point that Shirou found himself on the bad end of a criminal investigation by the police (Although this misunderstanding was thankfully cleared up by Mikoto following her return to town).

If Shirou and Kiyome just suddenly came out that they were dating, even nastier rumors would have been created from a mix of spite and fear. And there was no way Shirou could bounce back if the rumors got any worse. At the same time, Shirou knew that if Kiyome stood her ground by him and defended him (which she probably would), her own popularity would likely take a hit and she could potentially end up as an (albeit pitiable) outcast.

Thus, Shirou suggested keeping their relationship shrouded in secrecy, succeeding in this endeavor for the past several days. It wasn't easy. There wasn't a single normal person in town who didn't know and fear Shirou, so taking Kiyome out haphazardly would not have worked and school was no safe haven either. Kiyome still hadn't told her father about their relationship and her mother was out of town, so her house was also a no-go. The only remaining viable locations for them to act romantically freely around each other were Shirou's house, which was another unfavorable option considering how _overly_ -approving Mikoto had been of their relationship (Kiyome had to excuse herself when Mikoto started talking about the more-*ahem*- _detailed_ parts of procreational sex), and the Occult Research Club building.

Nobody other than Mikoto and Shirou's friends in the ORC knew he and Kiyome were dating, so it was the only haven. Thus, they had to perform spectacles in the middle of class as they had done earlier in order to be sent out of the room, giving them ample time to be alone together. This was how far they had to go simply to spend lunchtime with one another.

It wasn't idea, but until they could think of a more suitable alternative, it was simply the way things had to be. Still...

"You have a piece of rice on your cheek."

"Really?"

"I'll get it~ Hehe~"

As long as they were able to be together, they were satisfied.

* * *

Shirou's day was fairly pleasant all the way til the end of school. Issei had invited him to join Matsuda and Motohama to go peeping again, but Shirou politely declined, citing that he did not wish to have his face pounded in by a group of furious girls (although he was more fearful of what _Kiyome_ would do to him if she were to find out). Besides, he had more pressing things to attend to at the time.

The meeting with the Occult Research Club for one.

Ever since Mikoto had returned to town, trying to discuss anything remotely had become difficult. Whenever Shirou attempted to sneak out for late-night activities, Mikoto always caught him and, when he tried staying after school, she insisted on "supervising" the Occult Research Club's activities. There was no chance of them getting in a word related to the supernatural. Shirou couldn't very well have his mother hypnotized no matter how much Rias pushed for him to do so. And she REALLY tried pushing him to hypnotize her.

On that subject, Shirou couldn't help but notice an odd tension around Rias. Whenever she laid eyes on Mikoto, she seemed to tense, as if alarmed.

Whenever he tried bringing it up, Mikoto seemed to also press Rias, looking expectant. Then Rias always changed the subject.

This would be the first meeting in about a week that did not have Mikoto's supervision as she had finally come to trust the ORC enough to leave her "beloved Shicchan" alone with them.

Rias looked significantly relieved at the absence of the older woman's presence. Kiyome had business to take care of as well, so it was just the core members of the ORC who were present in the room that evening, the Devil servants of Rias Gremory.

"Now that we are all together without interruption for once in a long while," Rias said, "we should probably discuss the things we have all been wondering about for quite a long time now, so let's call this meeting to order."

[Yes, Buchou!]

Shirou slouched on the couch next to Koneko while Kiba sat on the couch opposite of them, next to Akeno who sat in the seat closest to Rias. Despite the fact that they were Devils discussing the business of Devils, the feeling in the air was as light as it had been before, perhaps even lighter due to Mikoto's lack of unannounced appearances. It was certainly a relief to Shirou and Rias (for albeit separate reasons). Shirou couldn't take being embarrassed by her anymore with all of the "Shicchan's so adorable~" and "I wuv you so much, Shicchan!" comments. He loved his mother a great deal, but he was not immune to parental embarrassment, same as every other teen.

"We have some agenda to go over before we proceed to normal activities, though." Rias stated. "The first and most important matter, of course, has to do with the source of many of our problems over the course of the past several weeks: The Stray Devil Eliade." The tension in the room grew considerably, even more-so around Shirou who possessed a dark expression filled with anger and frustration as he recalled his own run-ins with the creature. After their previous confrontation, the presumed-unconscious Eliade had stealthily fled while the members of the ORC were distracted with tending to Shirou and Kiyome.

"Has she resurfaced?" Shirou asked in a tone that was a mix of anxiousness and irritation.

Rias shook her head, a frown taking the place of her previous polite smile. "Quite the opposite, actually." Shirou leaned forward, listening intently. "She seems to have completely disappeared off of our radar. It's not solely that we don't know where she is, it's that there is not even a trace of her left anywhere in this town. It's as if she vanished."

"Could it be that she decided to pick up and move to a new territory?" Just the thought of that slippery snake getting away made him irritated enough to start grinding his teeth.

"Unlikely." That only made the situation more confusing. "With the wounds she sustained in your battle, I doubt she would have been in any condition to make such a move. Not to mention I had Koneko, Kiba, and Akeno patrolling for several nights since then. There was no point at which she could have escaped my territory's borders and there was no way she could have recovered that quickly. Yet she has shown not a single sign of activity since that night."

It was clear to Shirou that Rias knew more than she was letting on. "But I take it you have theories at least?"

"Several," Akeno answered before Rias could open her mouth, "but with no trace of Eliade left, there is next to no evidence to support any of them definitively. We can only speculate."

"...She's probably dead." Everyone turned to Koneko, the loli munching on her latest bag of cookies. Koneko looked up and stared blankly. "...Even when Kiba-senpai, Akeno-senpai, and I went out searching, I couldn't even catch a whiff of her stench. If she disappeared this well, then she's probably dead, erased to the point where not even a body remained."

The tension in the air heightened considerably. The four senior Devils exchanged looks with one another, silently conversing. Shirou doubted that this was the first time they had considered the possibility, but they also seemed to know something and they were uncertain about telling him. They probably had one theory they believed in more than any other, one that left them unsure as to how they should respond. With the state he had left Eliade in, Shirou couldn't help but find himself believing that she was truly gone.

After a brief period, Rias cleared her throat, gathering everyone's attention. "Regardless, I have submitted a report about the current situation. Until we have received further instruction or until Eliade makes another move and gives away her location, our hunt must be temporarily suspended." There was no hesitation in her voice, something that surprised Shirou. Rias didn't seem like the type to leave such a task half-completed.

Shirou narrowed his eyes but said nothing. _"Rias definitely knows something..."_

Rias gave no opportunity for him to ponder that thought because she quickly moved on. "Next onto the next matter: The awakening of Shirou's Sacred Gear, Canis Regalia." The tension decreased quite a great deal since the current subject was significantly less severe than the matter of the Stray Devil. Rias smiled softly. "Do you think you could show it to us again, Shirou? I don't think we were able to thoroughly examine it last time."

A light blush appeared on Shirou's face as he was called, his body tensing. "Oh-uh-Right!" He stood up from his seat, standing in the middle of everyone. "Well, back during the fight with Eliade, I summoned it as a fluke, by accident, but I've managed to practice summoning it and putting it away while Ka-san was asleep." Shirou extended his left arm forward, closing his eyes as he focused all of his power and concentration onto his arm. "Alright then...Come out, Canis Regalia!" He focused with all of his might on the powerful weapon that allowed him to sever both of Eliade's arms.

A blinding flash of silvery light emanated from Shirou's arm, shining brightly and brilliantly. When the light faded, Shirou's arm was clothed in a similar-looking gauntlet...

"Huh?" But something was wrong.

It was not the weapon he recalled summoning during his fight. The weapon he had originally summoned was a gauntlet in the shape of a wolf's head, complete with fangs and all, with two gems in the place of eyes. He was able to unleash a powerful silvery-blue aura from the Sacred Gear to freeze everything it touched when he first used it, adding magical power to its already intense physical durability and strength.

This hand-portion gauntlet was more akin to a normal type of armor gauntlet, possessing finger-like appendages unlike its predecessor. The major difference, however, were the long, dagger-like blades extending from each finger, giving the gauntlet's new form an appearance akin to a claw of sorts.

"What...What happened?" He asked the question almost to himself, almost failing to recognize the Sacred Gear on his arm. "Did I...do something wrong?" Just the thought of having committed some sort of blunder made Shirou feel humiliated. "It's nothing like it was before."

Curiosity crossed Rias's expression. "Shirou, come here for a moment." Rias stood from her seat and walked over to her servant. "Let me see your hand for a moment." Shirou obliged and showed his armored arm to his Devil master. Rias gently grasped the side of his hand, bringing it to eye-level to examine it more closely. "...Hmmm..."

Shirou tilted his head to the side in confusion. ""Hmmmm"?" Rias continued examine his Sacred Gear for several more seconds before releasing his arm.

"I don't detect any abnormalities in either you or your Sacred Gear." Rias said. "Perhaps the previous form had to do with the sudden release of power you exerted during your fight." Shirou couldn't help but ponder her words. He knew what she was speaking of, of course. During one of the rare moments they were able to speak alone, Rias told Shirou of her own attempts to find Kiyome and him. She explained to him how they had found him due to a surge of power that emanated from his body during his battle, referring to it as "explosive".

However, if they hadn't arrived when they did, he would have probably been killed by the strain. Then Rias went on to scold him for not giving them clearer directions, an accusation that confused him to the point of having no response.

However, the day after, it had become obvious that his power had reverted to its normal state. Not exactly weak, but not as powerful as he had been during the closing stage of his fight with Eliade. Rias produced several theories, but her overall warning was for him to never again try to face a stronger enemy on his own again.

"I see..." Rias finally said after a good minute. She released Shirou's equipped Sacred Gear, staring pensively. "From what I can tell, it may be related to your personal feelings. They're not strong enough, so your Sacred Gear took a different form."

"...Is this your way of saying I need to talk to a psychiatrist?"

"No no. What I mean is that your Sacred Gear changed into a different form as a result of a lack of powerful emotions." Rias explained. "Sacred Gears respond to their user's desire and powerful emotions. The stronger those desires and emotions are, the more powerful the Sacred Gear can become. Perhaps the reason it changed from it's original form is because of a lack of powerful emotions..."

""Perhaps"?" Shirou wondered. "So it's just another theory?"

Rias sighed, nodding. "Unfortunately. I'm sorry that the only thing I can offer is educated guesses right now...I can't even discover information on what your Sacred Gear is. I've searched through all of the records we possessed, but I couldn't find any Sacred Gears matching your "Canis Regalia" in the cataloged Sacred Gears."

"You guys have a Sacred Gear catalog?"

"Of course." Rias answered as if it were obvious. "Did you think it was simple guesswork?"

Shirou didn't respond to that question.

"If you must know, we aren't completely clueless concerning Sacred Gears. There have been numerous names and powers revealed throughout history by each independent possessor." Rias explained. "And throughout that history, each faction has discovered and cataloged numerous Sacred Gears."

"But not all of them?"

"No." Rias sat back down in her seat, crossing her arms under her bust. "Unfortunately, there are still numerous Sacred Gears whose identities we know nothing about. I doubt even the Angels are entirely aware of all of the powers their God blessed humanity with. I doubt it even more that God bothered writing these things down."

"Yeah, sounds about right for God to make things more difficult for people." Shirou nodded in agreement. He extended his arm into the air, examining his Sacred Gear more closely. "So my Sacred Gear is one of those that hasn't been recorded yet?"

"Most likely, yes. Considering the strength you displayed last night, your Sacred Gear may possess a great power."

It was for Shirou not to feel some pride in that. "I guess you could consider me some kind of surprise gift, huh, Rias?"

"...Great." Koneko said sarcastically. "Can we get a gift receipt?"

"Sorry. No refunds or exchanges. Only store credit."

"Must be some cheap store credit."

"It's good store credit."

"Must be a bad store."

"At least they don't sell bite-sized products."

"Was that a "short" joke?"

"So what if it was?"

It in that moment that Shirou realized his blunder, mostly when Koneko took that opportunity to stand up and shove her fist into Shirou's stomach.

"Gah! You...bitch..." Shirou whined, wheezing as he struggled to regain all of the wind that was knocked out of him.

Nobody else saw a single reason as to why they should bother interfering in what they had started to fondly refer to as "bonding moments" between Shirou and Koneko. If they had genuinely hated one another, there was no doubt that one of them (most likely Shirou) would have ended up dead. It was the only way they could rationally deal with the repetitive arguments and fights.

It was Rias who decided to change the subject before things got uglier. " _Anyway_ , since we have...had difficulty coming up with answers-"

"-Read: Have essentially answered nothing." Shirou cut in, taking the opportunity to sit back down in his seat and returning to his previous slouch.

"-DIFFICULTY COMING UP WITH ANSWERS," Rias repeated, raising her volume but not changing her tone, "we may as well return to the third and most important subject of this evening."

Again, Shirou could not help but notice how intense the atmosphere had become...again. However, it seemed far heavier than the last time. It was like the weight of the entire roof of the building had suddenly started crashing down on Shirou's shoulders. Whatever Rias was about to say, Shirou knew that it was going to be a lot more serious than any of the matters they had discussed so far.

"...which is?"

Rias closed her eyes, thinking. "I believe Fallen Angels have infiltrated our territory." Despite the severity of the declaration, not a single person tensed nor did they gasp in shock, not even Shirou who was considered the newbie of the group. Obviously, Rias and Akeno already knew, Koneko and Kiba probably also knew or at least saw it coming, and Shirou just did not understand just how serious the situation was.

Shirou raised his hand. "Question."

"Yes?" Rias asked, motioning for Shirou to speak.

"So what?" He asked nonchalantly, causing Rias to raise an eyebrow. "I mean, if they're trespassing, call the Devil police or whatever, get their asses thrown in jail or something."

"It's not that easy." Rias sighed. "As much as I would like to, I cannot regulate those who enter or exit my territory. Unless they have broken some sort of law or have defied the order of this town in some way, I cannot prevent someone from entering even if it is without permission. I can report their unannounced entrance into my territory to the Fallen Angel Governor and, if not him, then _others_."

Something didn't sit right with Shirou. "Sooo...they haven't actually done anything wrong yet?"

"Well..." Rias averted her eyes, pursing her lips. "...no."

"Then what is wrong?" Shirou asked, crossing his arms behind his head as he leaned further back into his seat. "If they wanna live in town, and if they haven't done anything, then what is the issue?"

"Other than the fact that they are Fallen Angels?" Rias asked rhetorically, staring at Shirou with half-lidded eyes.

Shirou rolled his eyes. "OK, I'm gonna go ahead and pretend that that wasn't as racist as it sounded." He didn't exactly appreciate the harshness Rias was treating these Fallen Angels with. She didn't know what they wanted...that's what he thought to himself. "Yes, OTHER than the fact that they are Fallen Angels."

"Perhaps the fact that I know their intention is a good reason, then?" Rias asked rhetorically, somewhat miffed by Shirou's opposition.

Shirou temporarily withdrew his objections. "OK, what ARE their intentions then?" He just couldn't get out of his head how hostile Rias was towards Fallen Angels. It really irritated him.

The air became even heavier than before, weighing at least a ton by that point. Shirou just barely caught the look Rias gave him. Apologetic and pitying. "We have reason to believe that the Fallen Angels are targeting someone." That struck a chord in Shirou's most recent memories. "...for _execution_."

He pointed to himself. "They aren't after _me_ , are they?"

"No." Rias's response let Shirou give a sigh of relief.

"That's good. I just got rid of one homicidal maniac who was after my head. I really don't need another."

However, it was clear from the look on her face that Rias was far from finished.

"However, the person they are targeting is someone living in this town." Shirou stared blankly. "It's someone from our school on top of that..." It was clear she was stalling. She knew what she had to say was bound to hurt or worry her servant, but she also knew he had the right to know. "Shirou, he's targeting your friend, someone you care about."

Shirou's eyes went wide in horror and shock. "They-They're after Kiyome?!"

"No. I said "friend", not "girlfriend"."

"Oh..." The snow-haired boy bit the tip of his thumb, trying to repress his anxiety. "Then-Kiryuu?!"

"What...? No." Rias looked surprised that that girl's name even came up. Kiba had observed several of their conversations and, from what he had gathered, they had had a sort of love-hate relationship. She hadn't expected Kiryuu's name to even be mentioned.

It was hard not to notice out the air becoming awkward.

"Then Matsuda?"

"No." Rias pinched the bridge of her nose. "Try again."

"Motohama?"

"You get one more try."

"Issei?"

"No!-" Rias paused, processing Shirou's answer. "Oh. I mean, yes." She coughed into her fist, trying to alleviate some of her awkwardness. "We have reason to suspect that the Fallen Angels are targeting your friend and classmate, Issei Hyoudou."

After his previous foolishness, it was hard for Shirou to come up with a shocked gasp or stunned expression, the mood having been completely and thoroughly killed by his idiocy. In all honesty, he was just thankful Issei hadn't been there to hear how his name had been the last one that came to mind.

He quickly moved on. "But...why? Why are they targeting him? Why him?" Issei was a lecher, but it became increasingly obvious to anyone who spent enough time with him that he was a pretty great guy. He was Shirou's first "guy friend" unlike Kiryuu who was his "frenemy (friend and enemy)" and Kiyome who was his "girlfriend".

"I can't be sure as to why they have marked him for death, but I am certain it has to do with his power."

"His...power...?" Shirou looked at the gauntlet covering his arm, his brain quickly putting the pieces together. "You mean Sacred Gear? Issei has one, too?"

Rias nodded. "Yes, and whatever it is, it's strong enough to warrant caution."

"So let's go after them and kick their asses!" Shirou suggested, his fist clenched tightly. "We can't just let them kill him! Come on! Bring out your Devil magic and shit and let's wreck their shit! Come on! I'll lead the charge!"

"That's not an option, Shirou." Rias said immediately.

Her response took him by surprise. "Why not? They're planning on killing someone! KILLING someone!" He said it twice to emphasize the severity of the crime. "What do you mean it's not an option!? It's the simple choice of not letting them kill a person."

"It's the simple choice of not letting them kill a _human_." Rias shot back. "Humans are not a significant enough reason to start a conflict with the Fallen Angels' side."

Shirou stared blankly. "...Wow, you're on a roll today, aren't you? I mean-"

"Let me explain." Rias interrupted, holding up a hand to silence Shirou. When she finally discerned that Shirou was done speaking, she continued. "That is the general opinion of not just our factions, but that of every major religion or mythology. Compared to timeless beings like gods and Angels, the humans are considered as the lowest. It is not racism, not really. While God has granted them the Sacred Gears, they are still considered generally the weakest with their own strength. Only humans trained by the Fallen Angels or the Church can even have the potential to harm one of us, and even then, they would have needed a high level of training to harm anyone significant. Because of this, humans are treated as "neutral ground", so to speak, unless they are allied or in servitude to one of the three factions. Unaffiliated humans such as Issei Hyoudou are beneath their notice. If a Fallen Angel were to slay a servant of a Devil or if a Devil were to slay a human allied with the Fallen Angels, that would result in conflict, but if a Devil were to forcibly reincarnate or if a Fallen Angel were to kill a human, it would not be acknowledged as a crime. They are only acting according to their nature and desires."

"What does that mean?" Shirou asked, his irritation growing with each passing second. He was no idiot. He knew full well what it meant. He just didn't like it.

Rias sighed. "It means...killing him is not a crime. We have no basis upon which to launch an assault on the Fallen Angels." She held up her hand to silence Shirou prematurely. "Now, we'll observe and guard him as best we can, but it's important to keep an eye on him for when they make contact with him-and they _will_ make contact with him. Until such a point in time arrives, you are not to make any hostile actions towards the Fallen Angels. Are we clear, Shirou?"

He knew what she was saying it was true. He should have just accepted it and moved on. There was literally nothing he could do...

But he felt so angry about it.

"That's just great..." Shirou growled out, tightening his fists so tightly that his nails pierced through the skin of his palm, drawing blood. "That's just GREAT! Well then~! When we find Issei dying on the street, I'll be sure to tell him "Hey, buddy~ Sorry you're dead~ We aren't allowed to help you out because of bullshit politics~ Have fun in Heaven~"!" Without exchanging another word, Shirou walked towards the door to the room, pausing right in front of it.

"RAAAAAGH!"

CRASH!

He let out a loud roar of frustration and shoved his fist straight through the wall next to the door. He flung the door open and stomped out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him, leaving his friends alone to themselves.

While Shirou was gone, the tension hung into the air. Rias, however, managed to relax long enough to recline back into her seat, trying to deal with the stress this situation was causing her. "He still took it better than I thought he would..." And that in itself was something of a victory.

"See, Koneko?" Kiba said, smiling awkwardly. "You said he would go on a rampage and destroy the entire building in a tantrum."

"...I'm out of fifty bucks." Koneko complained, turning back to her snacks.

"Could you both please more serious about this?" Rias asked, shooting them a sharp look. It wasn't that she wanted to scold her servants, but this issue was no laughing matter. "Even if we have no direct connection, Issei Hyoudou is still Shirou's friend. You shouldn't treat his reaction to the boy's potential death as a joke. You all saw how Shirou had become when he believed that Kiyome was dead. His attachment to others is too strong for his own good."

The air became colder, both Kiba and Akeno stiffening as they recalled that night.

It was like Shirou had become a feral beast, a demon whose sole desire was vengeance and self-destruction. Obviously, he was not in his right mind due to grief, but he was significantly more frightening than any normal newborn Devil could ever be. He did not seem to understand friend from foe for longer than a few seconds, having even struck Akeno when she tried to stop him. If Kiyome had not arrived when she did, there was no doubt in Rias's mind that Shirou would have killed Eliade, himself, and possibly even Kiba and Akeno in his grief-induced psychosis.

[You don't even understand the true reason behind why Shirou suffered in the first place.]

Mikoto's words to her rang in Rias's head.

It was true. While Shirou now counted them as his friends and comrades, there was still quite a lot about him that was a mystery to her. She knew the suffering all of her servants had gone through, but apparently she failed to understand Shirou's. As long as that failure stood, there was a chance Shirou could fall into a berserk state again if she was not careful.

"We must do everything we can to prevent the Fallen Angels from succeeding." Rias declared. "From hereon out, keep a constant eye on Issei and make sure he's never without guard. Shirou will obviously attempt to protect him during the day, so we must do everything we can to protect him at night." She paused. "I won't lie and say we're doing this for valiant reasons like "justice" or "for Shirou" anything like that. It is a bit of selfishness on my part. I also wish to have that boy, and his power, as my servant." She gave a small smirk. "What's more, I would really hate to see those Fallen Angels get their way. Are we all clear?"

[Yes, Buchou!]

* * *

 **Sorry. Sorry! I know you're all pissed off at me for a rather short chapter, but it's still a chapter. I just couldn't bring myself to force more into this. It's much easier to end the chapter now so I can make a good transition to next chapter and the major events of this arc.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed!**

 **I'm sorry I've been busy. Would have got it done sooner, but I got sick, decided to write more Yugioh, had college shit goin' on...that shit. I hope you can all forgive me.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	16. Chapter 13: Black Feathers and Murder!

**And now we have commenced next chapter! I hope you all enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Black Feathers and Murder! Too Little, Too Late!**

It felt like Shirou had lived through that same scene dozens of time, on that same stool at the bar next to the same young, luscious woman with navy-blue hair. He would sit in his seat, this time leaning against his arm on the counter as he patiently and attentively listened to his repeat-client's daily issues and troubles. However, he could not find it within himself to relax as he normally would. There was, of course, the issue with Issei's "death flag" raised by the Fallen Angels's malicious intentions and Rias's adamant refusal to do anything until it was too late.

...but he understood her reasoning.

Unless they just happened upon Issei in the middle of the attack, there would be no way to justify fighting them and preventing the murder. Rias wasn't being cruel or cold-hearted. She was trying to think about her species as a whole and how her actions affected them. Shirou had to find a way around her and the bullshit rules put in place by the higher-ups if he wanted to protect his friend. There had to have been a way to keep them safe without starting a conflict. If he couldn't find a solution, then not just Issei, but every single one of his friends would always be in potential danger. He couldn't just wait for a yes/no before engaging an enemy...

Still, this wasn't the reason he possessed such unease. No, the reason for his troubles came from another source.

-The strange dreams had returned.

For a long time, Shirou had experienced numerous nightmares depicting a horrifying room painted in the blood of numerous people, the haunting images of inhuman beasts scarring his mind. They started back when he was ten and had continued to occur sporadically over the course of his life, so frequent that they had stopped feeling horrifying. They had started just being part of his life. When he became a Devil, he had started experiencing significantly less terrifying nightmares, observing events that sometimes looked outright pleasant shortly before shifting to a more expectedly horrific scene. It was bizarre. It had started feeling much more realistic.

However, after his last fight with Eliade, the dreams...they had just stopped. For at least a week, he had been nightmare-free. His life during that period of time had been bliss. He had good friends, a drop-dead beautiful girlfriend, his mom was back in town (possibly for good thanks to the funds provided from the Gremory group being enough to keep them living stably for years to come), and he had near-immortality and magic in the palm of his hand. He never expected that kind of luck.

But it happened again just last night.

It was significantly more disjointed than before, but he recognized the room...

Something was different about it though.

There hadn't been as much of an ominous feeling from the scene. He recognized the blonde girl from the other nightmares, but something was different. It was like someone had taken the tape out of a video cassette, cut it to pieces, and taped it back together with pieces missing. He could not perceive what was happening around him. And out the corner of his eye, he saw an unfamiliar hand.

It wasn't the girl's because she was standing in front of him and it wasn't his dream self's because his hands were much smaller and child-like.

Someone...Someone else was there. In that same room, someone else was there. It was so shocking to him because it was usually just him, the girl, and the monsters there. There was never a fourth party before. Whenever he tried to focus on it, he started experiencing a headache. It was like picking at a sensitive scab. The more he tried to focus on that one image, the worse his headache had become.

He had considered asking Rias if she knew a spell of some kind that could get rid of dreams like that...

"Judging from the look on your face, I'm bettin' you're feeling troubled again, huh?"

Shirou suddenly stiffened remembering where he was. "Huh?" He looked at Kalawarner sitting next to him, staring at him with her cheeks light pink, the alcoholic beverage in her hand no doubt beginning to take its course. "Oh, sorry." He hung his head, feeling embarrassed. "I...I missed what you were talking about..."

A gentle but unsteady hand brushed the back of his head, perhaps in a flawed attempt to stroke his hair. "Shush shush shush. It's okay. I was just bitching about work again." Kalawarner assured him with a smile. "It's really your company I enjoy."

Shirou averted his eyes to the side, blushing slightly. "Thanks..." He sighed. "I'm sorry...I just have had stuff going on lately and my mind's a bit jumbled..."

"You want to talk about it?" Kalawarner asked, a hint of clarity in her inebriated-seeming face.

Shirou immediately shook his head, trying to smile the whole situation away. "No no, it's fine. Really." He assured her. "You're the client here, so there's no reason to burden you with my own problems. You seem to have enough on your plate with your job and coworkers." Talking about his problems wouldn't solve them this time. _"What am I going to say? "Oh, I'm sad because my friend is being targeted to be killed by black-feathered demons!"?"_ It was even more preposterous when he said it in his head.

"Bitching and complaining about your problems if what a bar is for, lil Devil~" Kalawarner reasoned, taking another deep sip of the drink in her glass. She tilted her head, smiling at Shirou. "Even if it doesn't solve your problems at all, you can at least get them off of your chest. Makes it easier to carry them around..."

Despite the fact it was coming from an intoxicated "Onee-sama" type of woman, it actually _did_ sound like pretty good advice.

Kalawarner tapped her head against the counter, calling for the bartender. "Something non-alcoholic for the boy, Sho." The bartender nodded wordlessly before disappearing behind the counter, looking for a spare glass to pour Shirou's drink in. While he fetched Shirou's drink, Kalawarner turned her attention back to Shirou. "Anyway, what is this problem of yours?"

The only real problem Shirou had with Kalawarner's advice was trying to figure out how to explain the problem without sounding like a fraud or crazy person. Devils were common enough knowledge among their clients, but how could he explain a situation he was forbidden from mentioning or interfering with? "Well..." He figured he may as well give it a shot. If he ended up looking like an idiot, Kalawarner would likely be too drunk to remember that night. "...It's my friend, you see. He...Its like...He's in trouble..."

"What kind?" Kalawarner asked, half-dazed due to her stupor. "Is it trouble with the law or is he involved with an unsavory woman?"

"Uh...neither...I think..." Shirou answered uncertainly. "It's kind of complicated. It's like..." He paused, taking a deep breath. "This group of thugs from my school are targeting him, but they're related to a very wealthy and influential person. Bu-I mean-one of the faculty told me I can't interfere or else there will be big trouble between the school and the wealthy relative. I seriously want to go and beat the shit out of them, but I'll only cause trouble for everyone if I do..." Shirou let a soft whine, laying his head down, his chin flat against the countertop. "I just...I don't know what to do...I..."

There were no easy answers that Shirou could see and Kalawarner did not answer either. She seemed significantly more focused on her drink than what he had said to the point that Shirou wasn't sure if she had heard him at all. It was so frustrating, his problem was and it sounded even more frustrating when he (sort of) said it aloud.

 _"Fuck!"_ Shirou banged his fist against the counter in a fit of irritation. _"I can't just let Issei get killed...but I can't act recklessly and cause a conflict for everyone else to resolve..."_ He straighter up, gripping the sides of his head as he yanked at his hair, trying to vent his frustration. _"What the fuck do I do?!"_

That was when he felt a soft hand on his shoulder, his whole body being turned clockwise and pulled forward, a pair of strong arms pulling him into a tight embrace. His face was pushed into something with a familiarly soft, marshmallowy texture. He struggled initially, having a flashback to the previous embarrassing situation he had gotten into with Kalawarner, but, as before, her strength exceeded his own.

However, there was no lecherous touching or groping. Kalawarner's hands didn't slip below the belt or make any suggestive movements. She just held Shirou's head against her chest, the only sounds the young man could hear being his own breathing and the soft, steady beating of Kalawarner's heart.

It was...oddly soothing. Almost hypnotic. Shirou felt his eye lids become heavier.

"You shouldn't stress yourself out so much." Kalawarner said in a soft voice. "If you spend too much time worrying and fretting about when or how something will happen, you won't have the clarity or the energy to confront it when it actually happens." She gently patted the back of his head, soothing him further with her calm words. "So just listen to my soothing heartbeat and find peace. It will be alright. Your face is cuter when you're calm and happy~"

Shirou's eyes opened halfway, something about Kalawarner's words troubling him. "Hmph?" He had tried to say "What?", but his words were muffled due to his mouth being obstructed by Kalawarner's breasts

"You're sho adorable when you smile, Shirou-kyun~" Her words were beginning to slur. "I really hate to shee you like this..."

It did not take Shirou much time for Shirou to figure it out. He struggled lightly, managing to maneuver himself out of Kalawarner's grip to look up at her face, a dazed smile on her face with her entire face flushed red, her head swaying left and right as if off-balance.

"Itsh okay~"

Shirou stared at Kalawarner with half-lidded eyes. "You're drunk off your ass, aren't you?"

Kalawarner's smile widened as she held up her index and middle fire pinched together. "A wee bit, yes~"

Shirou sighed, straightening himself up, sighing from the realization. _"To think I thought she was serious..."_

"That doeshn't mean I wasn't serioush though..." Kalawarner said/slurred suddenly. It was like she had read his thoughts. "If you spend all of yer time thinkin' about it, you won't have the time to actually DO somethin' about it..."

While she was in fact drunk, Shirou could not help but feel that Kalawarner's words still held some truth to them. Just crying about it wouldn't do him any good. He needed to come up with a _plan_ in order to figure out a solution.

"I guess you're right..." Shirou decided, failing to notice how Kalawarner's body had suddenly gone slack or the fact that she was slowly leaning forward. "I should probably-Huh?! Wha-MMPH!" Shirou reacted too slowly to the sudden soft "impact" against his lips or the sudden weight falling against his body, knocking him off-balance off of his stool and onto the ground with a heavy thud.

The back of his head was what hit the ground first, knocking his brain around his skull for several seconds before it came to rest. His vision became hazy, taking a good minute or two before it finally cleared up. "Mmph..." He hummed out. And that was when he took into account the soft "watermelon" he was groping in his left hand. And then the pair of lips pressed against his own.

In a panic, Shirou quickly pushed upward, Kalawarner falling on her knees in his lap. Despite his shock, he managed to catch Kalawarner when her limp body started to fall to the side. He didn't have time to think about what he grabbed, so he started to twitch nervously when he found himself once again cupping one of Kalawarner's ample bosoms. He felt his face begin to burn, not only due to the fact at he had just kissed the woman (AGAIN) but also due to how suggestive their current position was.

Already Shirou could see the envious and hateful eyes of the other male bar patrons coming to rest on him.

 _"Goddammit!"_ He cursed in his mind. "Come on, Kalawarner! Wake up! You can't spend the night sleeping on the bar floor again. I don't want to be called by Sho in the middle of the night to slap you awake. I get little sleep lately as it is." He gently shook Kalawarner, trying to stir her back to consciousness but to no avail. "I get you need your beauty sleep, but just stay awake long enough to get home!" He shook her again, this time more forcefully.

"Mmmnnnnn..." A soft whine of irritation was all the response Shirou received from her.

"Don't give me that. Wake up already." He tried shaking her again, lightly slapping his hand against her face.

"Mnnnnn..." This only served to aggravate the situation, Kalawarner curling up in Shirou's lap, wrapping her arms around Shirou's neck. Shirou felt like his face was about to explode when she started nuzzling her face against his neck, showing a significantly less mature yet much cuter side to herself that Shirou didn't expect to see. "Hmmm..." She gave a sigh of contentment, resting her head on Shirou's shoulder as if to say "I want to stay right here". Her arms were tighter than a vice around him, refusing to release him for any reason.

Shirou sighed, recognizing defeat. "Alright, alright. I'll carry you home." He carefully stood on his feet, carrying Kalawarner bridle style as if she were royalty rather than an older woman who was drunk off her ass. He put forth even more effort into ignoring the stares filled with killing intent. "But if you try to molest me again, I'm calling the police."

Paying for Kalawarner's drinks from his own wallet, Shirou paid off her tab and, and, carrying the gorgeous woman in his arms, he left the bar.

Never once did he notice Kalawarner's half-opened eye nor the soft, satisfied smile on her face.

* * *

Shirou let out a loud yawn, the corner of his eyes watering slightly as they adjusted to the morning sun.

Thankfully, he had managed to get Kalawarner home and into bed safely without being sexually assaulted like the last time. However...it took a helluva long time to get her to let go of him. The woman had a cobra-like grip even when she was sleeping. It had taken over an hour to wrench her arms off of him.

Overall, it had been a tiring night. Nowhere near as tiring as his day was going to be. He was still committed to protecting Issei and would spend every waking moment he could trying to figure out how.

"Guess who?" A pleasant voice said, Shirou's vision suddenly replaced by darkness, a pair of soft orbs pressing against his back.

"...Kiyome?" Shirou answered, uncertain on how to answer his girlfriend's question. Kiyome removed her hands, smiling awkwardly.

"Yeah!" She agreed cheerfully before the corners of her mouth started curving down. "Yeah!...It...is..." She sighed, pulling her arms back to her side. "I still can't get the cute, girly greeting right!"

Shirou managed a small smile. "Don't worry. I'm sure you'll get it." A light chuckle escaped his lips before he leaned in, planting a soft, chaste kiss on Kiyome's cheek. "But it was a cute try though." No reason not to give her a consolation prize for her attempt. Kiyome pouted, puffing up her reddening cheeks in childish irritation. "Anyway, what are you doing here anyway? This isn't your normal route. Your house is in the other direction."

"Hmph!" Kiyome crossed her arms, turning away as if she had been slighted. "So your girlfriend isn't allowed to walk to school with you?"

"Well, considering the fact we're trying to PREVENT people from finding out about "us"...yeah." Shirou answered without thinking through the consequences of his words.

It was quite obvious, even to Shirou, that he really botched that one up. It was made increasingly clear by Kiyome when she placed her hands on her hips, showing a genuinely irritated look. "Just because we're keeping our relationship secret doesn't mean we're forbidden from doing "couple things" anywhere outside of hidden areas." She reasoned. "We aren't even at school yet anyway. I'm your _girlfriend_ , Shirou. Even if it's small things like this, I want to be able to do them with you." Again, her cheeks became tinged with pink. "I deserve that right at least..."

Shirou paused when he saw Kiyome's expression.

It was true that, due to their precarious situation, they could not publicly act affectionate with one another, but Kiyome _was_ his girlfriend. Shirou knew that if they didn't even do things that boyfriends and girlfriends were supposed together, there wasn't even any point to it. They would have a relationship in name only with none of the emotional bonding that would usually be entitled.

And it was that line of thinking that led Shirou to wrap his arms around Kiyome, pulling her closely. "Is this close enough?" He didn't look her in the eye. He felt too embarrassed. "If it's something simple like this, then there should be no problem as you said."

Likewise, Kiyome avoided looking Shirou in the eye for similar reasons. "Y-Yeah. This should be fine." With her chest pushed up against his side, Shirou could feel her steadily-increasing heartbeat against him. "I can walk like this if it's not too much of a bother for you."

Both of their faces were so burning so brightly that it may have been possible to see it even in the dark.

With a closeness only a couple could have, they started walking in the direction of their school, Kiyome leaning on Shirou's side for (albeit unneeded) support during the trip. As usual, despite his rough appearance, Shirou's hands were soft and gentle when touching her body. He did not pull or tug on her. Even though their walking stance felt awkward due to their embarrassed states, Shirou showed no real discomfort nor did he give Kiyome any discomfort. If Kiyome hadn't known any better, she would have thought that Shirou had practiced for something like this.

However, it would have been significantly more romantic if the walk hadn't been passing in horribly awkward silence. Just maintaining their position was taking all of Shirou's mental clarity. Mentally, he was incredibly flustered. He had never gone out with a girl before let alone held one's body in his arms (in a romantic sense). Before he always thought he would be that "one single friend" that could never show off a girlfriend to others, but now...he had a girlfriend! It was so shocking that it made every embarrassing/romantic moment all the more flustering.

"..."

"..."

The pair tried several times to say something to break the silence, but when they opened their mouths, no words came out. It was hard to just start a conversation. When there was something they wanted to discuss, they discussed it, but it was near impossible to draw up a conversation topic out of the blue. Their passions ignited only when they wanted to, not when they were called upon.

It was a God-given miracle (so-to-speak) when familiar voices broke the silence.

"Hey, Shirou!"

"A-Abe-senpai too?!"

It was like all of the blood in their bodies froze, Shirou and Kiyome realizing their current position.

They recognized the approaching pair of perver-Er-friends by their most noticeable traits, one of them possessing a shaved head and the other wearing stupid-looking glasses. Even before the two caught up to them, Shirou could feel their envious, hateful gazes. Shirou exchanged nervous glances with Kiyome as if asking what they were going to do. One slip-up and their secret was out.

Luckily for them, Kiyome came up with an idea first.

Unluckily for Shirou, her idea involved pain.

Kiyome didn't give any warning. She elbowed Shirou in the gut, bending him over and wrapping her arms around his neck, squeezing his neck tightly in her grasp. Shirou tried to ignore the fact his head was (COMPLETELY UNINTENTIONALLY) pressing against her breast, the soft, melon-shaped pillow somewhat softening her vicious headlock.

"You dumbass! I told you!" She screamed, feeling somewhat awkward with how quickly she put on the act. "Superman would so kick Goku's butt in a fight!" All of the words in the Japanese dictionary could not describe how badly she wished to slap herself for not picking a better subject for argument.

"Y-Yeah?!" Shirou asked awkwardly, quickly catching on. "That's total crap! Goku would so kick Superman's ass to the next solar system!"

"Take that back!" Kiyome tightened her hold on Shirou's neck, trying to make it look like she was choking him out without actually choking him out. "Superman is the best hero ever! He was all the hype back when Ka-sama took me on a business trip to America!"

"Yeah, well, Americans have weird tastes."

"What's so weird about a noble, bullet-proof man going around and saving people?"

"The fact that he does it in his undies. That's what most people would call a sex offender."

"You're really saying that? You, a young man living in a country that is often teased by the rest of the world for its high level of adult content involving lolis or tentacle rape hentai?"

"..."

"Well?"

"We're not talking about porn here! We're talking about Superman sucking balls because Goku is the shit!"

"Screw you! Superman would win any day of the week!"

"Shows what you know! Goku would SO win!"

"Superman!"

"Goku!"

"Superman!"

"Goku!"

"Superman!"

"Goku!"

They kept going back and forth like that, trying to pretend they had only just started acknowledging the presence of their associates. It was hard to gauge their reactions because they were just staring blankly. For several horrifying moments, Shirou and Kiyome believed their ruse had been seen through.

Matsuda frowned. "This has to be _the_ weirdest argument you two have had so far."

Motohama adjusted his glasses, the sunlight reflecting off them. "Yeah." He agreed. "We all know Naruto would kick both of their asses."

It was like shattering glass. Both Kiyome and Shirou stared at Motohama as if he had just committed a felony.

[You did not just go there...]

If they had had the opportunity, they probably would have beaten Motohama into a coma for his libel claim. No exaggerations ever made could describe how... _wrong_ Motohama's comment was. Even though the argument had been a facade to hide their relationship, their opinions had not been the same. And Motohama's heretical claim only served to piss them off.

Kiyome released Shirou's neck and both were about to lecture Motohama for as long as it took to help him correct his ways.

"Hey! You guys!" Issei's voice calling out stopped them all in their tracks.

The previously-inevitable ass-beating/lecture was postponed the moment Issei Hyoudou came walking up to them.

Shirou smiled, raising a hand in greeting. "Yo! Issei! What's up?" However, something seemed off to Shirou. Issei was a lot more smiley than he normally was. The amount of cheerfulness was practically radiating off of him like rays of sunlight, as if the world had just become perfect for him. This gave Shirou cause for concern. "Are you...feeling alright? You seem...awfully _chipper_ this morning."

"Yeah~ Today's just great, isn't it?" Issei replied in a disturbingly cheerful tone that matched his face.

Shirou recoiled in discomfort, taking a few cautious steps away from Issei. "OK, dude, you're starting to creep me out. What's up with you?" It was only then that Shirou realized that Issei was not alone. Matsuda and Motohama were much faster in realizing this as well as the significance behind the fact that the person next to Issei was both a girl and a GORGEOUS, raven-haired beauty their age. Shirou was honestly confused by the shocked, broken expressions on their faces. "While we're at it, what's up with _you_ guys?" Then he turned back to the girl. "Um...are we in your way?" Shirou stepped aside experimentally to allow the girl passage. "We can move if you want?"

The girl smiled brightly, shaking her head. "Oh no! I'm just waiting on Ise to help make introductions!" It was only then that the wires came close to connecting in Shirou's head.

"'Ise'?" It a personal nickname, so Shirou wasn't quite sure if he had heard her right. "I'm sorry...who are you exactly?"

Issei smirked cheerfully, motioning to the beauty wearing an unfamiliar school uniform. "Guys, this is Yuuma Amano, my _girlfriend._ " Then Issei motioned to the group of four standing across from the newly-named "Yuuma". "And these are my buds-"

"Wait waitwaitwaitwaitwaitWAIT!" Shirou cut in, raising his hands to stop Issei. There was a short pause after he finished speaking. Then, "...Wait." Shirou looked between Issei and Yuuma. "...Did you say 'girlfriend'?"

"That I did, bud! That I did! Don't worry, bro. Maybe someday even you will be able to catch up to me!" Issei said with such an air of confidence (arrogance) that Shirou almost wanted to high-five him (in the face).

"You're fucking with me, right?" Shirou asked, still in disbelief at the odd match made between the King of Lechers and the bombshell next to him.

"I fuck with you not." Issei assured him. "Yuuma is, in fact, my girlfriend. Yuuma, these are my buds, Matsuda, Motohama, Shirou, and..." He paused when he looked at Kiyome, as if asking her a question. Kiyome made a gesture with her hand that meant something along the lines of "Eeeehhhh, sort-of but not really". "...well, Kiyome-senpai's a friend of my friend."

Silence ensued when Issei realized the odd expression on Shirou's face as he looked first to Yuuma, then to Issei, then back to Yuuma, then back to Issei, looking back and forth between the two at least a dozen or two times before finally turning back to Issei one final time.

"...Lucky, son of a BITCH..." Shirou placed a hand on Issei's shoulder, staring him dead in the eyes while changing his expression to absolute focus. "I envy you-"

"AHEM!" Kiyome not-so-subtly cleared her throat, glaring daggers so sharp at Shirou that, if looks could kill, Shirou would be on the ground bleeding, Yuuma rolling around right next to him in just as much if not more excruciating pain.

"-b-b-b-b-but i-it's not like there aren't far more b-beautiful girls out there!" Shirou added, sweat beginning to pour off of his body. "Hahahahaha! I-I mean Yuuma's cute and all but there are some absolutely drop-dead beautiful, smart, funny, cute, pretty, sweet, kind, loving, forgiving, merciful-"

"-Don't forget prone to beating and castrating unfaithful lovers~" Kiyome added "helpfully" with a smile.

"-women out there who p-put her to shame! Hahahahahahahaha!" Shirou's face turned a sharp pale color as he tried laughing off his abject fear. He tensed when Kiyome placed a hand on his shoulder, sharing a glass smile similar to the one she had been wearing before only significantly more intense.

It felt as though Shirou would find himself as one of the missing children advertised on the back of a milk carton any second. "That's quite right, Shirou. And men who crave women based solely on their outward appearance are absolute trash too and would probably be dumped outright if their girlfriend caught them behaving like that, right?"

Shirou had lost the guts to verbally respond so he just started nodding so fast it looked as though his head would snap off. Suffice to say, he looked thoroughly whipped.

"O...K..." Issei looked at the two, eyebrow raised while Matsuda and Motohama were still frozen in shock-filled horror.

It was Yuuma's turn to observe. She walked up to Shirou and Kiyome, looking between them. And then she blurted out, "Are you two a couple?"

Both teens did a dry spit-take, their lungs immediately deflating as if their ribs were constricting them. They broke out in a fit of synchronized, awkward laughter.

"What? Hahaha! Don't be ridiculous?!"

"With him? That's silly! Ha! You're silly!"

"Me and her?

"Him and me?!"

[Hahahaha! No way! Could never happen!]

They were possibly one of the worst acting couples in the entire world. Only a complete idiot would have believed such an obvious facade.

"Hmmm..." Yuuma stared intently for several more seconds before sighing. "I guess not then..."

Thankfully, everyone present was apparently a complete idiot.

Shirou and Kiyome let out a collective sigh of relief, having successfully kept their secret for another day.

"Yeah, those two are just about always at each other's throats." Issei commented, waving off Yuuma's deduction while smiling. "They are friends but I don't think they got what it takes to carry out a successful relationship."

Shirou and Kiyome exchanged silent looks, having attained such a level of synchronization between their minds that it took one look to convey a quick conversation.

Shirou: You go for his legs, I'll go for his neck.

Kiyome: I get to break his arms before you finish him though.

Shirou: Agreed.

"What a shame." Yuuma said, sighing. "You two looked like you would have made the best couple!"

Again, the "supposedly-not-couple" did a dry spit-take, stunned by the words that came from Yuuma's mouth, the pair quickly bursting into laughter once more, the main difference from the first bout of fake laughter being the light blushes on both of their faces.

"D-Don't be ridiculous! Hahaha!"

"Yeah, hahahahaha! I-I mean it's not like we could be like that~!"

Only an idiot wouldn't be able to tell that that comment made them happy.

"O...K..." Issei said awkwardly, unable to recognize how obvious the two were being. "Well, Yuuma and I are just gonna go on ahead now...Catch you guys later. Come on, Yuuma." He started walking ahead, leaving the group behind.

Yuuma nodded. "OK." She bowed politely towards Matsuda, Motohama, and Kiyome before running after Issei. Shirou kept staring in her direction, an odd expression on his face remaining until she and Issei had left his sight.

The moment Issei left, Matsuda and Motohama finally came out of their shock, breaking out into tears of anger and jealousy.

"He betrayed us!" Motohama sobbed, removing his glasses to wipe his eyes on his sleeve.

Matsuda just let out frustrated, whiny groan.

The sight was so pathetic that Shirou felt the need to turn away. Kiyome just stared with steadily-decreasing respect towards Issei's friends. While Shirou was friends with Issei, he found the young man's two fellow lechers to be significantly more depraved and obnoxious. He didn't hate them, but they were significantly less tolerable without Issei around.

"That's it!" Motohama decided suddenly, tears still flowing steadily from his eyes. He turned to face Shirou, grabbing him by the shoulders. "From now on, Issei is no longer a brother! Shirou, you are now the commander-in-chief of the Perverted Trio! Lead us well to the glory of he female body!"

Despite the passionate words, Shirou stared at Motohama with disgust towards their closeness, his eyes half-lidded. "Motohama, two things."

"Yeah?"

Shirou made a pair of scissors with his index and middle fingers. "First off: Get the fuck out of my face, you creep!" Without mercy, Shirou jabbed Motohama right in the eyes, breaking his glasses.

"Ow! WHY?!" Motohama fell to his knees, clutching his watering eyes.

"Personal space, man." Shirou answered. "Second, I'm gonna pass. I'm gonna be busy for a while and I don't have the time to watch you two get bludgeoned to death everyday." Hefting his bag over his shoulder. "Come on, Kiyome. Let's go."

Kiyome nodded. "OK."

And so they left, leaving just the fragmented remains of what was once the Perverted Trio staring with betrayal and envy in their eyes.

[Not agaaaaain!]

* * *

It happened after school that day.

"...OK, tell me one more time: What are we doing here?"

"Like I told you before, we're keeping an eye on that dumbass and the witch."

"...You mean Hyoudou-senpai and "Yuuma"?"

"Of course. Who else would I be talking about, shorty?"

Koneko glared at Shirou from across the small booth they were sitting inside Kuoh Town's local ice cream parlor. "Did you just call me "short" again?" She stabbed her spoon into the sundae in front of her, a ridiculously-sized treat that held a scoop of almost every flavor with just about every possible sweet topping on it. "...Don't forget. I can walk away right now."

"True, but then you would have to give up that _very_ tasty-looking treat I bribed-"gifted" you with in exchange for helping me out." Shirou countered with a smirk, happy that, for once, _he_ had the upper hand in their little confrontations. "Do you really wanna give up something so mouth-watering delectable?"

For a moment, Koneko was silent, looking at Shirou before staring longingly at her sundae, then back to Shirou. She narrowed her eyes at him. "...You do realize that the moment I'm done with this, there's nothing to stop me from breaking your teeth in, right?" And neither doubted she would actually carry out her threat.

"All the more reason to milk it for as long as possible, short-stack." Shirou taunted, leaning back in his seat. "Anyway, how about you stop talking to me and start paying more attention to what those two are doing. There's no telling when that harpy's going to make a move on my bro and, when she does, we need to be prepared."

A hint of joy colored Koneko's monotone expression as she let another spoonful of her ice cream, this time chocolate-flavored with heavy amounts of whip cream on it, melt in her mouth. She smacked her lips as she fully savor end its flavor. It was only a few moments after she came back down from her sugary ecstasy that she decided she had the time to properly reply to Shirou's words (or rather, to address the things that were wrong with it).

"...You do realize you sound like some sort of clingy ex-girlfriend, right?" Koneko pointed out, taking yet another bite of her ice cream, this time tasting the light yet sharp taste of the mint-flavored portion of the dessert.

Shirou took a second to shoot a sharp look at Koneko. "First of all, no I do not act like some clingy ex-girlfriend." Shirou denied. "Second of all, I'm just trying to make sure that-Hold that thought! I think she's trying something!" Shirou immediately raised a pair of binoculars to his eyes, using them to observe the pair out on their date two or three booths away. He stared for several moments as Yuuma leaked in, clearly trying to further entrance Shirou with a clear view of her cleavage. "Nah. Never mind. She's just teasing Issei again." He lowered the binoculars with a sigh. "You would think he would have caught on to what a hussy she is by now..." Then he noticed Koneko staring pointedly. "...What?... _What_?!"

It looked like Koneko wanted to say something, but she decided against it. She just returned her attention to her ice cream.

"So when did you realize that his "girlfriend" wasn't human?" Koneko asked, having started twirling her spoon absentmindedly when silence descended upon them.

She didn't know when Shirou had started looking through his binoculars again, but he was again observing Issei and Yuuma. "Immediately." He responded, dividing his attention between his friend and Koneko. "The moment I laid eyes on that Amano chick. It was like this weird, heavy pressure on my chest, like my instincts immediately recognized she wasn't human." Shirou frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. "I think she caught me staring but I think I managed to play it off as simple ogling."

"...Must be easy since you're a natural perv."

"Am not!"

"Then why are you hanging around three of the perviest guys in school along with the perviest girl in school?"

"...Oh come on! That's just not fair!" Shirou leaned on his arm against the table, frowning. "So I take it Rias knew as well?"

"...About Yuuma Amano being a Fallen Angel? Yes." Koneko admitted freely due to the fact she had already been brib- _convinced_ to help Shirou with his surveillance and protecting Issei. "She only found out recently if it helps. We all knew the Fallen Angels were watching him, but we only found out who their agent making contact specifically was less than two days ago."

Shirou frowned. "Not that it would have mattered." He complained. "I can't start a fight because that would result in World War III and I can't legally interfere in the Fallen Angels' work because they have not antagonized the Devils...So knowing who it is doesn't do much good right now. All we can do is sit and wait for when she makes a move and just _happen to walk by_ when she does and end up being unavoidably involved in conflict." Shirou smirked. "The plan is so simple that it's brilliant!"

"...So brilliant that it goes right back around to being stupid." Koneko muttered offhandedly.

Shirou let out a light growl. "Why is every word you have for me a criticism?" He turned away from Koneko, deeply irked by her attitude. "Really, if you have a better idea, I'm more than willing to hear it."

There was really no way for Koneko to respond to that. "...Alright. I have one more question."

"Which is?" Shirou asked, one eyebrow raised.

Koneko lightly licked the ice cream that filled her spoon, waiting to eat until after she had spoken. "If you wanted to intervene with the Fallen Angels, why not just warn Senpai directly? He's _your_ friend."

"And say _what_?" Shirou asked rhetorically. ""Oh hey, Issei! How's it hanging? How was the game last night?-Oh! BTW, your girlfriend is a supernatural creature from the Bible who probably wants to stab you in the dick!"...would you believe something like that?" Koneko suddenly took a stronger interest in the surface of the table. "Besides..." Shirou averted his gaze, looking down at his bandaged hand. "...I don't want him involved in this world of ours if he doesn't have to be."

Something about Shirou's words really caught Koneko's attention. "..." She wanted to ask a question, but didn't feel comfortable interrupting Shirou.

"In the first few months alone, I've almost died several times." Shirou tightened his left hand into a fist, unable to suppress the light trembling that overtook his arm. "And the woman I loved was almost killed because of my recklessness. Any and all people involved with my life as a Devil will always be in harm's way. Issei is a great guy, but I don't think he would be strong enough to endure losing someone he loves. No normal person could realistically endure something like that..." Shirou winced, thinking back to his own mental state back when he had thought Kiyome was dead, killed by the Stray Devil Eliade. Even then, he had trouble recalling the time spent in his berserk state. "So if I can, I'm going to protect Issei from that difficult path. Not just him, but all of the people I care about."

"Senpai..."

Shirou blushed, feeling embarrassed. "Yeah, I know...Rias probably also has her eye on him, but I was hoping I could convince her, just this once, to lay off." He scratched his neck nervously. "I know it sounds kind of sappy, but I...I don't want anyone to suffer the type of danger we go through. I want to protect everyone..."

"Senpai..."

"Go ahead, yuck it up. Ol' Shirou's become a softie. Come on. Hit me with your best shot."

"No, it's not that." Koneko shook her head. "It's Issei and the Fallen Angel. They left."

A pause.

"Come again?"

Koneko pointed behind her towards the booth Issei and Yuuma had been sitting in. "Yeah, they left while you were in the middle of your little speech."

Shirou's eyes widened to the size of plates. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"You looked like you were on a roll." Koneko said, shrugging. "I didn't want to interrupt you." Then she pulled out her cellphone. "That and I was recording my "revenge blackmail material"."

"Oh, you _dick_!" Shirou shot up from his seat, glaring daggers at Koneko. "Come on! Let's go! Before they get away!" He slid out of the booth, bursting into a sprint and crashing right out the door of the ice cream parlor.

Koneko made to follow but paused halfway to the door, turning back and staring at her abandoned ice cream. Then she looked back to the door from which Shirou had exited. Then back to her ice cream.

A touch choice laid ahead.

* * *

"I can't BELIEVE that you brought that entire tub with you!" Shirou shouted at Koneko as they ran, the small girl carrying the massive bowl that held her treat.

"...It was wasteful." Koneko defended. "If I'm gonna be bribed into keeping quiet about this to Buchou, I would like to keep the actual bribe."

While tempted to respond, Shirou decided to let it go. "Whatever. Let's just focus on keeping up with that dimwit."

It had taken several minutes for Shirou and Koneko to catch up to Issei and Yuuma. Shirou had taken several wrong turns, but it was thanks to Koneko that they had managed to find them again. Shirou was somewhat amazed by her senses. It was like she was a bloodhound following Issei's scent. She didn't explain how she did it and Shirou hadn't asked. There didn't seem to be any reason to and he was too focused on Issei and Yuuma to spend any real time thinking about it.

Being out in the open, Shirou always made sure that he and Koneko always hid right around the nearby corner behind the couple so as to avoid being caught. Whenever Issei and Yuuma were on the move, Shirou would follow close behind them with Koneko in tow. Whenever they stopped or turned around, he would hide in or behind whatever was convenient. Shirou sat buried underneath some spoiled milk for fifteen minutes when Issei and Yuuma had stopped for window-shopping.

Koneko had no such determination. She just turned around, later pointing out that Issei had never actually met her before even if she was well-known around their school.

"...This is boring." Koneko decided after another half-hour of mindlessly following Issei and Yuuma.

Though he didn't express it outwardly like Koneko, Shirou was beginning to feel the same way. He expected each passing second to be filled with heart-stopping tension, Issei's life hanging on by a mere thread as the assassin came close to force him to breathe his final breath. He expected at least several dozen armed fights attempting to ambush him and Koneko, forcing them to battle it out and fight for their lives as they raced against the clock to save the unbelievably infamous King of Perverts.

But none of that happened since they started following Issei.

There was nothing to do really other than watch and wait while the couple went into several different stores and Shirou didn't have a handheld game or a snack. He deeply regretted spending his hush money on Koneko.

The seemingly never-ending pursuit of Issei and his date continued for another hour before Shirou audibly proclaimed his complaints.

"Geez! I really wish they would just do something already!" Shirou whined. "Kill him, kiss him, do SOMETHING!"

It looked as though Koneko had just completely stopped caring, holding her now-empty bowl full of melted ice cream remains.

"... _You_ were the one who wanted to stalk him."

"How many times do I have to say it! This isn't stalking!"

"...Sure sounds like a stalker."

"It's not stalking! I'm just following my best friend without his knowledge while trying to protect from a total bitch who I think just isn't right for him!"

"..."

"What?"

"..."

"WHAT!?"

"..."

"You're really gonna have to work on that silence of yours if you want to help our teamwork."

"...Idiot."

"OK, now that was just uncalled for."

Koneko opened her mouth to say something else, but Shirou immediately covered it with his hand.

"Shush! I think they're on the move again!" Shirou broke out of hiding when the targets had started moving again. "Come on! Before they get away!" He dragged Koneko with him and again pursued Issei and Yuuma.

However, said pursuit was cut short when an unfamiliar figure stepped in front of him, dressed in generic thug-wear, repeatedly opening and closing a switchblade in his right hand.

"Well, well, if it isn't Demon King Fujimura."

"Oh dear Maou, not this shit again." Shirou face-palmed, groaning as at least a dozen other generic delinquents formed a circle around him and Koneko.

"Where do you think _you're_ going, Fujimura?!"

"No running away now!"

"This time, you're dead meat!"

Koneko looked between Shirou and the delinquents, deliberating her next course of action for one second before attempting to walk straight through the circle only to be stopped by one of the delinquents stretching his arm out in front of her to block her path. Koneko barely glanced at him.

"...I get you're really busy being generic background characters, but you're in my way." She tried pushing her way through but was again blocked.

"Don't fucking look down on us, bitch!" The leader screamed, growing quickly irritated with Koneko's unmoved expression. "Do you know who we are?!" He reached out to grab Koneko by the collar, but Shirou lashed out and grabbed him by the arm.

Shirou shook his head. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

A vein popped out on the delinquent's forehead. "You stay out of this, Fujimura!" He yanked his arm away, turning back to Koneko. "You'll get your turn after I teach this short bitch a lesson!"

"...What did you just call me?" Koneko asked. Only Shirou noticed how Koneko's left eye twitched ever-so-slightly.

The thug tightly gripped Koneko's shoulder. "I called you a bitch, BITCH!"

"...No, not that. The other thing."

The thug frowned. "What are you talking about...?" It took him a few seconds to catch on. "You mean "short"? What's wrong? Got a size-complex, short-stuff?" Koneko tightened her fists at her sides. "Is the little shorty getting miffed because she's nothing but a short, girly-girl and not big, strong men like us? Huh, shorty?"

"OK, now you're kind of starting to sound a little sexist." Shirou chimed in, scooting to the back of the group.

"...Did you really just call me short, not once or twice, but four times?" Koneko's focused gaze looked as though it would burn a hole straight through the thug's head.

The thug bent over, lowering his face in front of Koneko's as if to mock her more closely. "Aw, is lil' miss "bee-stings-for-tits" getting mad at us?"

"Oh...shit." Shirou brushed hand through his head, letting out a heavy breath. "You really did it now..."

The thug stood up straight, turning to Shirou. "Did what? I was just having a friendly chat with shor-GAK!"

That was when Koneko punched him in the throat, sending him flying-quite literally FLYING-into the sky, disappearing from sight.

For a moment, everyone just stood there in stunned silence except for Shirou who was still sighing, sliding his hands into his pockets.

"Well, you can't say I didn't warn you guys." Shirou said. "You pushed the "shorty" button..."

A large, cat-shaped aura surrounded Koneko, the loli turning her attention to the rest of the thug's crew.

Shirou smiled.

"You shouldn't have did that."

* * *

"Hurry, Koneko! We have to find them!"

It had taken less than a minute for Koneko to beat the delinquents into submission.

"Seriously! You wasted too much time!"

"...They had to learn their lesson."

"They're nameless background characters! They NEVER learn their lesson!"

The pair were running through the streets of Kuoh Town, desperately trying to make up for lost time. Shirou didn't know why, but the air felt as though it had suddenly become much heavier than before. An ominous feeling filled Shirou's chest.

Koneko suddenly tensed. "...Senpai, we do need to hurry!" She started picking up the pace, running faster than Shirou would have given her credit for.

"You felt it too?" Shirou asked, running.

They were still following Koneko's superior senses and direction to Issei, but it felt far more important that they found him as soon as possible. Shirou didn't know why, but he had the feeling Koneko understood it better than he did.

"Yeah, the Fallen Angel is letting more of her presence leak out than normal." Koneko said.

"Which means?"

"She's about to show herself. She's making her move!"

Dread filled Shirou's expression. "Then what are we moving so slow for?! Let's go!" Without asking for permission, he threw Koneko's entire tiny frame over his shoulder, bursting into a sprint. "Just tell me where to go!"

Koneko looked irritated, like she wanted to punch Shirou. "..." She sighed. "The local park. That's where their general presence seems to be."

"Right!" Shirou picked up the pace, moving as quickly as the limits of his body would allow. _"Issei, try to hang on a bit longer!"_

There was no time for safety. He sped through moving traffic, alleyways, and even other peoples' houses when it became necessary in order to make the shortest route possibly to their destination.

Shirou started to recognize their surroundings more and more the closer they got to the park.

"...Stop."

"What?" Shirou almost tripped when Koneko spoke up out of the blue, but he refused to pause. "Why should I do that?"

"Because you can't get any closer." Koneko struggled momentarily before wrestling her way out of Shirou's arms, falling gracefully onto her feet. "You need to stop for a moment."

" _Stop_?!" Shirou asked incredulously. "I can't just _stop_! Issei's in trouble! I have to go!" He turned to leave.

"...You don't want to do that." Koneko warned him again.

Shirou rolled his eyes. "Yeah, we'll see about that!" Before Koneko could offer any more objections, Shirou turned and burst into a sprint again-

THUD

-slamming face-first into a wall.

"GAH!" Shirou recoiled in pain, tenderly touching his possibly-broken nose. "What-!?" He turned and glared at the wall that obstructed him only to freeze.

There was no wall in front of him.

"...the fuck?" He rubbed his eyes, trying to make sure he hadn't made a mistake. After a few seconds of clearing his mind, he tried running again-

THUD

-only to once more slam into some sort of barrier.

However, he managed to stop himself quickly enough to keep from causing any more damage to his face. "What the Hell?" Shirou took a few seconds to recover from the jarring blow before carefully extending his hand out in front of him. Even though he saw nothing but air, he found his hand suddenly pressing flat against some invisible wall. He leaned against it and tapped his knuckles, trying to see what type of material, if there was any, the wall was made of. There was no recognizable sound produce, but he knew for a fact that his hand was tapping against something. "What is this?"

"...I already told you." Koneko said, a hint of smugness in her voice. "You have to stop because you can't get any closer because there's a magical barrier blocking our path."

"Yeah? Well maybe next time you be a little _clearer_ on why I can't get any closer, huh!?" Shirou snapped, desperately pushing against the barrier in front of him, banging his fists on it. "Damn it! Why can't I bust through this thing?!"

Koneko frowned, staring at the barrier. "...I'm no good at magic normally, but I can tell there are at least a dozen others closeby around the barrier, all of them probably working together to keep it erect. With so many behind this barrier, I doubt we're going to be able to get through."

"Dozen other whats? Fallen Angels?" Shirou raised his guard, expecting an assault to come at any moment.

"No." Koneko denied. "...Humans."

That answer caused Shirou to pause.

"Come again?"

"No time to explain."

Shirou snapped out of his shock, realizing Koneko's meaning. "Yeah...You're right. Whoever they are, we have to kick their asses and get rid of this barrier! Let's g-"

"Get down!" Koneko kicked Shirou in the back of his knee, causing him to collapse to the ground involuntarily due to a lack of balance. Shirou figured out why the moment he saw something fast and bright speeding over his head, piercing the tree behind him. A bullet.

Shirou gritted his teeth before pushing himself up to all-fours. "You coulda just pushed me or something, not knock me to the ground!"

"You're still alive, aren't you?" Koneko countered. "...Stop being a baby." Shirou noticed the atmosphere become even heavier than before, Koneko's body tensing. "Anyway, get up. One of them's here."

"Tch! Yeah yeah. Let's get this over with so we can help Issei." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck as he got back to his feet. "Come out, fucker! We know you're there!" Shirou immediately ducked, avoiding a second bullet that flew over his head. "OK, cut it out with that sneak attack shit! Get out here or I'll have you put the next bullet straight your ass!"

"Oho~! What a rude Devil we have here, huh?" A youthful voice asked rhetorically. "Still, what luck for me! Here I was thinking that guarding this barrier while the boss-lady fucked that kid with a spear was going to be boring!"

That was when the owner of the voice finally stepped out from the shadows (from behind a nearby tree). He was a young man, perhaps their age if not a bit older, with red eyes and white hair like Shirou's, except his hair looked to be a dirtier shade of white while Shirou's hair was white as pure snow. He was dressed in odd clothes Shirou didn't recognize and was much shorter than him.

...And then he started twirling around, as if dancing.

"Lucky, priestly me~ Out of all the guys here, I'm the one who runs into some worthless Devils~" He sang with glee. "Cutting off your fiendish hands~ Severing your wicked legs~ Lopping off your Devilish head~ Then go home for supper~" Then he suddenly stopped in front of Shirou, leaning in uncomfortably close with a rather odd-looking smile. "I'm father Freed Sellzen~"

Shirou's eye twitched, uncertain how to process this behavior. It was not the reaction he had expected.

Without really thinking about it, he pointed his index finger and used it to casually push against Freed's forehead, putting some space between them.

Shirou took a step back, staring with half-lidded eyes. "What is it about invading my personal space that puts it on the "to-do" list for weirdos?"

For some reason, this made Freed laugh, gesturing to himself. "I belong to a certain organization that hunts down Devils~"

Despite this claim, Shirou looked unimpressed. "And this means jack shit to me _because_?"

Freed growled, showing frustration towards Shirou's interruption. "Because I'm the type of person who kills and murders shit Devils like _you_!" He produced a gun from his jacket, pointing it at Shirou. "With this gun, I can kill you dead in one shot!"

"Fascinating." Shirou muttered sarcastically. "Can you move now? You're kind of in the way."

"...What?"

"You could probably take this a bit more seriously, you know." Koneko chimed in, not lowering her guard for a moment.

A low hum emitted from Shirou's mouth as he looked at Freed. "Well...it's not that I'm not taking it seriously, it's just that, compared to the shit I've gone through including fighting against a giant, evil demon-snake-woman with claws and a drill on her tail, he's just significantly less intimidating." He said. Then he added as an afterthought, "Plus, it's harder to take him seriously when he's shorter than me."

"S-Short!?" Freed stuttered. He glared at Shirou, jabbing an accusing finger in his direction. "Fuck you, shitty Devil! I bet you won't be so arrogant when I cut your fucking legs off!"

"And now he's throwing a temper-tantrum." Shirou rolled his eyes. "But I doubt he can break through a wall with one punch like you, so I'm just not very frightened. I mean, look at him! Look at what he's wearing!" Shirou gestured to Freed's general appearance. "How am I supposed to be intimidated by a cosplayer?"

"I am not a cosplayer!" Freed denied, furious. "I'm a goddamned Devil-killing Exorcist! I'll prove it by first ripping out that smartass tongue of yours!" He suddenly lunged at Shirou, reaching into his jacket again.

"...You'd probably be doing the world a favor with that." Koneko muttered under her breath.

"I heard that!" Shirou dodged to the right, avoiding the rightward arc Freed's arm moved in, a bright light tracing through the air he swung at. His feet slid on the dirt, Shirou struggling to regain his balance. He stumbled slightly, but managed to raise his arms in a fighting stance. He rotated 90 degrees to the left, watching as another bullet shot past his face. He took a deep breath when the threat had ended. "Huh, you're faster than you look, Mr. Exorcist." Shirou admitted. He smirked. "But you still missed me!"

Freed smirked, holding both his gun and a sword he appeared to have also brought with him. A sword made of light. "Did I~?"

"Huh?" Shirou immediately looked down at his jacket and shirt, noticing the large cut across it that certainly had not been on his chest before. His whole body tensed. "No..." He turned and glared at Freed. "You bastard!"

"Hahaha!" Freed laughed maliciously. "I may have missed a bit, but don't worry~ I'll be sure to get your head next ti-"

"That was my last good jacket!" Shirou pulled at the ends of his jacket, anger etched into his face as he saw how wide the tears were. "Seriously! That was my last one! I keep getting shot, stabbed, cut up, punched, crushed, and treated like a chew toy so much that I keep running out!"

"That will probably be the last of your worries by the time I'm done with you!" Freed was already next to him again. He lunged at Shirou with his sword of light again, piercing only the tree behind Shirou and getting his sword stuck. "Don't think you're getting away!" Freed spun the other half of his body around, pointing his gun in Shirou's direction and firing off four shots.

Shirou did his best, trying to weave in-between each bullet, but even he could not dodge all four of them, the third one hitting him square in the shoulder. The shock was enough to almost knock him off his feet. Shirou winced in pain before clutching his now-bleeding right shoulder. _"Alright, so maybe I should stop underestimating this guy..."_ Shirou glanced at his bandaged left arm. He didn't have any more time to follow that line of thought because Freed came at him with a sword again, trying to violently chop him to pieces like he was a piece of meat. It was like an odd dance between them, Shirou only able to dodge Freed's strikes due to the human's surprisingly abnormal speed.

There was no doubt that a guy like that would have even been able to keep up with Kiba (albeit not at his 100%).

"And now you're dead~!" Freed raised his gun, aiming it at Shirou's forehead point-blank.

Panic filled Shirou's chest, lasting for...about a second before something caught his eye. "OK, OK." Shirou said calmly, raising his hands in defeat. "But, before you stab me and shoot me or shoot me and stab me, I have one more thing to say!"

Freed grinned. "If you're planning on begging for merc-GAK!" And that was when a tree trunk slammed into Freed, sending the supposed-priest flying several feet away before tumbling onto the ground.

"Dammit!" Shirou cursed. "Come on, Koneko! You couldn't have waited five seconds?! I was trying to do a thing there!"

"...You should probably stop playing around and get serious." Koneko scolded him, showing irritation on her face. She turned back to face Freed. "You'd better hurry up. The priest is getting back up for round 2."

Sure enough, Shirou saw Freed, managing to free himself from underneath the massive treat Koneko had thrown at him, having no real injuries other than a few scratches and dirt all over him. Shirou raised his guard again.

"That's it! You're on my "Kill List" too, you bitch!" Freed raised his sword to strike. "I'll have fun stabbing you and cutting you both to pieces!" He pointed his gun at Shirou before switching his target to Koneko and then back to Shirou. "Eenie, meanie, min-BANG!" Freed sudden turned his gun back on Koneko and opened fire, emptying his clip into Koneko's skull. Her head jerked back as she was struck head-on.

"Koneko!" Shirou called out in horror.

"...What?" Koneko immediately responded, straightening up.

"Holy shit!" Shirou recoiled in shock. "How are you not dead!?"

Koneko absentmindedly rubbed the large bruise on her forehead, the only sign she had been hit with anything let alone several bullets. "...My Rook trait." She said it as if it answered his question completely. She frowned. "It still hurt though."

"...Your what trait?"

"Focus on him for now." Koneko reminded Shirou.

"Right! Right!" Shirou raised his left arm, narrowing his eyes. "It's time to get serious. Let's go, Sacred Gear! Canis Regalia!" A bright light consumed his left hand, a familiar gauntlet covering his arm, possessing an appearance similar to that of a wolf's head.

Freed clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Great! And one of the shit Devils is also a Sacred Gear-user!" He sighed for a moment before putting his previous sadistic smile back on his face. "Oh well! I guess that's just one more thing I gotta cut out of you!"

Shirou's eyes widened in surprise as he laid eyes on his Sacred Gear. _"It changed forms again..."_ He instinctively raised his arm, using his gauntlet to block Freed's neck sword strike. _"What's going on? Last time, it formed as a bladed gauntlet. What changed?"_ Shirou let out a grunt as he exerted himself, pushing forward to deflect Freed's strike. _"Doesn't matter! I'll still use it to kick this shithead's ass!"_ Shirou pointed the mouth of Canis Regalia in Freed's direction. "Eat this!" An icy-blue aura started to cover around Shirou's left arm. He charged at Freed, throwing his left fist.

"Sorry~ No good, ya shit-Devil!" Freed raised his gun to block the attack. "I would prefer to stab you to death anyway~!"

"That won't work!" The "mouth" of Canis Regalia opened wide, baring its fangs to bite. Despite the fact that the weapon was made of metal, Canis Regalia's "fangs" sank deep into it as if the gun were made of flesh than metal. Shirou grinned a toothy smile. "Thanks for the _meal_!" The icy aura spread from Canis Regalia to Freed's gun.

"What the fuck!?" Freed stared in shock as his gun was gradually encased in ice. "Hey! Let go! That's _my_ toy! Give it back!" He swung his sword violently at Shirou, but their close positions to one another made it rather easy to predict his strikes.

"Oh? OK." Shirou answered, smiling. Canis Regalia's grip on the gun tightened, cracking the ice shell encasing it. "Whoops! Sorry about that-And _this_." Shirou drove his fist into the left side of Freed's face, knocking him back with enough force that he released his grip on his gun.

Freed winced, rubbing his bruised cheek. "Gah! You asshole!"

Shirou flipped the gun into the air, opening the "jaws" of Canis Regalia wide open, the piece of metal being swallowed completely by the Sacred Gear. There was a loud _CRUNCH_ as Canis Regalia chewed and swallowed the gun in one go. Shirou thought he may have been imagining it, but he thought he had heard a loud "gulp" from the Sacred Gear on his arm.

"Honestly, I was trying to break it." Shirou admitted, staring in surprise. "I had no idea where that "eating" thing came from."

"Bastard!" Freed pointed his sword at Shirou. "That gun was my FAVORITE! I'll fucking kill you for that!"

"Now you know how I feel about my jacket, you prick!" Shirou flipped Freed off with his other hand. "Now _Freeze_!" Shirou raised his left arm before unleashing a heavy wave of icy-blue aura in Freed's direction.

The fast priest easily dodged the attack, watching as it froze the ground, the plants, and even the moisture in the air it touched. "Haha! Missed me~ Missed me~!"

"...But I won't."

Freed had failed to pay attention to _both_ of the battle's participants while he was fighting Shirou. And that was the story of how Koneko managed to sneak behind Freed slamming her leg into his side. Freed coughed up blood, saliva, and all of the air in his lungs as he, again, flew through the air. However, he managed to easily drive his feet toward the ground, his body skidding to a stop.

"I can't believe I'm being knocked around by some lowly, Devil scum!" Freed spat some blood out of his mouth. "Mark my words! I'm going to cut you to pieces so small that they won't even be able to find enough to fill a thimble!"

Shirou and Koneko prepared themselves to continue fighting, Freed raising his sword to charge at them.

"Prepare to die!" Freed screamed, lunging forward-

RIIIIIIIIING!

The sound of a cellphone ringing cut through the intense atmosphere of their fight, Freed immediately stopping in place, lowering his sword.

"Hold that thought!" He pulled a phone out of his pocket, placing it to his ear. "Hello?"

Shirou face-faulted onto the ground. "He...picked up his phone in the middle of a battle..."

Freed stopped paying attention to them in order to listen to the person calling him. "...Uh huh..." Freed held up a finger, asking Shirou and Koneko for one minute. "Yeah...I see...Uh huh..." He frowned. "Oh come oooon! I was just starting to have some fun! I was about to cut some shitty Devils to fucking pieces! When will I ever get an opportunity like that again!? I can't remember the last time it was that I was allowed to do that!..." Freed paused. "Hahaha! Oh, that's right!...Last week _was_ pretty fun..." He sighed. " _Fiiiiine_. I'll come back for now." With a dissatisfied expression, Freed hung up the phone. "Fucking bitch..."

"Finally!" Shirou groaned. "Can we go back to kicking your ass now!?"

Freed stuck out his tongue at Shirou. "Look like it's your lucky day, Devil~!" Freed taunted. "My boss has called me back for the evening~ Said her job was done!" The light on his sword vanished, like a light saber's blade retracting back into the hilt. "So I'm afraid this is where I bid _adieu_ to you~! Don't cry~! You've humiliated me and pissed me off so much I might just find you again someday when I have some free time~! My mouth is watering just thinking at the thought of tearing away each piece of your flesh and eating it piece-by-piece~!"

Shirou stared. "But...I used to be human...Doesn't that technically make you a cannibal?"

Freed shrugged. "I would prefer the term "open-minded"~" He pulled something out of his jacket.

"Wait a minute!"

"Ta ta for now~!" Before Shirou could get to Freed, he smashed something against the ground, a powerful, bright light illuminating the entire area and blinding both him and Koneko. The last thing they heard from him was an insane, disgustingly cheerful laughter.

When the smoke cleared, Shirou and Koneko were alone. "Wait a minute, dammit! Get back here, you demented asshole!" Shirou called out, running to the spot where Freed had been before. "Don't run away! Come back and fight me! Or do you not have the balls to fight like a man!?"

"Senpai." Koneko grabbed Shirou's sleeve.

"We have to go after him, Koneko!" Shirou exclaimed. "He has some things he needs to answer for!" He tried running, but Koneko's superior strength kept him from getting very far due to her grip on his shirt.

"Did you miss what he said before?" Koneko asked. "He said his boss's job was done..."

"Yeah. And?"

"And what do you think that "job" is?"

It was embarrassing for Shirou that it took longer than he would care to admit to remember why he was there in the first place. "Shit! Issei!" He immediately turned and started running, most of his mind forgetting about the barrier.

...He met no resistance.

The wall that had appeared earlier was gone, leaving nothing but empty air. He didn't run into anyone else like Freed. The path was clear.

That was a bad sign.

The only sounds he could hear were that of his heartbeat and his own breathing.

He kept running until he reached the center of the park, where the old water fountain was.

The sun had fallen over the horizon, the dark of night coloring the sky.

Shirou's heart had stopped beating when he saw Issei laying on the ground, large amounts of blood pooling around his body, likely fro, the huge hole that ran from his frontside all the way to his back. His expression was frozen in shock and horror, his hand, stained crimson red by how own blood held in front of his face.

"Issei!" Shirou quickly ran to his friend's side, kneeling next to him. "Hold on! We-We're gonna get you some help!" He lifted Issei off of the ground, trying to ignore the chilling sensation of blood dripping onto his body. "Just hold on!"

A small squeak escaped Issei's mouth, his lips moving ever-so-slightly. "...S...Sh...irou..."

He was still conscious at least. That was something.

"That's right! That's right! It's me, Issei!" Shirou shifted his arms, trying to put some pressure on the wound to slow the bleeding. "Just stay awake! Stay with me, OK?"

More blood oozed from the gaping hole in his chest. "...I... can't... h-hurts..." Every word caused agony to appear on his face.

"I know-I know it hurts, b-but you gotta stay strong!" Shirou's eyes started to sting slightly. Issei was his first guy friend. One of the few knuckleheads not afraid to interact with him. He couldn't die. He just couldn't! "Come on! You told me once that you wanted to build a harem! What happened to that dream?! Are you gonna quit here?! Issei!"

A hand firmly grasped his unwounded shoulder. "Senpai." Shirou immediately turned to face Koneko. "...he's not going to make it if we don't call Buchou. There's no other option besides letting him die."

Shirou didn't answer. He knew these things already. A part of him expected this moment since the moment he laid eyes on "Yuuma Amano". Like a fool, he thought he could have prevented it. No plan, no support from Rias, no chance of success. There were only the options laid out before him. It didn't make the decision any easier.

"...Alright." Shirou said through gritted teeth, pulling a flyer with the Gremory rose-shaped family crest on it. "I really didn't want to do this to Issei...but it looks like it's the only option." Deep in Issei's eyes, Shirou could still make out the smallest hint of consciousness. Issei's dying will was truly strong if he could have remained alive for so long with such a wound. "I guess people like us can't live normally after all..." He handed the flyer to Issei, placing it on his chest. "The rest is up to you, Issei. If you want to live, call out your deepest desire with all of your might. Abandon all decency and speak your deepest wish."

With a weak, trembling hand, Issei grasped the paper on his chest, the light fading from his eyes too quickly to properly read it. "..."

"Come oooon, Issei." Shirou pleaded. "Just say something! Anything! Hang on just long enough to do that!"

"I..."

"Yeah! That's good! Keep going!"

"I...wish...for..."

"Almost there, Issei! You can do it! Ignore your pain for five seconds and tell us what you want most in all of the world!"

"Oppai..."

"..."

"..."

Shirou and Koneko stared silently at the dying boy in Shirou's arms. Neither said a word.

They just stood there and stared as the flyer on Issei's chest started to radiate a crimson-red light that illuminated the growing darkness. A magic circle bearing the crest of the Gremory family appeared in the air, glowing a similar color to the flyer before the beautiful form of Rias Gremory appeared from within it.

It was quite obvious that she noticed Shirou and Koneko's presences nearby, but she did not verbally acknowledge them. Instead, she focused on Issei who was dying in Shirou's arms. She knelt by his side, producing an object from thin air. Its appearance was odd to Shirou, resembling an ordinary chess piece.

"Rias...please save him." Shirou begged with a soft voice.

Rias smiled softly. "Do you not see the Evil Piece in my hand?" It sounded like a joke, but Shirou ended up with a confused expression.

"...Evil Piece?"

Rias's smile turned into a frown as she realized something. "Oh, that's right! I never explained to you what an Evil Piece was." She crossed her arms over her chest. "I guess with everything that happened, it never came to mind. Well-"

At that point, Issei started hacking up blood, drawing everyone's attention back to him.

"We'll have a more thorough lesson later." Rias decided. "For now, all you need to know is that we Devils possess these Evil Pieces and can turn other species into Devil servants. Like so..." The grace with which she produced her "Evil Piece" was somewhat lost due to her forgetfulness. She turned back to Issei. "If you are dying, then I will pick it up. Your life, that is. From now on, you will live for me." She placed the chess piece on Issei's chest, watching as it glowed a crimson color before sinking into Issei's chest.

Shirou expected a shudder, a jerk, some form of movement that indicated Issei was back to normal and alive, but nothing happened. He looked to Rias as if asking for an explanation.

"Hmmm..." Rias hummed to herself. "I guess I cannot afford to be stingy with this boy." Again, she produced some of her Evil Pieces, drawing out six others with a shape similar to the first. "Let us hope these will be enough." As she had done with the first piece, she placed the six others on Issei's chest, watching as they sank into his body. "In the name of Rias Gremory, I order you, Issei Hyoudou, to return to this earth and be reborn as my Devil servant. You, my Pawn, be delighted with your new life!"

They waited for five, heart-stopping seconds, waiting for some form of reaction which occurred in the form of a crimson aura that shrouded Issei's body.

Then Issei's chest rose...and sank. He had taken a breath.

He was still in pain, but he was alive.

Shirou finally released the breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding. Relief flooded his body.

His friend was alive. Shirou had failed to protect his normal life, but he was alive.

"That's good." Rias said, showing her own relief. "But to think he would take seven pieces...his latent power must be incredible. He will become a fine Devil in the future." She looked at Shirou and smiled softly. "Don't worry about his wounds. Now that he has become a Devil, I will be able to properly treat these injuries without the previously heavy risk of him dying."

"That _is_ good." Shirou agreed, smiling at the unconscious young man in his arms. He couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. "Damn. I can't wait to see his reaction when _he_ wakes up."

Then he noticed that Rias was no longer staring at Issei, but at _him_. She wasn't smiling anymore.

For a moment, Shirou thought she was going to get mad at him, yell at him for attempting to interfere with the Fallen Angels even though she had recently told him not to. Technically, he didn't interfere with the Fallen Angels. They had still managed to go through with their business, but Shirou still thought Rias would have been upset with him. He closed his eyes, waiting for her to start yelling.

"Where did you get those injuries, Shirou?"

Shirou's eyes shot open, Shirou blinking several times in surprise. "Uh...well..." He scratched his cheek nervously.

"We ran into trouble on the way here." Koneko chipped in, explaining the situation. "Shirou-senpai wanted to save Hyoudou-senpai and tried to find a legal way to intervene without getting us in trouble, but we ran into this barrier and one of the Fallen Angels' lackeys ambushed us. We won, but Shirou-senpai was hit during our battle."

The way Rias's face paled in response to Koneko's explanation made Shirou anxious. "So his injuries-?"

"...Inflicted by weapons using the power of light." Koneko confirmed.

It looked like Rias was going to have a heart attack. She turned to Shirou. "We need to get you treated right away!"

Shirou frowned. "Huh? Why?" He asked, uncertain as to why Rias was worried. "I feel just fine. I mean, sure I have a bullet hole in my shoulder and my last jacket was ruined, but I don't see any reason to get so worked up." He sighed. "Considering the fact I've been run through by a giant snake tail, all other injuries seem relatively mundane..."

"W-What...?" It was becoming harder and harder to comprehend Rias's surprised reactions. "You...You don't feel sick?"

"Uh...no?" Shirou answered.

"Your wounds don't burn?"

"No." Shirou looked at the wound on his chest and the wound on his shoulder, but didn't feel very alarmed. "They itch a little, but nothing major."

"You're not dying?"

"No. Why are you asking this stuff?"

Again, Rias frowned, this time looking as though she was thinking about something. "Strange...Normally Devils who are struck by weapons of light experience at least a bit of agony..." She examined the wounds on Shirou's body. "Light is harmful to us Devils who are creatures of darkness, like a poison. The spears of light used by the Fallen Angels and the light-based weapons used by Exorcists are especially deadly to us along with holy items like crosses or holy water. If we're destroyed by these types of weapons, then not just our bodies, but also our souls will cease to exist. Not even Evil Pieces could bring someone back from that..."

Shirou's face paled to match the color of Rias's face. "Oh...That's pretty bad." He looked at the wounds on his body. "I...I should get these checked out by Akeno, huh?"

While still looking confused, Rias nodded. "Yes. That would probably be for the best. Even if you are not experiencing any major symptoms right now, there's no reason to take unnecessary risks." With graceful and tender movements, Rias opened her arms. "I will take Issei Hyoudou home to heal his body."

Shirou considered Rias's request for several moments before nodding, handing Issei over to her. "OK, but be sure to keep your phone on you. I want you to snap a pic of his reaction when he wakes up."

His request was amusing enough to make Rias smile again. "Alright. I'll be sure to do that. You also make sure not to skip out on receiving healing from Akeno."

The thought of his body being bare before his rather erotic senior made Shirou blush. "Yes, ma'am." Still, if what Rias said was true, he didn't want to take the risk of the light-poisoning killing him in his sleep.

With that, Rias spread her wings and took to the air, flying through the night sky with her newest servant in her arms, leaving just Shirou and Koneko.

Koneko stared at Shirou. "Do you...Do you need my help getting back to the clubroom?"

Shirou shook his head. "Nah. You KNOW what I've been hit by. A little light poisoning won't kill me that easily." He laughed awkwardly at that. "You should go on ahead and explain the situation to Akeno and Kiba. It's important that they get a heads-up and you can move faster without me-"

"You're trying to procrastinate to avoid being touched by Akeno-senpai, aren't you?"

"HER HANDS ARE TOO SOFT AND INVASIIIIIIVE!" Shirou cried, sobbing as he remembered all of the embarrassing situations he had been put in during their "healing sessions". "Besides, I don't think the Fallen Angels intend to do anything else tonight. Issei is safe, I'm still alive...I should be good for now."

Koneko clicked her tongue. "Whatever..." She started walking away, but stopped a few steps away. "...Just call any of us if you need help getting back." With that, she spread her Devil wings similar to those that Rias possessed and took flight, leaving just Shirou in the dark.

"Tch! Damned shorty...Making it sound like a need her protection." Shirou crossed his arms behind his head. "Well, I guess I better get going."

"Nyaaaan~"

Shirou stumbled when a sudden weight pounced and landed right on top of his head. "Huh?" Without really thinking, he reached for his head and wrapped his hands around the furry "weight", pulling it and holding it in front of his face where he could properly see it. Shirou found himself smiling. "Oh! It's _you_!" He recognized those golden-yellow eyes anywhere.

Kuroneko stared innocently at Shirou with a _cat-like_ smile on her face. "Nyaaan~"

"It's good to see you too, you naughty cat~" Shirou said playfully. He held Kuroneko in his arms, petting her gently. "Well, I'm sorry I can't spend more time with you right now..."

"Nyaaaaaaaaan~" The cat let out a mew of dissatisfaction, nuzzling her face against Shirou's chest affectionately.

"Don't you do that! Don't you do that "cute routine" of yours!" Shirou warned, a small smile appearing on his face. Kuroneko just looked up and stared at him, her feline will far stronger than his human will. "...Well...alright. I guess I can get you a little something to eat on the way. You can't come with me, but you're welcome to sleep at my house if you feel like it, you little mooch~"

Again, he pet Kuroneko on the head, the feline sinking her claws into what remained of Shirou's shirt, continuing to nuzzle against him affectionately. The way she laid in his arms, her body still tensed...it was like she was acting _protectively_.

Shirou frowned at that thought. "Hmmm..." He shrugged it off. There was no point in continuing that line of thought. "Let's stop by the store real quick. I just hope they don't turn me away coz of the blood..."

Never once did he notice the way the pain from his wounds decreased...or how his wounds had started to heal much more quickly...

Or the true intent behind the smile on his feline friend's face.

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** A New Recruit! The Real Lesson about Devil Life Begins!

* * *

 **And with that, the Fallen Angel arc has officially kicked off! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!**

 **I'm sure it's obvious now what piece Shirou is by now but just go with it. GO WITH IT! O_O**

 **In other news, finally got the VN for Majikoi S...only afterwards realized that it was a SEQUEL to the game I wanted...How as I supposed to know?! It's all in goddamned Japanese! I don't understand what's going on in the plot right now!**

 **Anywho...Hooray for Graduation! Finally getting outta that school o' mine for FREEDOOOOM!**

 **I think that's about it for now...Hmmm...I wonder...**

 **Oh yeah! Anyone ever read Noblesse or Girls of the Wild's?...Does anyone else agree how the quality has dropped lately?**

 **I think that's all~!**

 **Thanks for the R &R! All of you's keep doin that! Thankees~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	17. Chapter 14: A New Recruit!

**So, once again, we have achieved the next chapter of Devil Reborn Redux. I promise to do my best to avoid dragging out the Fallen Angel arc so we can get to the REAL action of the Riser arc. God, you guys are in for some fun in that arc!**

 **...just finished Red Versus Blue Season 13...Fuck.**

 **Disclaimer: I own jack shit!**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: A New Recruit! The Real Lesson About Devil Life Begins!**

Ever since the previous evening, Shirou had been anxious.

He couldn't eat, he couldn't sleep, he couldn't even cook, something which was shocking because at every difficult point of his life, whenever he was stressed, cooking was always what immediately calmed him down. It was easy for him to realize how anxious he was just from that fact alone.

"Shicchan, are you feeling alright?"

And he wasn't the only one to realize as such.

Mikoto Fujimura stared at her son with worried eyes, placing an easy breakfast dish in front of him. "You normally have breakfast cooked before even I wake up." Mikoto said. "Is something wrong?" Then her expression suddenly became serious. "Did Kiyo-chan hurt you? Emotionally, I mean. Not physically...Or did she do it physically?" Mikoto picked up a fork from the table. "If she did either, I'm gonna fork her in the skull!"

"Wait-what?"

"Nothing~" Mikoto sang, smiling brightly as she hid the sharpened eating utensil behind her back.

Shirou didn't respond to her suspicious behavior, simply poking his food around with his own fork. He leaned on his arm, staring absently at his food, poking it casually with his fork. When he behaved in such an abnormally calm and absent-minded way, letting perfectly good food go to waste, there was no doubt in the mind of a perceptive mother like Mikoto that something was definitely wrong with her child.

Even though she acted so childishly to the point where it appeared _Shirou_ was the older one, her love and care for her son were beyond reproach. So to say she was simply worried was a completely, unforgivable understatement.

"Shicchan, what's going on with you lately?" Mikoto asked, trying to stir the waters of the conversation to see if anything floated to the top. "You seem so...sullen."

"Huh?" Shirou barely looked up from his uneaten meal, looking somewhat surprised by his mother's observation. "Do I?...I don't mean to be. I guess it's just...puberty. Yeah. Puberty. Let's go with that." He really didn't feel like paraphrasing the situation into words someone unrelated to the more private matters of his secret Devil life at the moment. Any and all energy he may have had was completely gone since the previous night where _not only_ did he get cut up by a light-wielding psychopath (who was still significantly less intimidating than the Stray Devil Eliade), but he also watched as his best friend died in his arms shortly before being saved and, at the same time, forced into the life of a Reincarnated Devil.

An awkward silence passed between mother and son, Mikoto staring blankly in response to Shirou's claim of puberty despite clearly already being beyond that point.

Without a second thought, Mikoto returned to cleaning up breakfast. "Sounds like you have a full plate." She was not mentally equipped to deal with such a sensitive subject.

"Yep..."

Shirou took a sip of tea from the cup in front of him, the pair passing into silence once again. After the initial joy and relief of his mother returning home, this was what their daily life became each time.

It was soothing most of the time, just not on that particular day.

Funny how _watching your friend die in your arms_ put you in a downer of a mood.

"OK then..." Mikoto said, trying to act motherly in spite of the awkward situation. "Just...Just let me know if you ever need to talk, Shicchan. I'm here for you."

Somehow, that only made him feel more solemn than he did before. "Thanks." He pushed his plate away and stood up from his seat. "I'm not very hungry this morning. I'm just gonna go ahead and get to school. I promise to come back after club activities today, Ka-san." Then he walked over to the front door, and he left.

Mikoto was left standing there, looking at her son's back until he disappeared from her sight.

"OK then...I love you."

* * *

"Hey there...honeybunch...(?)" He didn't even need to look up to guess that the awkward voice belonged to Kiyome. "Damn it!"

Just like the day before, Kiyome had taken it upon herself to meet up with her boyfriend so they could walk to school together again. Even though her house was several blocks in the _other_ direction, she still chose to walk all the way to the street Shirou lived on just so they could get some together time in before school started and they had to pretend to be the close frenemies they had been before they started going out.

"Hey..." Shirou answered halfheartedly, giving a small wave of his hand as he walked up to her. "How's it going?"

Kiyome frowned, somewhat put-off by Shirou's rather unenthusiastic response. "Good...I just...um...wanted to spend some time with you again." She paused, waiting for some sort of response.

"Sounds fun." Shirou, again, could only reply with a depressed monotone. "Anyway, we should get going so we're not late. People will suspect if we both end up being late together."

"OK..." Kiyome wasn't sure what else to say to him. He wasn't declining her request to walk together nor was he starting any sort of conflict with her interests. The only actual thing that was wrong was that he looked kind of depressed and, for once, yelling at him, slapping him, or trying to correct him verbally would not have any effect short of worsening the situation. She had seen Shirou's facade of cockiness crack once or twice, but she had never seen him in such state. _"...At least, not until that time..._ _"_

The memory came to her as though it had taken place just the day before.

She remembered the first time she had seen Shirou actually cry. Back when he had thought she had been killed by the Stray Devil that had kidnapped her.

"Shirou...are you feeling alright?" Kiyome placed a gentle hand on her boyfriend's shoulder, staring at him with tender eyes.

Despite her kind voice and loving touch, Shirou just felt even more tired. "I'm beginning to get a little sick of people asking that." He hadn't meant to say it so bitterly or harshly, but it sounded as though he had just snapped at her for no reason at all. Thus, he had ended up feeling even more like shit than he had back when the day had first started. He looked away, believing that his words would have either upset or angered Kiyome. If she intended to hit him, Shirou would have preferred to not see it coming.

And that was when Shirou found his face shoved in-between two, soft, bouncy "objects", comforted as if they themselves were large pillows. A gentle embrace tightened around Shirou's body, allowing Kiyome to hold him closely.

It was a soothing feeling.

The sensation of peace and security that Shirou felt in Kiyome's embrace let the exhaustion and stress of the previous evening finally drain from his body.

"You know I'm your girlfriend, right?" Kiyome asked, gently brushing the back of Shirou's head. "I'm not here just for my good looks, you know." She let out a small laugh at her own joke. "If there's something bothering you, you shouldn't be afraid to let me know. I mean, considering the fact you're a supernatural existence who has already faced a man-eating snake woman who is like Freddy Krueger without his nightmare powers...Let's face it. You're life is probably headed in pretty messed up directions. You need whatever comfort and normality you can get."

Shirou couldn't help the amused snort he made. "Yeah...I guess you're right."

It was the perfect opportunity to further question Shirou of his troubles. To get him to open up completely and, in all honesty, Shirou had expected her to do so. He was just so tired and her hug was so warming that he felt like he would have done anything if only to enjoy this peace just a little bit longer.

That was what Kiyome wanted, to be a calm, comforting presence. She had never had an actual boyfriend before, but, with Shirou, she had always felt that she just wanted to be there. To be the source of comfort that helped him through his troubles when he needed her, no matter what. Even though a part of her thought it made her sound like the more submissive of the two, it was what she truly felt.

"It's not fair..." Kiyome perked up as Shirou spoke after what had probably been fifteen minutes. She looked at his pathetic-looking face, but said nothing. "...No matter how strong I get, I can't seem to ever do _anything_ right. My friends keep getting hurt. I keep winning, but I still lose..." He nuzzled his face against Kiyome's breasts, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Shirou...?" Kiyome couldn't understand what Shirou was talking about, but she could hear the bitterness in his voice. "It's okay. Everyone's bound to make mistakes before they finally get something right-"

"I shouldn't _need_ to make mistakes!" Shirou snapped, pausing after realizing what he had done. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, he pulled away from Kiyome, uncertain whether or not he should look her in the eyes. "I shouldn't _need_ to watch my friends get hurt in front of me before I'm finally able to save them. First you get hurt, then Issei gets killed and forced into being a Devil, and tomorrow it may as well be Rias, Akeno, Kiba, or Koneko! I just want to get it right the first time _just once._ "

Without any consent or disapproval from Shirou, Kiyome wrapped her arms around him again, hugging him tightly as if it was the only thing she could do. And, in her mind, it was. She didn't know what she could do, what she could say to change his mind. All she could do was listen and be there. She placed her head against his chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. It was soft and gentle, as if speaking out Shirou's true nature.

"OK, so it's not okay..." Kiyome agreed, speaking in a soothing voice. "But it _will_ be okay. Issei was hurt, but he's alive now. So am I. If you really want to make up for your mistakes, don't just drown yourself in self-pity. Get stronger for next time, make sure you're able to protect everyone, and keep showing the parts of you that makes you the person we care about." She gave Shirou a small smile. "No more of that depressing face, okay? You just need to smile and move on. Issei is a pervert, but there's no doubt your friend wouldn't like knowing you're beating yourself up like this over him."

Shirou turned away, feeling somewhat anxious, but Kiyome's soft hand on his cheek drew his face back towards her, allowing for her to lean forward and plant a soft kiss on his lips.

A light blush colored the white-haired boy's cheeks. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "W-Well, we should probably get going soon." He said, uncertain what came next other than awkward silence. He opened his mouth to try to say something several times, but always closed his mouth seconds afterward.

"My my, is the Demon King of Kuoh getting all tongue-tied because of one kiss~?" Kiyome teased.

"S-Shut up!"

"Still, at least you didn't pass out like the first time~"

"Hey! I just got done fighting a giant snake-lady that time and you know it!" Shirou pointed an accusing finger in Kiyome's direction only to realize she was no longer standing in front of him.

"I see~" Kiyome answered, amused as she circled around Shirou, avoiding his hands each time he tried to touch or grab her. "Whoops~ Too slow~"

"Hey now!"

Again and again, Shirou tried to catch his girlfriend, but she maneuvered and spun out of his reach each time, the same playful smile on her face as she did so. It was almost like she was actually _dancing_ out of his hand's reach, further teasing him on his slowness. Shirou could have naturally caught her with ease, but, despite his initial feelings, he had actually come to feel some amusement from the "game". The corners of his mouth curved upward to form a small smirk as he tried again to catch his girlfriend.

"Too slow~" Kiyome then started to half-run/half-jog down the street, turning to face Shirou. "Come and get me~ Ha~!" And then she took of running.

"Get back here, you!"

Like a pair of elementary-school children, they started playing a Tag-like game on their way to school.

* * *

"What the Hell happened to you?" Motohama adjusted his glasses, eyeing Shirou and Kiyome curiously. Kiyome turned away, crossing her arms and turning her face, hiding the large blush on her face.

Shirou hung his head, face flushed while rubbing the hand-shaped mark on his face. "I tagged the wrong place."

It was much less dangerous playing hide & seek as children because, back then, "getting lucky" meant finding a dollar in the street, "jerking off" was thought to be some sort of oddly-named dance move, and "copping a feel" over the course of the game was so much less likely to get a child slapped.

Despite being as close as they were, Kiyome still possessed an instinctive, involuntary, womanly reaction when touched by surprise in areas such as her breast. It wasn't that she completely opposed the idea of Shirou touching them (He HAD seen them already after all). It was that she wasn't quite sure how to even go about such a gesture.

While Motohama was left to try to figure out what exactly Shirou's vague words meant, Matsuda walked up to them with an equally confused look. The bald member of the Perverted Trio looked between all of the members of their group, especially taking notice of the red mark on Shirou's face. Despite Motohama being (in terms of IQ, not life) the smartest of their lecherous group, Matsuda was much quicker to pick up on things. After seeing Kiyome's expression, he turned to Shirou and gave him a thumbs up.

He was a pervert. He didn't care about the scenario. A "brother" managed to cop a feel, so it was apparently something worth congratulating.

The other two members of the trio had become slightly more hospitable towards Shirou ever since Shirou and Kiyome had started putting up their act of hostility towards one another in order to hide their relationship. As far as they knew, Shirou was back to being a normal loser like them who was barely friends with Kiyome who somehow happened to start requiring to take a longer, more complicated route to school that happened to be on the same road as them.

They were his friends, of course, but their dimness only made them so much better to hang around.

"Oh yeah! There's something I wanted to ask you guys." Matsuda's expression went from praising to somewhat confused. He gestured over his shoulder with his thumb. "I figured that if you guys were like me, you could finally convince Issei over there to let it go."

It was only then that Shirou noticed that the one member missing from their group of five, usually one of the most energetic of their group, was slowly trudging towards them, his gaze cast downward with his hands in his pockets. Issei Hyoudou was, suffice to say, a sorry sight.

"...You would have think someone died or something." Matsuda mused, scratching his head.

Thankfully, he failed to notice how twitchy and anxious Shirou had gotten for a moment, or the way he tugged at his collar while looking away.

Issei groaned, showing some dissatisfaction with his friend's needling. "So...you guys are serious then?"

"Serious about what, Hyoudou?" Kiyome asked, not just for herself but for Shirou as well. She could tell just from a glance how much he wished to understand what Issei's words meant.

Issei sighed, turning to face Shirou and Kiyome. "Tell me...did I come here alone yesterday?" He frowned deeply at the blank expressions they responded with. "Do...Do you guys know anybody by the name of Yuuma Amano?"

It felt like Shirou's heart had forgotten how to expand and contract to form a beat. He felt himself almost suffocate instantaneously for a brief moment. Never, not even for a second, had he considered how he would approach Issei that day. He had held Issei during his final moments. There was no way that Issei wouldn't question him and, when he did, Shirou would not know what to say.

"Huh? Yuuma? Who's that?" Kiyome's face showed genuine confusion.

"My..." Issei hung his head, sighing. "...girlfriend."

Rather than take a jab at him or laugh, Kiyome just continued with her confused gaze. "You...You seem like an alright guy, but I don't think I remember you ever having a girlfriend."

"Yeah, I expected that." Issei replied with a melancholy tone. Then he looked at Shirou. "You gonna call me crazy too?"

And that was when Shirou hesitated. He saw the look on Issei's face, how lost he seemed to be. From the way he acted normally, even if he did remember "Yuuma", he didn't remember Shirou being by his side the previous evening. Shirou wasn't quite sure how to respond to Issei's question. A part of him wanted to spill everything right there and then as well as apologize, but he found himself biting his tongue.

 _"No...He would still need to be properly inducted into Rias's Peerage and have the situation explained to him..."_ Shirou thought to himself. _"I don't have the perfect knowledge nor the "people skills" necessary to properly explain the situation to him...No. It would probably be best to just let Rias do the explaining. She's much more qualified than me."_

Shirou did his best to mimic Kiyome's expression of confusion, staring at Issei as if he were crazy. "Who's that? You tripping out on me, buddy?"

Again, Issei found himself sighing. Ever since that morning had started, he couldn't stop thinking about the "dream", where he had been stabbed and killed by his girlfriend, Yuuma Amano, at the end of their date. He had tried asking Matsuda and Motohama about her that morning, but both of them claimed complete and utter lack of knowledge regarding her existence. All of the photos Issei had taken of her with his phone were gone as well, so he had no evidence of his own to prove her existence either.

"I see...OK then..."

But there was a feeling nagging at the back of his head. The way Shirou reacted to his question...the look in his eyes...

As well as a faint, tearful voice that appeared near the end of the "dream"...

Something definitely felt off.

"Anyway, let's get to school already, you guys." Motohama urged them. "It's a pretty windy day today, so we might be able to get a good look at some fine ass if their skirts move!"

"Hells yeah!" Matsuda cheered in agreement.

"Yeah. Sounds good, I guess." Issei agreed, his mind too preoccupied to react as he normally would have to such a situation.

The perverted trio then started to walk away in the direction of their school.

Kiyome rolled her eyes, sighing. "Pigs." Even though she considered Shirou's friends her friends (using the term loosely and only by their association to Shirou), she still didn't like their lecherous attitude. She didn't dislike it altogether, but, as a woman, she had some pride and shame. By the classification given to the trio by society, they were, in fact, pigs. She was about to follow after the other three when Shirou gripped her arms.

"Hey, Kiyome, I have a question."

"What is it?"

Shirou stared at her expression, memorizing any and all changes it made. "How did you manage to play along so well? I mean, even I hesitated for a second there."

Kiyome tilted her head to the side, her confused expression becoming more and more severe with each passing second. "What are you talking about?"

Something about that didn't sit well with Shirou. "You know. About...Yuuma and stuff. How did you know to pretend she didn't exist?"

And, like she had with Issei, Kiyome stared at Shirou as if he were crazy. "You're saying that too?" She placed a hand to Shirou's forehead. "Are you catching a fever or something...?"

"N-No!" Shirou gently removed her hand from his forehead. "You...You seriously don't remember Yuuma? She walked with us to school the other day and said we would have made the perfect couple."

Light pink colored Kiyome's cheeks, but she still looked confused. "While I would have been happy to hear something like that, I still have no idea who this Yuuma Amano is, Shirou..." However, then she made a troubled expression. "I...I don't know who she is, but if I were a betting woman, I would bet that she's related to the problems you're going through right now as a Devil. Isn't she?"

It was like she had read Shirou's mind.

"Well...I don't disbelieve you." Kiyome decided. "...Even if I don't remember her, I still believe you...I have faith." She placed a gentle hand on Shirou's shoulder, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze before releasing so as to avoid the detection of others. "I'm going to go on ahead now. I'll be wishing you luck in getting to the bottom of whatever's going on around here, Shirou."

And with that, she left, leaving Shirou alone.

 _"So even Kiyome doesn't remember Yuuma?"_ Shirou rubbed his chin, thinking to himself. _"So...Yuuma really is the Fallen Angel after all. All doubts are gone. Only someone with magical power like a Devil or Fallen Angel would have had the power to make it so just about everyone had forgotten about her. Me and Issei are probably spared because we're Devils...Still, if she could erase all of their memories so perfectly, what else is she capable of...?"_

A soft chill went down Shirou's spine, an uneasy sensation passing through him.

It felt like he was being watched.

He paid several uneasy glances around himself, examining the surroundings for any out of the ordinary before taking off in a light run, doing his best to catch up with his friends.

* * *

It had been a close one.

She hadn't been intending to get so close out of the blue like that.

The day had been fairly pleasant so far. A few drinks at the bar, a little bit of flirting with men so as to drain them of the contents of their wallets, a little shopping before throwing away her purchases due to a lack of interest, all of the little things she usually did for fun.

But none of these things satisfied her that day.

And then _he_ came to mind.

It had started out as something of a joke, something to pass the time when she didn't really have anything else to do.

And yet now, she could not stop thinking about him.

It was mere lust. That was what she had kept telling herself in order to sate her confusion.

A young boy with untainted virginity, her favorite meal that she had enjoyed many times over the course of her life, the expression of ecstasy on every face forever etched into her memories.

She had intended to "eat him" (sexually speaking), mount him, and completely make him hers.

Of course she wouldn't kill him, but she would not have had another thought of him afterwards. It was supposed to have been as simple as that. Nothing more, nothing less.

Normally, after failing to "obtain" someone after so much time had passed, she would have simply lost interest and forgotten about them, but something was _different_ this time.

Every move he made captivated her. Every word and praise he gave her made her heart melt. Every time he came near her, the scent he gave off, sweeter than even the sweetest honey, made her want to take him there and then.

She had somehow found herself reduced to something reminiscent of a lowly stalker.

It perplexed and humiliated herself that she would have gone so far and, at the same time, infuriated her that she could not simply take what she wanted.

Yet she could not show him any anger. Again and again, she found herself questioning anything and everything about the situation she had found herself in.

Sooner or later, she would _resolve_ her affiliation with that child one way or another. How this happened all depended on him.

And every part of her dreaded when that day would come.

* * *

"Like this, Akeno-san?"

"Yes, that's much better than before~ Keep doing it like that~"

"I-I'll try, but it gets really tiring after a few times."

"Just keep going~ You have to keep going until I'm satisfied."

"Easier said than done. You have so much more stamina than me..."

"Ufufu~ Is that really all you have? I expected better from the Demon Boy of Kuoh~"

"Demon KING! It's Demon KING of Kuoh, dammit!"

"Considering your current attitude, I really wonder if you live up to your reputation~"

"What was that?! I'll show you! I can keep going!"

"Ara ara~ Shirou's suddenly become a lot more energetic~"

"AHEM!" The sound of someone clearing their throat caused Shirou and Akeno's conversation to pause. The senior and her junior turned to face their third-party-observer, sitting under the shade of a nearby tree with her nose in a book (albeit with her eyes looking over the edges at them). As school was out for the day, Kiyome had decided to forgo going home early after tennis practice in favor of watching Shirou and Akeno. She glared at them with flushed cheeks. "Would you two mind stopping it with those innuendos!? It's really hard to focus! Seriously! If someone entered in the middle of that conversation of yours, it would have caused such a major misunderstanding!"

Shirou stared at Kiyome, tilting his head in confusion. "Huh? What do you mean...? We're just training."

After school that day, Shirou had decided to work in some extra training before carrying out whatever contracts they received that night. Koneko and Kiba were busy, so Rias decided they may as well work in some magic training because it was still the area in which Shirou was lacking.

"Maybe _you're_ the perverse one by immediately only hearing something dirty from our words~" Akeno pointed out, deeply enjoying the sharp look from Kiyome.

"I _do not_ want to hear that from _you_ of all people."

However, her comment went largely ignored, Shirou having already returned to focusing on his training.

"So, what's next?" Shirou asked.

Akeno considered the question. It wasn't as though she had developed a particularly complex training schedule.

"Well, you seem to have at least a fair level of magical ability considering you relatively recent rebirth." Akeno stated. "For most Reincarnated Devils, save those granted the abilities of a Bishop's or Queen's trait, manipulating their Demonic Power into spells is something that takes a great deal of time and focus to manage. You, who managed to accomplish this in less than two months after your reincarnation, have progressed further than even I could have anticipated. You've managed to obtain experience in utilizing the basic elements, having even managed to use those elements to aid you in combat."

"I get the feeling there's a "but" coming."

"- _but_ your skill in controlling your power is still horribly lacking."

"What does that mean?" Shirou asked, blinking in surprise.

He did not react harshly to the criticism, so Akeno felt that the rest of the explanation was going to be much easier, which was a relief to her.

"While your magical power is great and still improving, you still have no real control over it." Akeno practically repeated. "The spells you use are too explosive in nature and you use your energy excessively when fighting. It's somewhat similar to Rias's magic. However, in her case, her magic is an entirely different monster. Even the more trained users of that power do have some trouble with completely taming it."

"Um...Akeno," Shirou interjected, raising his hand, "I've never _seen_ Rias user her magic. I don't really know how to compare mine to it..."

"Oh...Right." A moment of awkward silence ensued before Akeno managed to continue with her explanation. "Well...you ever watch a spy action movie and there's always that one scene where the facility erupts into a huge explosion, decimating everything and everyone inside and reducing everything within a certain radius to ashes?"

"...Y-Yeah?"

"Well, there you go."

.

.

.

"O-Oh...OK then." Shirou kicked his foot around in the dirt, uncertain how to react. "So...where do I go from here?"

"Well, your training could go in several directions from here." Akeno answered honestly. "There are many ways one could manipulate their magic, so many individual spells."

"Like a memory alteration spell...?" Shirou asked without properly thinking about it.

Akeno raised an eyebrow at Shirou's suggestion, but nodded nonetheless. "Yes."

"Could such a spell, say, affect an entire school of children?" Shirou asked in a hypothetical sense. "Maybe erase their memories of someone who wanted to disappear ever existing?"

It was around that time that Akeno caught on to what Shirou was talking about. "I see you've realized the changes." She motioned for Kiyome to walk over to their group. "A demonstration is probably in order. Could you help us, Kiyome?"

While clearly feeling suspicious of Akeno's intentions, Kiyome still approached the pair, wishing to help however she could. "With what?"

"Could you tell me of a woman named Yuuma Amano?" Akeno asked politely as if to make some sort of point.

"Like I told Shirou earlier, I still have no earthly idea who that woman is." Kiyome stated firmly, sighing. "If both Shirou _and_ members of your Devil group are saying she existed, then I guess she probably did and nobody can remember it. I mean, from what I've observed so far, the things you guys do are completely nuts, so you wouldn't make up something like this. Still, I don't have any memories of meeting her."

"And that's the effect memory alteration can have, Shirou." Akeno concluded, returning her attention to her junior. "The Fallen Angel who called herself Yuuma Amano singlehandedly managed to erase the memories of every human who had come into contact with her. From the students to any human she may have interacted with outside of her group."

"I see..." Shirou said, uncertain how to properly respond to something like that. "It's a little scary when you think about it...How someone could easily just mess up your head like that, erase not just your memories, but the experiences who made you everything you are..." He couldn't help but run numerous paranoia-generated scenarios through his head about all the ways someone could have ended up abusing that power to screw with his life.

"Well, people like you and I don't have to worry about that too much." Shirou looked at Akeno with curiosity. "Inhuman races like Devils have a higher resistance to physical or mental alterations like what was done by the Fallen Angel as I'm sure you've gathered. It's not impossible to accomplish, but it would take someone with a great deal of magical ability, far more than that particular Fallen Angel could ever have managed. Such spells were originally created to be used on humans anyway, in cases where our world may have been unintentionally revealed to them and we need to give them a little "help" forgetting."

"But humans like Kiyome are exempt, right?"

"That's correct. If they are humans with a preexisting and legal connection to the world of mythology and the supernatural, such as Kiyome and her family who are Beast Tamers, then unless they have been involved in secret matters that need to be _kept_ secret, their memories wouldn't need to be changed."

"Huh, so I guess-"

" _However_ ," Akeno interrupted Shirou's thoughts, having a fair idea on what he was going to say, "it's still important not to let people find out about things they shouldn't in the first place. Memory alteration is still a fairly dangerous magic that could leave lasting damage on a person's mind if done improperly, so it's usually a last resort. Mass-alterations like those carried out by the Fallen Angels recently are especially dangerous. It's for that reason that Rias had decided to wait to induct Issei Hyoudou into our club _officially_. We have to make sure that none of the other students have suffered long-standing damage."

"Wait. She did what?" He had been spending the entire day thinking up ways to break the news to Issei so as to avoid making his head explode. He hadn't been expecting this kind of news. "I thought we were going to...I...I honestly don't know what we were going to do. Damn it! Why I am I always the last one to know about this stuff?!"

"Because you're usually the last one to notice."

"..."

She had meant it in a matter-of-fact way, but even Akeno noticed that her comment sounded something like an insult.

"Before making our Devil junior aware of the situation, we should probably wait for his body to adjust to the changes, which should also be enough time for us to see to the health of our classmates."

"Aw! Does that mean Rias didn't take the picture?!" Shirou whined, his first thought being the fact that Rias had promised him a photo of Issei's surprised expression when he was being healed just for the lolz alone. "Damn! I can't get nothin' around here!" And that was when a second, technically more important thought came to mind. "Wait. How long will we be waiting to give him the heads-up?"

"About a week."

"What the fuck?! I barely got a day!"

"Yeah, well, we have a feeling that it would be much more of a shock to him than someone whose first reaction after realizing he really became a Devil was to exclaim "This is AWESOME! Hell yeah! I have WINGS! Now I can fly around and shit! It will be totally badass!" like that."

"..." Shirou huffed, crossing his arms and turning away. "...that was a terrible impression."

"But not inaccurate." Akeno countered. "But enough about that. We should get back to training before we have anymore interrupt-"

"SHICCHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN~!" The familiar, high-pitched, cheerful screech rang in all of their eardrums.

Shirou shot Akeno a snark look as they both covered their ears. "Yeah, you kinda walked right into that one."

"Shicchan, Shicchan, Shicchaaaaaaaan~" The minuscule form of Mikoto Fujimura raced right over the school fencing, leaving a heavy dirt cloud tracing through the air where she ran as she pursued her target.

"Shit!" Shirou looked at the thoroughly WRECKED field that he and Akeno had used during their training. There was no humanly way anybody could have done such damage without magic or a fully-paid construction crew (DEstruction crew in this case). And Shirou certainly didn't have the funds to hire such help. "We need to get this mess cleaned before she notices! Kiyome, distract her!" Without his girlfriend's consent, he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to her feet, quickly pushing her in the direction of the affection-ravenous beas-erm-mother.

"H-Huh?!" Kiyome uttered, shocked as she stumbled forward. She turned her head and saw Shirou running to Akeno for assistance. "HOW!?"

"I don't know! Ask how her day was! That's usually what keeps you talking for a while!"

"What was that?!"

"Nothing!"

"Kiyo-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan~!" Kiyome had no time to brace herself for the miniature cannonball that was known as Mikoto Fujimura that slammed right into her stomach, wrapping her arms around Kiyome in a hug. "Oh! That's really great too~! You and Shicchan are here together~! Is it like a date? Ooh! I bet it's a date! It's a date, isn't it!? OMG! Please tell me I didn't interrupt your date~! I really DO want you and Shicchan to get lovey-dovey! I don't mind having you for a daughter-in-law, you lovely girl, you~! You know, it's funny! I actually was thinking about you earlier when I passed by this store and saw the most BEA-U-TIFUL wedding dress at the store earlier! You and I should really go shopping sometimes! I get the feeling you would have some pretty good taste and we could watch each other try on a bunch of different outfits, what do you say? Won't it be fun~?"

"Ah...huh?" As usual, it was very difficult following Mikoto's words let alone her train of thought. "That sounds...nice?"

"Yaaay~! I knew you'd just love it~! I'll start drawin' up plans! We'll have us a lil' ol' fashioned girls'-day-out! Just you and me~!"

 _"What did I just agree to?"_ Kiyome asked herself, a mix of confusion and horror filling her chest as she tried to think about what just happened.

"Ka-san, are you giving Kiyome trouble again?" Shirou asked, walking up to the pair with his hands on his hips. Miraculously, in the ten seconds he had been gone, not only had he and Akeno managed to fix all of the damage, but he somehow managed to procure himself a new change of clothes. Shirou gave a light chuckle, smiling softly. "You know it's hard to take you seriously when you act so childishly."

It was then that Mikoto's eyes locked onto her only son, a new expression of joy coloring her face. "Shicchaaaaan~!" Mikoto leaped up into her son's arms, hugging and being hugged in return. "Yay~! You're not all bummed out anymore! Earlier, you had such a sad look on your face, but now you look all normal and happy again~!"

"Uh...yeah." Shirou agreed awkwardly, remembering the bitter note he had left his home on that morning. "I just...uh...had a bad dream is all."

"Oh, well that's good~! I'm glad it was just a dream~!" Mikoto cheered, nuzzling her face against Shirou's chest. "I just wanted to come see how you were doin' coz you didn't come home yet even though most of your school's club activities were over, so I used the tracker chip I implanted in the base of your neck to come find you here~!"

"I se-Wai-What?"

"But now I see you were just being with Kiyo-chan~!"

"You put a _what_ in my neck?"

"Since we're all here, why don't we all go home together~! That way you and Kiyo-chan can spend some extra time together~! Walk together, hold hands, even kissn'~! I don't mind~ It's all a part of love so you two can feel free to do as you like in front of me~"

Shirou and Kiyome paled. It wasn't that Mikoto's offer wasn't appealing, it was that people in town, some of whom were related to students at their school, would have ended up seeing the two and put two and two together. But, at the same time, if they didn't, Mikoto would suspect something was up with their relationship (Technically there wasn't, but the nature of the moment in which they got together was a lie to ensure Mikoto did not suspect Shirou's Devil activities or continued delinquency).

"Uh...well..."

"You see, the thing is..."

"We...It's just that..."

"I mean-"

"There's just a little-er-"

"It's not like we're saying that-"

"Oh, hey, you two! Thanks for waiting!"

If they hadn't been Devils, Shirou would have believed it was a God-given miracle that Akeno chose that moment to come out of nowhere, the usual smile on her face.

The moment she laid eyes on the busty senior student, Mikoto's eyes narrowed. It was clear she still remembered the way in which she had met Akeno. Kiyome got a pass for her nudity in Shirou's room because Mikoto received the excuse that they were a couple and were trying to do couple things, but Akeno...Mikoto saw her as an evil, manipulative succubus who received "advantages" that would make all other women cry.

"Shicchan."

"Y-Yeah, Ka-san?"

"What is Cow-udders doing here?"

"Who?"

Mikoto pointed to Akeno.

"Oh! Oh!" Shirou ended up stuttering a few times as he caught onto his mother's words. "Well...you see...Akeno here is...uh...We were...Tell her what we were doing, Kiyome." His girlfriend shot another glare at him as he heaved a sigh of relief, having once again thrown her under the bus named "Mikoto".

"Huh!? Uh-well, we were...doing something-yeah, we were definitely doing something!" Kiyome half-mumbled/half-stuttered, frantically wracking her brain for some believable lie. "And this thing-this something we were doing-um...well, we were doing a thing-That I'm absolutely sure Akeno here can tell you all about!" Kiyome moved behind Akeno, pushing her to the front of the group to protect her from the line of fire.

"We were having a three-way to further our bonds of course~"

She immediately regretted her joke (Not really) when both Kiyome and Shirou smacked her on the back of the head, their faces red and angry.

"Don't tell jokes like that!"

"Seriously! Are you trying to give my mother a heart attack?!"

And that was when Shirou noticed the malevolent aura seeping off of Mikoto's body. " _Shicchan..._ " She hissed in an inhuman-like growl. " _What did she just say?_ "

Shirou started to sweat. "U-Uh-No! It was just a joke, Ka-san! Just a very, very, very, _very_ bad joke Senpai told just to get a rise!" However, the horrific presence his mother had started giving off only intensified. "C-Come on! I know you're upset, but you already have two arrests! The police won't let a third assault go! Even if you're drunk!"

"Grrrrrrr!" It seemed that Mikoto would continue to refuse to listen to reason no matter how much Shirou pleaded.

"I'm making your favorite for dinner~!" Shirou said in a disturbingly cheerful tone. Perhaps the worst attempt yet in the eyes of his girlfriend and his friend.

"...Will there be natto?"

And this made it all the more shocking when Mikoto's horrific aura lessened somewhat.

"Well, I was thinking more along the lines of gyudon, but I suppose I can rework the plans tonight a little so we can accommodate natto tastefully rather than just forcing it in there. We have a recently-stocked kitchen, so it should be no trouble."

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay~!" Mikoto cheerfully leaped into Shirou's arms, bouncing up and down with joy. "What are we waiting for~?! Let's go eat~!"

Shirou chuckled. "Hold on a sec, Ka-san! We still need to get home first so I can cook."

"Natto~ Natto~ Natty-Natty-Natto~!"

Shirou turned to his two friends. "You two wanna come and stay for dinner?"

"Well, I'm sure I can convince Rias to let me have the one night off." Akeno answered almost immediately, much to Shirou's surprise. He would have thought someone like her would have had plans.

Kiyome nodded as well. "Sure. I always cook a lot for you. It will be nice to be fed by my boyfriend for a change~"

"Alright then, everyone. Follow me then!"

And, as a group of four, they left, the sun setting over the horizon and giving way to night.

Nobody noticed the fifth member, a black-furred feline, trailing close behind them.

* * *

Issei Hyoudou hadn't been quite sure what was going on with him lately. Since the other day, his whole mind had been a bit fuzzy.

The realistic sensation of being stabbed through the chest would probably do that to a guy.

He could have sworn it had all happened right before his eyes. He remembered meeting the girl he knew as "Yuuma Amano" on the bridge on his way home from school. He remembered Yuuma asking him out, he remembered showing off his girlfriend to his friends, and he remembered their entire date. He even remembered the one thug who had attacked them in an alleyway. "Oddly enough" (sarcastically speaking), the thug backed off the moment Issei mentioned his buddy, Shirou Fujimura, who seemed far more intimidating than him.

Overall, it had gone well...

Aside from the fact it ended with a spear through his chest, of course.

And yet, not a single person remembered Yuuma's existence the day after. Issei had gone to almost everyone he remembered meeting or seeing, but not a single person seemed to remember his girlfriend who may or may not have stabbed him.

He knew it was ridiculous. Even if Yuuma _had_ existed, that would have meant that he really had been stabbed and, last time he had checked, a huge hole in one's chest would have usually meant a severe case of DEATH.

Several times, I found myself laughing the whole matter off, but it still troubled me. The simplest answer was that everyone was telling the truth and he himself had gone crazy, but something had felt wrong ever since he first woke up that day.

The sun had suddenly started to feel significantly more repulsive towards him in the morning. He hated it.

But now, during the night, he had ended up feeling as though the level of energy flowing through his body was slowly increasing. Not just that, but he also felt his other senses increase as well. Even though it was dark outside, he could still see perfectly fine as though it were day and earlier he had found himself able to hear the private conversation of an older couple in their house even though he was at least a block away.

There was no logical reason he could have thought up to explain these things.

It also didn't explain the reason why he felt as though he was being watched.

The further he walked, the more intense these feelings became.

"This is rare. To meet someone like you in a place like this."

The sudden voice made Issei pause in his tracks, all of the blood in his veins turning to ice.

A man stepped out of the shadows, clothed in a trenchcoat with a fedora perched over his eyes. Other than his obviously shady appearance, something about him put Issei on-edge.

Numerous scenarios played through Issei's head on what could have possibly happened next, anything from the man robbing him at knife-point to being kidnapped and harvested for his organs by some black market dealers.

Issei instinctively backed away from the man when the man started moving forward.

"Trying to run away? Who is your Master?" The man asked as if his questions made any sense to the confused teenage boy. "It must be a person with a very low rank or with a weird hobby to choose this place as a territory. So, who is your Master?" Issei didn't understand what he was saying, but he was fairly certain that he had just been insulted somehow.

He took another experimental step back, just waiting for the man to blink-

And he ran.

Issei ran as fast as his legs could take him (which was incredibly fast with the abnormal boost in energy he got at night).

For fifteen minutes, he ran non-stop, only taking a rest once he had reached the park. It wasn't a conscious choice nor was it a rational one, but it was just where his legs had ended up taking him.

Taking a deep breath, he turned around, trying to see if he had lost his pursuer.

And that was when the black feathers started to rain down around him. They looked akin to those of a crow, but something seemed wrong.

"Did you think I'd let you escape? That's why lowly beings are a pain to handle."

It felt like his heart seized up inside of his chest. Issei knew he had ran for at least half a mile. There was no way any human ever could have caught up to him with how fast he had been running. And yet, there he was, hovering in the air like some kind of divinity (albeit with an appearance that was nowhere near such a description).

The trench coat-wearing man appeared in front of him, bearing midnight-black, feathery wings.

As impossible as it was, not only had he managed to essentially beat Issei to the park, but he apparently had the ability to fly using his wings...

The same wings he saw on Yuuma Amano in his supposed-dream before he was killed by her bright spear.

He looked like a nightmarish angel from Hell.

"Tell me the name of your Master." The man repeated again, repeating the phrase that made no sense to Issei. "It's a hindrance to get bothered by your kind. For that, we will…" He seemed to trail off, as if realizing something. A naive, hopeful part of Issei had thought that perhaps he had simply mistaken Issei for someone else, was about to apologize, and walk away. "Wait, are you a "Stray"?"

 _"A what?"_ Issei thought to himself, beginning to wonder if the man was crazy or if he himself was the crazy one. Flying men with black wings were hardly normal.

"If you have no Master, then that will explain the worried expression on your face."

It certainly had nothing to do with the strange, winged man in front of him. That would have been crazy.

Issei's brain truly could not process what was going on with his life right now. A part of him considered the possibility that this was some sort of weird form of karma for peeping in the girls' locker rooms every other day.

"Hmph. I don't feel any presence of your Master nor your com-Wait! No...Huh..." The man seemed to pause, frowning in what appeared to be confusion. "I thought I sensed someone, but I guess not...There is the possibility someone's hiding, but nobody could hide this well...And there's no magic-circle appearing here. According to the current situation, you are a "Stray". So it won't be a problem if I kill you."

The man raised his arms, energy that appeared as light gathering into the palm of his hand, taking the shape of a spear.

A spear of light.

Just like the one Yuuma created.

And that was just about when Issei realized he was going to die again. He saw his life flashing before his eyes as the spear of light was thrown in his direction.

" _HELL NO_! I'm not putting up with you dying twice in two days, dumbass!"

A dark object flew out from the corner of Issei's vision, slamming into the spear and shattering it to pieces. Issei saw the object smash a large crater into the ground with the sheer force it was thrown with.

"What?!" The man reacted with the same surprise as Issei. However, his attention was quickly captured by the second shape that appeared beside him, this one more human-like.

"Roundhouse!"

It happened very quickly, but Issei saw the figure bring his leg around, kicking the winged-man right in the face, sending him falling to the ground. There was a heavy _thud_ as he made impact against a tree, almost breaking it clean in half as his skull hit it.

Issei was so in shock that he found himself subconsciously mouthing the words, _"What the fuck?"_

The unknown figure's feet fell to the ground with greater grace than Issei would have expected considering the height he was suspended in the air with.

"And _that_ , my friend, is how you whoop some Fallen Angel ass." The figure turned and grinned. "Yo! What's up, Issei?"

The brown-haired young man found himself unable to properly respond. Not only because of the fact he had been hunted down by a man with WINGS, but also due to the fact that the person in front of him had been an even more (somewhat) unlikely, snow-haired savior.

"I see my epic-ness has stunned you into silence." He said smugly.

"..." Issei only spoke again because he felt there was something important he should have said the moment his savior appeared. "...What's with the cat on your head, Shirou?" He had meant to ask "What are you doing here?", but the more obvious question slipped out first.

Shirou Fujimura stood in front of him, hands in his pockets, while staring passively at Issei. He looked absolutely indifferent to the fact that the black-furred cat on his head was ruining his cool appearance, the feline sitting happily and comfortably with her tail wrapped around his neck as if to hang on better. Shirou looked at the cat as if not even questioning her presence.

"Oh? This is my darling Kuroneko~" Then he made a weird expression. One of immense joy as if the cat was one of the greatest things in the world. "Well, I don't really know when she grabbed on really~! Maybe she wanted to come see the whoopin' I was about to lay on that stupid crow-man~? Ain't that right, Kuro~?" He playfully nuzzled his face against the cat's, looking overjoyed at the company.

 _"Jesus Christ, I have to keep an eye out."_ Issei decided, the color draining out of his face. _"If I don't help him out, he's gonna end up like one of those old ladies with a lot of cats for company!"_

A fit of coughing broke up their conversation.

"Well well. That was unexpected." Another chill went down Issei's spine as the voice he had thought he wouldn't need to hear anymore spoke. The winged-man walked towards them as the dust kicked up by his fall cleared. He took his hat off of his head and brushed all of the dirt off of it, seemingly unaffected by the attack. "If I hadn't braced myself at the last second, that might have been quite harmful to me."

"Oh, right." Shirou said as if he had just remembered something. "We're still doing "this", aren't we?"

"I'm impressed." The man praised, placing his hat back onto his head. "You hid your presence so well. I guess I wasn't mistaken earlier."

"Hid my what?" Shirou, on the other hand, had no idea what the man was saying, wearing a confused expression like the one Issei had been wearing for the past half-hour. As far as he knew, he hadn't hid anything. He casually picked the cat up off of his head and set her on the ground, letting her scamper off to who-knows-where so as to keep her out of harm's way. "Anyway, I'm on my way home, intending to have a nice dinner with my gir-g-g-good friend and my mother and then I end up feeling something nasty coming near my bro. Come here, find some shady guy tryin' to kill him. What's up, dude?"

It was hard to tell if he was speaking to the man with the fedora or Issei. The other two males exchanged looks, as if trying to decide which person he was addressing.

"You! The guy with the cool hat!" Shirou clarified, quickly realizing the mix-up.

The man narrowed his eyes, looking between Shirou and Issei. "You, boy, who are you? Who is your Master?"

Issei had thought that Shirou would have simply gave a confused "What?" like Issei did, but Issei's eyes widened in surprise when Shirou calmly strode forward.

"My name is Shirou Fujimura." He answered calmly. "Like this boy behind me, I serve my noble master, Rias Gremory of the Gremory family." Shirou took a step to the right, standing protectively in front of Issei. "So, you might want to pause and rethink your plans from here. You only get the one warning: Fuck off or have your face become part of the concrete beneath my feet."

It had been a while since Issei had last seen it, but he recognized the aggressive aura Shirou gave off in that moment. He had become so passive nowadays that such an aura was usually unexpected from him. For this moment, he had reverted to his previous self.

The Demon King of Kuoh.

"Well then..." The man let out a small breath, looking as though the two young men in front of him were a problem he wouldn't have to waste time dealing with. He still seemed amused though. "It appears I stopped before making an annoying error. If you are servants of Rias Gremory, then that means this town is part of her territory."

"Pretty much, yeah." Shirou shoved his hands into his pockets. He let out a heavy sigh. "Normally, I would like nothing better than to beat your ass, but I was given strongly-expressed orders not to start conflicts with the Fallen Angels' side. And since I know this is simply a misunderstanding, I guess I can just let this go."

"Oho, really?" The man asked in amusement. "I would have thought you would have attempted to take me out yourself considering the situation. Your master must have you on a tight leash if you are restraining yourself like this."

"Nah. I just don't feel confident about my ability to hold back." Shirou said coolly. "If we fought, I would have probably have ended up wrecking a lot of shit before I wrecked your shit." He gave a small laugh. "So really, this arrangement works out better for both of us, Fallen Angel. _However_ , if you or any of your friends lay a hand on the people I love again..." The oppressive aura around Shirou became even more intense. "...I won't hold back. _I'll crush you all with everything I got, you hear me_?" Then Shirou started smiling again, rubbing the back of his neck as the aura around him completely faded. "So let's not cause any trouble for our respective groups, mmkay~?"

The man whom Shirou had called a "Fallen Angel" stared in silence for several moments.

"Pfft! You're interesting for a Devil, I'll give you that much, boy." The man seemed to find Shirou's attitude amusing.

Shirou smirked. "Well, you're the first Fallen Angel I've met, so I'm _glad_ I made a good first impression."

Even though they were speaking calmly and with amusement, there was still a degree of tension between them, as if both were waiting to see if the other would strike first.

"At the very least, I thank you for your understanding." The man gave a polite bow. "My name is Dohnaseek. I hope we won't meet again."

"If we do, we'll either be going out for coffee or I'll be mopping the floor with your sorry ass." Shirou replied in a joking tone, shoving his hands into his pockets again. "Either works for me."

"Farewell then." The man, Dohnaseek, spread his black, feathery wings and prepared to take flight. "But before I go...You said your name was "Shirou", correct?" There was an expression of contemplation on Dohnaseek's face. "Hmmm...It's nothing...Forget it."

With that, he left, leaving Shirou and Issei alone.

"Damn!" Shirou cursed, biting the tip of his tongue. "I should have asked where he got that hat from! It looked so cool!"

"Uh...Shirou?"

"Oh SHIT, that's right! _You're_ still here, aren't you?" Shirou sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "'One week' my ass. Couldn't even last a day without almost getting yourself killed. Geez!"

 _"Well I'm sorry for almost getting murdered by a scary man with wings!"_ Issei cried in his head, trying to come to terms with everything that was happening. "What even was that!?"

"That was a Fallen Angel." Shirou answered, his expression serious. "It's the first time I met one, but now I know why Buchou wanted me to be cautious. They're not to be taken lightly."

"OK, STOP! Just! STOP!" Issei grabbed Shirou by the shoulders. "Could you please just shut up and pretend, just for five seconds, that I don't understand what the fuck is going on around here!?"

Shirou considered the question. "Well...I don't know how to put it as tactfully as Rias, and the plan to let you get adjusted has been turned to shit, so no harm telling you now. Damage's already done."

"Tell me?! Tell me what?! What's going on!?"

"Issei, that guy back there? He was a Fallen Angel. Like the ones from the Christian Bible." Shirou sighed. "All that shit from the Bible? Yeah, that all actually happened. Mythology in general is real along with all the species depicted in them, like Devils for instance."

"W-Wha-?"

"I know this because I myself am a Devil."

"...Come again?"

"Oh! And so are you. You got axed-"speared" in this case-by your psychotic ex apparently and you died."

"...what?" Issei squeaked, both shocked and horrified.

"And, on top of that, you kind of had some vital organs hanging out of a hole in your chest, so my Master and friend, Rias Gremory, decided to bring you back as a Devil coz you had "potential" or something."

"..."

"You know, since you died and came back to life, I guess you could consider it a second birthday."

"..."

"Happy birthday~!"

And that was about when Issei passed out due to shock.

"Aw, shit. I'm gonna have to carry him, aren't I?"

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** Showing the Ropes! First Steps Yet Again!

* * *

 **It's been a while due to situations and reasons such as playing Majikoi and Majikoi S as well as life bein' a pain in my arse.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed!**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	18. Chapter 15: Showing the Ropes!

**Since we all know what happens, I'm gonna do my best to skim through Issei's stuff and get to the action and shit!**

 **Special thanks to Retributus and FateFan231, without whom this chapter would never have gotten finished. They helped me out. They didn't write huge chunks, this chapter is still primarily my own work, but they gave like a paragraph or two to help move the plot along. So, guys, kudos to you! You're both awesome and your stories rock!**

 **Also, please read Highschool DxD: The Tale of a Gutsy Sekiryuutei and A Devil's Life Is Such A Chore. Both are great stories!**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Which means I don't own shit! Try and claim copyright now, bitches! XD**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Showing the Ropes! First Steps Yet Again!**

"Wait wait wait! Are you guys being serious right now?!"

They were once again in the Occult Research Club's meeting room, everyone (including Kiyome) in attendance with the addition of a new member.

Issei looked at everyone at the meeting as if he were still trying to decide if they were crazy or if everything happening was all just part of his own insane imagination.

Ever since his date with "Yuuma", his life had started heading in odd directions with crazy things happening to him. First, everyone couldn't remember who Yuuma was. Then, he gets hunted down and attacked by another creep with the same wings as Yuuma. If that wasn't crazy enough, one of his best friends, who called the creep with wings a "Fallen Angel", also claimed to be a Devil, both existences being from the Bible which is apparently not just a book of tales that explain to humans why they shouldn't be vain or arrogant or heretical: Because a big man on a cloud would strike you down if you were.

And then, not only did Shirou not go into detail about what the Hell was going on, but he didn't even spoken what had happened in the first place.

After Issei lost consciousness the previous night, he didn't know what had happened. He had woken up in an unfamiliar house in a guest bed and greeted by a small woman (whom he had mistaken for a child) with way too much energy that warned that perhaps she should have laid off the coffee and Red Bull.

The only thing Issei had gotten that morning (other than a politely made breakfast by the woman who introduced herself as "Mikoto") was a note left behind by Shirou that vaguely said "Stop by the Occult Research Club after school". After class that day, he had been approached by the one guy he hated more than any other, Yuuto Kiba, the handsome prince who was the bane of all single guys everywhere for the fact that girls got soaked whenever he so much as shot them a small smile. Every girl wanted him inside them and every guy wanted to kick his ass, so, suffice to say, Issei wasn't a fan.

Which brought him back to his present situation.

He had come to the Occult Research Club, expecting some real answers for once and, while he found every female in the club incredibly attractive and desperately imagined what they looked like underneath their clothes (Shirou punched him in the back of the head when he was caught looking at Kiyome with lecherous eyes), he still hadn't been prepared for what Rias Gremory, the school's most popular girl as well as one of the Two Great Ladies of Kuoh Academy, and the president of the Occult Research Club, had told him.

"Yes, what Shirou told you was true. You died, so I brought you back as a Devil."

Naturally, he reacted with disbelief.

That was about when Rias slapped a photo down on the table between them. The photo depicted a familiar young woman with black hair and the prettiest smile.

It was his ex-girlfriend, Yuuma Amano.

The only proof that anything that had happened to him had actually been real.

"She existed. For certain." Rias stated, pointing to the photo.

"Sorry about lying to you before about not knowing her." Shirou apologized from the other side of the room. He had been feeling awkward with the group so he refused to sit down. He simply leaned his back against the wall with his arms crossed. "Like I said last night, Rias here wanted to give you some time to adjust to your new body while we investigated the extent to which she had erased her existence. To sum it up: Nobody, not even Kiyome who had met her only a few days earlier, remembers her. So congrats: You're not crazy. Everyone else just had their minds wiped and any trace of Yuuma's existence was erased."

"B-But...why?" Issei stared at the photo in front of him. "If she is real...then what was the point of any of this?"

"Likely to complete her objective."

"What objective?"

Shirou opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. Everyone was staring at him expectantly, but the attention was making him nervous. "U-Uh...I...I don't know..."

"I'll explain." Rias said, cutting in, smiling teasingly. "Maybe this embarrassment will teach you not to try to hijack an explanation just to try to look cool and mysterious." Shirou shrank away, his face turning a bright-red color.

What surprised Issei wasn't the fact Shirou looked embarrassed, but that Rias had actually hit the nail on the head. It hadn't been as obvious the previous night, but Issei had noticed that Shirou seemed to always try to act cool when others were around. It was a rather childish trait really, but Issei wasn't one to judge.

Rias cleared her throat, returning her attention to herself. "This girl is…no, this is a Fallen Angel. She's the same kind as the one that attacked you last night."

"The same as the one whose ass I KICKED last night, you mean!" Shirou interjected again, grinning. "It was totally hardcore!"

"You did not kick his ass!" Issei denied, knowing full well that Shirou was lying. "You talked to him and convinced him to leave peacefully! You were really not "hardcore"."

"Shut up! I'm trying to save my badass image!"

"...You don't have to do that, Senpai." Koneko said softly, Shirou staring at her with surprise and a hint of gratitude.

"Koneko..."

Then she added, "You never had a badass image to begin with."

"Screw you, short-stack!"

"ANYWAY," Rias said loudly, trying to get the conversation back on-track, "after she came into contact with you, she set out to accomplish a certain goal-"

"-Killing you." Shirou chimed in again.

"-Yes, killing you-THANK YOU, Shirou-" Rias said through gritted teeth, frustrated with the repeated interruptions. "And after she succeeded, she wiped every piece of evidence of her having ever existed here."

Issei felt like he had been punched in the gut, hunching over in his seat, letting his arms hang off his lap. "Why?...Why the Hell did she have to kill me?!"

"Calm down, Issei. It couldn't be helped..." Rias assured him. However, she paused, looking pensive. "No, you were just unlucky. There are possessors who weren't killed…"

"Unlucky?!" Issei snapped, beginning to feel emotionally overwhelmed as the events of that day came rushing through his mind. "Are you saying I was simply "unlucky" to have been killed by Yuuma on that da-" He choked, as if realizing something. "Wait a minute...I-I died, didn't I?"

"Yes. That day, you were killed by the Fallen Angel's spear of light and died as a human."

"And Rias brought you back as a Devil using Evil Pieces." Yet again, Shirou interrupted the serious moment with his own brief summary. "I don't know too much about them myself, but to sum it up: Dead boy + Evil Pieces = Newly Reincarnated Devil Servant."

"Would you please stop interrupting me?" Rias asked, sighing in annoyance.

Shirou rolled his eyes. "Come on, Buchou! You're taking forever! I get that you like the whole drama thing you got going on here, but this is boring! I'm bored. So can we please just speed this up a little bit?" He paused, looking at Issei with an awkward expression on his face. "I mean...I get we have to explain it to him, but drawing it out by leading him him to ask all of the questions is just wasting time."

"Hmph!" Rias turned away, pouting adorably. "Fine then. _You_ can explain the rest to Issei."

One thing about Rias Gremory is that she indeed had a bit of a flair for the dramatic. Despite not wanting to admit it, what Shirou had said was true. She loved giving the impression of a mysterious, benevolent, and almost all-knowing noble Devil master to others. Considering the world she came from, humans and former humans were usually the only ones she could mystify and amaze with her knowledge and ability concerning the supernatural world. It wasn't that she was a show-off. Rather, it was simply a childish desire she had to always create an impressive and Devil-like atmosphere.

"Bitchin!" The snow-haired young man pumped a fist into the air as he cheered, either not noticing or feeling indifference to his master's annoyance. "Alright, Issei! You're about to receive a basic crash course in Devilology 101!"

Again, he put on an air of a serious and in-charge man, something that everybody knew he wasn't (normally anyway).

Koneko leaned over and whispered to Akeno, "'Devilology 101'?"

A small giggle escape Akeno's mouth. "Oh, just let him have his moment~ We can correct any mistakes he makes later~"

However, Shirou had not heard them. He was too focused on his best friend sitting in front of him. "So do you want the long version or the short version?"

For a brief moment, Issei hesitated, considering the options. "Uh...Does the short version explain everything in a way I can understand?"

"Of course!" Shirou exclaimed. "If it didn't, then what even would have been the point of having a short version?"

"O-OK then...Short version, I guess."

He simply had no idea what was going on. Shirou had had a point before. Rias had been dragging things out and Issei was only getting more and more confused as time went on. He could only hope that Shirou at least knew how to simplify things in a way even a child could understand.

Shirou brushed a hand through his hair, sighing shortly before taking a deep breath. "OK, let me break it down for you. As I told you before, Devils and all that mythological shit is real, OK?"

"Uh huh."

"And so is God from the Bible. That's right. He knows what you do in your private time, so odds are, you wouldn't have gone to Heaven anyway due to you being the very incarnation of lust."

Issei blinked, either shocked in horror or not understanding. Shirou's expression fell, his face becoming disappointed.

"OK, maybe not the best joke, but I deserve something, don't I?"

"No." Kiyome responded, shaking her head solemnly. "You really don't."

"Love you too, Kiyome." Shirou sighed. "Glad to see I can count on you for support."

Something about Shirou's words sounded "off" to Issei. He barely opened his mouth when Shirou noticed his expression.

"Oh yeah. Since you're a member of the Occult Research Club (whether you like it or not), you should probably know that Kiyome and I have been going out for a while now." Shirou stated blandly. "Yeah, figured you should know since it would be annoying if we had to hide it here too."

"Wait-Wha-"

"ANYWAY! So, as I was saying before, that stuff's real. The Christian faction is apparently the most well-known though." Shirou continued. "Apparently, a few centuries ago, there was this big war that pretty much started to tear apart the world but ended after most of their numbers perished. So the Devils decided to use Evil Pieces, the things I told you about before, to repopulate by turning other species into Devils. But what's more, God invented these things called Sacred Gears and gave them to humans and those with human blood like you and me." Shirou explained, gesturing to both him and his newly reincarnated comrade. "Some are weapons, some are simple tools, etc etc. Rias said she has a catalog if you wanna learn about specific Sacred Gears, right Rias?" Rias turned her head, still feeling indignant about having her moment stolen. "Right. So, from what Rias gathered and from what she told me, Yuuma killed you because yours was apparently some kind of threat..." Shirou paused when he saw Issei's head start to hang, a sad expression covering his face. Shirou started rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Sorry, dude. Bitches will be bitches. You'll find someone new though."

Obviously, they were words Shirou had just listed off, but he didn't have the time at the moment to start comforting Issei. They had to move on.

"So...I'm a Devil servant now?"

"Yes." Shirou confirmed. "But from what Rias told me, being a servant doesn't have to be a permanent status, ain't that right, Rias?"

Rias glanced at Shirou, considering just ignoring him again as punishment for stealing her thunder, but decided to accept the gesture of peace. She cleared her throat, trying to regain her noble and elegant tone. "Yes. Issei, do you see this flyer in my hand here?" She summoned a miniature magic circle and drew out a small flyer with the crimson rose that was the crest of the Gremory family. "This is one of the leaflets we give out. This magic circle is used to summon us Devils due to the fact that most humans don't want to use so much time drawing a magic circle. So we give these leaflets to people who look like they would summon Devils instead, proving to be a safe and easy method. Your case was different in that it was Shirou who directly supplied you with a flyer so as to wish for your salvation." Issei looked at Shirou who waved awkwardly. "You wished so hard that it summoned me. Usually my servants like Akeno and the others would be the ones to be summoned. When I saw your state at that time, I knew you would not make it, so I brought you back as my Devil servant."

"Welcome to the club, Issei." Shirou awkwardly greeted, reaching out a hand to shake Issei's before retracting it awkwardly, instead rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. "I mean...it sucks that you kind of died, but look at this way: If you work real hard at passing out leaflets, you can become a High-Class Devil like Rias and get your own servants."

It was only at that moment that Issei's ears perked up, as if detecting something interesting. "My own...servants...?"

"Yes," Rias said, "that's right. Like Shirou said, being a servant isn't a permanent status. The flyers we've shown you are the means by which Devils form contracts with humans. If you form many contracts, you increase the chances of receiving a promotion in rank. Devil servants who manage to obtain the rank of High-Class are given their own Evil Pieces and allowed to start obtaining their own servants..."

Again, Issei's ears twitched, a familiar and rather unsightly look appearing on his face. "So...these servants...they would be mine?" Rias nodded. "And I could, like, do ecchi things to them as I want? I can build my own harem?"

"If that's what you want, then of course."

The way Issei moved in front of Rias, grabbing her hands was a feat of speed that left even Kiba slightly impressed. "Alright! Where do I sign up?!"

"Are you serious, Issei?" Shirou asked in disbelief, staring with a look of disgust in his half-lidded eyes.

Issei turned to Shirou, staring at him with piercing eyes. "Of course! I've never been so serious in my life! Everyday, I see such hotties passing by everyday and I'm forced to remember the fact that the only sexual contact I've had is with my left hand! But now, the dream I've had since I was a little kid isn't a mere fantasy anymore! It's something I can make a reality! The dream I've held for so long..." Issei made a dramatic pose. "To become a Harem King!"

"...What a waste?" Shirou pointed out. "I mean...you only get the one set of servants and you're gonna use them to get laid? That's just bad planning."

"I don't want to hear that from you, traitor!" The accusation made Shirou step back in shock, staring at Issei in surprise as tears welled up in the corners of the younger Devil's eyes. "You don't know what it's like! You've been dating a hot babe behind our backs!" Issei gestured to Kiyome. "You betrayed the brotherhood you girl-dating-bastaaaard!" Tears of hurt started rolling down the sides of Shirou's face. "This dream is all I got! It's ALL! I! GOT!"

Sweat started to drip off of Shirou's head. "Um...I'm sorry?" Again, he found himself rubbing the back of his neck, uncertain how to deal with the situation. "Well...I get you want to build a harem and all, but then wouldn't your servants' abilities be tied directly to your relationship with them? You piss them off or hurt them, it could adversely affect the results of any battle you enter."

"B-Battle?" Issei choked, feeling as though he may have misheard Shirou.

"Well...Yeah!" Shirou answered obviously. "Hell, I've only been a Devil a few months and I've already been beaten by an over-aggressive loli, blown up by a gang packing demon powers, and stabbed, impaled, bitten, clawed at, and murdered by a giant snake-demon lady...and not necessarily in that order! Did you honestly think that Yuuma was the only thing out there that could try to kill you?...Well, she's not. There's a lot of things out there, just waiting to sink their claws into our flesh."

"O...Oh..." Issei suddenly deflated, looking much less cheerful and energetic than before. "I...I see."

Rias narrowed her eyes at Shirou. "Now why did you have to go and ruin his good spirits for? He's just a child compared to you right now."

Shirou shrugged, looking apologetic. "Look, I didn't mean to go so far, but it's not like it isn't true." He answered defensively. "I mean, I'm just saying he should pick his servants more strategically and keep his harem and his servants separate. That way he can be prepared for any battle and have sexy time with harem girls on the side. That's all I'm saying."

"Well-"

"No!" Issei suddenly cut in, once again regaining the will to stand up straight. "He...He's right."

"He is?"

"I am?"

Issei struck a pose everyone assumed he thought was cool. "I'll definitely build a harem, but I won't make them my servants! I don't want to risk any dangerous or yandere routes on the battlefield!"

"That's...better."

"But mark my words, Shirou: I WILL someday become a Harem King! Just you wait and see!" Issei placed his hands on his hips, turning his head upward and giving a hearty laugh. "Bwahahahahahaha!"

Shirou's left eye twitched. "I can't tell if he actually learned anything or not..."

"...He really is a pervert."

"Well, you have to admire his energy.

"Ufufu~ It appears we just keep reeling in interesting characters, huh, Rias?"

"Must be some weird luck."

"More like you guys are just freak magnets."

Overall, it had become what passed for a "normal day" for the Occult Research Club.

* * *

Soon that "normal day" turned into a "normal week" as the Occult Research club has started to grow more accustomed to their new member. As for Issei, he had been working hard to attain his goal of Harem King-hood, but had come across a few roadblocks along the way...such as actually *getting* a contract..

With Issei being a new Devil and all and both of them having already encountered people related to the group of Fallen Angels based in Kuoh Town, Rias had saw fit that Shirou accompany Issei on his way to accomplish his first contract. They had needed to walk because of a certain reason other than the fact that Shirou didn't have a bike like Issei did.

Thus, they walked, Issei in a deep state of lamentation towards his situation.

"I'm so close! So close! I'm so close to getting this one contract!"

"How can you be close for a contract? Its either you get it or you don't. There's no gray area."

"Well things have been difficult, what with the passing out the flyers and still not getting a single summon! I had to take one of Koneko's left-overs!"

"No excuses! How can Koneko get several contracts booked and completed in a single day while you can't get one?"

"Shut up, it's a work in progress!"

"You mean progress that hasn't started since you arrived on _this side_?" Shirou asked, pointing out the obvious. "Man, things are going bad for you, especially with that Sacred Gear of yours. I mean, it doubles your power once! Come on! How is that any better? What God would create such a useless Sacred Gear and what OP bastard could actually make it into something useful?!"

* * *

Elsewhere, the former Exorcist-turned-terrorist known as Siegfried sneezed.

* * *

"I mean, I can kick 2 of your asses with one hand behind my back! "

"Oh yeah!?"

"Yeah!" Shirou confirmed. "Especially with my badass Sacred Gear, Canis Regalia!" Shirou flicked Issei's nose and crossed his arms. "My baby here turned a hellish snake-woman demon-lady's arm into ice and then crushed it to pieces!"

"Damn!"

"And then it chomped down on the other and tore it the fuck off!" Shirou laughed smugly as he continued to gloat. "On your knees, beeyotch!"

"Do you seriously think you're all that better than me?"

"Noooooooooooooo." Shirou answered slowly, avoiding direct eye-contact with Issei.

"Okay then, big guy!" Issei retorted. "Then answer me this: How many contracts have _you_ had?"

He had asked the one question that always cut Shirou right at his core.

"Tch!" Shirou clicked his tongue. "I don't have to tell you anything! Just know that my number is higher than yours!" It hardly went unnoticed how narrowly he avoided the question.

"Then how come I heard that you haven't had a successful contract yet?"

"..." Shirou froze. He turned and narrowed his eyes in suspicion at Issei. "Who told you that?"

"A little birdie told me and all I had to do was give them a box full of cream puffs." Issei smirked, crossing his arms. "And it was worth it to learn that you haven't earned a single contract in your months as a Devil."

"Be quiet!" Shirou gritted his teeth. "I might be new, but at least I'm not a phony!"

"Shut up!"

"You know what I'm going to do right now?" Issei whistled for anyone to hear (not that there was anyone around in the first place), taking a deep breath to speak. "Hey! This guy is a great big phony! Everyone look! It's a PHONY! A big, fat phony!"

Shirou grabbed Issei by the collar, a gesture Issei returned, and the two young men glared daggers at one another while growling harshly.

They remained in that position for several minutes...

"Pffft!" Then Issei snorted. Shirou, likewise, tried to suppress laughter, his cheeks puffing up from the effort, but it was too much.

"Hahahaha!"

"Hahahahahahaha!"

The two young men just started laughing for reasons that would have confused any outsider. It was just the way that guys interacted with one another. It was a good wait to vent excess stress and anxiety to just start conflicts for no reason in particular and make up soon afterwards.

It was wise not to question it. Very wise.

"So what do you think this client guy is like?"

"How would I know? This is the first contract I've been on." Issei answered, shrugging. "Wouldn't it be like any other contract? I mean, what are _your_ always-failed contracts like?"

"OK, I feel like you purposely inserted that "always-failed" part." It was hard not to notice it, but Shirou decided, for the sake of continued peace, he would ignore it. "Anyway..." He thought back to his one and only client, Kalawarner, the only adult woman he was able to be friends with. Then he thought back to all the things that had happened with her. "...well...it's...complicated."

"What do you mean?" Issei raised an eyebrow as they started walking again.

"Well...she took me out on a date, took me to a bar, got drunk, tried to rape me in her drunken stupor, I called her old, escaped, took the insult back back, we went to a bar again, and I _think_ we're still friends, but I'm not really sure." Shirou had summed up all of their experiences together in one sentence. "...but she's an alright lady. Not a bad person. I mean, I'd like to think she and I are friends anyway, Issei-Issei? What's with that weird look on your face?"

Issei was making a rather difficult expression, as if he couldn't decide what to feel. "I'm trying to decide...whether to feel angry and jealous or worried and pitying..." Issei growled. "I don't know what your client looks like, so I have no idea on how to decide."

"Picture a slightly older, mature, and sexier version of Akeno with navy-blue hair."

"Graaaaaaaaaagh! Bastaaaaard!" Issei lunged at Shirou, attempting to take him down with a full-body tackle...

Only for Shirou to slam his open palm down on the back of Issei's head, knocking him flat against the ground.

"Try that again when you've gotten on my level."

"Whatever. Let's just get this contract done so you can report to Buchou how I am totally the shit while you suck at life!"

It was at that moment that Shirou took the opportunity to stick his foot out in front of Issei's, watching with an amused smirk as his friend toppled face-forward onto the ground.

"Yeah, you're the shit alright. Hehehe~" Shirou snickered at Issei's tumble, Issei pushing himself up to shoot Shirou a glare.

Together, they walked up to the nearby apartment that the Devil device that Shirou dubbed "The Desire-o-Meter" said was that of Issei's client. The "Desire-o-Meter" was a rather handy device, really. It could detect potential clients by the amount of desire they possess, helped root out the ones with desires that even Devils would never fulfill willingly, it calculate the minimum payment required for varying contract wishes, and one could even play Tetris on it.

As his objective was only to observe and make sure nothing went wrong, Shirou stepped back as Issei walked up to the door and knocked on it with his knuckles.

"Mr. Morisawa! Devil's knocking at your door!" Issei announced unceremoniously. "Open up!"

There was a moment's pause before the _click_ of the lock on the door, the door slowly opening to reveal a cautious-looking older man.

Realizing that his client had heard him, Issei stepped back, giving an awkward but polite smile. "H-Hey, how's it going?"

A moment later, the man shut the door right in Issei's face. "Get out of here."

"No, come back! I wasn't kidding!" Issei promised, banging on the door with his fist again. "You summoned a Devil and I'm here to hook you up!"

"Since when does a demon come to your front door?"

 _"He has a point."_ Shirou thought to himself with averted eyes.

"Tonight's your lucky night?" Issei suggested.

"Screw you. I'm not an idiot." The client, Morisawa, stated eloquently. "I know how this works. Koneko always appears out of the magic circle on this flyer. She's the one I called for. Now get off my porch!"

Tears started welling up in Issei's eyes, the frustration with his current situation mixing with that of his previous embarrassment.

Shirou stared in shock. "Shit, dude, are you crying?"

That was when Issei fell to his knees in front of the door. "Look, I tried, OK? I couldn't do it! I don't know what happened!" Issei cried. "All I know is that they said I had to get here so I had to walk all the way here! Waaalk!" He broke down as low as any emotional teenage boy could go.

The site was so pathetic that Shirou could not help but sigh, patting Issei on the back. "Way to show your manly pride, Issei." Really, he just felt uncomfortable about situation he was put in. Sure, while on Devil requests, they couldn't be seen by anyone other than the client, but it still left Shirou feeling awkward at the thought of what would have happened if anyone saw a delinquent standing next to a sobbing lecher who broke down in front of some stranger's door.

The silence was drawn out for a great deal of time before the door slowly opened, causing Issei's tears to pause in his eyes for a moment.

"OK, fiiine." Morisawa groaned, gesturing for the pair to enter.

And just like that, Issei and Shirou were granted access to the client's home, more specifically his living room...which seemed to make up most of his home.

"Here."

"Thank you."

Issei sat on his knees as a cup of hot tea was placed on the small table in front of him. Shirou leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, feeling out-of-place in that room that looked like an otaku's paradise. Anime collections CDs, figurines, posters, all sorts of anime-related merchandise.

When Morisawa realized that Shirou was with Issei, he eyed the pair suspiciously. "OK, I get the new guy, but what's with the Demon King of Kuoh being here?" He asked. "Snow-white hair, shifty eyes, looks like he wouldn't die even if killed...Huh...I had always thought that the rumor about him being a demon was a joke, but I guess I was wrong."

"Tch!" Shirou clicked his tongue, looking away. He could not help but feel a bit of irritation. "I'm just here to make sure that the new guy doesn't fuck up, so piss off." With how accepted he had been feeling with the Occult Research Club, Shirou had almost forgotten how severe his infamy actually was. If they were a resident of Kuoh Town, then odds were they at least knew who Shirou was at first-sight. He felt another wave of irritation watch over him as he felt Morisawa's continued suspicious gaze upon him. It was clear that, as long as Shirou was there, Issei was going nowhere with his contract. "Fine. If you're so uncomfortable, I'll go wait outside, you big baby!"

He pushed himself off the wall and made for the front door. "I'll be waiting outside for when you're finished, Issei. Make it quick." With those words, Shirou left the two to their own devices.

* * *

It had been about thirty minutes since Shirou had left Issei with Morisawa and, suffice to say, Shirou was quickly growing impatient.

He was not normally a patient person. It would be more correct to say he was the exact opposite. He couldn't STAND being made to wait for something he had no particular care about because that only made the way all the more excruciating. What had been mere minutes had begun to feel like hours. What felt like hours began to feel like days.

"Dammit, Issei, what's taking so long?!" Shirou complained, unaware that, at that moment, his friend and junior Devil was wasting time away watching Dragon Ball Z with his client rather than actually making a pact. He was not aware that, as a Devil, he and Issei were disturbingly alike in many ways, mainly in their levels of incompetence. Which was why he was doomed to be stuck in that space for at least several more hours.

If he had a watch, he would have been checking it impatiently every five minutes on the minute.

"I don't even understand why Rias made me come along with him in the first place." Shirou complained. "I mean, it's not like I'm actually helping with the contract. I think that might be physically impossible...I mean, they only need to one Devil...Why didn't I think of any of this back when Rias first told me to go with Issei?! Geez...At the very least, I could have brought a handheld console with me to pass the time." And so he sat there, unaware of how badly he had been wasting his time just sitting there.

Thirty minutes eventually became an hour. An hour eventually became two hours. And two hours become three. After three hours, Shirou got thirsty so he stopped counting away the seconds out of sheer boredom. A good way to keep oneself occupied mentally, but not very entertaining.

"I COULD just bust down the door and drag Issei's ass out, but I don't think I want to listen to Rias scolding me for an hour for breaking a client's front door in two..." Shirou said aloud to himself, using a stick to draw imaginary plans into the concrete road. "Of course, I could always threaten the client into not talking, but Issei looks like the type to be a total kiss-ass for women with large breasts, so he'll probably rat me out anyway." With ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO DO, Shirou decided to use the time he had to think of potential solutions to the situation causing his boredom. Each one, for one reason or another, involved busting down the front door. And those were the less radical ideas.

He just could not fathom what could have possibly been taking Issei so long just to fulfill a single contract. Granted, Shirou had spent more than the necessary amount of time with Kalawarner, but he knew the odds were that he was probably not going to get a pact anyway, so he may as well have just had fun.

Shirou let out a soft sigh. It was really cold outside. Spring was slowly working its way towards them, but it was still a ways off, so nights could still become rather chilly. At the same time though, his throat had gotten rather dry from talking to himself for so long (an act which also reminded him of what a lonely person he was sometimes).

And that was when he saw it.

No more than twenty feet away sat the answer to all of Man's emergency needs when it came to beverage refreshments.

In other words: A vending machine.

Thirsty eyes bore through it with such intensity that one would have thought Shirou was literally trying to pierce a hole in the machine with his gaze.

His eyes shifted from his left to his right, going back and forth as if searching for any unseen observers.

Once certain that nobody around and giving another glance to make sure Issei had not come out of the client's house yet, Shirou turned in the direction of the vending machine and slowly started to shuffle his way over. He kept looking over his shoulder to make sure Issei had not yet come out and that he still had ample time to retrieve his refreshment without being missed. He knew his luck all too well to know that things would play out simply. One minutes, everything's normal; the next-BOOM! EXPLODING APARTMENT! EXPLODING VENDING MACHINE! EXPLODING SHIROU! EXPLODING EXPLOSIONS!

It would have been just his luck.

He kept his guard up until he finally maid it to the front of the vending machine, taking another look behind him to make sure everything was just as it had been seconds before: Nice and peaceful.

Still feeling the situation to be a little fishy, Shirou cautiously reached a hand into his pocket, pulling out a handful of change. As quickly as he could, he stuck the coins into the slot on the machine, feeling satisfied as watched the buttons light up.

"Alright!" Shirou cheered, glad the machine was in working order. _"Maybe I was just being paranoid before."_ He leaned forward, taking a good, long look at the contents kept within the vending machine. He reached out his hand, extending his index finger towards the buttons. "Now what to ge-Gah!" He saw something flash in the corner of his vision.

He instinctively pushed his feet against the ground as hard as he could, jumping as far back as he could as the immobile machine suddenly exploded, erupting into fire and splintered metal pieces.

"THERE it is!" Shirou let out a heavy growl of frustration. "Of-FUCKING-course the vending machine FUCKING EXPLODES! God forbid I get to keep the money I was using, but NOOOOO-It had to wait until AFTER I put my money in to explode!" Irate as his rotten luck, Shirou pulled back his leg and kicked a large fragment of burnt metal as hard as he could, sending it flying into a nearby wooden fence that _hadn't_ been destroyed by the immediate explosion.

He knew it hadn't been a natural explosion (even if it wasn't completely obvious). A suspicious even had occurred seconds prior.

Moments before the vending machine erupted into flames, he had seen an object flying towards him. He couldn't make it out, but his instincts told him it was dangerous.

"Alright! Who wants to go!? Who wants to throw down!?" Shirou called out, turning in the direction from which the projectile had come from. "I'm warning you: I have been bored out of my mind for the past several hours and I am NOT in the mood for this bullshit right now! You wanna fight?! Come out and fight me! I'm Shirou Fujimura, the Demon King of Kuoh, servant of Rias Gremory, and self-proclaimed WRECKER-OF-YOUR-SHIT! SO BRING IT ON, BITCH!"

"Ufufu. Even after you get attacked from the shadows, your reactions are just as adorable as always~" A voice giggled mischievously. Shirou's eyes went wide in shock. "To be honest, I had mistaken you for someone else because you wore the same uniform, but...I guess this is as good a time to put an end to things as any."

"W-What...?" He choked out his reply, his shock causing his lungs to suddenly constrict, almost suffocating him.

The woman, a mature beauty with navy-blue hair, gave a bitter smile. "After all, with what I have to do, I doubt things could return to normal between us anyway."

"H-Huh? W-What..." Shirou took a deep breath, trying to collect his thoughts in response to the situation he had been faced with. "What the Hell are you doing here, Kalawarner?!"

His client stood there, the same bitter smile on her face as if faced with something unpleasant. "Well, I had thought that it would be obvious: I'm here to kill a Devil." She said calmly. She gave a soft chuckle at Shirou's horrified expression. "Don't worry. I can tell you're playing quite a few paranoid scenarios like "Was she targeting me from the beginning?", "Did she ever really care about me?", "Is she some kind of cliche, sadistic anime antagonist?". The answer to all of these questions is "No". I had no intention of targeting you as someone to be killed, I'm not some cliche sadist, and, most importantly...I never once cared about you."

There was a long, heavy pause.

Shirou opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to gather the words to speak.

"Well, actually, I was just gonna ask if you had something against vending machines as a sort of playful banter..." He let out a soft whimper. "But...But that's okay too..." He let out a soft whine before coughing into his fist, suddenly clearing his throat. "A-Anyway, what is going on here?! What the Hell are you doing? I don't understand."

"Maybe _this_ will clarify." Kalawarner said, outstretching her arms in a dramatic fashion. For a moment, nothing happened...

Then a pair of feathery, black, raven-like wings sprouted from Kalawarner's back, black feathers raining down on the ground around her as she gave a heavy beat of her wings, pushing herself into the air and hovering less than four feet from the ground with a serious expression on her face.

"Does it make sense now?"

"...No. No it doesn't." Shirou answered bluntly, staring with blank eyes at Kalawarner's wings. "If anything, I am significantly more confused now."

That response had taken Kalawarner aback. She had prepared this sort of "evil monologue" for this confrontation. It hadn't been something she had been intending to take lightly due to the circumstances and events that preceded this tragic turn that was bound to wound Shirou in so many ways. It was supposed to go: She appears mysteriously, Shirou gets confused, she reveals her wings, and then he gasps in shock and horror at the realization of what she was. Then she goes on to make him believe they weren't friends as a way to make it slightly less crushing of a betrayal.

His response was not what he had expected.

"...Do you not see the black wings?"

"I know a lot of people with black wings." Shirou pointed out. "So what?"

Kalawarner blinked, once again caught by surprise. "Well...yeah, but, really think about what these wings mean about me."

"Err..." Was Shirou's only response. Then he frowned, as if thinking about something. "Wait a second..."

"Yeeees?"

"Those wings..."

"That's right..."

"If you have them...then those wings mean..."

"Come on. You can do it."

"It can only mean that..."

"Get to the point!"

Shirou gasped, pointing a finger in Kalawarner's direction. "You're a Youkai!"

.

.

.

"Wait wait...No..." Shirou frowned again. "No wait. Yeah! Fallen Angel! Yeah! My bad!"

Kalawarner choked, having so many things to say at the same time. "W-What!?" She shook her head. "OK, let's back up a second so I can say something: REALLY!? A Youkai? A YOUKAI, Shirou?"

"What's wrong with that as my first thought?"

"Do I look Japanese to you?" Kalawarner asked sharply, gesturing to her body.

"You could have been mixed-blood or something! I didn't want to ask because I felt like it may have come off as judging!"

"What type of Youkai could I have possibly been?!"

"...I wanna say "crow", but I'm afraid that'd get me kicked in the nuts."

"You would be right...but really? "Crow Youkai"? That's the first thing that comes to mind?!"

"Hey! Give me a break! I've only met like _one_ of you in person before! I bet you would call Santa Claus a fat old man if you had never seen him before!"

"I thought young humans these days thought Santa was fake! Aren't you too old to believe he's real?!"

"HE IS REAL! I SAW HIM AT THE MAAAALL!"

"WHY ARE YOU SHOUTING AT ME!?"

"COZ YOU'RE SHOUTING AT _ME_! I DON'T WANT TO LOSE IN TERMS OF VOLUME!"

"KNOCK IT OFF! IT'S REALLY ANNOYING!"

"YOU KNOCK IT OFF! YOU'RE THE ONE WHO STARTED THIS CRAZY TRAIN OF INSANITY! WHAT EVEN IS YOUR DEAL ANYWAY!? I THOUGHT WE WERE FRIENDS!"

"WELL WE AREN'T!"

"Is it coz I called you old before?" Shirou asked, suddenly returning to normal volume.

"W-What?"

"Sorry, my throat was killing me, so I decided to stop...but seriously, what's going on here? You kind of rushed into things so I'm a little out of the loop right now." Shirou rubbed his neck, trying to soothe his sore and dry throat. "Anyway, look, I'm sorry I called you old before, but you were drunk and I had to go save my friend from being eaten by a monster, so-"

"Wait wait wait!" Kalawarner cut in, interrupting Shirou. She paused for a moment, rubbing her temples while trying to get her thoughts in order. "You _really_ think this is just because you cold me old?...which I'm not by the way!"

Shirou raised his hands in surrender. "No no! I get it! You're still a hot, young thing. Drop dead gorgeous. Hotter than all the girls I know."

* * *

Sitting in her room, combing the hair of a baby Inugami, Kiyome Abe felt a sudden wave of irritation.

"...I don't know why, but I think I'm going to slap Shirou later."

* * *

"If not because I insulted you solely to save my virginity, then what?" Shirou asked, repeating the question he had asked only moments ago. "You were-ARE someone I care about and think of as my friend, so I cannot comprehend what would drive you to try to attack me like this. You said you had mistaken me for someone else, so I can only assume you were initially after Issei...but what is your sudden grudge against me?"

Kalawarner stood back, stretching out her hand and summoning yet another spear of light, pointing it at Shirou. "You are a servant of one of my kind's eternal enemy, the Devils. Therefore, I must eradicate you just as I would any other enemy. Farewell, Fujimura Shirou." Without a shred of hesitation, Kalawarner launched her spear at Shirou. Shirou could tell from her aim that she had not been joking.

She had been aiming to kill.

"Dammit! Sacred Gear!" Shirou summoned Canis Regalia, the magic weapon appearing on his arm, once again in the claw-like form it had appeared in earlier. "God-friggin-FUCK! Pick a form and stick to it!" Not bothering to waste time arguing with an inanimate object, Shirou swung his arm, the blade-like claws on the gauntlet ripping through the light-material that made up Kalawarner's weapon. "That's enough Kalawarner! I'm not going to fight my friend!"

"I see, so you've learned to draw it out at will." Kalawarner noted, her lack of interest in his words causing Shirou to stare at her. "In that case, I'm relieved knowing that there's no problem with me not holding back anymore!"

Kalawarner stretched her wings out, giving them a heavy beat that propelled her forward, light spear in hand.

Despite how fast she had been going, Shirou still managed to block her spear with the palm of his gauntlet, wrapping his fingers around the bladed tip (albeit showing some strain from the assault). Shirou let out a grunt of frustration as Kalawarner started putting all of her weight into her blow, slowly pushing Shirou back. His feet were dragging against the ground, desperately trying to push Shirou forward to counter Kalawarner's thrust.

It was hardly a pain-free struggle. While the pointed-edge of the spear had not yet pierced Shirou's skin, he could feel the light that made up the weapon radiating against his arm, burning it with its presence that was toxic to Devils.

Taking a deep breath, Shirou started to close his fingers of his gauntlet around the pain-inducing spear. With a roar of determination, he quickly gripped the edge tight, putting as much pressure on the spear as he could before he heard a satisfying _crack_ , the end of the spear slowly beginning to break apart. With a final, even heavier _crack_ , the spear completely shattered, collapsing as Shirou continued applying forward from the broken end, wearing down the weapon until about halfway down the shaft. It was around that point that Kalawarner backed away.

"You do realize that, as a Fallen Angel, I can create as many of those as I please, right?" The older woman materialized yet another spear in her hands. With another beat of her wings, she took to the sky, hovering at a distance that Shirou had no chance of hitting her in physical combat. "And I don't necessarily have to attack close-up either!" She threw the spear at Shirou, the young man only having seconds to leap out of the way.

Even after avoiding the attack, however, Shirou still felt himself being pushed further away than he had intended due to the explosive impact the spear had against the concrete.

He felt himself go half-blind with the amount of dirt and dust kicked up by the attack, but, thanks to his instincts, he brought his left leg around just in time to meet the shaft of yet another spear. Shirou used his momentum to push against the spear's shaft, shoving the owner away without physically harming her. Even though she was currently trying to kill him, even after she (albeit in a rushed way) said they weren't friends, a part of him still couldn't bring himself to truly raise a hand to harm her.

And it appeared his gesture had not gone unnoticed.

"Still holding back?" Kalawarner's heels looked close to snapping as she skidded back against the ground, her stance clearing indicating her intent to charge. "I guess that's a reason why your virginity in particular was tasty. I always had a thing for the taste of fools."

Although Shirou raised his guard, it was not with offensive intent. "I told you before, Kalawarner: I'm not going to fight you! I'm not going to fight my friend!"

""Friend"?!" Kalawarner parroted in a mocking voice.

"Yeah!" Shirou agreed without caring for her rude tone. "I won't understand what's going on with you unless you tell me! So stop all this crazy "I'mma-Hack-You-To-Pieces" shit!"

Again, Shirou raised his gauntlet to block Kalawarner's attack, being knocked back another few feet as the light spear exploded against his arm. He felt a large burn rip through his sleeve and sear his skin, causing him to grip the burnt parts and rub it soothingly. It was during that moment of distraction that Kalawarner appeared beside him driving her heel (both the shoe and the part of her foot) into the side of his face, a strike which could have dislocated his jaw if he had been clenching his teeth.

She attempted to use that opening to stab Shirou through the chest with one of her spears of light. Shirou quickly twisted his body at such an angle that he could swear he almost twisted his spine apart from the effort, regaining his balance and creating distance between them by doing an acrobatic back-flip, landing in a crouch.

"I thought I made it obvious!" Kalawarner taunted. "You are a Devil and I am a Fallen Angel-ergo, we are enemies!"

"That's stupid logic! You're stupid! You sound just like Rias when she's being a prideful idiot!"

* * *

Waiting patiently in the Occult Research Club's meeting room, Rias Gremory felt a wave of irritation wash over her.

"...I don't know why, but I think I'm going to slap Shirou later."

* * *

"These are among the simplest and most well-known facts of this world!" Kalawarner replied, striking at Shirou with her spear, an attack which he parried with his gauntlet. They exchanged blow after blow, strike after strike. While she failed to make a single hit on Shirou, his inability to fight back proved to be in her favor as she would have easily been able to just wear him down until he couldn't defend anymore. "It was fun toying with you these past few months, but I'm afraid you're just not amusing to me anymore. Just as is the normal order of things in this world, we are enemies from hereon out! Fallen Angels and Devils can never coexist!"

"Well that's stupid! The normal order is stupid and the world is stupid!" Shirou let out a frustrated grunt with each exertion, finding it difficult to use his energy properly due to the fact he couldn't bring himself to hit his opponent. He stepped back when Kalawarner drove her spear into the ground between his feet, attempting to bisect him with an upward slash before stabbing downwards.

"How childish! Calling something "stupid" doesn't make it go away nor does it change the fact that it's the truth!"

"I don't care! If it's some rule that forces me to fight my friend, then it's a stupid, piece of shit rule!" Shirou countered, smashing his fist into the center of another light spear, breaking it in half. "Why should we have to be miserable for the sake of a stupid war started by dipshits that ended hundreds of years ago that was started for reasons I don't even give a shit about!? It shouldn't matter to me! It shouldn't matter to _you_!"

The two continued their clash, even while speaking to one another, neither gaining or losing any ground against the other. Even if Shirou refused to fight back, he was no slouch when it came to a good fight. He had endured plenty of trials before this one. It was hardly his worst handicap.

Once again, Kalawarner took to the skies, raining down light spears on Shirou, who could not properly defend against her aerial assault. He was capable of either dodging or blocking the spears, but she hid her figure in the blinding light of the moon. Shirou could see in the dark just fine, but the only thing he could make out of Kalawarner in the sky above was her silhouette.

Even if he tried to take cover inside of a house, her spears would have easily been able to rip through the wood and plaster that they were built from.

"You truly are a fool." Kalawarner insulted him yet again, not relenting with either her verbal or physical assault. "Even if I did not loathe you to the extent I do, we would still be enemies. Do you want to know why?"

"Why...is that?" Shirou panted, placing his hands on his knees as he crouched down, narrowing his eyes as he looked up at her.

"Because even if the war _has_ ended, the grudges and pain that resulted have not." Kalawarner generated yet another spear of light in her hands, holding it tenderly in front of her. Shirou could not see her expression, but he could tell something was...off about her tone. Different, perhaps a little bitter even. Then her tone became completely hostile again. "Do you truly believe a naive, idealistic fool like yourself can possibly comprehend any of it LET ALONE HEAL THE SCARS AND WOUNDS THAT HAVE FESTERED FOR ALL THESE YEARS!?"

Perhaps it was the heavy aura surrounding her body, perhaps it was how her volume suddenly increased, or perhaps it was how Shirou's danger senses were telling him "Get the fuck out of there, you idiot!", but something compelled Shirou to start running. He knew that, if he tried to catch or block the next attack in any way, he was going to die. Kalawarner was serious about killing him with this spear.

It moved so fast that it created a loud whistle as pierced through the air. Shirou could only run faster, faster, and even faster as it came close to impact.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

It wasn't something the size of an explosion like that of a nuclear bomb, but it was certainly large (at least the size of a house) and you could be very certain that it was loud. Like someone had plugged in twenty stereos to a single music player and turned up the volume as loud as they could.

Shirou had managed to avoid the initial blast radius of the powerful attack, but he still found himself blown away by the heavy gusts and debris that were blown through the air, feeling more radiation from the spear's power singe his skin and some of his hair. He found himself tumbling across the ground, letting out a grunt of pain each time he bounced before eventually skidding across the cement and coming to a complete, pain-filled stop.

It hurt.

Everything hurt.

He felt an annoying buzz in his left ear and couldn't hear much else from it, his left arm may have been fractured, he had burns on several parts of his body, and his clothes were torn and burned in many other places. On top of everything else, his body was incredibly sore.

"I'm amazed." Kalawarner praised mockingly. "With the amount of light you had been inflicted with, I would have thought you would at least have been a little nauseous by now. Bravo. Ufufu~"

"I'm supposed to be nauseous right now?" Shirou asked, straight-faced confusion coloring his expression. "Huh...Well, other than my potentially broken bones, I actually feel fine."

"Wait-what?" It was Kalawarner's turn to be confused. Granted, she had failed to run Shirou through, but she specialized in dealing light damage through radiation. While it weakened the offensive power of her spears, it was good for wearing down enemies. Even if Shirou had not been struck directly, the amount of light in his body should have gradually weakened him. And yet he looked perfectly fine and even claimed to feel perfectly fine, something that should not have been possible.

Shirou used his tongue to lick up the blood in his mouth that had resulted in him cutting his cheek on his teeth during his harsh tumbling session. He gathered up the blood in his mouth and quickly spit it out onto the ground, staining it red with his own blood.

He let out a sigh of irritation. "Look, I know I can't claim to be able to heal everyone's wounds like Rias. I don't have her charisma, her political power, or her guts. Hell, I don't have the guts of any of my friends...Still. I know this isn't right." He clutched the area on his chest where his heart would be located. "Even if you say we're not friends...I don't believe it. I can't believe it. You had ample opportunity to kill me during all of the times we met during contracts, so why not then?! Even if you deny it, I know that, on some level, you also think of me as a friend just as I think of you!"

The Fallen Angel clicked her tongue, showing a clear disapproval for Shirou's train of thoughts.

"OK, I might be a naive, idealistic fool, but so what?!" Shirou gestured to the neighboring areas, the places where his and Kalawarner's fight had caused quite a bit of damage. "Are you saying our lives have to be _this_ , that our future can only be more of _this_?!" He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "If that's the case, then I'll gladly stick to my naive idealism. I'll use that idealism to break through all reason! I know I can't do much on my own, but what's the point of not even trying?"

The air became silent. Nothing could be heard other than the burning remains of the vending machine Kalawarner had previously destroyed.

The Fallen Angel silently sank back to the ground, her heals, having long-since-broken during their fight, falling flat against the concrete.

"We don't _have to_ fight." Throwing caution to the wind, Shirou took several, slow, non-threatening steps towards Kalawarner. Without hesitation, he extended his hand towards her. "Even if it's true that you hate me-and I don't believe it for a second-isn't there some part of you that hates all this fighting? Isn't there some part that at least wants to give peace a chance?"

The pair were quickly enveloped by a second, even heavier silence as Shirou awaited Kalawarner's answer.

She could have done anything.

She could have stabbed his arm with her spear. She could have kicked him in the nuts. She could have slapped him, punched him, kicked him, burned him, cut him, broken him, tortured him, or even just outright murdered him in cold blood. All of these were just as likely as her taking his hand by that point.

"Hey! Shirou!? Where are you!?" Shirou suddenly turned around, remembering Issei's client's house which had been directly behind him.

"Issei! Get out of here now!" Shirou suddenly ordered, realizing the situation was too tentative for him to appear. "It's too dangerous!"

The brown-haired boy suddenly started walking towards him, clearly downtrodden. "Look, I know I messed up with the contract, but Buchou won't be _that_ upset about it, right?" It was clear from the expression on his face that he had messed up and failed to earn a pact, but that was hardly the issue at the moment.

"No! Just stay back while I handle this situation!" Shirou turned back. "Please, just hold on a second. Don't attack, please!"

"Who do you not want to attack, Shirou?" Issei asked, his eyebrow crinkling in confusion.

Shirou looked back to Issei, glaring at him. "Kalawarner, of course!"

"Who's that?"

"The woman right in front of me!"

"What are you talking about?" Issei asked, even more bewildered. "There's nobody there!"

The snow-haired boy was about to reply "Of course there is!", but when he turned back to face where he could swear Kalawarner had been moments before, there was nothing.

"Holy shit, dude!" Issei shouted, suddenly taken aback as he finally registered his surroundings and, more importantly, Shirou. "What happened here?! What happened to _you_?! Seriously! What did I miss?"

Other than the widespread destruction around them, there was no trace that the woman known as Kalawarner had been there.

Save for a single, raven-like feather laying on the spot where his feathered-friend had once been standing.

"Kalawarner..." Shirou uttered her name, walking over and picking up the feather off of the ground, staring at it longingly.

He failed to notice the shadow lingering behind the corner, hesitating for a moment before vanishing, leaving the snow-haired boy to his sad thoughts filled with regret and a deep-seeded sense of failure.

* * *

The hideout was coming together quite nicely.

True, they had needed to bring in their own furniture for the living residence for the Stray Exorcists, but, altogether, the thoroughly tainted Church was becoming a place that was quite inhabitable for the four Fallen Angels based in Kuoh Town. They hadn't wanted to wait around, so they had send their subordinates to the Church days ahead of time to destroy any and all holy objects and artifacts that lingered from the days before it was abandoned.

Most of the strays were downstairs in the basement below the building, preparing for the ritual while the others were either loitering around outside or busy doing other miscellaneous tasks due to a lack of clear purpose.

However, they all immediately moved out of the way, shuffling off to the side as far as necessary as Kalawarner came through, some of them bowing respectfully, some of them admiringly referring to her as "Kalawarner-sama" (this was what she was called by those who held Japanese blood) or "Mistress Kalawarner" (this was what those of European or otherwise non-Japanese-blood called her).

A passive look on her face, she walked up to the main door of the Church, pushing it forward with indifference.

A loud, heavy _creak_ filled the otherwise empty main hall...well, _almost_ empty.

While Kalawarner shut the doors behind her, it was hard for her not to notice the two other presences which were closely similar to her own.

"Oh look~ Big Sis Kala is back~"

"You took a while, Kalawarner. I was beginning to worry about you."

Even though the words sounded affectionate and caring, they were anything but. Kalawarner knew the two people speaking better than to think they were capable of empathy or pity.

"Just leave me be, you two." Kalawarner replied wearily, walking straight past the two other Fallen Angels standing in the middle of the aisle.

The blonde-haired Fallen Angel dressed in gothic lolita, Mittelt, giggled. "Oh my, did someone have a bad break-up?" She teased. "You seem rather tense~"

"I'm surprised the smell of blood hasn't filled the air." The other Fallen Angel, Dohnaseek, stated. "I would have thought things would go smoothly for you, Kalawarner. He's but a baby compared to us. It would be rather pride-shattering if he had actually managed to defeat you."

Kalawarner just ignored him, practically stomping when she passed him, doing her best not to let her frustration show. "I didn't lose. Things just became too inconvenient to continue any further." She paused, not daring to turn to face them. "Just so you know, it's done. My tie with Shirou Fujimura is officially cut. You don't have to worry yourselves about him anymore."

"Oh, so _that's_ why you didn't finish off the brat~" Mittelt taunted. "You really were having trouble with your lil' boy toy~ I guess the plan to drink him dry won't work now, huh~? What a shame for you!"

"He is of no concern to me anymore." The cold voice Kalawarner spoke with would have sent chills down almost anyone else's spine. "I'll simply find something else to occupy my time with." She started walking away calmly and casually.

Her cool and collected aura was one of the things Mittelt had always hated about her, the part about Kalawarner that always made her the most in-awe and the most envious.

"If that's the case, then there's no problem if I go ahead and kill him, right? Tough guys like that make me nauseous! I prefer the small, cute ones you used to bring home. Whenever you were done with them, I would get to have my fun after~ You've been kind of boring with your taste in men lately, so it's a been a while! Tough guys always try to take the lead and have the ugliest faces during climax, so I would much rather kill them all!"

It was those words that made Kalawarner stop in her tracks. She hid her expression well, but a feeling of disease could be sensed from her.

"I told you already. He is of no consequence to us or to me any longer. There is no more reason to get involved with him."

A low-pitched giggle escaped Mittelt's smaller form. "If he's of no consequence, then that means there's even less of an issue, no?"

"...No...However, with the day of the ritual drawing close, it would be reckless to aggravate the Gremory clan unnecessarily-"

"Excuses excuses!" Mittelt spread her wings and flew around Kalawarner, gazing on her passive, unchanging expression, trying to catch a glance of any movement or change in her facial muscles. "You just want him to fill your hole with his you-know what."

"That's enough." Although it was subtle, displeasure and frustration flashed across Kalawarner's expression moments before vanishing.

"I'm only speaking the truth~ Or could it be something more intimate~? Has Big Sis not learned about what happened the last time she-"

That was the final straw.

"I SAID "ENOUGH!" Kalawarner summoned a light spear, thrusting forward and attempting to stab Mittelt through the neck, her eyes filled with seething anger. She only hesitated at the last moment, the tip just barely touching Mittelt's throat. It was so tempting, to just cut her open like a frog and silence her for good...but that would only serve to get herself in trouble. As much as Mittelt was a miserable, intolerable brat in Kalawarner's eyes, killing her would do no good.

And Mittelt knew that. That was why she had such a victorious expression on her face.

With a reluctant heart, Kalawarner released her light spear, turning and starting to walk away once more, trying to do her best to ignore two of her least favorite people.

"Hey, Kalawarner!" The older woman cringed when she heard Dohnaseek call after her. "I know you don't appreciate my advice in the slightest, but I, at least, care about our objectives. I quite frankly don't care what you do in your free time, but it was only for all of our sakes that I "motivated" you to cut your ties with the Devil boy. He is a Devil and we are Fallen Angels."

Kalawarner barely turned her head to look at him. "I know." Her anger still showed in her voice...along with something else: Bitterness.

"What would have happened anyway, really?" The rhetorical question stung deeply. "It's best for everyone that you followed my advice as you did."

"You voiced your opinions so _strongly_ that I could not help but acquiesce."

"And I'm sure the fact your dear little toy's life was on the line had nothing to do with it at all." The only male Fallen Angel of the group received no response. He didn't need it. His smirk let it be known to all that he was already satisfied with the current situation. "However, I can't guarantee his safety should you attempt to make contact with him again. It's a dangerous world we live in, especially when it comes to the relationship between Fallen Angels and Devils."

Kalawarner hesitated at the stairs leading to the secret passageway underneath.

"...I know."

* * *

 **Next Chapter** \- Devils, Nuns, and Fallen Angels! The Vow to Reach His Friend!

* * *

 **Finito! This chapter is finished! I'm really sorry it took so long, guys. It's just that the first arc is really my least favorite, life has been kicking my ass in terms of exhaustion, I got a new PS Vita and spent 3 days completely clearing all achievements on Lost Dimension (Good concept, but poor plot development. Had lightning in a jar but didn't use it properly.), been job-hunting, and stuff has just been going on.**

 **I promise to start doing better.**

 **Also, if anybody knows any good PS Vita games, could you leave their names in a review?**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	19. Chapter 16: The Vow to Reach His Friend!

**God, I always hated the first arc. Don't worry folks. Shouldn't be longer than a few more chapters...**

 **Also...STOP KILLING ISSEI'S PARENTS! O_O Those of you reading this know who you are. Just stop. Stop it. XP They're beautiful people! They have such a beautiful family! You shouldn't want to kill such beautiful people!...Volume 20 made me cry. I hold no shame in crying.**

 **Come on! Don't be shy! If that moment with the Hyoudou family made you cry, feel free to admit it. It was such a heavy scene and made you realize how much value Issei's parents had as people rather than the cliche anime parents who are never around when the apocalypse is about to go down as a result of some dipshit who wants to destroy the world solely for the sake of destroying it...:P**

 **A world where I can't read Highschool DxD and feel happy or laugh is a world I don't want to live in! I have the Doomsday Device in my garage should the breaking point be achieved! BOW BEFORE THE OVERLORD!**

 **On that matter, there is something I always intended to confess to everyone but never got around to it:**

 **I don't like Rias. And no, it's not because I believe the fandom rumor that Rias purposely let Issei get killed. If you wish to know my reasons, feel free to ask, but I don't like Rias.**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Which means I don't own shit! Try and claim copyright now, bitches! XD.**

* * *

 **Chapter 16: Devils, Nuns, and Fallen Angels! The Vow to Reach His Friend!**

"Now, hold still."

"Ow ow ow! That stings! That stings!"

"Well, maybe if you would hold still, rather than crying like a baby, it wouldn't be taking so long."

"Screw you! I had a pretty rough night! I don't need your sass!-OW!"

Akeno was going over all of Shirou's open cuts and scrapes with a cotton swab dabbed with rubbing alcohol to help clean out his wounds sustained from his fight with Kalawarner. His arm was in a sling, having received a light fracture as a result of the conflict he had endured with the Fallen Angels. He also had a bruise the size of a watermelon on his back, but no other major injuries affected his person.

"Well maybe this will teach you not to recklessly fight an enemy without calling for back-up." Rias scolded. After Issei and Shirou returned that evening, she had had more than a few things to say about Shirou's actions (mostly out of worry). When she heard that Kalawarner had been a Fallen Angel, she had made many hollow threats against the Fallen Angel Governor's life and things of that nature before Akeno and Kiba managed to calm her down. "I understand you have your pride, but calling for back-up is the first thing you should do in such a situation. It's necessary to reduce every risk, however minimal, as much as possible."

Shirou rolled his eyes, snorting to himself. "Oh yes. Because it would definitely work out well if I went "Oh hey, could you stop trying to kill me for a moment? I need to call my friends so they can come and reduce you to less than ashes."" While it wasn't all there was to his thoughts, it was a fair point and a good way to turn the tables back on Rias. "Besides, in case you don't remember, I've gone up against a giant sna-"

"Snake-Demon lady," Koneko finished for him, "yeah, yeah. You've said that a hundred times already. It was impressive at first, but now you're just milking it and it just seems so done now."

"Screw you!" Shirou flipped Koneko off with his un-bandaged arm. "It was a very traumatizing battle for me! I deserve to milk it!"

"And like then, you failed to rely on your comrades." Rias pointed out while cutting into the conversation. "A mistake that could have very well ended up costing both your life _and_ Issei's this time."

"Come on! It's not like I lost!"

"But you didn't win either."

"I _could have_!"

"But you didn't."

"Well, I could-"

"But you didn't."

"Stil-"

"But you didn't."

"I-"

"But. You. Didn't."

"...Whatever. Just finish your healing or whatever so I can go take care of a few things." Shirou outright demanded, somewhat miffed at being repeatedly cut off.

"About that..." Rias crossed her arms, staring at Shirou with half-lidded eyes. "Consider this your punishment."

Shirou blinked several times as his brain processed this information. "Come again?"

"Shirou, do you remember what I told you last time?" Rias asked, as if expecting Shirou to know what she was talking about. After he failed to answer for several moments, Rias continued, "I told you that, when you get into trouble, not to try and take on the problem yourself and _call for back-up_." Shirou awkwardly averted his eyes, rubbing the back of his neck. "And what did you not do?"

"Call for back-up...?" He guessed.

"Call for back-up." Rias confirmed, sighing. "Shirou, you are still undergoing training. You're not at the level where you can naturally face these kinds of enemies yet. Not to mention, whenever you get into fights, you always seem to sustain the most damage. I'm actually growing concerned about what kind of mental state you must have to wind up in usually near-death or otherwise brutalized states every time you step out that door. Really, it's best to leave you in a position where even you aren't reckless enough to do something stupid than heal you and make you think your actions don't have any consequences just because you survived because I'm beginning to think that's what you think."

The sad part was that Rias wasn't wrong (about the last part anyway).

Several grunts and squeaks came from Shirou's mouth every time he opened it, but nothing coherent was heard.

"That's hardly fair, Buchou." Shirou objected weakly. "I mean...I don't get badly injured EVERY TIME I walk out the door."

Rias raised an eyebrow. "Oh really?"

"YYYYYYeeeeee-Mmmmm-Nnnnnn-Mmmm...Maybe?" It was hard to object when Rias was actually right. His street brawls had significantly lessened ever since the Yellow Diamonds became MIA, an event that had ended up leading people to the misunderstanding that Shirou no longer held back against delinquents and may actually _kill_ anyone who fights him. However, to say his days were conflict-free would be a lie. And taking into account his previous near-death encounters (excluding those at the hands of his friends and loved ones during training), it wasn't too much of an exaggeration to say he winds up injuring himself every single day. "But that still doesn't make it alright to leave me like this! It will take me forever to heal from these!"

"Not necessarily." Kiba interjected. "Devils naturally have a much higher healing factor than humans, so wounds like those won't take too long. A few days at most. If your arm had received a clean break or a more severe fracture, it would have been a different story, but with injuries like those, it should take about three days, four days tops."

"Four days!?" Shirou suddenly stood, wincing as Akeno accidentally tore away the band-aid she had been halfway through placing on his cheek. "Can't you guys just do the naked thing you guys do and heal me _now_?!"

""Naked thing"?" Issei asked, tilting his head with a mix of confusion and lecherous thoughts showing on his face. The funny thing was that, this time, his perverted mind probably wasn't undergoing a misunderstanding.

"Oh yeah, you weren't awake for that." Shirou realized, remembering how Rias had failed to acquire the hilarious pictures of Issei's reaction as well as the fact Issei was even there at the moment. "Well, good news for you: You actually felt a woman's breast." Issei's jaw dropped as Shirou motioned to Rias. "And it was Buchou's." An array of expressions appeared on Issei's face ranging from shock and disbelief to lecherous joy. Then Shirou smirked. "Bad news for you: You were asleep through all of it." Then Issei looked as though he had fallen into despair, a look Shirou would have found more amusement in in any other situation. "But back to the main point! I need to heal so I can get back to training! Kalawarner-"

The crimson-haired club president shook her head. "Not this time, Shirou. I want you to take this time to think and reflect upon your recklessness and how to act next time a similar situation occurs." She held out her hands the moment Shirou opened his mouth to speak again. "And I don't want you to even _consider_ going after the Fallen Angel for revenge. I understand your pride is probably wounded, but still, she's probably returned to her home base by now. If you try going after her now, you will be dealing with not just her, but every member of the Fallen Angel group stationed in this town. So forget about revenge."

Shirou blinked, taking a while to figure out what Rias had just said. "Oh...OH! Right! "Revenge"! That's definitely what I was thinking! Yes, sir, that was what I had in mind. Grrrr! I'm so frustrated that I can't go and show that Fallen Angel what-for!" Shirou found himself feeling awkward as he tried to avoid slipping into the trap of revealing his true thoughts concerning Kalawarner or what exactly their relationship was. "Oh well, I guess you've twisted my arm. I have no choice but to comply considering the shape I'm in right now...I definitely will not be able to go to the Fallen Angel's base which is locateeeed-"

"Shirooou." Rias warned, not being fooled by Shirou's not-so-subtle trick. "I'm not telling you where they are."

A tired sigh escaped Shirou's mouth. "Had to try." He would have to find some other way to track Kalawarner down. Even if most would consider it foolish, he just had to see her. He clicked his tongue in irritation. "Anyway, I'm just gonna go home, catch some Z's. See you all in the morning or whatever..." Not entirely the truth, but Rias didn't need to know that.

"OK then." Rias nodded. "Good night-Oh wait! Before you go-"

Curious, Shirou paused at the door, turning to face Rias. "Wha-" He didn't even speak the first word of his question when Rias suddenly brought her hand across his face, eliciting a sharp _slap_ sound. She smacked him right on a bruise on his face, too. "OW! THE FUCK, RIAS!?"

Rias stared at Shirou with an annoyed look. "That's for earlier!" She turned her back and walked away from Shirou, leaving the young man completely flabbergasted.

"What the fuck just happened!?"

* * *

 _"Hey! Whatcha doin', sleepin' there, kid?!"_

 _"H-Huh?! I-I wasn't sleeping! Honest!"_

 _"Heehee! I'm just teasing you, you ding-dong!"_

 _"S-Sorry...I didn't mean...Hmmm...I just didn't want to stay up while waiting for them to come...It hurts a lot less when I'm not tired..."_

 _"That's weird. You're weird, kid!...I like that!"_

 _"Huh?"  
_

 _"I'm _! Let's be friends from hereon out!"_

 _"...It kind of seems like you're the weird one here..."_

 _"Don't be so mean! When a pretty young lady tells you her name, you gives her yours too, ya jerk!"_

 _"Wah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! But...My name...I..."_

 _"Hey...what's wrong?...Oh! I get it! You're just shy, right~?"_

 _"Well...um...I just don't really-"_

 _"We're roomies now, so I'll have plenty of time to wrestle that name outta you in-between our "shots"!"_

 _"No no! It's not that...It's just..."_

 _"Hm? What is it? What's wrong, kid?"_

 _"...I just don't have a name."_

* * *

Night had come and gone and Shirou was dead-tired.

He had done his best to conduct his own search for Kalawarner, but, other than the destruction caused by their relatively modest fight, there had been no sign of her. His search had been made continuously difficult due to the fact that Rias had deemed it necessary to send out the others (excluding Issei) to keep an eye out and ensure that Shirou was not doing anything he wasn't supposed to be doing. Half of his time had been spent searching and the other half of his time had been spent dodging the other member of the Occult Research Club, especially Koneko.

He could swear she could tell when he was around because she always made veiled threats about twisting him into a bone-y pretzel under the pretense that he wasn't present.

Overall, a very unsuccessful night had been wasted.

He knew Rias would not approve, he knew he should have dropped it, he knew that Kalawarner had, in fact, been trying to kill him the previous night, but he knew one thing that mattered above all else.

Something wasn't right.

He could not quite put his finger on it, but something wasn't right during their fight.

Kalawarner had seemed...troubled. Not herself. He wasn't the type to tell one's thoughts and feelings from a person's expression, but rather, he could tell by their attacks. While certainly deadly, Kalawarner's attacks had been haphazard without any real focus. That, added to the facts such as why she waited so long to attack him even if it was a supposed crime of convenience and why she was speaking so passionately.

Shirou knew from experience that someone didn't show such passion, anger, or regret unless they had some care or attachment.

Something was definitely up, but he couldn't figure out what. Rias certainly wasn't going to be of any help. While kind and caring to her servants, her overwhelming sense of pride combined with her narrow-minded way of thinking would cause her to impede any attempt he made to investigate the moment he told her his friend was a Fallen Angel. She had already left him to heal slowly due to his bad behavior. He doubted she would be lenient if she knew he was thinking (technically) treasonous thoughts such as "befriending a Fallen Angel" or "wanting to save his Fallen Angel friend".

"..Who can I turn to...?"

"I would think you would turn to your girlfriend when troubled." Shirou almost jumped as Kiyome's voice spoke from next to him, Shirou turning to face the blonde girl who had caught up to him.

"It's..."Devil trouble". I don't think you could be of much help in this situation." He almost bit his tongue off after realizing what he said and recognizing the upset look on Kiyome's face. "...I mean physically because Devils are just so unfairly over-powered compared to humans who are all amazing! EMOTIONALLY, you are my anchor and the prettiest girl I have ever seen in my entire life and I love you so much, darling!"

Kiyome's eyes widened, as if realizing something. "Oh! That's right! I just remembered something!" And that was when she brought her hand across Shirou's face, producing a loud, heavy _slap_.

"OW!" Shirou screamed in pain before bringing his hand to the stinging, red, hand-shaped mark on his face. He stared at his girlfriend in disbelief. "THE FUCK, KIYOME!?"

Kiyome stared at Shirou with an annoyed look. "That's for last night!"

"JESUS-FUCKING-CHRIST! WHAT DID I DO THAT MADE YOU WOMEN GAIN A GRUDGE AGAINST MY FACE!?"

However, his question went largely ignored by Kiyome who turned her head away, clearly upset over the "crime" Shirou was not aware he had committed.

She crossed her arms, staring at Shirou with an expectant look. "OK, what's wrong _this time_?" He wanted to argue what she meant by "this time", but he knew full-well what she meant and made no attempt to deny it. Lately, he had ended up walking to school every morning with a completely new problem each time. A part of him couldn't help but wonder if there was more to the "getting into trouble every time he walked out the door" theory Rias spoke of than he first thought. Some kind of pattern was repeating, that was for sure.

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. "Well...it's complicated-"

"Does it involve a girl?"

The sudden question took Shirou by surprise, causing him to raise an eyebrow at his girlfriend. "Excuse me?" He wasn't quite sure how to react.

Despite the intensity her voice held when asking the question, Kiyome did her best to look nonchalant about the subject. "Well, when you say "it's complicated", I immediately assume a woman is involved. Whenever you have problems, it's usually related to women." She wasn't entirely wrong, but something felt off when she started casually inspecting the nails on her left hand, her eyes half-lidded. It was around that time that Shirou started to suspect the true nature of her questioning.

"I hardly see how that's related to the issue at hand."

"My instincts are telling me that another woman is involved somehow, a woman I don't know."

"Why are you asking this? What even brought this up?"

"As your girlfriend, I've just started having a bad feeling about where this conversation is going."

" _Why_ would it be going in a direction that would involve giving you a bad feeling?"

"To be fair, you're usually gone all hours of the night, I can't even call you, and it seems fair to have suspicions that you are, in fact, interacting with another woman in secret behind my back."

"Oh my Maou, are you serious right now?" Shirou asked, placing a hand on his forehead as the realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

"What?" The way she was doing her best _not_ to seem suspicious only served to increase how suspicious Kiyome seemed.

"You _know_ what." Shirou pointed out, staring at her. "You're being clingy! Not excessively-so, but clingy nonetheless! Look, just because I'm out or because I'm a Devil, it doesn't mean I'm going to cheat on you. Also-just because I say a problem is complicated, it doesn't necessarily mean it involves a woman."

" _Does it_ involve a woman?"

It was hard for Shirou _not_ to take a long pause before answering that question.

"...Well... _Yeah..._ But just because it involves a woman, it doesn't mean it's complicated _because_ it involves a woman! It also doesn't mean I was involved with her...I mean I'm obviously involved with her, but not like "involved" like-You know what? Are you gonna listen to my problem or not?"

The blonde-haired girl let out a sigh. "Alright, alright. I'll stop...But you _weren't_ engaged in-"

"No!"

"OK then, what's your problem this time?" Kiyome asked, taking a deep breath as she removed herself from the previous subject. "So this problem, I wasn't wrong before about it involving a woman?"

Shirou rubbed his temples, realizing how easily Kiyome was getting side-tracked. "I'll be brief. My client and friend turned out to be a Fallen Angel who tried to kill me." It left a bad taste in his mouth how he treated the situation without much tact, but he was hardly given any real alternative. In a way, he was satisfied how the sudden and detail-less explanation finally got Kiyome to calm down...until he realized she wouldn't stop looking at him with that shocked expression on her face.

"...Has anyone ever told you that it seems like you almost get killed every time you walk out the door?"

"You-" Shirou face-palmed. "You're not LISTENING here, Kiyome! I have a serious problem and I could really use some support right now!"

The girl raised her hands in surrender. "You're right! You're right! I was the one who wanted to know what was up, so I should wait patiently for you to explain."

"Thank you!"

"So the fight...I take it that's how you got the broken arm?" Kiyome pointed at the arm Shirou had in a cast and sling. "Or why you keep twitching uncomfortably?"

"Yeeeaaaah." Shirou admitted, again rubbing the back of his neck. "To be honest, it wasn't her that broke my arm...it was me trying to grab her light spear."

"Why did you grab her light spear?" Kiyome tilted her head to the side, staring at Shirou in confusion. "And, more to the point, I would have thought one punch from you would have been enough to knock most of the things you guys deal with flat on their asses."

Shirou shook his head. "I believe we covered the part where I'm not very strong compared to most other creatures on "this side". I would have thought that Eliade was a good example, what with how she turned me into a living pincushion on several different occasions." He paused, staring at Kiyome. She tried to hide it, but saw the small flinch and could practically feel her discomfort. "Right...Forgot you experienced that thing's presence first-hand...Sorry 'bout that. But anyway, it wasn't a matter of knocking her out. It was a matter of trying to avoid hurting her."

That last statement caused Kiyome to stop in her tracks. "Wait, why would you try to AVOID hurting her?" It was a fair question. Not one he particularly wanted to answer, but a fair one. "I mean, a crazy lady's coming at you with a weapon that could completely erase your soul and you're first instinct is to _not_ beat her into the dirt? I mean, why not just pummel her to a bloody pulp until she's on the ground, begging for mercy? Maybe blast her with a few fireballs-no-wait! First freeze her, then blast her with fireballs! If she's not cindering ashes by then, you could beat what's left with a baseball bat..." She trailed off when she realized Shirou's jaw had dropped.

A long, heavy, awkward silence ensued as Shirou made a mental note to avoid pushing his girlfriend off the deep end.

"...Well, while every part of the way you worded that made me love you even more, I'm gonna have to say "No"." Shirou took another moment to pause. "...On another note, we're going to have to have a long, drawn-out discussion on this hidden side of yours...Seriously, I don't like violence or murder in excess, but that side of you was kind of hot." Kiyome blushed, looking pleasantly embarrassed by Shirou's praise. "We should seriously talk about it sometime." He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I couldn't bring myself to harm her...even though she said some pretty awful things, we had still bonded a little. I couldn't bring myself to think of her as my enemy."

A sharp poke to Shirou's broken arm made him wince in pain, causing him to shoot Kiyome a sharp look.

"Are you an idiot? She tried to ERASE YOUR EXISTENCE!" This was, in fact, a good point Kiyome was making. "I mean, I get it if you forgive a friend for stealing money from your wallet, your bike, or breaking something they borrowed but said they would return, but for attempting _murder_ , I can't help but feel you're being overly-forgiving. Even if she wasn't a woman whom my instincts led me to perceive as an enemy, I can't really recommend giving someone who will probably gut you like a fish a second chance at friendship."

Shirou sighed. "I know how it sounds, but..." He shook his head, realizing the futility of continuing the subject any further. "Forget it. Let's just get going. We're going to be late."

"No, wait." Kiyome spoke up, albeit somewhat reluctantly, grabbing Shirou by the shoulder when he tried to walk away. "What is it? I wouldn't be a very supportive girlfriend if I didn't at least _try_ to understand your absurd way of thinking no matter how strange it is...have I mentioned it's absurd?"

"..."

"OK! OK! Just tell me what's up."

"Well..." Shirou growled in frustration, most of his frustration directed towards himself. "...I mean, no matter how harsh she had been, something just seemed..."off". Her movements didn't have the same severity her words did. She intended to do what she said, I knew that for sure, but she didn't seem to be into it. She seemed... _sad_." He clicked his tongue. "Don't ask me why. It's just a gut feeling. Even disregarding that, I can't seem to consider her anything other than a friend. Everyone keeps telling me that she's a Fallen Angels and, just because of that reason alone, she has to be my enemy. On some level, I know they're absolutely right, but I just can't hate her...Alright. Go ahead. Call it absurd again. Call me an idiot..."

"It's absurd and you're an idiot..."

It felt like a blow to the heart when Kiyome said it so bluntly. "Thanks for your honesty..."

"...but I don't think you're wrong."

"Huh?" Shirou raised his head to stare at Kiyome. She was smiling softly.

"Shirou, you're a bit of a brute, you're impulsive, foolish, thick-headed, incredibly dense, kind of an idiot, short-tempered, sometimes-arrogant-"

"I get it!"

"...but things always seem to work out for you." Kiyome finished, blushing in embarrassment due to how she had gotten carried away. "I mean...even when you make a mistake, you seem to just get things right somehow. Maybe not the first time, but...you just stick to your guns and things seem to usually work out. You've already gotten this far just by following your gut. You needed some correction here and there, but you were never entirely wrong in the path you chose for yourself and you always seemed to choose a path according to your conscience."

She couldn't help but feel increasingly flustered at Shirou's stare.

"What I mean is...I think you're a bit of an idiot, but I don't think you're wrong." Kiyome pointed to his broken arm. "If you're so certain and determined, even after she did _this_ , then maybe there's more to this gut feeling than most people are considering. Not to mention, you're my boyfriend. I may be a bit biased, but I'm willing to believe in you on this one. If you still want to think of her as your friend, then I'll do my best to support you."

Another long pause ensued between the couple.

"Kiyome..." Shirou grinned. "Thanks, babe. You are my rock. You are the best."

"Awww~ You're only sayin' that coz it's true~"

"Indeed I am!" Shirou frowned when he looked at the time depicted on his watch. "Now, let's hurry! God knows what the others will think if we end up taking too long!"

"O-Oh! Right! Let's go!"

School that day came as quickly as it went, Shirou's heart resolved to continue walking the path he chose.

* * *

It was at one of the local parks later that afternoon.

Shirou and Issei sat on the same bench, Shirou leaning back with his one good arm hanging over the back of the seat, his half-lidded eyes staring straight at the sun. The only sign Issei was still alive was his breathing and the groan of frustration and depression he let out every now and then. The air around them was rather heavy to the point one could swear that all of the vegetation around them was starting to wilt and die.

"...Soooo..." It was Shirou who broke the silence.

"Soooo..." Issei parroted.

Their feelings were the same. With everything that had been going on lately and with the streak of bad luck the two had been undergoing, they were unanimous:

Everything sucked that day.

Their reasons were different, but they both felt a distinct dislike for that day, feeling even more miserable underneath the intense light of the sun above, a sensation that was made even more unpleasant by their demonic bodies. What was a pleasant day in the sun was like an unending Hell for the young humans-turned-Devils who held nothing but bad luck in recent days.

"...I heard you flunked your first contract."

"I heard you flunked your first dozen contracts."

"I heard you're an asshole."

"I heard you-shut the fuck up, Shirou."

"I heard-go eat a dick, Issei."

Both young men shot each other a sharp look before cocking their heads back and letting out incredibly loud groans of discontent.

"Hey, Shirou?"

"Yes, Issei?"

"Is this how you imagined our youth?" Issei asked. "Handing out piles of paper, taking requests of people we don't even know-"

"Being murdered by wicked creatures?"

"That too. All of this on top of being immortal Devil servants to a bombshell, crimson-haired babe?"

"I'll be honest, I didn't think I was gonna live that long. I was surprised I lived past age 14."

"Ah."

"Issei?"

"Yeah?"

"Fuck this world."

They both let out a heavy sigh, unable to get over their respective reasons for feeling downtrodden.

"Man, I can't believe I screwed up like that." Issei complained. "I spent so much time watching Dragon Boy Z that I forgot to secure an actual pact."

Shirou snorted. "I'm more surprised you didn't hear all of the explosions from outsi-Wait-What?" He suddenly raised his head, staring at Issei with curious eyes.

Issei raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You said Dragon BOY Z?"

"Yeah. Dragon Boy Z."

"You mean Dragon _Ball_ Z, right?"

"What's that?"

Shirou could only stare. "You're joking, right?"

"I don't know what you mean. I just spent a few hours watching Dragon Boy Z with the client after this huge debate we got into."

"Why do you keep calling it that?"

"Calling it what? Dragon Boy Z?"

"Yes! That! I don't get why you would keep calling it by the wrong na-Oh, that's right." Shirou said. "I forgot about the copyrights."

"What?"

"I dunno." It was as though the subject was magically erased from his mind. "Anyway, don't worry, champ. It was only your first. Rias will be a little miffed, but not really. To her, the first one failed is more like you accidentally knocked her textbook to the floor. She gets much less impatient after the ninth failure though. After the seventeenth, she just gives up. So, don't worry. You have a lot more breathing room and far more time to get it right."

While he knew it was due to him getting distracted, Shirou still could not help but feel embarrassed about failing to bring back a single contract over the many times he had gone out with Kalawarner-

He froze. Just like always, his thoughts kept coming back to that one, dark-haired beauty who gave Akeno and Rias a run for their money. He remembered how he had spoken to Kiyome earlier about how he intended to continue talking to her, but his heart ached every time he thought to her and the way she spoke. He knew something just wasn't right. She wouldn't change like that. There was so much evidence supporting the possibility that she was lying to him for a special reason, but, just the same, there was evidence that Shirou was just in denial and couldn't accept she wasn't the person he thought she was.

As "Yuuma" had proven with Issei, Fallen Angels were quite capable when it came to deception. Shirou would never have suspected she intended to murder Issei with how she acted around him if Rias had told him her group's intentions. Her "group's" intentions. Kalawarner was part of that group and that led to the possibility that she was just as deceitful.

But Shirou refused to believe that.

He just couldn't believe that until he looked Kalawarner straight in the eye and his gut feeling was finally silenced.

Like Kiyome said, he would just keep following his gut.

He only snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the sound of snapping fingers from in front of his face.

"-llo? Hello? Earth to Shirou! Wake up!" Issei screamed, snapping his fingers with increasing impatience. "There you are! You just totally zoned out right there!"

Shirou blinked several times, his mind slowly returning to reality. "Huh? What? Oh, sorry. I wasn't listening."

"No kidding!" Issei agreed, leaning back in his seat. "Geez, you just totally crapped out right there." He chuckled. "What, were you having an inner monologue?"

"No." Shirou answered a little _too_ quickly.

Thankfully, as if by divine intervention, that line of discussion was cut short by a _thud_ against the ground shortly preceded by a scream of shock.

[Hm?]

Practically holding question marks over their heads, the pair turned their bodies around and looked behind them to where the noise originated.

They were greeted by the sight of a Shangri-la in the form of a pair of pristine-white panties that did nothing to hide the supple and firm-looking lower waist of a female body. Somehow, during the course of the fall, the girl's dress had been blown over her back, allowing all of the world to see parts of what laid underneath-the "rest of the world" in this case being Issei and Shirou.

Issei, who watched porn videos that showed far more detailed things on a daily basis, looked on with a lecherous and grateful expression of perverted admiration.

Shirou, on the other hand, looked like he was about to have a nuclear meltdown, his face turning scarlet-red and his entire body fidgeting. "W-What!?" Realizing that he had been staring, he turned his head away. "U-U-Um, a-a-are you alright?!" Even with how often he had seen Akeno's nude body during their "healing sessions", he still had not grown accustomed to things of a deeper lecherous nature. He had intended to nudge Issei, but his tense body turned the "nudge" into a sharp elbow jab. "L-Let's g-g-go, Issei!"

The sudden pain caused Issei to cringe, rubbing his arm before shooting Shirou a hateful, revenge-promising glance. "OK! You're right! You're right! Helpful-gentlemen-time, not pervy-spazz-out-time."

Being sure not to appear suspicious due to their less-than-favorable reputations, the pair approached the young girl. Issei offered his hand while Shirou picked up the the veil-like cloth that had slipped from her head.

"Hey there!" Issei greeted awkwardly. "Are you alright?"

"Oh," The girl stuttered out, letting Issei help her back to her feet, "yeah. I'm okay, really."

And it was only then that he and Shirou got a good look at the girl.

She was dressed in the robes of a nun, possessing light-green eyes and blonde-hair that was such a golden shade that Shirou could swear it was actually sparkling, possessing a presence of innocence that made even that of newborn babies pale in comparison.

It was so pure and inhuman that Shirou could not help but lean over and whisper to Issei, "I'm not imagining this, am I?"

Issei, likewise in shock and awe, could only nod silently. When he realized he made the wrong gesture, he quickly shook his head to correct himself.

"U-Um...Sorry?" When the boys realized that the girl had noticed their stares, they quickly averted their eyes.

[N-Nothing!]

With a robotic jerk of his arm, Shirou shoved the veil forward, handing it to the stunningly beautiful nun.

Now, at Kuoh Academy, a beautiful, young girl was hardly rare. Being a former All-Girls School, it was packed to the brim with gorgeous girls. Akeno, Kiyome, and Rias themselves were among the top ten most beautiful ladies any man would see within their lifetimes and even then they had fierce competition. However, something felt different about the girl in front of them. Her beauty seemed more _pure_ , more natural. It was as if the world itself had blessed her with such a pleasant presence and a beauty that even the goddesses in the heavens above would weep in envy...That was how Shirou thought of it anyway.

While Issei continued to be mesmerized by the young lady's appearance, Shirou decided to look around, taking notice of the travel bag that laid on the ground next to her.

 _"So she's not from around here..."_ Shirou noticed. _"Not to mention she's clearly of European descent and wears the robes of a nun from the Church. At first, I thought she was a cosplayer, but given this situation, she may be the real deal."_ Shirou's mind flashed back to his previous encounter with someone who was once affiliated with the Church: The Stray Exorcist, Freed Sellzen. He was not a particularly strong opponent, but he supplemented his normal human strength with abnormal speed and his weapons that utilize the power of light. _"She doesn't seem dangerous, so I don't see any reason to show any hostility. Just have to act normal and-"_

"Are you gonna help us pick this stuff up or not, Shirou?"

Again, it was Issei who snapped Shirou out of his thoughts. "Huh?" When he came back to reality, he noticed Issei on the ground with the nun, helping to pick up the things that had spilled onto the ground from her bag. "Oh! Right!" However, there was not much left to do. By the time he got onto his knees, Issei and the nun had all but finished picking up her things.

By the time they were finished, Issei had managed to finally gather his wits and speak normally. "So...a...tourist?"

"She's obviously not, Issei." Shirou answered with half-lidded eyes. "And don't you think you should introduce yourself as someone other than "that random guy she met on the street who helped to retrieve her unmentionables"?"

"Hey, screw you! It was an fair question!"

"I-I'm sorry..." The girl apologized, her interruption serving to quickly put an end to the boys' premature argument. She looked cute, the way she poked her index fingers together nervously, a shy and polite smile on her face. "...but I'm a little bit lost. Do you either of you two think you could help me out?"

Issei and Shirou exchanged looks, having a quick mental discussion and agreement as to how to proceed.

"Sorry, but we can't right no-"

"Yeah sure! No problem!"

At least, Shirou _thought_ they had an agreement. He had failed to fully comprehend how badly Issei was ogling the unsuspecting maiden. Even though his face looked normal, his eyes were still probing around, taking a good long look at the girl in front of him as well as all of the finer points of her figure.

There were so many things Shirou wanted to say about what Issei had just agreed to, but he knew saying it in front of the Sister would only give away their identities as Devils. He made a mental note to smack Issei for being an idiot later, but, for the moment, could only smile and go along with it.

"Ah! I'm so glad I ran into someone kind like you." The girl said gratefully, smiling happily. "I guess someone _is_ looking out for me, huh?"

 _"Or someone has a twisted sense of humor."_ Shirou thought offhandedly. He let out a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck. "OK, so where are we going anyway? What brought you to this town?"

The Sister looked as if she had just recognized Shirou's question. "Oh yes! I came to this town because I was assigned to the Church here! I don't suppose either of you know where it is?"

They did. It was a small, rundown building on the edge of town. Completely abandoned. When Shirou had come to Kuoh Town when he was ten, he had been told about a lot of weird rumors surrounding that place. It had been occupied a few years prior, but the residents and local priests just up and left without a single word to anybody. The few open Christians in town had to return to practicing their faith within their own homes. Not because public practice wasn't allowed but because they had nowhere to practice it.

And, just like that, the Church fell into disrepair for many years, suffering under the weight of countless rumors of what happened there. He had only gone there himself once to...to hide. Back when he was ten, he hid there and had regretted it for a long time. It was a very unsettling place for a child to be at night. All of the statues and holy objects within gained ominous shadows and the ceiling above looked close to collapsing in on itself.

It was only recently that it appeared to be undergoing some sort of renovation. Sometimes, during the nights when he was passing out flyers, Shirou could swear he saw lights on. However, he never saw anyone going in or coming out.

"Hey!" Shirou was forcibly jerked out of his thoughts when he felt Issei's hand smack against the side of his face.

"Huh? What?"

"Do we seriously need to get you a doctor, man?" Issei asked, a mix of curiosity and worry on his face. "I mean, you keep spacing out and I don't think it's healthy."

Shirou raised his hands in surrender. "Sorry, just...thinking."

"Well, if you keep "thinking", we're going to leave you behind." And that was when Shirou realized that the Sister was already several steps ahead of them. It was likely Issei had started walking and only stopped when he realized Shirou was zoned out and still back where they were before. Then Issei leaned in and whispered, "Can we _please_ leave you behind?"

"What?" The request was so sudden and unexpected that Shirou.

The begging expression on Issei's face told Shirou that he wasn't joking. "Come on, man! You already have a girlfriend!" He hissed. "Just let me have a shot!"

It was only then that Shirou finally came to comprehend what Issei was asking him.

"So...let me get this straight..." Shirou pinched the bridge of his nose. "You want me to leave so you can try to get it on with this girl, this girl who is a _nun_?"

Issei thought it over for less than a second. "Yeah. Pretty much."

"..." He waited, but it was obvious Issei wasn't going to realize that his foolish quest was likely to get himself killed. "...You _really_ don't see anything wrong with that?"

"...No. Why?"

"Why!?" Shirou grabbed Issei by the shoulder and dragged him closer. "You-!" He turned and snuck a glance at the Sister who was looking on curiously, showing no signs that she was perhaps overhearing their discussion. "You really don't see anything wrong with guiding a complete stranger to a place that is home to people who want to _kill_ us?"

"Well..."

"I mean, how can you-" Shirou paused, suddenly receiving a realization. "Oh, that's right. Rias never gave you the crash course on the Church and Exorcists and shit..." He frowned, inhaling deeply and taking a large breath. He started with a harsh growl before turning his head to the Heavens, "GOD DAMMIT, RIAS! YOU ARE THE WORST TEACHER EVER!" He could not remember the number of time she had failed to explain anything to him until he was less than five seconds away from needing to know it. Rias was a good girl, but Shirou was certain her habit of not explaining things until the last moment for the sake of dramatics was going to get one of them killed someday.

Remembering the girl standing only a few feet away, Issei turned and waved, smiling apologetically. "Sorry! A little...trouble! Just a sec!"

The nun nodded, looking understanding of the situation even if she didn't know anything about it.

"Fucking dammit..." Shirou sighed before pulling Issei back into a huddle. "OK, to summarize real quick: Church and Fallen Angel groups have weapons made of light and holy objects that will kill us until we are dead and then kill us to the point of not existing anymore."

"Oh...what?"

Shirou face-palmed. "OK, let me dumb it down: Ever watch Death Note?"

"Yeah."

"Getting stabbed by holy or light items do to Devils what the Death Note does to its users when they die."

"...what?"

"They stop existing entirely! No soul! No Heaven! No Hell! Just a state of nonexistence." Shirou pointed at Asia. "Sure, she doesn't have any weapons on her, but maybe she doesn't need them. Any Devil who tries to do the deed with her...well..."

Issei could not help but swallow nervously. "What?"

Again, Shirou pointed at Asia. "Dude, if you put your dick in her "holy place", I'm 95% sure it's gonna melt off."

A sharp squeal of fear gripped Issei as he instinctively cupped his Johnson.

"I mean, I have no idea, but I'm just saying we shouldn't just go around to random Churches with people we don't know." Shirou paused before waving off any of Issei's concerns. "I'm not saying to distrust her just because she's from the Church. I don't really care about that, but I'm just saying it's not best to rush into things without thinking about it. You wanna be friends with a nun, more power to you, but I recommend exercising some caution." Shirou was not one to judge or be harsh. Considering his intent to pursue Kalawarner, it would have been hypocritical. However, he didn't intend to act recklessly in his pursuit of his friend.

He would search for her to the ends of the Earth, but he had no intent to throw his life away needlessly by acting like a fool.

"Well..." Issei finally said after several moments of silence. "...we should still help her."

Shirou shrugged. "Of course. Never said we shouldn't. Let's go." He turned and waved to the nun. "Sorry bout that! We'll take you to the Church now!"

Their response surprised the girl for a moment, but, once again, her beautiful smile appeared on her face. "Thank you very much!"

* * *

Shirou trailed behind the pair, feeling awkward about the three-man group.

He always did his best to avert his gaze, something that did not really help due to the fact that everyone was staring at _him_. Not a single person in town didn't know who he was and that made him appear far more fearsome in their eyes. Considering the fact he was following Issei and the nun in a way one would expect of a stalker, Shirou could imagine the many thoughts going through everyone's heads and the few courageous enough were considering calling the police to report him.

He sighed to himself. _"Some things just don't change."_

The weight had become far easier to bear thanks to his friends, but it was hard not to notice. Not painful, just...awkward. While it normally would not have affected him, he had suddenly found himself conscious of it once more much like he had been several years again when the "Demon King of Kuoh" took his first steps. He had grown numb to it but he had ended up feeling awkward again.

Then he looked up at Issei and Asia who were pleasantly conversing with one another, regardless of the fact that they were Devil and nun. This led credence to Shirou's thoughts on how the three factions didn't necessarily have to be enemies with one another, a fact Shirou would thoroughly rub in Rias's face during club activities later...unless, of course, she got upset, in which case he would pin all of the blame on Issei.

It took Shirou a while to realize that the two in front of him seemed to have almost completely forgotten he was there...

"So this is what being the third wheel feels like, huh? Must suck for those types of people." Shirou thought aloud to himself, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "...I wonder what Kiryuu's been up to lately." Usually, when he was part of a group, it involved three or more people and he was usually part of the conversation, but here, it was as though Issei and Asia were in their own little bubble. It was awkward.

"Uwaaaaaah!"

The sound of a little boy crying caught Shirou's attention as they passed by a children's playground. He had intended to ignore it and keep going, but he found the nun whom he and Issei had been escorting slowly walking towards the young boy, a soft, gentle look on her face as she knelt down next to him. Shirou wanted to raise some objection about the sudden stop, but a strange part of him thought it was best to sit and observe. He leaned against a nearby lamppost, doing his best to not disrupt the area with his presence.

The Sister patted the boy on the head, doing her best to calm him with a kind hand and a soft voice. She took a look at his knee. He appeared to have taken some sort of fall because his the skin on his knee had been cut by the concrete.

"Are you okay? Big boys like you shouldn't cry over a scrape." The Sister said soothingly. "You're going to be fine."

Considering the fact they were clearly not from the same parts of the world and obviously did not speak the same language, the boy still calmed down surprisingly quickly.

The Sister raised her hands to his knee and, at first, Shirou thought she was just going to disinfect the cut and bandage it, but that was when she did something that surprised even him.

A light-green glow illuminated the palms of her hands as they hovered over the boy's knee. At first, nothing happened, but then Shirou's eyes widened in surprise as the injury the boy had sustained slowly began to heal, his skin sewing back together, turning back to its natural, unblemished state as if the injury had never occurred.

It was as if by some sort of magic...

"Ugh!" Shirou suppressed a grunt of pain...no...not pain. It was as if something inside his left arm was pulsing, trying to grow and expand outward. It wasn't pain so much as though his hand had forcibly inflated and suddenly deflated in the same second. He turned his head and looked at Issei, the young man showing a similar awkward reaction to his arm. _"Both of our Sacred Gears are reacting...So it's not magic the nun is using, huh?"_ It took less than a few moments for Shirou to put the pieces together.

The Sister was a fellow Sacred Gear-user, her Sacred Gear clearly possessing the ability to heal others' injuries. To what extent, Shirou wasn't sure. She was able to manifest it naturally like Shirou himself had done during his fight against Eliade and his fight against the Stray Exorcist, Freed.

 _"That must be why my Sacred Gear reacted to hers and not Issei's."_ Shirou theorized within his own mind. _"We achieved our manifestations naturally, so that must mean we have high resonation or some sci-fi stuff like that. When Issei's manifested, I didn't feel anything. So it's either that...or Issei is even more of a lame-ass than I thought."_

It was at that point that Shirou immediately hopped to the side, just in time to dodge a well-placed kick from an irate-looking Issei.

He narrowed his eyes, looking irritated. "I know what you were thinking. You didn't say it, but I know what you were thinking."

Shirou smirked, playfully flipping Issei off. "Get on my level."

"You keep saying that but you're still on a pretty low level, huh. You were the weakest before I joined, right?"

It was easy to tell that that comment got under Shirou's skin. It became more obvious when he butted his head against Issei's, the two glaring daggers at one another.

"You wanna say that again, newbie?"

"Maybe I do!"

The battle for ultimate dominance in their Devil-Senior-Junior relationship would have been decided right there and then if it had not been for divine intervention (not ironically used that time).

"A-Ahem!" The Sister suddenly cleared her throat to get their attention, clearly feeling anxious about the conflict between her two guides. "I-I'm sorry about taking so long, but please don't fight you two. You're friends, aren't you? Friends shouldn't fight like that, I don't think..."

[Huh?]

That was their immediate reaction, only just remembering what they were doing before.

"Oh...right."

"Sorry."

Both boys blushed in embarrassment. Even if the Sister hadn't understood the mechanics of how their brotherhood worked, she still had a fair point in interrupting them in a public area.

It was only then that Issei's mind came back to the event that previous held his attention. "That's right! That...That power..." He looked like he wanted to say so many things at once, but only had one mouth to say them with.

The Sister smiled innocently. "Yes, that's my healing power. It was gifted to me by God."

Shirou let out a light hum as he stared curiously. _"I can't tell if that's just religious zeal or if she actually knows about Sacred Gears. It could be either way."_

But that wasn't all that caught his attention. Issei too.

They both noticed the sad look she had even though she was smiling like always.

"You alright?" Issei asked, looking concerned.

For a split-second, it looked as though Asia was going to respond, likely confirming even though the look on her face said otherwise.

"Well, well, well. Looks like we got ourselves a party here."

And that was when some assholes showed up.

Not just any ordinary assholes, as Shirou noticed. These were assholes he recognized. He took a deep breath, remembering his behavior as it had once been, remembering the mask he wore as the Demon King of Kuoh. Even though he disliked wearing it after he realized his life was worth something, he knew it was still necessary when it came to dealing with people related to his life as a delinquent.

He shoved one hand (his only GOOD hand) into his pocket, turning around to face the group of seven or eight delinquents bearing either the colors or designs of the Yellow Diamonds...the gang that had been led by his "Number 1 Fan", Kaido.

"Huh? What do you idiots want this time around?" Shirou gave a cocky, thug-like smirk. "Or is Kaido too much of a bitch to come and fight me himself?"

"Wouldn't you like to know!"

"Yeah. I kinda would." Shirou admitted honestly, feeling they were too stupid to recognize how stupid that comeback was. "Considering the fact he's the one who helped me out the last time we met, I wouldn't mind stopping by to give him a quick thanks."

"Yeah-Yeah-" One of them stuttered. "Well...fuck you! The Boss is too busy! He isn't feeling well!-"

"Wait, is he not feeling well or is he too busy?" Shirou asked, tilting his head to the side with a dubious expression on his face. "Which is it?"

"Um...well...er..." The small group exchanged looks, as if just realizing they had failed to get their story together. "Well, he's busy because...he's not feeling well...So we're here instead!"

"Yeah! We don't need to bother him to deal with a bastard like you!"

"You don't know where he is either, do you?"

None of them responded.

"...What? Did you think I knew?" Again, he received no response. "...and you were going to try and beat an answer out of me with your small group of eight when I already beat the shit out of you clowns when you had a few dozen members?"

One of them, a young man with a bald head, scratched his dome awkwardly. "Well, when you put it that way...I mean, to be fair, Boss usually does most of our thinking for us."

"I'm sure." Shirou agreed with half-lidded eyes. "Look, I don't know where he is, but I'll be sure to pass along the message that you guys are looking for him." The group looked as though they were preparing to object, but they backed away the moment Shirou withdrew a fist from his pocket, raising it and making a rather universal gesture that implied he would kick their asses. "You guys _really_ want to do this?" He gestured to the close to a dozen people who had turned their eyes towards the spectacle out of pure curiosity, turning away in fear the moment they realized Shirou was involved.

"Mmm...No." The only honest one of them replied, trembling in his boots (his ACTUAL boots). "I would prefer not to. I only came coz I wanted to see if you knew where Boss was." He turned towards his friends. "You guys want to get your asses kicked, more power to you, but please leave me out of it." With that, he casually walked away.

Shirou couldn't help but comment. "Smart boy." He turned to the others. "Any other takers?"

It was quite obvious the only thing holding them there was pride, but even that had begun to wane considering the number of times they had been handed defeat. It had taken the first of them to leave for the others to actually consider the notion. Kaido was the driving force behind most of their actions, so they had never actually considered just walking away before. It was an uncomfortable feeling and they felt like cowards, but, in the end, they all agreed that there was no point when there was nothing to be gained considering Kaido would have been absent even if, by some miracle, they had won any hypothetical, near-impossible victory in a fight with Shirou.

And, with that, the group disbanded.

"Thank goodness." Shirou heaved a sigh. _"I know I could literally beat their asses with one arm, but it would be an annoying experience."_ The situation resolved, Shirou turned to face Issei and the Sister, the two having witnessed the event that just transpired.

"U-Um...are you alright?" The Sister asked, as confused as she was concerned. "Did you know them?"

It was then that Shirou realized that the Sister had no idea who he was yet nor how horrible his reputation had been. He had never been in such a scenario before that the whole experience was rather jarring. Normally, he would have been blunt and would have just said "Oh, they're some guys I beat up on a daily basis" or "They're essentially all my bitches" or something delinquent-like, but, with someone who had no idea who he was, he wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"Uh...they're like...uh..." Shirou snapped his fingers impatiently, trying to think of a word to describe who they were. "They're just some...Issei, help me out here."

"Acquaintances?"

"Idiots! That's it! They're just some idiots I bump into from time to time." His eyes shifted nervously left and right. He took off walking, leaving the Sister and Issei trailing behind. "Anyway, let's get going. We're still a bit of a ways from the Church."

Somewhat uncertain, their group continued forward.

However, Shirou could not stop repeating the same thought over and over again in his head as they walked:

 _"His own guys don't know where he is...so where IS Kaido?"_

* * *

"We're here." Issei declared as if it wasn't obvious enough.

The Sister smiled brightly. "Thank goodness! Such a relief." She turned around and looked behind her. "Do you wish for us to wait for you?"

Shirou had been standing several feet behind them, eyeing the Church with suspicious eyes as if it were cursed. He waved back.

"Nah, I'm good back here. Thanks."

While Issei had been initially confused by his friend's behavior, he began to understand the closer they got to the Church.

It felt like there were eyes all around them, just _watching_. It was like they entered an area with wild monsters in an RPG.

Enemy territory.

He couldn't stop the way in which his body subconsciously shivered when he attempted to get close.

Considering how he was practically a stranger to the Sister and how he and Shirou weren't even supposed to be there, Issei could only mutter an awkward farewell, "We'll be on our way then."

"Please wait!" The Sister pleaded, looking very grateful. "You both brought me all the way here, so perhaps you could stay a bit longer for tea?"

Issei opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off when Shirou started to scream from his position which had somehow become even further away-

"NO!-NO!-NO!-NO!-NO!-NO!-NO!-NO!-NO!-NO!-NO!-NO!-NO!-NO!-NO!-NO!-NO!-NO!-NO!-NO!-NO!"

Obviously, he was showing vehement rejection to the request. It wasn't that he disliked the Sister or that he distrusted her or even that he thought the Church would have been able to kill him.

It was RIAS he was scared of, or rather, what she could tell Akeno to do to him as punishment for letting Issei go into the Church.

It was fine when he was recklessly endangering _his own_ life, Rias expected it from him, but she would spit fire (maybe even literally considering what Devils were capable of) if he endangered Issei's.

Issei shot him a dirty look before turning back to Issei, trying to pretend he _didn't_ want to kick his friend in the face for his rude behavior. "Um...Rain-check on that." Issei replied. "We have somewhere to be right now. Sorry!"

"That's okay." The Sister looked troubled, likely feeling as though she had been a burden to the pair while being unable to repay them for their kindness. She managed to conjure up the same kind smile she wore before. "I guess I should go too. It was sweet of you two to help me find my way. My name's Asia Argento."

"My name's Issei Hyoudou." Issei replied, introducing himself.

" _And my name's Shirou Fujimura!_ " Shirou shouted from an EVEN LARGER distance than there was before. " _It was nice meeting you, but we have to leave! Now!_ "

"Wait!" The Sister, now known as "Asia", called out, waving Shirou over. "There's one more thing!"

Shirou stared, conflicted on how to respond, before responding to Asia's call, returning to join the two at the uncomfortably close position to the Church. "Yeah?" He looked at Asia, noticing how her gaze was directed downwards, more specifically focused on the arm that was in his sling.

"I noticed your arm was broken." The Sister pointed out. "What happened?"

Issei and Shirou exchanged awkward looks, as if trying to figure out what lie to use to hide the fact they were Devils. Then Shirou looked back to Asia.

"I tripped."

"I see..." Asia said, looking genuinely convinced by his lie, but troubled. "I know you have to go, but...would you like me to fix it for you?"

The question took Shirou by surprise. He and Issei, again, exchanged looks, as if trying to decide how to respond. Issei could only shrug. He had no idea whether or not a healing Sacred Gear created by God could also heal a Devil. They had their own Sacred Gears because they were born as humans, but they were Reincarnated Devils, so the question as to whether or not a Sacred Gear could heal a Devil was up for debate.

Eventually, Shirou decided there was nothing to lose. It would have been regrettable if it failed and Asia realized why the power from God didn't work on him, it would have been rude to turn down the only other way she could have repaid the two.

Awkwardly, he removed his arm from the sling, wincing as he held it out in front of Asia. Not the worst pain he had ever experienced, but it still hurt, like his bones were being prodded with several needles at once.

Asia held out her hands in front of her, holding them over Shirou's injured arm. "Hold still. This may feel strange." She closed her eyes, letting the same green aura she had created before appear in her hands, covering Shirou's broken arm.

She was right, though. It DID feel strange. A ticklish sensation, but not altogether unpleasant. Soothingly warm as well.

The two young men stared in awe and disbelief as the Sister's Sacred Gear worked its magic. Shirou could feel the fractured parts of his bones beginning to realign and meld back together into their original shape, the soreness he had been experiencing since the previous day all but disappearing.

There was silence until Asia finally said, "Finished." She didn't even look winded from using her Sacred Gear a second time in one day, further leading Shirou to suspect she had a history of experience with it. "How does your arm feel?"

Just as curious as Asia, Shirou flexed his arm several times, throwing several punches at the air with it as he worked out any remaining tightness his muscles could have been experienced from the extended period of disuse. After several moments of shadow-boxing, Shirou straightened up, turning and grinning Asia.

"Feels good as new! Thanks!" He rotated his newly-healed arm in its socket, letting out a sigh of content before clenching and unclenching his fist. "I actually think it might feel even better than it originally did."

Asia smiled. "That's good to hear! If you two are ever bored, in the neighborhood, or injured and in need of healing, feel free to come by and visit the Church sometime."

"Well, considering how often I get injured, I might just need to take you up on that!" Shirou joked. "HA HAHA HAHA HA HA...Ha..." Even he hadn't thought his joke was funny.

"So uh...we'll be going now." Issei awkwardly said. "That offer of yours sounds awesome. I'll see you soon! Have a good one!"

"Yes! See you soon!"

With that, their party of three disbanded, Asia heading in the direction of the Church and the Demonic-Duo heading in the opposite direction, in the direction of the Occult Research Club.

"Hey, Issei."

"Yeah?"

"Don't tell Rias I let you go near the Church."

"...O...K...?"

"I mean it, man! Not a single peep!"

"OK."

"If you say so much as a word to Rias, I will break YOUR arm."

"OK, I get it! I won't give Rias any reason to think we were near the Church."

"Just making sure."

* * *

When Rias narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest, Shirou knew they were in trouble. Shirou shut his mouth tight, refusing to speak, when Rias turned to Issei. It was like her eyes were piercing his very soul.

"Issei, can you tell me why Shirou's arm was healed when neither Akeno or I-"

"WemetanunwithahealingSacredGearandescortedhertotheChurcheventhoughheknewweweren'tsupposedto! It was all his idea!"

Rias patted him on the head. "Good boy."

"FUCK YOU, ISSEI!" Shirou flipped off his friend, desperately restraining himself from clocking him right in front of Rias. "It was BOTH of our decisions." He shot a sharp glare at Issei when he said "both". "We were just taking the girl to the Church. What's the big deal? We didn't even step foot on the actual Church floor, so it's all good."

He knew he spoke poorly when Rias's sharp look intensified. "It is NOT "all good". I don't want either of you approaching the Church again."

"...Is this because of the thing where Angels and Exorcists can erase my soul?" Issei asked.

"No-Wait-Yes!" The fact Issei got it right on his first guess surprised Rias. "But how did you..." She turned to Shirou who raised his hand, taking responsibility/credit. "I see." She cleared her throat, trying to regain her composure. "But that's only a part of the bigger issue. Issei, simply setting foot inside the Church would have caused major problems for both Angels and Devils. Surely you sensed something that was telling you to be careful?"

Issei squirmed uncomfortably, recalling the hostile feeling he had gotten when he came closer to the Church. "Now that you mention it..." He looked at his left hand which housed his Sacred Gear. "...yeah, I did."

"That was your Devil instinct telling you danger was near." Rias explained. "Being in close proximity to someone from the Church is a very risky proposition. What's more is the fact that some of the Exorcists are also possessors of Sacred Gears. Even without their weapons powered by the light granted to them by the Heavens, they could still seriously hurt you, possibly instilling a fate even worse than nothingness."

The harsh way she spoke left Issei feeling like a child who was being scolded by a parent. "I understand." He hung his head, uncertain how to feel. He knew Asia was hardly a killing machine like the Exorcists Rias described, but he knew she wasn't altogether wrong either.

"Would you lay off the poor guy, Buchou?" Shirou asked, taking a seat on one of the club's couches, letting his arms rest on the back.

Again, Rias' eyes narrowed at the sight of her other young servant. "You're still not off the hook."

"For what?!" Shirou asked, unintentionally letting a little whine enter his voice.

"For STARTERS, letting Issei get mixed up with someone from the Church and even coming within close proximity to one of their bases. Let's at least start with that." Rias placed her hands on her hips, scolding Shirou. "You're his senior Devil, Shirou. I expect you to look after Issei when it's just you two alone. I can't always have one of us keeping eyes on you, so I have to trust you to keep an eye on things and steer clear of trouble, something I have regretted time and time again."

"And when, exactly, was it decided that I would become his babysitter?" Shirou let out a sigh of irritation. "More importantly, when was it decided you would become _my_ babysitter?"

"Respectively?" Rias raised an eyebrow." At last night's meeting and the moment you died by getting yourself impaled."

"While protecting one of _your_ servants!" Shirou added. "Not to mention the fact that, if anyone is endangering us, it's probably you, Buchou. I mean-REALLY!? It never occurred to you until this point to educate Issei on the dangers of light weapons and the Church? If so, then there's seriously a problem with your leadership skills!"

The sudden sharp insult took Rias aback, temporarily silencing her before her wounded pride changed to anger. "Just what is your problem?! You've been acting horribly rebellious lately."

"I just don't like how you're filling Issei's head with all this crap about how Angels and Fallen Angels are the enemy and how they're all "Coming to get us!" paranoia!" Shirou objected, raising his voice even higher. "People like you filling the minds of everyone around you with thoughts that everyone is an enemy, and yet you wonder why everyone is still at each others' throats after the war from hundreds of years ago already ended!

"Where is this coming from?"

Shirou clicked his tongue, turning away. "Look, I just don't like how your first thought is to immediately assume every non-Devil is an enemy, OK? Maybe some of them are nice...maybe we could even be friends if we could just lower our swords for five seconds and talk things out."

"Who is "them"? What are you even talking about?" Shirou's words only served to further confuse and agitate Rias. "You've been acting strangely ever since...Shirou, does this relate to that Fallen Angel, Kalawarner?"

"No." Shirou answered too quickly and he refused to meet Rias's eyes.

The implications of this caused Rias to pause, needing to cope with the surprise that she had just been handed. "Do I need to say again about how she tried to KILL you?"

"So?! Koneko does that on a daily basis!"

"That is NOT the same thing and you know it, Shirou!"

"It's the same in that Kalawarner is my friend and I don't see any reason for me not to be her friend just because she's a Fallen Angel!"

"You are being _played_ by her, Shirou! You got lucky, but I guarantee she will be doing everything in her power to try and kill you next time you meet."

"Well, risking my life is better than living in fear for my life everyday because someone _might_ be an enemy to me." Shirou shook his head. "It ain't gonna happen, Rias! And I don't think Issei should have to either! You ever stop and just think that maybe this arrangement just isn't working? Because it _isn't_ , Rias!"

"...Mom, Dad, please stop fighting." The way they had suddenly starting yelling at one another was enough to make Issei feel anxious.

KNOCK KNOCK

Two knocks sounded on the door before Akeno entered the room.

"Buchou?"

[WHAT!?]

The vice-president of the Occult Research Club flinched as Shirou and Rias practically screamed at her, raising her hands in surrender. "...Is this a bad time?"

[No.]

Shirou and Rias exchanged sharp looks, coming to terms with the fact that they would likely not agree on anything if they pursued the matter, so they dropped it...for the moment at least.

It took a few seconds for Rias to recompose herself, calming down from the previous argument.

"What is it, Akeno?"

"We just received a message from the Archduke."

Shirou and Issei looked at one another, Issei clearly looking for elaboration and Shirou shrugging due to lacking an answer.

It must have been serious judging from the way Rias suddenly started to appear concerned. "The Archduke?"

Even Issei was able to understand how heavy the air suddenly became, Akeno's usually pleasant and playful expression becoming more serious.

"It was urgent. A Stray Devil has been causing trouble nearby."

The declaration immediately caught Shirou's attention, causing him to suddenly stand up, at attention. "A Stray Devil?!" Even the mention of that title made his heart beat erratically, every muscle in his body tense.

Akeno nodded, managing a teasing smile. "Don't worry. If you get frightened, you're free to stick close to me for safety~"

A light blush appeared on Shirou's cheeks. "Oh...well...uh...Ahem! Anyway! We should get going then! Go and get that Stray and whatnot!"

And like that, the hunt for the Stray Devil began.

* * *

"...So that's what happened?" Issei asked, staring at Shirou in awe and wonder as they approached the eerie building on the outskirts of town.

"Yeah..." Shirou confirmed. He had spent the past fifteen minutes telling Issei the story of his various encounters with the Stray Devil, Eliade, prior to their final confrontation in the abandoned mansion. "Strays are no joke, Issei." He frowned as he looked on at the unused building that laid ahead of their group of six. "Although, for some reason, they like dark, depressing places to hang out in."

"To be fair, it's not like some of them could blend in with normal people." Akeno reasoned, butting into the conversation for her remark.

"Touche."

"But damn...and here I was thinking I had a rough start as a Devil." Shirou had not spared a single detail when describing everything that occurred during the conflict with Eliade, even going as far as to describe the way Eliade kept the mansion she had made into her hideout (albeit omitting the parts concerning the children that Shirou was fairly certain were ghosts or figments of his potentially deteriorating mind). He also went on to explain how badly he had been wounded and how Kiyome had almost been killed as a result of Eliade's grudge against him.

Shirou probably would have continued discussing the matter if Rias had not suddenly moved to the front of their group.

"Let's not waste time discussing the past." She said. "Let's focus on the task at hand."

[Yes, Buchou.]

According to the reports that they had received, the Stray Devil they were hunting had been tricking people into entering the abandoned house before them, devouring them while their guards were lowered.

"...It smells of blood." Koneko's nose twitched, hints of disgust showing on her face.

"Then it's definitely here." Shirou concluded, moving ahead of everyone else as they made their way into the house, the doors creaking as they slammed shut behind them. Shirou shoved his hands in his pockets, his eyes never looking in one place for more than a few seconds at a time. "Nice digs. Won't lie. This is a lot nicer than Eliade's place. Everything is only _slightly_ broken and the smell of death and decay is weaker."

"Shirou, come here for a second." Rias beckoned. "I need to talk to you."

Shirou groaned. "Look, is this is about earlier, then-"

Rias shook her head. "No no. This is something else. It includes you as well, Issei." Issei suddenly straightened up, both young men sticking close to Rias as they made their way through the seemingly abandoned building. "Are either of you familiar with the game of chess?"

"Yes."

"A little."

"As the Master, I am the King; my Empress is the Queen; my chevalier, the Knight; my tank, the Rook; my clergyman, the Bishop; and my foot soldier, the Pawn. Devils with titles of nobility grant the characteristics of these pieces to each one of their serv-Shirou, stop going so far ahead."

However, Shirou was only half-listening to Rias's explanation as they made their way through the house. He, Kiba, Koneko, and Akeno, were looking through doors on either side of the hall, searching for some trace of the Stray Devil they had been hunting. He let out a sigh after closing the most recent door he opened, being several feet ahead of the main group.

"Rias, you know how small my attention span is when you do these drawn-out speeches." Shirou complained. "I get you like your dramatics, but I'm sure you're well-aware I'm hardly known as an attentive student in school."

"You just got that arm of your back." She reminded him. "It would be a shame if you had it ripped off by a Stray Devil's teeth the very same day."

Shirou rolled his eyes, ignoring Rias as he continued looking through the house. "Oh, give me a break, Rias. Even I'm not stupid enough to get eaten whole." He turned away for a moment, kicking down the door in front of him with a heavy _bang_ followed by the sound of splintering wood. "I've just had a bit of bad luck is all. But I'm over it now."

He stretched his arms as he entered the room, leaving Rias's line of sight.

"Shirou, stay where we can see you." Rias half-asked/half-commanded. "It's not a good idea to wander off here."

A smart-ass, sarcastic, or otherwise rude response was what Rias had expected from her servant. Some kind of quip to describe how Rias's concern for him wasn't necessary.

There was nothing.

"Shirou...?" For a brief moment, all was quiet. Issei froze. Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko suddenly stuck their heads out of the individual rooms they had been investigating, alarmed. "...Shirou, if you're alright, say something."

"No no! I'm fine!" The sound of their resident delinquent's voice allowed everyone to release their breath. He looked like he was gasping. "Um...You might want to come see this!"

He sounded concerned and...nauseous?

And this was Shirou Fujimura, the young man whose "bark" was significantly more severe than his "bite". He almost _never_ admitted to either of these things unless it was serious.

The other five members of the group walked to the door, all of them pausing to stare in shock at the sight they saw.

In the middle of the room stood Shirou, at least over a dozen corpses, each in different states of decay and decomposition, littering the ground around him. It may have a trick of the light (or rather, the lack thereof that caused the need for their Devil Vision), but Issei could have sworn Shirou had gone pale.

"Okay, there are dead people here." He opened and closed his mouth several more times before he was able to continue talking. "So...yeah. I think we're in the right the place. At least the stray was definitely here before, so...Uh, guys?" It was then that he realized none of them seemed to be moving. They were all just...staring.

Rias stepped forward, moving as calmly and quietly as possible in a way that was clearly alarmed.

"Shirou...whatever you do: No. Sudden. Movements."

"Huh?" Shirou tilted his head to the side, staring at Rias with confusion on his face. "What are you talking abou..." Then he noticed that their gazes weren't directed at him, but rather a few feet higher. Then a heavy shadow cast itself over him. Shirou closed his eyes in contemplation, sighing. "There's something right behind me, isn't there?"

Everyone nodded, none more terrified-looking than Issei.

"Is it a giant, scary monster lady of no distinguishable species?"

Again, a collective nod.

Shirou took that moment to inhale deeply through his nose. "...Fuck!"

And that was right when a set of teeth closed around Shirou, picking him up and throwing him into the lower mouth of the Stray Devil, Visor.

There was a loud _gulp_ from a body hanging higher in the air followed by the sound of salivation. "Stringy and tough and too spicy. Far from my favorite meal." The beast they encountered had the upper body of a naked, human-looking woman while the lower body, some sort of nightmarish horror, possessing a sort of mouth complete with a set of monster-like fangs, underneath its upper torso.

"HOLY SHIT!" Issei was the first to react of the group, his eloquent words being what stirred everyone else to act. "H-HOLY SHIT! HO-LY SHIT! BUCHOU! BUCHOOOU! SHIROU-HE-HE-HE WAS-TH-That THING just-!"

"I know, Issei. I know." Rias responded, sounding abnormally calm as she placed a reassuring hand on Issei's shoulder. "Just calm down." She smiled. "Shirou's a lot tougher than you give him credit for. I don't say it because it would inflate his already big ego, but he is incredibly strong for one so young. Something like this won't kill him as long as we finish this quickly." Then she turned to the other three. "Koneko! Kiba! Akeno! We're on a bit of a time limit, so let's make this quick!"

[Yes, Buchou!]

Kiba was the first to move. One second he was standing there, drawing his medieval sword and, the next, he was gone like a flash of light.

"He vanished!" Issei exclaimed.

"No he didn't." Rias denied. "He's just moving fast. Kiba is my Knight. His attribute is speed and his ultimate attack weapon is his sword."

The Stray Devil let out a wild scream of pain, a large cut appearing on the left side of her body, blood spewing from the open wound. Then another cut opened up on one of her front legs. Her upper body. Her back leg. The shoulder of the top half of her body. Cut after cut opened up all over her body, each one spewing a large amount of blood.

The fact that he had yet to land any critical injuries was enough to make Rias raise an eyebrow. "Is something wrong, Kiba?"

And, as if by magic, Kiba appeared on the ground, looking somewhat awkward. "Well, considering the fact Shirou's inside her, I'm not quite sure which part of her body to attack since her biology is a little hard to predict. I don't know where to strike because I might harm Shirou by mistake."

"Well, if we _don't_ attack her, Shirou will be gradually dissolved by her stomach acids and digested."

[I'll be WHAT!?]

Everyone straightened up at the sound of the muffled voice that reached their eardrums. Even the Stray Devil pause, looking surprised before looking down on her lower body.

"Oh hey," Issei pointed out, "he's still alive."

"Neat." Kiba commented. "Shirou! Can you hear us in there?!"

[NOOOO! What do you think, dumbass!?]

"Huh...?" The Stray Devil grunted. "But I...I ate him! How is he still alive!?"

[I dunno. Ask the three other half-digested corpses hanging out in here just about how long it takes for acid to do the job.]

"Just hang on a little longer, Shirou." Rias advised him. "We will get you out soon."

[Well, whatever you're gonna do, do it quick. It's starting to tingle in here...geez, now it's starting to sting...]

There was a long pause.

[Now it's REALLY starting to burn...Ow...Ow! OW OW OW OW! FUCK! FUCK, IT BURNS! IT BURNS! GET ME OUTTA HERE! DO SOMETHING! ANYTHING!]

That was when Koneko stepped forward, looking indifferent to the whole situation. "...I'll do it." She started walking towards the hideous beast in front of them.

"Koneko!" Issei tried to step forward, but was blocked by Issei.

"Don't worry, Issei. You see, Koneko's my Rook." Rias explained. "And her trait is-"

[IMMENSE STRENGTH AND DURABILITY! WHO GIVES A FUCK ABOUT SHORTY'S POWER!? JUST GET ME OUT!]

Koneko's eyebrow twitched in irritation. "..."Out"? I can do "out"." She knew she had told Shirou before about her trait, but he was still irritating. She suddenly charged at the massive Stray Devil, dodging the first strike of its front leg and catching the second one by grabbing onto the bottom of its beast-like hand-paw. With a slight grunt of exertion, Koneko lifted the beast into the air. "Catch you on the flip side." And, with that, she flipped the beast over her, causing it to land on its back with an earth-cracking _slam._

[HEY! WHAT THE FUCK!? WHAT'S WITH THE SHAKING!? KONEKO! IS THIS YOUR DOING!?]

"...One more." Koneko decided, rushing over to the Stray Devil before delivering a flying kick to the behemoth's side.

Visor let out a groan of pain and shock as she was launched all the way to the other side of the room.

[EEEWW! One of the corpses landed on me!]

Koneko was doing her very best not to smile at his misfortune.

[IT'S SO SLIMY! FOR THE LOVE OF MAOU, KILL THIS BITCH ALREADY!]

"Right!" Rias agreed, turning to the only servant besides Issei who had yet to grapple with the Stray. "Akeno, you're up."

"Oh, is it my turn? How exciting~ I so love this game~!" Akeno giggled, smiling in a way that even Shirou, locked behind a wall consisting of several feet of flesh, could not help but shiver.

"Akeno, finish her off please."

"Ufufu~ Of course~ After all, it wouldn't do to let my adorable Kouhai be eaten by a woman so hideous, would it~?" Akeno teased, sounding as though her words could have had a double-meaning. "Sorry, Shirou~ It looks I'm going to have play a little roughly with you too~" She gave a sadistic smirk, holding out her hands as electricity began to crackle between her fingers.

"Akeno is my Queen." Rias continued. "Her attributes are-"

[Let me guess! A combination of all the other pieces, including Bishops and Pawns, which you failed to mention!]

The repetitive interruptions were starting to grate on Rias's nerves. "Shirou, stop stealing my thunder!"

"Did somebody say "thunder"~?" Akeno asked, raising her hands up towards the sky.

[WAIT-AKENO-NO-!]

But Shirou's objection was overruled when a heavy stream of electricity burst from Akeno's fingertips, striking both the Stray Devil and its hostage, causing them both to scream.

[GAGAGAGAGAGA! W-W-WHAT THE FUCK!? FUCK! EVERYTHING TASTES LIKE BLOOD AND COPPER NOW!]

"Oh my~" Akeno swooned, licking her lips. "Such heavenly music mixing in with that monster's shrieks~ Shirou's screams are making me so hot~"

[What!? Akeno, have I ever mentioned what a psychotic, sadistic bitch you are sometimes?]

"Oh~ You know you're so cute when you talk dirty~"

[WHAT!?]

Rias shook her head. "Shirou, don't bother. She's in her S&M mode. Everything is either pleasure from "abusing" others or pleasure from being "abused" right now."

[FUCK!]

And that was when Akeno struck Visor with another bolt of thunder, once again causing both Visor and Shirou to scream in agony. Bolt after bolt, the two were struck, forced to experience thousands of volts running through their bones.

"Is this as good for you as it is for me~?"

[NO! GAGAGAGAGAGA! NO! IT ISN'T!]

"...She gets off on this?" Issei asked, watching in terrified shock as both the monster and his friend suffered underneath Akeno's power.

"Don't worry, she's quite gentle with her allies." Kiba assured him. Then he turned, awkwardly staring at Visor and their comrade who was experiencing the same pain inside the monster's flesh. "Well...she won't behave anymore harshly than what she believes they could handle at any rate."

Issei swallowed anxiously. "...I see."

After several seconds of electrical torture at Akeno's hand, Rias finally stepped forward. "Akeno, I think they've both had enough." Rias said. "Don't forget, we actually _do_ need Shirou alive."

"Awww~ Over already~?" Akeno whined playfully.

Finally free from its electrocution, the Stray Devil collapsed onto the ground, weary from the one-sided beating it had received.

"Shirou!" Rias called out. "Can you still hear me?!"

[Surprisingly...Geez...I'm going to need to bleach my brain and clean it with steel wool to forget the nastiness I've endured today...]

"Enough about that for now-"

[Oh no! I've SO earned the right to bitch about this right now!]

"Do you want to get out of there or not?"

For a brief period, Shirou was quiet.

[...Go on.]

"OK, I will be leaving the final example of the Evil Pieces to you. You just need to listen carefully."

[Uh huh?]

"Shirou, you are now in enemy territory-"

[NO SHIT, RIAS!]

"I give you permission to Promote."

[THE FUCK IS THAT!?]

"Your-Your Evil Piece trait. You're a Pawn..."

[OOHHH! You mean one of the many things you NEGLECTED TO TEACH ME!]

"Your attitude is really not appreciated." Rias said, looking on with indifference as the Stray Devil slowly started to recover from Akeno's assault.

[Wanna know what else isn't appreciated? Being slowly digested to death is a bit of a bitch, so excuse me if I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A SHORT FUSE!]

Issei blinked in confusion. "Wait, I thought this was you "normal"?"

[Issei, don't you fucking sass me! Rias, how the Hell do I do that Promotion shit?]

"It's pretty simple really." Rias commented.

[Not from my perspective. Oh what, do I just raise my arm and say "Promotion: Queen!" and magically-]

And that was when Visor's stomach started to glow, expanding as if being filled with a massive pressure.

Even from the outside, everyone could detect the noticeable boost in power that had started to occur within Visor's stomach.

[...Oh...Bitchin!]

"Think you can get out of there now?"

[Um...Probably. I dunno. Let's see.]

That was when a bulge appeared on Visor's back, the Stray groaning and clawing at the ground as the bulge became larger and larger, practically fit to explode-

"GRAAAAAAAAGH!"

And it did.

Shirou ripped through the flesh on Visor's back, screaming as he finally gained freedom as well as regaining the sweet smell of fresh...well, it was air at least.

"FREEDOOOOOM!" Shirou screamed, raising his blood and stomach-acid-coated arms in victory. It was then that he noticed that the screaming Stray he had been presently standing on top of was beginning to stir, raising her hideous head to bare her fangs at him. "Wait wait wait. One thing first."

At first, nobody was quite sure what he was doing until he pulled back his leg.

Then he kicked Visor right in the face.

Then he kicked her again. And again and again and the pattern was fairly obvious from there.

"THIS-IS WHAT-BITCHES-GET-FOR-EATING-ME!"

After he had left Visor's face thoroughly bruised and bloody, the dusted himself off, hopping off the Stray's body and flinching as his feet hit the ground below. "Gah, the acid still burns!" He was so busy trying to brush the acid his clothes had absorbed that he failed to to notice the Stray slowly beginning to rise behind him.

"Shirou! Behind you!"

"DIIIIIIIEEE!"

"Huh?" Shirou turned in surprise, his body reacting far more quickly than his brain. It was a sharp, piercing cold in his hand as he twisted around, pointing his left hand in the Stray's direction. Every nerve in his body tensed and he barely recognized his index finger slowly squeezing on something. There was a blinding, bluish-white light that illuminated the room followed by a piercing scream, then an explosion, then the sound of cracking ice.

When the light finally cleared, Shirou was face-to-face with the monstrous face of the Stray Devil Visor. "Wah!" Not the most heroic reaction, but only someone with a will of iron wouldn't have reacted, having such a hideous face so close out of the blue like that. "Huh?" That was when he noticed it.

The Stray's face was coated in a thick layer of ice, almost invisible to the naked eye. But Shirou noticed it. Not just her face, but her entire body had been completely frozen like an ice sculpture.

"...Holy shit." Then he turned to the others. "Anyone see what just-Guys?" Then he realized that everyone was staring. Not at the giant frozen statue in front of them, but rather, at his left hand. "What's the big deal?...Oh." He was certain he had not been holding the large, pistol-like rifle in his hand before the flash of light. He flipped the gun over in his hand, surprised by how light it felt despite its heavy appearance.

It had the appearance of a heavy ornamental pistol with silver engraving on its grip and barrel. The trigger guard was also silver, curving from halfway across the frame all the way to the bottom of the grip. Its thick, black frame held a silver wolf on either side, the wolf's mouth opened wide to the point it appeared to be preparing to devour the barrel. Every now and then, Shirou could swear he saw a flash of blue aura radiating from the gun in his hand.

"So, my Sacred Gear took another form again..." He muttered almost to himself. While interesting, it was also a pain. He had still yet to figure out the cause of these sudden transformations whenever he summoned out his Sacred Gear. At first, he had thought that the ability was to transform into parts like those of a wolf to damage enemies, but, last time he checked, a heavy pistol was in no way part of a wolf's biology, furthering his confusion as to the true nature of his Sacred Gear's power.

"Well, I guess this means our mission is over then." Rias decided, being the first among the group to speak on the matter.

""Over"?" Shirou parroted. He gestured to Visor with the barrel of his Sacred Gear's new form. "What are we going to do about... _this_?"

Rias walked up to the Stray encased in ice, tapping on her frozen form with her knuckles. There was a loud, earsplitting _crack_ as the ice Rias had tapped slowly formed a spiderweb of cracks, the spiderweb quickly widening and spreading over the rest of the Stray's massive form.

The others prepared themselves, as if expecting Visor to just jump out of the ice at them, but something felt wrong.

Eventually, Visor's entire body was obscured by the large number of cracks that had formed on the ice covering her...

Then it shattered.

Shirou and Rias backed away as Visor's frozen body shattered, split apart, and fell to the ground, still encased in icy chunks, like a poorly-made, blood-colored slushie. The "splat" the pieces of her corpse made against the ground sounded even more unpleasant because some chunks slid against the ground, just spreading her blood around.

The thought of it made Issei and Shirou nauseous.

"Oh, she's dead." Shirou realized.

"As dead as a door nail." Rias agreed. Then she noticed the lack of excitement or fulfillment Shirou showed. "I would have thought you would be feeling a bit more energetic, what with this Stray being dead and all."

"No no. I'm kind of glad she won't hurt anyone, but...I dunno." Shirou shrugged. He looked around the room. "I just can't bring myself to feel anything about it...I don't feel happy but I don't feel altogether unhappy about this either. I mean-OH FUCK! THE ACID STILL BUUUURNS!" Shirou started hopping around, blowing on himself as the slimy stomach acid covering him started sizzling. "QUICK! SOMEBODY HOSE ME OFF WITH SOMETHING! OW OW OW!"

"OK," Akeno held out her hands in front of her, the magic circle of the Gremory family appearing in her palms, "don't move."

"Wha-HRBLBRLBLUP!" Shirou's voice was immediately silenced as a huge geyser of water shot from Akeno's hands, hitting Shirou with the force of a bullet train, smashing him against a wall. He flailed as he very nearly drowned as a result of Akeno's magic. He tried to shield himself with his arms, but that attempt failed miserably. It only ended after Akeno finally released her spell, leaving a thoroughly-soaked Shirou on all-fours on the ground, spitting up what could have been gallons of water.

"So...how was the inside of a Stray Devil's stomach?" Rias asked with an overly-polite-looking smile as she looked down on him.

Shirou choked, hacking up more water from his lungs. He was wheezing when he looked up at Rias, glaring at her. "You...You're...enjoying this...aren't you?"

"A little." It was hard not to considering how loud and hostile Shirou had been recently.

"F...F...Fuu...Ah...You owe me a new pair of headphones!" He gestured to his head which was notably lacking his signature headphones whose purpose were usually obscure. They were likely lost to Visor's stomach acids which had also eaten away at Shirou's clothes, revealing a fair portion of Shirou's arms, chest, and the lower part of his thigh. His body wasn't particularly muscular nor was it out of shape. It looked something between slender and well-toned. "First thing's first, I want to go home, take a shower, and then sleep this all off like baaaaad hangover. Today was just...Today was just awful." He shot an especially hateful look at the other four members of their group.

Akeno was humming merrily to herself, trying to look as if she weren't suspicious; Koneko was eating a snack she had pulled out of nowhere; Issei looked as if he had no idea what he had done; and Kiba was just waving, smiling apologetically and not even trying to hide the fact they all but beat him down while he was inside Visor.

"Fair enough." Rias decided, turning towards the rest of the group. "It's over. Good work, everyone. Let's go home."

[Sounds good to me.]

All but one of them spoke in perfect unison.

 _"This seemed a lot simpler than what happened with Eliade_ _."_ Shirou noted to himself as everyone started to prepare for the trip back home. _"Maybe I should try giving that "teamwork" thing Rias was talking about a chance..."_ He looked down at his left hand, examining the new form his Sacred Gear took. _"If, at least, for the reason of giving me some breathing room while I figure out what the Hell my Sacred Gear's deal is..."_

He started to follow after the others until Issei suddenly approached Rias.

"But...wait a second." Issei said, a little timid considering everything he had just observed.

"What's wrong?" Rias asked.

"What am I?" Issei asked, pointing to himself. "What Chess piece? I would just like to know how I fit in. Tell me, am I a Knight or something badass like that?"

"You're a Pawn." With that blunt answer, Rias began joining the group as they all started to walk away.

"But I don't want to be a Pawn."

Rias gave a soft smile as she turned back to Issei. "Well, sorry, but that's what you are."

"Aww, but that blows. They're so lame..."

"Fuck you, too, Issei."

And with that question finally put to rest, the Occult Research Club finally departed the home of the Stray Devil Visor.

* * *

It was extremely late by the time Shirou returned home that evening.

He bid farewell to the others who had remained at the clubhouse to finish up some paperwork while Issei was made to take on some of the Devil requests Koneko didn't have the time to deal with on top of her other requests.

Rias had agreed to let Shirou go early due to the fact it would have been improper for him to work in his damaged, soaked clothes.

"Man, I really need to go buy some new uniforms..." Shirou complained to himself as he approached the front door to his house. With everything going on in his life, his supply of school uniforms had dropped so far below the red that the stores that sold said uniforms would have known him by his face alone if they hadn't already known and feared him for his "evil" reputation. "Still, at least I got a new power out of it, so that's neat, I guess." He fished into his pocket for the key to his front door, reaching for the handle with his other hand.

It had been a rough night and all he wanted was some sleep. Just because his Devil body could endure more physical punishment than normal, it didn't necessarily mean Shirou wanted to test those limits out.

"I just wish that any of my friends knew the meaning of "restraint" or "friendly fire" or "Don't hit me, I'm in the way, assholes"..." Shirou paused, pursing his lips. "Oh who am I kidding? I'm such a hypocrite. Heheheh!" He paused for a moment, staring curiously as he turned the door handle. "Huh...it's unlocked."

He looked stepped off the front porch and looked up at the windows of the top floor of the house.

None of the lights were on.

"Did Ka-san leave the door unlocked..." He tapped his chin, frowning. "No, she would never leave it unlocked even when she was home...what's going on here?"

He cautiously pushed the door open, eyeing the dark hallway that greeted him.

Still nobody in sight.

An ominous sign.

Pressing onward, he moved deeper into his own home, feeling somewhat alien giving the cold atmosphere. He fumbled for a light switch before realizing how his cutting-edge Devil eyes gave him the advantage in places of darkness. If it was a simple burglary, he should have had no trouble.

And that was when he neared the kitchen.

With his enhanced sense of smell, he could already detect a faint scent...

 _"...Tea? Perhaps with some lemon in it."_ Shirou thought as he got a good whiff of what laid ahead. "Huh...maybe it's just Ka-san after all."

With that thought in mind, he approached the kitchen, walking in casually just in case it _was_ his mother.

And that peace of mind completely shattered the moment he turned around the corner.

She was smiling at him, leaning her head against her arm.

"Hey there! I see you're doing well, Shirou?"

Shirou couldn't do anything but stand there in shock, jaw dropped.

The woman sitting at the table, two steaming cups of tea in front of her, brushed her navy-blue hair out from in front of her face.

"Ugh...uh...Umm...Uughhh..."

The Fallen Angel, Kalawarner, smiled pleasantly.

"Still as eloquent as always, huh, Shirou?"

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** For My Friend

* * *

 **Almost 20K words in and the chapter is done.**

 **First bit of info: I won't be present for the next two days because I have orientation...It's going to be SOOOO boring!**

 **I know some of you may have wanted Shirou to be there when Issei encountered Freed and stuff, but really, I really hate this arc. It's the most boring arc of all 22 arcs so far and just...dull. I always hated trying to write this arc...About 2-3 chapters away from completion...So let's be thankful for that.**

 **The Riser Arc's gonna be wicked especially wid all dat shit I gots planneded.**

 **So yeah...I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	20. Chapter 17: For My Friend

**Coming close to the climax of this arc!**

 **Also, raise your hands if the turn Bleach took when it neared the end of the final arc? I mean, am I the only one who felt that the story had been getting rather...lazy lately? I mean, it feels rushed and it raises a lot of questions.**

 **Also, if anyone has any questions thus far, I am planning to do a Shirou Fujimura Question Corner where Shirou will answer your questions to the best of his abilities.**

 **Also...expect low quality this chapter. I am just so uninspired for this arc and want it to end. I'll kind of be speeding through a large chunk of this in one go, so please be forgiving.**

 **So yeah...prepare yourself for the worst chapter ever...so far anyway.**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Which means I don't own shit! Try and claim copyright now, bitches! XD.**

* * *

 **Chapter 17: For My Friend**

"Well, this is one fine way to greet your friend, isn't it?"

"I've been met by worse greetings."

"Oh come now~ Last we met, you were so keen on _not_ hurting me~"

"Well, call me paranoid, but last time we met, I hadn't been expecting you to try and kill me, so...you know. Precautions and shit."

"I will be honest, this wasn't the _gun_ I expected you to pull out on me."

"I get the feeling you would get along great with Akeno."

"It depends. Do you treat her as roughly as you treat me?"

In the present situation, Shirou was on top of Kalawarner, straddling her with the barrel of his Sacred Gear's new form pointed at her forehead. He used his left hand to hold his new gun while using his right hand to grab her neck and pin her against the ground. He did so hard enough to keep her from moving excessively but not hard enough to actually injure her. Even he had to admit that he would have preferred not to resort to such things, but considering the fact that Kalawarner just surprised him in his kitchen where his paranoid self had pictured a bloody room with a corpse in it considering the place he had just come from.

"Tell me: What are you doing here, Kalawarner?" Shirou asked, cautiously removing his gun from her head, stepping off of her. He pushed himself to his feet, awkwardly offering his hand to his friend. He could not help but raise his guard as Kalawarner grabbed his hand, still on-edge enough to believe it was more than a generous opportunity for Kalawarner to use Shirou to pull herself up while running him through with a light spear.

Kalawarner giggled playfully, as if the events of the previous night had not occurred. "Isn't that a little harsh, Shirou? Weren't you the one who was going on about "not being enemies" and how we shouldn't act with hostility towards one another?" Something about her smirk seemed...off. "Or was that all just talk?"

Still, her words felt like a knife into his heart. "N-No!...That wasn't...I didn't mean to-"

Much to his surprise, Kalawarner's expression softened. "Relax, I was just busting your balls a little."

Shirou let out a sigh of relief.

"I see you're still as tense as always..." Kalawarner noted, taking back her seat at the table. She frowned as she poked her cup of what used to be hot tea. "Oh, pity. It's cold now. I had intended for this to begin civilly."

"Uh...sorry?" Considering how abrupt and unexpected this meeting was, Shirou could not help but feel awkward as he took the seat opposite of Kalawarner, shifting anxiously every now and then. He was happy to see her in a situation where she wasn't trying to stab him or explode him to death, but Shirou could not help but feel uneasy. He didn't know what she wanted or what her intentions were in coming to his home. His body tensed as he realized something. "Wait! Where's Ka-san? She was here-"

"I sent her off running to the local grocery store." The nonchalant way Kalawarner said it completely stole the wind from beneath Shirou's wings. "The thing I love about single moms is that all it takes to get them out of the way are the words "50% Discount on all Products". Just let it slip and you won't seem them for hours."

It was such an odd answer that Shirou could not help but pause. "Oh...I see." Wishing to find something to occupy his mind, Shirou sipped his bitter, cold tea. He felt silly due to how his behavior was significantly more tense than Kalawarner who seemed rather lax in his own home.

A long, awkward silence ensued, Kalawarner staring at Shirou with a passive look while Shirou refused to meet her gaze. If he made eye-contact, he would either have had to ask a question or they would have delved into an even deeper, more awkward silence. He didn't know _what_ to ask her. It was a complex mixture of emotions swirling around inside of him. Joy, confusion, sadness, hesitation, caution, etc. It left him in such a state that he wasn't quite sure what to make of what was unfolding in front of him.

Even if the tea tasted awful, it was better than making a fool of himself... _more_ of a fool of himself at any rate.

He felt there was perhaps an incredibly important question he should have been asking in that situation, but, for the life of him, he could not figure out what it was.

It was clear Kalawarner knew what it was judging from how her expression changed from passive amusement to active confusion, then disappointment.

It was about five minutes before Kalawarner spoke again.

"Aren't you going to ask me what I'm doing here?"

"That's it! That's the question I was intending to ask!" Shirou shouted, standing up from his seat and slamming his hands down onto the table in his excitement. "Thank you! I wanted to ask what you were doing here! Yeah...I mean...I won't lie, I kind of expected that, the next time we met, you would still be trying to kill me and I would have had to have an epic "Protagonist Moment" where my passion and burning male pride gradually won you over and returned us to our previous state of friendship...You being here peacefully kind of threw me off."

"Well, for the record, I still don't believe that "coexistence" crap you keep talking about." Kalawarner explained, effectively dashing any and all of Shirou's hopes of the situation resolving in a less complicated way. "I just felt that, considering the fact I never once properly compensated you for your services all of those times, that it was right that I give you proper warning for the days that are to come."

The ominous words she spoke took Shirou by surprise.

"What...What are you talking about?"

The air in the room suddenly became much colder and what little feeling of security Shirou had dissipated into nothing.

Kalawarner leaned her head on her arm again, staring at Shirou with cold, piercing eyes. "Oh, come now, I'm sure you've noticed it." She said, still showing none of the warmth nor kindness she had possessed back when she had been "pretending" to be his friend. "You've already come into contact with some of the elements related to my group. Your encounter with the Stray Exorcist, Freed, your friend being killed by Raynare, the fact that the time came where I had to dispose of you. Did you really think all of that was out of the blue?"

A long pause was what she was answered with as Shirou considered the question.

"Well...I kind of did." Shirou admitted. "But when you say it all at once in the same sentence and then ask if it was all a coincidence, I kind of feel unsure." Then another thing occurred to him. "Wait..."Raynare"? Who the fuck is that?"

"I suppose you would know her as "Yuuma Amano". She picked that name because...well...she's kind of a sadistic bitch honestly."

"I kind of gathered that from the fact she dated Issei for a while shortly before stabbing him through the heart in both meanings of the phrase."

"Yes...well...Anyway, this is all due to the fact that our mission is coming to a close." Kalawarner stated, quickly regaining her composure. "Tomorrow, we will be performing a ritual which will bring the inevitable conclusion to our mission. I can tell that our unexpected presence in this town has put your Master on edge, so I don't know how she would react under the assumption she senses what we are doing. If she tries to intervene, there's no doubt in my mind that things will turn bloody."

Shirou stood from his seat, his heart beginning to beat erratically. "Why are you telling me this?" He asked, shocked and horrified. "You said you considered us enemies still, so why are you telling me about your top-secret mission or whatever?! This...This isn't like a scene in a movie where the sadistic bad guy tells the good guys their plans shortly before trying to kill them, is it?"

"No." Kalawarner sighed, standing from her own seat, leaning over and staring Shirou right in the eye, unaware or uncaring of how much cleavage she showed. "I simply wished to warn you and perhaps stack the deck so that there is no need for such a confrontation."

"...Come again?"

"It would be a real pain if we had to stir up trouble with the Devils just to accomplish our goal which is unrelated to them, so my idea is that I send you, the only Devil stupid enough not to attack at first-sight, with a message to your Master." It was hard not to notice the unnecessary insult Kalawarner threw in there. "Just tell your Master we will be out of her hair soon enough."

"But...what is this ritual anyway?" Shirou asked. "What was your purpose in coming here?"

"Truthfully? We came here to ensure that Issei Hyoudou, the possessor of the unidentified Sacred Gear, did not become a threat to us." Kalawarner admitted freely. However, she also showed a tired expression, sighing to herself. "Of course, that got botched the moment Raynare killed him only for him to be resurrected by our direct enemy, the Devils."

"Yeah, that kind of did seem like a huge hole in her plans." Shirou admitted. "I mean, did she just expect Buchou not to resurrect someone whose power may or may not have been strong enough to pose a threat to even the Fallen Angels?"

"I know! It's stupid, right?!" Kalawarner's face flushed as she realized how excited she had gotten, the older woman clearing her throat before continuing with the matter at hand. "Anyway, with that mission incomplete, we thought it would have been a shame to leave empty-handed, so we decided to wait until we could retrieve an alternate "package" that arrived today."

Something about Kalawarner's words...they just didn't sit right with Shirou. Something felt..."off".

"What kind of..."package"?"

"A Sacred Gear." The more Kalawarner spoke, the more alarm bells started ringing in Shirou's head. The pieces were there, but he didn't have the information needed to put them together. "Host intact unfortunately. The only way for us to obtain it is to take it from the host directly."

Shirou blinked. "Well...couldn't you just...ask for it?"

From the way Kalawarner stared at him, it was likely she was trying to see if he was joking. "...You don't know much about Sacred Gears, do you?"

"Blame my club president for that. I always do."

"It's simple really. The fate of a Sacred Gear and its user are entwined." Kalawarner explained, holding up a hand to silence Shirou's questions. "If a Sacred Gear-user loses their Sacred Gear...they will lose their life-This meaning: they will _die._ "

And that's when Shirou's objections came flooding forth. "S-So you're just going to _kill_ the guy?!"

Kalawarner's expression showed no mercy. "Yes." She gestured to Shirou, smiling softly. But, something in Shirou's gut told him something was wrong. "However, like I said, this doesn't affect the Devils as we simply wish to please our Fallen Angel Governor, so you and your Master have nothing to fear from us. It's just a fallen nun from our side-" Shirou suddenly gasped in shock and realization, but Kalawarner continued regardless. "-but I just thought I should tell you so you wouldn't get involved again. No more unnecessary bloodshed is needed. We will perform this ritual and you will never see us again."

"OK...I have a few more questions..."

"Ask away."

"...This nun...is she blonde?"

"Yes."

"Does she still wear a rosario despite being ousted from the Church?"

"Yes."

"Does she have a face with the innocence of an adorable puppy you just want to hug and take care of?"

"Well...not the way I would have put it...but...yes. Pretty much."

So many curses Shirou wanted to speak and still not enough time to speak them. Hell, he was half-sure the curses he DID know weren't enough to describe how messed up the situation was at that moment.

Mentally, he settled for:

 _"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!"_ But he managed to keep a fairly good poker face about it.

"You know her, don't you?" OK, so it was a medium-somewhat-alright poker face. "I already gave you my warning. Whether you follow it or not is your prerogative. If you know her, then it would be best to sever all ties. Any attempt to pursue her or prevent this ritual will only result in the deaths of those you care about. Like I told you before, we can never-"

"-be friends with people of other factions." Shirou finished for her, rolling his eyes. "We're destined to be enemies forever and friendship between us is impossible-blah blah blah!"

"Hey! I don't mock your serious moments." Kalawarner snapped, again pausing to regain her composure. "And it _is_ impossible. You should just give u-Where are you going!?"

Before Kalawarner even finished talking, Shirou had already made to leave the room, stopping at the door with his head turned towards Kalawarner. "Well, I'm gonna go tell Buchou, we're gonna get the posse together, and then we're gonna go rescue Asia." He said it as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"But that's-"

"Stupid? Impossible?" He asked, guessing how she was going to end her sentence. "Well, let me tell you something: A few months ago, I thought the idea of me having friends was stupid and impossible. I thought the idea of Devils and Fallen Angels actually _existing_ was stupid and impossible. Well, in those situations, I am the fool. Rescuing a friend? It is _not_ stupid and impossible." He paused before adding, "Plus, if I don't and if Asia dies, Issei's just gonna bitch at me for the rest of our lives and, in case you didn't know, Devils live for a pretty damned long time. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Again, Shirou made for the front door, doing his best to ignore Kalawarner when she ran up to him. "Are you crazy? We have far greater numbers! It's not a matter of "if" you can save her, it's whether or not any of you survive!"

"I see."

"I'm serious!"

"OK, let me ask _you_ a question." Shirou stared blankly at Kalawarner. "Why do you care?"

The question caught her off-guard. "What?"

Shirou turned back around to face her, his expression completely devoid of any emotion. "You said what you came to say." He pointed out. "Why are you even here anymore? Shouldn't you fly off to go warn your friends? As any person who has ever met me knows: When I come breakin' down your door, I break it down with the force of a hurricane. You will need all the preparations you can make." He extended his arm, allowing his Sacred Gear to take form once more, yet again in the form of the claw-like gauntlet. "I won't let another innocent person die!"

"The only person who is going to die is you, idiot!" Kalawarner practically screamed at him. "Are you really going to die over something as stupid as _pride_?"

A short pause ensued, Shirou's face turning blank again. "...Mmmmm...Yeah. Pretty much." Kalawarner's jaw dropped. "When have I _not_ risked my life for my pride? My pride is just about all I got." He gave a cocky smirk. "You know, babe, if I didn't know any better, I would say you were actually _worried_ about me, a _Devil_ , even though you are a Fallen Angel." It was a bold-faced taunt if there ever was one.

All at once, Shirou's suspicions had been confirmed.

This meeting alone proved every thought he had been thinking about Kalawarner even if she continued to deny it.

There was no way she could deny it after what had happened thus far.

"You are mistaken." The deadpan expression Kalawarner wore when she said it felt like a knife to Shirou's heart. "Whatever preconceptions you have about my visit here, forget them. I only came here as a courtesy and a means to repay the debt I owed you for our previous contracts and due to the fact that it would be a waste manpower on lowly Devils such as yourselves."

Her stubbornness was becoming increasingly-frustrating as time went on. "Why are you so determined to keep this "eternal enemy" bullshit going on!? Each side has obviously done horrible things to one another, but continuing that cycle again and again won't solve anything!"

"It is just as you said." Kalawarner said, Shirou's hopes rising for a single moment. "We _are_ in a cycle. An unbreakable cycle of hatred and carnage. So long as all three sides exist, this state of chaos and disharmony will persist. It is likely we are all doomed to die on the battlefield someday, locked in battle."

A harsh growl escaped Shirou's throat. "Would you stop it with that depressing fatalist crap!?" He screamed. "How many times do I have to say it before you understand?! I'm not gonna give up on my friends! You're my friend, Kalawarner, so don't make me knock some sense into you the hard way! Stop acting like you're my enemy! Stop pretending just because you expect to be hated or because you _want_ to be hated! Stop pretending like this just so your idiocy has a reason!"

The accusation caught Kalawarner by surprise. "W-What?"

Shirou lowered his head, an empty look on his face. "I can see right through you because I was in your shoes exactly the same way." Shirou claimed, pointing an accusing finger at Kalawarner. "I've seen enough shit to know that the easiest thing to do is play the bad guy as everyone expects you to! The bad guy doesn't have to worry about "feelings" or "people" or about hurting people or any of that crap! But wanna know what? Being the bad guy sucks donkey sack!" The lack of elegance in his words left Kalawarner at a loss. "It's lonely, depressing, everyone hates you, and, even when you're spending all of your life trying to protect others, it's a real pain in the ass because all they do is treat you with scorn!"

Quickly realizing how she was losing her grasp on the situation, Kalawarner did her best to give a mocking laughter. "So, what? You think I would play the bad guy? For a bratty Devil like you who can't take a hint?"

"No..." Shirou agreed, lowering his head. "I _know_ you would play the bad guy for a bratty Devil who's your _friend_! No matter what you say! You can keep talking all you like, but nothing's going to change my mind! YOU GOT THAT!?"

Again and again, Kalawarner's heart received a heavy shock by each comeback Shirou effortlessly came up with. She wasn't quite sure how to handle it. He was usually such an awkward young man with no real ability when it came to speaking with others. It was one of the traits she had found adorable and innocent about him. Yet here he was, practically talking down to her and speaking to her as if _she_ were the child in that situation rather than the Fallen Angel who had lived several human lifetimes.

His words were so passionate and strong that she could swear her heart actually skipped a beat from excitement.

She opened her mouth to speak again. She wasn't quite sure what she had intended to say, whether it be more futile denial or submissiveness towards this side of Shirou she had never observed in person before.

However, a large explosion erupting out quickly put an end to any thought she had intended to vocalize.

Her body just seemed to react on its own.

Smoke and rubble filled the air as the entire wall next to them was completely obliterated along with a fair portion of the ceiling above. Two waves of irritation washed over Kalawarner-The first when a stray piece of tile that had once lined the roof fell and landed on her head and the second when she realized just what she had "landed on top of" and the position they had ended up in.

"Aha! I KNEW you cared!" Shirou called out in victory, grinning like an idiot from underneath Kalawarner, the woman's face hovering mere inches from his own.

From the way she was positioned, it appeared as though she was on all fours on top of Shirou, her wings outstretched in an oddly protective position. She could not help but freeze in shock as a result of her own actions.

She hadn't even recalled moving to protect him, but yet there she was, risking her own safety to ensure Shirou was not harmed.

There had never been a time Kalawarner had wanted to hit herself more than she had in that moment.

However, much to Shirou's frustration, Kalawarner managed to keep her expression straight (albeit with a hint of pink on her cheeks) "This means nothing. You were just in my way."

"FUCK!"

What caused both of the youthful figures on the floor to pause was the fact that the voice belonged to neither of them.

"I missed?! How could I miss!?" The immature voice screamed, the voice's owner yanking at her blonde twintails in frustration.

"This is what happens when you try to perform under stress." Another older yet taunting male voice replied, hiding his amused expression underneath a fedora.

"Was that a sex joke? I didn't know an old geezer like you had enough libido to even make a joke like that."

Kalawarner pushed herself up off of Shirou, turning her head to glare at the two new arrivals, a blonde girl dressed in gothic lolita and an older man wearing a trench coat and fedora. She showed a distinct expression of displeasure when she set eyes on them and their amused expressions.

"Mittelt! Dohnaseek!"

A harsh groan escaped Shirou's lips as he pushed himself upright, rubbing the back of his neck. "Friends of yours?" He asked, sounding as if his words were actually a complaint.

"Tsk tsk, Big Sis Kala~!" The blonde one, Mittelt, teased. "To think you would associate with a filthy Devil even after we told ya not to~" Mittelt hugged herself, smiling pervertedly as she shivered. "Thinking about all the vile things that disgusting Devil did to you makes me shake and shiver~!"

However, the man, Dohnaseek, was far less cheery, showing genuine annoyance at the scene before him. "What is the meaning of this, Kalawarner?" He asked, sounding more like he was demanding rather than asking. "It's bad enough you came into contact with a Devil once again, but to think you would share our secrets with him...How disappointing. Raynare-sama had expected better from you, yet you persist in endangering our plans."

Despite the harsh accusations, Kalawarner remained unmoved by her associate's words. "Trust me. Not a single thing I have done here has endangered our plans any more than that dunderhead's incompetence." She countered, causing Shirou to whistle, impressed.

""Dunderhead". Nice!" He quickly shut his mouth when Kalawarner shot a sharp glare over her shoulder at him.

Kalawarner stood from the ground, brushing herself off and returning her comrade's glare. "I was simply salvaging a horrible situation. As long as we don't antagonize the Devils here, there wouldn't be any reason for conflict. By simply asking them to refrain from interfering with our party, we can avoid any unnecessary unpleasantness-"

"OH MY NOT-GOD!" Mittelt whined, rolling her eyes. "You keep on talking but I keep hearing "Blah blah blah-boring stuff"!" Mittelt stuck her tongue out at Kalawarner. "You really think we care about a few pesky Devils interfering with us? As soon as the ritual is complete, they won't really be a factor in this anymore because Raynare-sama will be more than enough to eradicate them! Not only that, but we'll all receive a big whopping bonus from the boss for a job well-done~!"

"What?!" Even Kalawarner could not suppress her shock at what was essentially equated to a declaration of war. _"I knew Raynare was stupid, but she couldn't be THAT stupid, could she?"_ She knew the answer immediately and felt like an idiot for even considering otherwise. "Are you insane?! It's one thing to kill a lowly servant, but killing a pure-blood let alone _that man's_ younger sister is tantamount to suicide!"

"The Twilight Healing's power is absolute." Mittelt countered. "Besides~ We could always claim she started it~ After all, it's well-known that the Gremorys tend to have a violent temper when angered~ And lil Rias is so young, so who knows what could set off such a child~? Maybe something liiiike killing her newborn servant~?"

Due to yet another unconscious and involuntary movement of her body, Kalawarner stepped in front of Shirou, shielding him from Mittelt's line of sight.

"Awwww~ That's so cute that I might just throw up~" Mittelt appeared to gag at the protective instinct Kalawarner was showing, showing disgust at the sight. "Don't tell me you actually _do_ care for this Devil, Kalawarner? I mean, sure he has the kind of face that makes you just want to rape him into submission-" Shirou's eyes went wide when he heard that. "-but he's still just a pathetic Devil, not even Mid-Class yet."

"O-Of course I don't!" Kalawarner denied too quickly, the woman scolding herself for her unconvincing voice. She attempted to say it in a more convincing way, "Of course I don't. He means nothing to me."

" _Then there's no problem if I kill him, right_?"

It all happened too fast. Kalawarner saw Mittelt suddenly appear next to her, using a sharp palm slap to shove her away, the smaller Fallen Angel's spear quickly lowering to impale the Devil on the ground in front of him.

What happened next was actually what surprised her.

Mittelt let out a sudden shriek of pain, her light spear exploding in her hands with enough force to send her flying back. She quickly regained her balance in the air, glaring at her attacker with piercing eyes.

"YOU!"

"Me." Shirou agreed, crouching on the ground, his hand outstretched with a magic circle bearing the rose-shaped emblem of the Gremory household in his hand. He showed not a hint of exertion or exhaustion as he looked on with half-lidded eyes. "Geez," He complained as he stood up straight, "you guys talk more than Buchou does when she's trying to be dramatic for the sake of dramatics." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not to mention the fact that you're such cliche grunt villains."

The insult caused Mittelt's temper to flare, gritting her teeth. "How could such a poorly-dressed, little pipsqueak stop my light spear!?"

"It's very simple." Shirou claimed, smirking. "I-Wait." He frowned. "Poor-dresser? How does that even matter?...Whatever. I just fired a blast back at it. As we all know, one bomb plus another bomb equals no bombs. Which is why we fire nukes at nukes; because it makes no nukes."

The small Fallen Angel's eye twitched, slow to comprehend the young man in front of her. "Y-You-You're insane!"

"Yeah? Well, you're dead-SACRED GEAR!" Shirou held out his left arm, summoning his Sacred Gear out in its gun form once more (he was actually growing a little fond of it actualy. Who didn't want a gun nowadays?). He aimed it at the two Fallen Angel's in the sky, his target quickly changing from one to the other every few seconds. "Now, unless you want me to, as they say, "pop a cap in your ass", I suggest you two get to steppin'...or flappin'...you know what I mean."

"Awwww~ How cute~" Mittelt taunted, quickly overcoming her previous anger as she treated Shirou like a dog. "He thinks he's a threat~"

"I'll admit, it's a bit amusing to see a lowly dog barking at those superior to him." Dohnaseek agreed.

"Yeah, keep laughing." Shirou urged. "It will be only that much funnier when I kick your asses." He aimed his [Canis Regalia: Rifle Form] (as he had dubbed it) at the pair, his finger slowly tightening around the trigger. "You really should have picked an easier target than me, idiots."

For the first time, Dohnaseek lost his composure, being the only one of the two flying in the air to register Shirou's words as strange.

""Target"?" He asked, his confusion causing Shirou to pause, raising an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

Shirou frowned, lowering his gun. "I mean me...You guys said you intended to start a conflict with Buchou, Buchou being Rias Gremory, by killing her newborn servant, didn't you?"

"Who said we were referring to you?" The smirk on the Fallen Angel's face said it all.

Shirou's eyes widened in realization as he came to comprehend what Dohnaseek had meant. There was only one other person who could have possibly been weeded out as the "weakest" of their group, the only other "newborn" in the past several months besides Shirou himself: Issei.

Again, for no reason other than their own selfishness, the Fallen Angels sought to take his friend's life away.

This only further pissed Shirou off, the young man raising his gun to fire. His eyes were filled with rage. "I swear to Maou that if any of you bastards lay a hand on him, I'll-!"

"You'll _what_?" Mittelt taunted, smirking with her arms crossed over her chest. "Even if we wanted to stop it, it's too late. The gears are already set in motion and, tonight, Rias Gremory is going to lose one of her oh-so-precious servants. So, go ahead and tell me, big boy, _what are you gonna do_?"

Blank-faced, Shirou turned the barrel of his gun on her. "This." He said without blinking.

He pulled the trigger.

The blast that ensued hit Mittelt like a firetruck, swatting her out of the air like a fly.

"Mittelt!" Dohnaseek called out, only mildly concerned for his comrade dropped out of the sky and more concerned about the surprise firepower Shirou's relatively small firearm possessed. He growled in irritation, summoning his spear of light. "Damn you!" He lunged forward, having gained enough awareness concerning Shirou's power to dodge the next two blasts that were sent his way.

Realizing the increasing speed with which Dohnaseek was coming at him, Shirou back-flipped out of the way, managing to avoid the brunt of the assault as Dohnaseek's spear exploded against the ground, the man standing up straight to face Shirou. He tipped his hand upward, revealing his piercing dark-blue eyes.

"I will admit that your abilities are impressive at such a young stage, but I suppose it's befitting one with such a powerful-seeming Sacred Gear." Dohnaseek noted. "A shame that we no longer have the opportunity to claim it. I can imagine several in our group who would be interested in that power." Again, he created a spear of light, lunging at Shirou with a high level of killing intent.

Shirou took a deep breath, focusing with all of his might as his Sacred Gear began to glow, once again shifting forms.

When it finished, there was the sound of steel against steel as Dohnaseek's spear grinded against the claws of Shirou's gauntlet with the blade-like nails. The sudden defense took Dohnaseek by shock, especially when Shirou gave his hand a good twist, shattering the spear to pieces between his fingers.

The smirk that appeared on Shirou's face couldn't be helped. "Not so tough when all your shiny toys are rendered to nothing, are you?"

Dohnaseek merely let out a grunt of displeasure, assuming a stance and creating another spear.

Even though he knew his projectiles would have had minimal effect against the boy's Sacred Gear, he continued launching them, releasing three in rapid succession to further distract the boy. Shirou seemed to be taken aback and struggled with the speed, but managed to block, dodge, or shatter the attacks unleashed. Shirou extended the fingers of his gauntlet, showing a clear intention to cut anything sent his way to pieces, be it a weapon or flesh.

"Please stop this!" Kalawarner pleaded, showing outright concern for the first time since the conflict began.

Shirou turned and smirked. "Relax, I'm not gonna kill him. I'm just gonna hurt him a whole lot!"

"She wasn't talking to you, dumbass~!"

Reflex took over.

Shirou only barely managed to evade the worst of it, wincing as he felt the back of his leg get cut by the spear of light wielded by Mittelt. He put some distance between them, making sure that, even if they flew, he had several seconds to counter if they attacked him. He looked down at his leg, his pants being torn even more than they had been during the short skirmish with Visor (he hadn't had the opportunity to change yet), blood slowly oozing out from the small gash created by the attack. What's more was that he picked a bad time to learn the alarming fact that his Sacred Gear's gun form wasn't a one-hit kill against enemies around his level of strength or higher.

"That it?" Shirou taunted. "That was only a love tap compared to the shit I've been hit by. I can barely feel it."

Mittelt gave a maniacal grin. "Just wait a few moments~ After we kill you with the light that is a poison to you Devils, all you'll be feeling is oblivion!" She gave a mirthful laugh, conjuring another light spear in her hands.

"Just try it." Shirou extended his arms, creating a larger-than-normal crimson-red magic circle in his arms. He pictured _cold_. He thought cold. His Sacred Gear's power had to do with ice, so his ice spells seemed to have gotten some sort of boost whenever he used his Sacred Gear. The pair he was fighting were strong individual but, together, even Shirou wasn't entirely confident he would win. Even a swarm of ants could potentially kill a dinosaur. And these two were way stronger than ants. But, if he poured all of his power into a contained spell, he could freeze the two without killing them and still win. All he had to do was cast the spell and he and Kalawarner would be safe-

And that was when he noticed it.

Kalawarner, standing in shock not too far behind the other two, likely unaware of what Shirou was intending. She was obviously staring in shock at the massive spell he was casting, but unlikely aware of what he was doing.

If he attacked, she would have been caught in the blast as well.

The whole point of this was trying to protect her...

Thus, Shirou lowered his arms, letting the spell cancel out.

"Get him!"

Shirou raised his Sacred Gear again, blocking Mittelt's thrust and parrying her blow. He evaded as Dohnaseek threw another spear at him, but got scratched up by the debris that was kicked up by the blow. He lashed out with his leg, catching Dohnaseek's arm when he tried to attack Shirou mid-air, knocking the attempted attack off-target before following up with a roundhouse kick to the face. He recoiled from the attack, the counter having knocked Shirou off-balance and causing him to collapse onto the floor without any grace.

When Mittelt appeared over him, prepared to stab her spear downwards, he rolled out of the way, avoiding a nasty death by impalement.

He quickly twisted his body around, skidding on his feet as he turned onto his stomach and pushed the tips of his shoes towards the ground in an attempt to get up.

This little "dance" of their continued for a great deal of time.

"You two...ain't so bad..." Shirou huffed, rubbing some blood from the corner of his mouth.

They would attack Shirou; Shirou would defend, dodge, or counter; someone would come out of the exchange with some new bruise or cut on their body, but never anything fatal or even critical.

"You're not too bad yourself. For a brat, you got guts." Mittelt praised, a "but" clearly coming along. " _But_ it's such a shame we have to rip them out of you~"

It would have all come down to a contest of stamina.

"Just shut up already!" Shirou flipped her off, earning a squeak of surprise and a glare of hatred from Mittelt. "I told you once before. I'm gonna kick your asses! I won't let you hurt the people I care about anymore! Not Issei, not Buchou, and ESPECIALLY not Kalawarner! You're both going down!"

"Why don't you give up already?" Dohnaseek asked, both of Shirou's enemies summoning out spears of light. "It will be easier on everyone."

"Hell no! You're planning to kill some of the few people in this world I actually give a rat's ass about!" Shirou pointed out. "Why the Hell would I give up? Besides, you forgot that I'm not alone here." The fight had gotten to the intensity that Shirou had completely forgotten about the fourth participant of this little "event".

Mittelt tilted her head to the side. "Huh?"

Shirou turned around and smirked. "Come on, buddy. What do you say?" He extended his hand towards Kalawarner, the older woman having not said much over the course of the fighting. "Kalawarner...you're not evil. I know you aren't. Please. Even if you claim to hate me everyday for the rest of my life, I won't mind it as long as you're by my side when you do it. You're among those I consider my friend and someone I treasure. If it's the two of us, we can win. We can work together like I know our factions can and we can put a stop to your psychotic boss's plan...Please..."

At first, Kalawarner did nothing and Shirou feared the worst.

The most paranoid part of his heart believed that, even if her feelings before all of this had been true, even if they were friends, her duty would have outweighed everything else.

Then she stepped forward.

Much to the shock of both Dohnaseek, Mittelt, and even Shirou himself, Kalawarner stepped forward, her eyes hidden behind her bangs.

None of them spoke a word as she walked forward, not speaking a word.

Taking this as an affirmative response, Shirou grinned. "Glad to see that you're on-board." He turned back around to face his two enemies. As Kalawarner stepped forward, the pair of Fallen Angels hovering in the direction opposite them started to look less certain about their odds. "So...how do you wanna play this?" Shirou asked. "I mean...I know they're TECHNICALLY enemies, but they're still comrades of yours. What do you wanna do? Capture them? Incapacitate them? Send them back tied up in colorful ribbons, maybe have them pissed off due to the note attached to them stating "Try harder next time, bitch!" or something like that?"

It was only when he realized Kalawarner wasn't responding that Shirou realized how cold the air had gotten.

"Kalaw-UGHH!"

A sharp, piercing pain was the most obvious sign that something was wrong. It was like a hot iron had been run through his chest.

He looked down, his eyes widening in horror as he saw the blade and more than a fair portion of the shaft of a spear sticking through the front of his chest. He tried to turn around to face his attacker, but an odd pain had paralyzed most of his muscles.

It was a strong convulsion that ran through his body as he felt himself choking. He vomited out a large amount of blood onto the ground in front of him, further painting it red besides the blood leaking from the wound in his chest.

His hands were quaking, trembling from the effort he exerted to reach for the spear in his chest.

Before he could so much as lay a single finger on the weapon, it was viciously ripped away, leaving a decent-sized hole in his chest.

A sudden wave of nausea and a sensation of vertigo washed over him, his lack of balance leaving him incapable of stopping his fall to the ground.

Even with the feeling of imbalance, he somehow managed to direct his motion-resistant arms underneath him, exerting all of his strength to lift his body up. However, it seemed gravity and the possible damage to several of his organs really wanted him to stay down. Being rebellious as he was, Shirou gave both of them a big middle finger as he continued to struggle to get up, the strain causing him to vomit another ounce or two of blood along with the blood that continued to leak freely from his chest-hole.

Even in his wounded state, he could not help but smirk a little. _"What a bizarre feeling...of deja vu..."_ His arms continued trembling, begging for the opportunity to disobey his order to push him upright.

"Wow! That was pretty cold! And that's coming from me!" Mittelt squeaked in shock, watching as Shirou struggled on the ground in pain. She turned to Kalawarner, the woman's passive gaze stunning her. "You took all of his hopes and dreams and dashed them while you thoroughly stomped on his feelings...I'm so proud of yoooou~" She flew over and wrapped her arms around Kalawarner, nuzzling her face against the woman's massive bust before quickly releasing her, smiling brightly. "And here I thought you were a Devil-loving slut~"

Dohnaseek could not suppress the look of amusement on his face. "So you're words were the honest truth." He gave a theatrical bow. "I humbly apologize for doubting your intentions."

"As you should." Kalawarner stated coldly. "Come on. Let's return before we are missed. We have much to do for the ritual tomorrow." She started to walk away, leaving her two associates to follow after her.

Desperation and shock caused Shirou to lose his focus, the young man collapsing onto the ground. His vision was starting to get blurry, like a result of the blood loss. He reached out with his weak hand, trying to reach after her. "Kala...warner..." He had to reach her. He just had to...

"Didn't I tell you before?" She wore a malicious smirk on her face, as if taunting Shirou as though he were an idiot. "I don't think of you as a friend." However, her voice didn't seem to match her expression. Again, it was those same empty words that left Shirou uncertain and confused. "Goodbye, Shirou Fujimura."

His vision became darker and his consciousness began to fade, but even in such a state, it was strange...

" _Don't forget me...ok?_ "

It was spoken as less than a whisper...but he had heard it. He had heard it loud and clear.

That was only when Shirou realized the biggest flaw in his approach. The reason things ended up the way they did. If for that reason alone, he had failed to reach his friend...

.

.

.

They had gone and he was left struggling to retain consciousness.

He had to chase them...He had to find Rias...He had to save Issei...

He had to do _something_. It was the second time he had been reduced to a pathetic near-death state like this.

" _You should feel grateful, you know._ "

"...Ugh...uguhhh..." It was about the only noises he could feel himself making by that point. Someone was talking to him, he was certain, but he couldn't see anything anymore.

" _While her methods are much to my distaste, she just saved your cute ass just now._ " The voice had said. " _Beating those two would have just landed you in deeper trouble with their group. Both you and the Fallen Angel owe me one. But seriously~ Even you can't beat a miniature army as you are-nyan~_ "

The sad part was that the voice's words weren't wrong.

" _I really should just put you somewhere where your master will find you and scold you, but your "never-give-up-on-friendship" attitude is just so adorable that I want to see how far you can go._ "

Only a throaty gurgle escaped Shirou's mouth.

" _Alright! Alright! I'll move you to somewhere where your only career option doesn't include donating your body to science-nyan~_ "

And that was about when Shirou fully fell unconscious.

* * *

It was weird how the two of them had found themselves just sitting together on the same park bench, depressed as all jazz.

Both Issei and Shirou sat on the bench next to one another, uncertain how to deal with their present conditions.

Shirou had been sitting there first, having just woken up there with a large amount of damage to his clothes. He remembered everything that had happened the previous night between the surprise meeting with Kalawarner, fighting the two other Fallen Angels, and being stabbed in the back (in both meanings of the phrase). He also recalled his chest becoming uncomfortably intimate with the bad end of Kalawarner's light spear followed him spewing blood, then more blood, and even more blood after that.

By that point into his recollection, Shirou was having quite a time trying to figure out how he was not dead.

He could have sworn he heard a voice at the end of his mental flashbacks, but he couldn't quite recognize it.

So he spent a good few hours thinking, ignoring the curious stares of the people who passed him by.

For once, their suspicious or weirded-out gazes were fair. His clothes were bloody and possessed questionable tears that could have only come from severe injuries and yet he bore not even a single scar.

He had a huge hole in his chest several inches wide.

A wound like that didn't heal with just a band-aid and a kiss to make it feel better. Something like that took magic to heal.

If it had been Rias or Akeno who had healed him, he would have woken up in the Occult Research Club while Rias berated him with her usual "holier-than-thou" speech about how he did blah blah blah.

The fact that this was not the scenario he awoke to and instead experience the serene silence of an average park only served to further his confusion.

So many questions and so many things he wanted to do, yet he couldn't bring himself to do anything.

He knew there were so many things he should have done, but he did not have the slightest idea on how to do them.

He couldn't even keep himself from being distracted by the one thought that kept repeating in his mind infinitely:

[ _Don't forget me...ok?_ ]

The last words Kalawarner had spoken to him, only causing his heart even greater turmoil than when he had first woken up.

Not once could he understand the thoughts going through any woman's mind let alone Kalawarner's. That one woman on her own was a mystery on par with the Seven Wonders. It was like she was waving him forward with one hand while threatening to stab him with a knife with the other (this comparison not altogether inaccurate). With such a confusing personality, Shirou had no idea how he was supposed to respond. Of course his natural response was to bust into the Fallen Angels' base and ruffle some feathers (all meanings implied), but there was one major flaw in his plan other than the absolutely suicidal recklessness and the fact he only figured out where there base was (the old Church he and Issei had taken Asia to) several moments ago:

Would he even be able to convince Kalawarner to come with him?

She was, after all, technically where she belonged: alongside other Fallen Angels. She wasn't actually doing anything wrong that warranted punishment. She even apparently faked Shirou's death in front of her comrades to assuage their suspicions, thus regaining her position in their group.

What was there to save her from? She was perfectly safe...

Yet, for some reason, Shirou still felt that everything was wrong. The way they had left things, it felt like a huge mistake had been made.

"But how do I approach her again...?" He asked aloud. "I mean, do I just say "Oh hey, I forgive you for stabbing me in the chest. Can we still be friends?"...Christ! How desperate can I be!? I'll just end up looking pathetic...No. I have to think..."

"Um...Are you thinking to yourself again? Coz I can go away if you are. I have my thinking to do."

"No, I'm just-Wait-huh?" It was only when he realized that the second voice in his one-man conversation had entered that he looked up, seeing the somewhat concerned face of his best friend, Issei Hyoudou. Despite the casual greeting, Shirou could not help but notice a forlorn expression on Issei's face. "Oh...hey..."

"Heeey..." Issei greeted in an equally awkward manner, taking a seat on the bench next to him.

Both young men looked notably depressed, sitting in silence for a good few minutes.

Issei could not help but gaze upon the many signs of wear and tear on Shirou's clothes. "So...uh...what happened to you?"

Shirou shrugged. "Got blindsided in a meeting with my good Fallen Angel friend whose associates proceeded to blow up my house before assaulting me where, after a lengthy melee between us, I was quite literally stabbed through the chest by the woman who I think is still my friend but who also leaves me with a great deal of uncertainty." He let out a sigh. "Oh, by the way, apparently Asia works-"

"-for the Fallen Angels?" Issei asked, raising an eyebrow. "I knew that, learned it after getting attacked by a freaky psycho priest-"

"Was his name "Freed" by any chance?"

"Why? Know him?"

"Unfortunately."

"Ah...but...how did _you_ figure out that Asia was from the Fallen Angels' side...?"

Shirou crossed his arms behind his head as he leaned back in his seat. "Oh. Kalawarner told me. She was talking about all this stuff about not wanting interference and a ritual and-OH MY GOD-GAK!" Shirou suddenly sat up, clutching his head in pain as he accidentally invoked the Lord's name. He suddenly looked alarmed, turning to Issei. "Issei! They're gonna steal Asia's Sacred Gear!"

"...what?"

A long silence ensued between the two youngsters.

"Uh...right..." Shirou uncomfortably rubbed the back of his neck, looking off to the side. "I...I guess this could use a bit more spacing and exposition...Well...you see...it kind of started when..."

* * *

"...and that's what happened."

"...I...wait...then that means..." After Shirou finished explaining the situation, Issei had been slow to piece together what he had been saying. He had clearly been struggling with Shirou's explanation of everything that occurred (Shirou had needed to explain the depth of his relationship with Kalawarner, something he had hidden from even Rias). "...so...uh...is your Fallen Angel girlfriend on our side or their side?"

"Focus, Issei! That's not the issue we're discussing right now!"

"Right right!" Issei agreed, smacking himself across the face as he tried to get his head back in the game. And it was only then that he finally and fully realized what Shirou had said. "Asia's in danger! MORE danger! Damn it...I can't believe I left her like that!"

"Don't be too hard on yourself." Shirou assured him. "We _both_ led her to that Church. There's nothing to blame yourself-"

"No...last night...I saw her."

"...What?"

"She was with Freed last night and I...Buchou arrived with the others and I just..." Issei lowered his head, burying his face in his hands. "I just left her there...I couldn't protect her...Even with this stupid Sacred Gear of mine, I was just useless..."

"Oh..."

"At first...I thought there was a chance for me to rescue her...but now..." Issei shook his head. "I'm just a stupid Pawn...How can I save Asia by myself...?"

"Did you try asking Buchou for help? Maybe she could-" Shirou couldn't even finish the thought. The "Are you serious?" look from Issei was almost unneeded. "...Right. Don't know what I was thinking." Despite being gentle and kind to her own race and servants, Rias had a notable indifference streak when it came to Strays and people of other factions. If not for personal reasons, then the political ramifications of assaulting the Fallen Angels would have been immense. "So...what are you gonna do?"

Issei looked at Shirou with pathetic eyes. "What _can_ I do?" He asked. "I'm a Pawn, a relatively new reborn, and my Sacred Gear is shit...How can I save Asia by myself? At first, I woke up today thinking "I'm just going to get stronger so I can one day save her"...but she's going to get her Sacred Gear taken out tonight. I don't have that kind of time to wait around and do nothing. Today is the last chance I have..." Issei clasped his hands together. "I...I don't know what to do..."

"...Go save her?" Shirou suggested, realizing that Issei must have been sent as some universal response to the questions he had been wondering about. "I mean, we both know she's at the Church...we know that the ritual's being performed tonight...soooooooo...what are we going to do about that?"

"I...I don't know what I should do..."

"Oh yes, what are _we_ going to do?"

"I already told you I don't know what I'm going to do!"

"What a predicament!" Shirou exclaimed, adding more volume to his voice. "What on Earth could _we_ do to save Asia?!"

"For the third time, I-!" It was only then that Issei caught onto what Shirou was saying. "...Did you say "we"?"

Shirou stared with half-lidded eyes, shaking his head. "Look...I won't lie and say I don't have my own selfish stakes involved in this, but, if it also means rescuing Asia, it makes the risk of breaking into the Fallen Angel base all the more worth it."

"Wait...so you're saying you're going to help?!"

It took Shirou a short pause to get over how completely stupid the non-rhetorical question was.

"You're not the sharpest tool in the shed, are you, Issei?" However, he waved the matter off before Issei could object over the insult. "What we really need to do is figure out how to invade the Fallen Angel base on our own. Buchou is just gonna bitch at us, and the others, while well-meaning, probably share her sentiments in some way. It's just me and you against a group of Fallen Angels who may or may not have a small army of priests...Huh."

Issei hung his head. "We're screwed."

"No we're not, you friggin' pessimist!" Shirou crossed his arms, a pensive expression on his face. "We just need to think of a plan. A full-proof plan to get us inside their base just long enough to rescue her and get out."

"Rescue who? What are you two discussing, Shirou-san?" Asia asked him.

"Oh, hey, Asia." Shirou greeted without turning. "We're just trying to figure out a way to invade the enemy base and rescue you without getting our shit wrecked by the Fallen Ang-" Both he and Issei turned, faces in shock as they laid eyes on the golden-blonde-haired nun staring curiously at them. For a moment, they were silent. Then Shirou turned to Issei. "Weeeeee DID IT! Go team!"

Issei got up from his seat, in-shock as he approached Asia. "...Asia?"

"Issei-san, it's you!"

* * *

"So _that's_ what happened!" Shirou exclaimed as Issei finished recounting his encounter with Freed, learning Asia was on the Fallen Angels' side, and why he became so determined to rescue from the Fallen Angels' even _before_ learning of Asia's imminent death sentence that neither were sure Asia knew of. He crossed his arms, leaning back in his seat. "Damn, and I thought _I_ had a rough night last night. But that was...I mean, damn. I mean, if I were in your shoes, I would have been surprised to ever see Asia again, Issei. I mean, you were probably expecting her to just vanish, never to be seen again.

"Shirou..."

"I mean...NEVER again. At least, not until one day-BAM! Corpse on the sidewalk!"

"Thanks for that heart-warming thought, Shirou." Issei said, deadpan. "Really appreciate it."

"U-Um..." Asia stuttered, uncertain how to react about the back-and-forth between the pair. She bowed her head. "I...I'm very sorry for worrying you like that, Issei-san."

After the shocking and sudden reunion between the three, they had decided to go to a nearby McRonald's (Shirou had flipped his shit when he heard the name, asking why it was called that for reasons neither Issei nor Asia could understand). Nobody dared question their odd appearances the moment they laid eyes on Shirou. Shirou had let Issei go to get them some food because, when Shirou came, the lady at the register held out a serving tray as if to use it as a shield all while cowering behind it.

"So, Asia," Issei started, looking uncomfortable, "uh...how did you escape?"

The question appeared to have confused Asia, the young girl staring blankly. ""Escape"? What do you mean?" She asked, leaving both boys in an awkward spot. It was obvious she had no idea what the Fallen Angels were planning. Otherwise, she would be significantly more alarmed. "After Raynare-sama and the others arrived, she scolded Freed and took me back to the Church. She was quite furious at my actions..." Her uneasy expression hardly went unnoticed. "A-And, after what happened last night, today seemed to have such beautiful weather, so I thought it would be a good day to go out! I was really surprised to run into both of you here!" She turned to Shirou, looking somewhat awkward. "Um...Shirou-san...if Issei-san is a Devil, then does that mean that you, too, are-"

"Yep." Shirou agreed without hesitation. "We're the Hellspawn that Christian parents use to threaten kids into not getting preggers."

"Oh..." Asia noted, thrown off by his horrible lack of tact. "...I see."

When Issei shot Shirou a dirty look, Shirou turned his head, smirking from amusement. Realizing Shirou's lack of repentance, Issei turned back to Asia.

"Who is this "Raynare-sama"?" Issei asked. "She sounds like a total bitch!"

"Well, she is your "Ex-bitch", so I would think you would know." Shirou quipped, earning Issei's surprised eyes. "Yep. The nun girl you dig is the literal slave of your dirty-rotten, murderin' ex-girlfriend. Talk about awkward."

Issei's face flushed at the implications of what Shirou had slipped in there. "H-Hey! D-Don't just SAY that!" Shirou, again, turned away, smiling as he sipped his soda from a straw.

"Shirou-san, what does it mean if Issei-san "digs" me?" Both young men turned to the nun who was staring with an innocent curiosity. "Is...Is it a _good_ thing that he "digs" me?" Shirou almost choked on his drink, shocked. He had known that nuns were innocent women, but to not understand rather common phrasing with no ideas of the implications was just...just... _adorable_. Asia's innocence was definitely one of her most endearing traits Shirou had experienced thus far.

"It-uh-it means...well it means..." Issei stumbled over his words for a moment, trying to bullshit his way out of the awkward spot Shirou put him on. "It means that we're-uh...close friends! I mean, it means I WANT to be close friends! B-Because I really like you! Yeah, that's it!"

When Asia's face turned pink and when she covered her mouth, Issei had thought she was just embarrassed by his words. It wouldn't be until later that he realized just how heavy an impact his flustered words had on her.

Shirou, on the other hand, was more concerned with how off-topic they had been getting. "OK...so, Asia...you KNOW how your current group-not the Fallen Angels in general, just getting that out there-is filled with very, _very_ horrible people, right?" His emphasis only added to the heavy atmosphere that was making both Issei and Asia uncomfortable. "You know they don't have the same ideals?"

The nun shifted anxiously in her seat, giving an uncomfortable nod, her expression once again showing the same oddly troubled look as before.

It was going to be a big leap, but Shirou knew it was something that had to be said before he and Issei could go any further. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.

"Look...what I'm about to tell you won't be easy to hear, but I feel you have the right to know..." Shirou took a deep breath. "Asia, the thing is...we-"

"-ARE GOING TO TAKE YOU OUT FOR A GOOD TIME!"

Shirou leaned back as Issei suddenly stuck his head in front of his face, completely hijacking the conversation in a different direction. The clear expression of "What the fuck" on Shirou's face made it obvious that he was about to object before Issei suddenly threw an arm over Shirou's shoulder, subtly grabbing him and dragging him out of the stall and a few feet away.

"We'll be back in just a second, Asia!" Issei called back out to the nun they left waiting. Then he leaned back towards Shirou and spoke in a whisper, "Dude, maybe we should hold back on telling her?"

"Are you an idiot!?" Shirou shouted, realizing his volume when everyone in the establishment turned in his direction. He repeated it in a whisper, "Are you an idiot!? How can we _not_ tell her?! She's going to _die_!"

"Not if we do something to protect her!" Issei reasoned. Shirou tried to leave, but Issei grabbed him by his arm to stop him. "Look, if we're not strong enough to protect her, then what's the point in even telling her! But, it's the same way if we _are_ going to protect her. If we're going to protect her like we say we are, then we shouldn't need to worry her...I'm going to protect her this time." Shirou's eyes lowered, noticing how tightly Issei was clenching his fist before looking up at his expression. One filled with pessimism, hope, determination, and despair. He clearly didn't have any idea what he was doing.

And for once, Shirou deeply respected him for it.

"OK."

Issei looked surprised. "What?"

Shirou sighed, shrugging off Issei's hand. "OK, we'll do it your way."

"R-Really?"

"Yeeeaaah." Shirou agreed, rubbing the back of his neck. "So what's the plan?"

"..."

"You don't have a plan, do you?"

"Well...no." Issei admitted, chuckling awkwardly. "To be fair, I only learned all of this information since last night. Not to mention I'm only a new reborn. But you, you've been a Devil much longer than me and you managed to fight and defeat a monster like that Visor thing all by yourself. So I figured that, I dunno, maybe we can stash Asia at your place while we figure out how to get Buchou to help us."

A long silence ensued.

"Other than the fact that that is such a half-assed plan that I would have expected from Buchou, there is another major issue in that plan of yours." Shirou felt the urge to face-palm, wondering how he was impressed by someone with such shallow foresight. "We can't take her to my house."

"Why not?"

"Erm..."

* * *

At the Fujimura Residence, the foundation for the second floor crumbled, the second floor itself collapsing, what little furniture that was left intact being smashed or shattered or thrown into the front yard through the massive hole in the building.

* * *

"It kind of came down with a sudden case of explosions."

"Well, I can't keep her at my place! My parents would freak! And I can't do that whole hypnotism thing everyone but us can do for some reason!"

"That _is_ weird." Shirou noted, frowning. "I mean, I've been a Devil for several months, but I STILL haven't learned how to do that...Strange." He shook his head. "Anyway, what are we going to do? I can't help but feel we took several steps back here."

Both boys' expressions became pensive as they pondered the matter at hand.

It was only after a good five minutes had passed that Issei let out a sigh. "At the very least, we can take her out for a bit." He reasoned. "Let her have a good time while we sort out what we're doing."

The idea was simple and a rather foolish way of saying they were putting off the matter, but Shirou could only sigh in response to Issei's suggestion. "Fine." He looked to Asia, the young girl looking down at the burger in front of her, cautiously picking it up and staring at it before taking a bite. "But we're splitting the bill. My money is running a little dry due to the number of school uniforms I've needed to buy over the course of the past few months...not to mention that it's gonna be a pain to pay for however much it costs to repair a half-destroyed house..." Again, Shirou sighed, this time out of the pain he was experiencing in his wallet.

"Alright then."

Shirou turned his head, looking at the sun hanging in the air like a ball of gold. "However, we should get done before nightfall. I don't want to be left out in the dark with those Fallen Angels lurking around." His ominous words sent chills down Issei's spine, but the younger Devil decided to instead focus on the mission at hand:

To show Asia a good time.

* * *

After a quick trip to the clothing store where Shirou bought a shirt and pair of pants to replace the bloody and torn clothes that were making everyone around them even MORE on-edge, the pair of Devils brought Asia to the one sure place where anyone could have a good time:

The arcade.

A bit cliche in Shirou's opinion, but Asia _was_ a nun. Considering how priests and nuns usually lived, even the most outdated games and technology were a huge blast of culture shock to her as she had probably never seen anything more advanced than an etch-a-sketch for entertainment purposes.

They played all of the classics and non-classics. Skee Ball, classic arcade fighting games (Asia kept asking why they had to fight, so Issei and Shirou let her win all the time out of guilt), dancing games (for a girl wearing a skirt, Asia was significantly better than the two boys), and racing games (Shirou and Issei spent a fair portion of their money trying to decide who was better) among others.

However, in the end, it could not be ignored that it seemed more like it was Issei and Asia playing together while Shirou just happened to be there.

"Geez..." Shirou sighed as he looked at Asia standing beside Issei at one of those skill crane types of games. "It seems like I'm always the third wheel around these two." He paused when he spoke that last thought aloud, beginning to pensively stroke his chin. "...I wonder...am I being a nuisance to them. I mean, the Fallen Angels won't do anything in broad daylight, so...am I even needed?" His own question stung him slightly. Even though the situation was completely different, he still felt uncomfortable when he questioned his own presence around others.

He looked around, noticing that the few people who weren't eyeing him with fear were off doing their own thing, some of them hanging with friends or dates of their own.

"Maybe I should...just disappear for a while?" It was not out of the disappointment of being left out, but rather, Shirou felt it would be prudent to let Issei and Asia have fun on what was clearly a date Shirou had only just realized he was intruding upon. "OK, I'll go far enough that I'm out of sight but close enough that I can respond in case anything happens. I mean, as long as I get back before nightfall, it should be fine."

He had seen what the Fallen Angels felt free to do after dark. Not just at his home, but how they had lured in Issei to be killed by Freed.

Just out of sight was about as far as Shirou would go. It was what he had decided to avoid intruding. They had until nightfall after all.

"What's the worse that could happen?" was what he thought when he walked out of the arcade, shooting another glance to make sure that everything was fine with the lovely-looking couple.

What could happen?

"So the cat actually followed through then."

"OH MY FUCKING-HOLY SHIT!" He could not help but scream when, yet again, he found himself face-to-face with someone he had no idea when or where to expect.

"Hey there...again, Shirou." Kalawarner greeted, realizing how little effect her appearance had considering the fact that she had only seen him last night or rather, less than twelve hours ago which was early that morning.

 _This_ was what could have happened. And it did.

"Can we talk?" The Fallen Angel asked, the question being so simple yet awkward that Shirou wasn't quite sure how to respond at first, leading to an incredibly long, increasingly awkward silence between the two. The bustle of everyday life for the other humans continued around them, indifferent to their situation.

"So you're alive."

"No shit, I am."

"Do you hate me now? You should have expected it. I've told you several times: We're enemies."

"A bit pissed-off, but... No, you're still my friend. Back-stabbing isn't something exactly new to me. I've been stabbed a lot of ways."

"That doesn't sound like a healthy habit."

"It is not."

Another silence.

"So...uh..." Shirou turned away, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Thanks for saving my life...I know you and that mystery friend person guy didn't have to."

Kalawarner's eyes went wide, as if she hadn't expected the thanks. "How did you-" She seemed surprised for a moment before she narrowed her eyes, looking hateful towards someone whom Shirou did not believe he knew. "...That _bitch_." Whom she was referring to, Shirou only had a vague idea considering he only had a voice without a face to go on. "So? What now? Are you going to start with one of those "We can be friends thanks to the power of friendship" speeches again? If you are, I'm going to walk away _right now_. I saved your life to avoid further conflict with Rias Gremory, so don't misunderstand." Shirou could not help but wonder why she wasn't the one starting a real conversation when she was the one who called _him_. Clearly suspicious. It was clear she was already showing her refusal to listen to what had been solely stubbornness on Shirou's part.

After the events of the previous night, Shirou could tell she was serious about her decision. Maybe not about her feelings, but definitely about the decision she made, even if it meant she would need to kill a friend.

With this in mind, Shirou took a deep breath. It was time to take a new approach to things.

"Nope. I'm going to do absolutely nothing."

"Shirou, I already told you-!" Another pause. "Wai-what?" It was clearly the furthest thing from the response she had expected.

"You heard me." Shirou answered, face completely blank. "I'm going to say absolutely nothing to convince you. I have totally accepted that my feelings for you are completely one-sided and you have no care for me at all. I don't hate you at all. I've just accepted your words and I have officially given up. I apologize for wasting your time. What else can I possibly do by this point?"

"W-Well, uh...I...I dunno. I mean, you could try a little harder." The Fallen Angel woman appeared to be a mixed feeling between miffed and awkward. "Wh-Who knows? Maybe you'll succeed."

"Nope. I'm doomed to fail to convince you and it's all my fault."

"Just quitting makes you seem like a bit of a spoil-sport, don't you think?"

Shirou shrugged. "Eh. What can you do?"

This was very much not going the way Kalawarner had expected. Ultimately the way she intended, unbeknownst to the snow-haired boy in front of her, but not the way expected. "I'm fairly certain there is a lot more you could do." Not to mention, it almost felt a little insulting how easily he was quitting (easily in her mind at any rate). "You claim not to hate me, so what changed since last night? What has so thoroughly convinced you to stop trying to reach me?"

"Because I can't reach someone I can't understand." Shirou shoved his hands into his pockets, turning the other way. "For all of my talk of cooperation and understanding, never once had I truly tried to understand you."

Again, all Kalawarner could say was, "What?"

"You know, ever since I woke up today in torn, bloodstained clothes, I started thinking about everything that has happened between you and I." He looked up towards the sky, using one of his hands to shield his eyes from the intense sunlight. "And, you know what? I kind of realized we have done a lot together. I took you out on a date, I took you to a bar regularly, you threatened to crush my balls like grapes if I acted unintentionally chauvinistic by behaving chivalrously towards women, you got drunk and tried to rape me (although by this point I'm beginning to suspect whether or not you were actually drunk at the time), and over the course of our repeated encounters, I had thought we had become friends...I was wrong."

"You...Y-yeah!" Kalawarner agreed awkwardly, very confused and uncertain about what direction this was going in. "You're damn right you were!...Idiot."

"And that was when I realized something very important." It was time for the leap of faith. "I ended up behaving no better than Rias did when she tried shoving all that Devil Supremacy crap down my throat. I said "We can be friends" and "The rules binding us are stupid" and I never once thought you actually meant what you said...and...and I'm sorry for that."

"...What?" The sad expression on Shirou's face...it was...so genuine. So honest. So pure. So...cute. It made her heart skip a beat for a moment, something she wished to punish herself for by slapping herself, requiring a great deal of self-control to keep from doing that and to also calm herself down.

"I was so full of myself, thinking I've endured a lot of pain, so sure that I could simply convince you with blind idealism, that I never thought to consider the fact that maybe you carried scars of your own." Shirou turned around to face Kalawarner, bowing his head in a clear form of apology. "And, because of that, I do hereby admit I was probably an ignorant jackass who you may have actually had the right to stab through the chest without mercy."

Kalawarner stared, her expression indicating she was clearly still incapable of comprehending anything unfolding before her. "Are you being for real right now?"

"Yes. The reason I've given up on reaching you is because I was stupid enough to ignore your own feelings. And I am sorry for that." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck, feeling anxious. "I know, right now, after how much of a stupid I've been, you probably don't want to talk much to me on the matter, but still. I want to try." He quickly continued when Kalawarner opened her mouth to object. "Not the friendship thing. I want to try to understand you. I want to understand your feelings and I want to know how you feel. Friendship is about understanding and, if I can't even succeed in doing that, then how can I continue trying or even call myself your friend?"

It did it again. _"Be still my beating heart!"_ Kalawarner screamed mentally, placing a hand over her chest.

"At the very least, let me understand. Whatever comes of it. Even if you refuse, I intend to do my best. Either way, I'm going to understand you." Shirou extended his hand towards Kalawarner, his expression dead-serious. "Please...let me try."

A long silence ensued as Shirou let Kalawarner process his words. He had laid it all out and, if she simply refused, he had no other cards to play. He had no other method of trying to convince Kalawarner to open her heart to the idea of peaceful coexistence. In such a situation, it was likely she would attempt to kill him on the spot out of duty alone, continuing the cycle of hatred and pointless carnage.

And that terrifying thought scared Shirou.

Even if it was a small taste compared to what others went through, he had seen what ensued from meaningless fights. Carnage stained with the blood of the innocent. What happened when someone lost the sane part of themselves referred to as their "humanity".

If he and Kalawarner were made to walk down a path like that...

He couldn't stomach it.

There was no GOOD solution to the issue if Kalawarner persisted in being his enemy. Even if she agreed, it still would have taken a great deal of time to understand her to the point that she could be convinced. Not to mention there were narrow-minded people such as Rias who, while well-meaning, would stir up a lot of trouble around them solely for the perceived foolishness of Shirou's idealism.

"...You...You're an idiot! A stupid child!" The first words out of Kalawarner's mouth was a harsh jab. Despite that, her eyes showed clear signs of wavering. "What are you thinking!? After all the things I've done to you, the ways I've tried to hurt you, what makes you think we could ever understand one another let alone ever be companions?!" Her eyes were beginning to water. Whether out of sorrow or frustration, it wasn't Shirou's place to decide.

"Because I like you." They were blunt words filled with honesty, Shirou's expression pure and innocent. "Because I want to be close to you however I can."

Kalawarner cupped her hand over her mouth, her expression turning to one of shock and surprise as well as embarrassment. "Shirou...I...No. You...You need to go!"

It felt like his heart had been crushed in her grip. "Kalawarner-!"

"No, I mean you NEED to go! It could already be too late!"

Not just the meaning of her words but also the alarm behind them gave Shirou cause for concern. Kalawarner was crying, looking as though she had committed some sort of grave sin. Like she had done something wrong, the stain of guilt showing plainly upon her expression.

"...What are you talking about?" The hairs on the back of his neck started to stand up, his instincts beginning to detect something was wrong...something had definitely gone wrong. He didn't understand why he was having this feeling until he looked at the guilt-ridden expression on his friend's face. And then it hit him...why he was standing before her in the first place. "Kalawarner...why did you come here?"

The Fallen Angel avoided his gaze, tears rolling down the sides of her face. "...I was only supposed to stall you." Shirou's heart froze, gripped by horror at the implications of his realization. "She promised that we wouldn't provoke the Devils, only that we would get back "what was ours". Nobody gets hurt. My job was to get you alone, to get you away so she could act without interference. She's probably already there."

"Asia! Issei!" Shirou didn't waste anymore time interrogating his supposed friend.

The moment he figured out the truth, he burst into a sprint, practically knocking over every single person unfortunate enough to end up walking in his path. His mind was focused on the sole objective of finding his friends. The only thing that kept him from flying into a frenzied panic was his ability to sense the presence of other Devils, especially those from the same clan. His sensory abilities were still rather weak, but he was capable of sensing non-humans when he focused his mind.

And worry and fear for a friend's life were good motivators for one's mind to focus.

Though everyone whom he passed by saw only a white blur, Shirou felt like he had cement blocks tied from his feet, his feet feeling heavier with each step he took.

"ASIA!"

He heard Issei's scream before he saw him.

When he arrived, he saw Issei standing in a shallow pool, blood staining the front and back of his shirt and his entire body soaked.

He only caught a glimpse of her, but Shirou remembered her well enough.

The woman he had originally known as "Yuuma Amano", the leader of the Fallen Angels' group, Raynare.

And then she was gone in a swirl of black feathers.

Issei's murderer had escaped again.

"Issei!" However, that wasn't Shirou's primary concern at the moment. He was immediately gripped by panic when he saw Issei fall to all-fours in the water. Shirou ran over to him and knelt by his side. "Issei! Are you alright!? What happened!?" Although, he already had a good idea even before he saw Issei's tear-stained face and the expression of defeat it shamefully wore.

"No...why couldn't I save her...?" He sobbed, baring his teeth in frustration. When he looked up, he had a surprised look, as if he had just noticed that Shirou was there. Then anger filled his heart. He lunged forward, grabbing Shirou by the collar and shaking him angrily. "WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU!? Why weren't you there!? You could have done _something_!" He continued shaking Shirou violently, screaming his head off like a crazy person.

Shirou didn't resist. He let Issei rant and scream as he wished. After all...

He wasn't wrong.

He had been tricked again. Outwitted because he let his guard down because of what he perceived to be the truth. And Asia paid the price for his stupidity.

Issei's venting was allowed to continue for several more minutes until his rage started to run out, Issei's exhaustion starting to overwhelm him. When it had gotten to that point, Shirou calmly grabbed Issei's hands and pried them loose of his collar, letting Issei sink to his knees in the water beneath them.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Shirou looked down on Issei, face absolutely serious. "You're just going to sit there, feeling sorry for yourself?"

"I...I don't know." Issei admitted. "I tried to fight, but I can't do anything...I tried! I failed! What do you expect?!"

"You try and you fail, you try and you fail, you try and you fail." Shirou repeated it like some sort of mantra, grabbing Issei by the hand and forcibly dragging him to his feet. "But the only true failure is when you stop trying."

Issei sighed, shaking his head at Shirou. "What do you want me to do?"

"Try again." A blunt but powerful reply. "Asia's life depends on you, Issei-Her life depends on US. Today is our last chance to save her...You DO want to save her, right?"

"Of course!" Issei shouted as if Shirou's words had been an accusation. "But HOW!? We're two Pawns! Reborns!-"

"-Sacred Gear-user's!" Shirou cut in. "Dude, I know it doesn't make us invincible, but our Sacred Gears gives us a helluva huge advantage against those guys."

"How? I don't even know what yours does and mine only doubles my small power ONE TIME."

"Yeah, but..." Shirou paused, frowning. "Buchou didn't teach you about Sacred Gears' true power and potential, did she?"

"Teach me about the what?"

For a brief moment, Shirou looked as if he was about to scream towards the Heavens, once again cursing Rias's inability to put practicality before dramatics. However, he managed to stop himself, instead taking and releasing several deep breaths over the span of ten seconds. He raised his index finger in objection, a clearly irritated expression on his face.

"If we live, I'm going to have a long, thoughtful chat with our club's president." Shirou shoved his hands in his pockets. "Look, I'll explain it on the way, but, for right now, we need to get going. The sun's going to be setting soon. If we have to, we'll think up a plan on the way there."

"And if we can't think of one?"

Shirou raised a fist, smirking. "Then we go with Plan B: Bust in and wreck their shit."

"I'm not exactly sure how I feel about that plan."

"Hey, I don't see _you_ coming up with any brilliant ideas. What else do you suggest we do? We can't go to Buchou with this."

" _Well, if you two morons don't wish to foolishly throw your lives away, I have an idea._ "

"Who said that!?" Shirou's eyes suddenly darted left and right, his head turning in every direction. "Who has the balls to insult me!? Do it to my face!" Issei also appeared confused, albeit less energetic about the rather rude third individual who interrupted their "planning". "Come on! Show yourself!"

" _Down here_."

"Huh?"

Nyan~!

Shirou's ears perked up and an instinctual smile appeared on his face. Both boys' attention was immediately directed downwards towards the ground. In front of the pair sat a familiar, black-furred feline with an affectionate gaze directed towards Shirou.

"Kuro~! Awww~!" Shirou bent over and lifted the cat from the ground, holding her gently and petting her fur softly. "While you're still adorable, I'm afraid I can't play with you right now~ What are you doing here, girl~?"

" _Trying to keep one of the few imbeciles whom I know and actually **like** from committing suicide._ "

A short pause ensued, Issei and Shirou staring at one another with widened eyes.

Issei raised a shaky hand, pointing at the cat in Shirou's arms. "Did it just-"

"Nooooo! Noooo!" Shirou shook his head, laughing it off. "There's no way, man!" However, his expression betrayed his uncertainty. He pulled the cat away from him and held her in front of him. "Er...you _didn't_ just talk, did you, girl?"

" _As a matter of fact, I did._ "

Shirou pursed his lips, staring blankly. "OK, Kuro, you get one more: Did you just talk?"

" _I know you're dense and all, but_ _really_?" The feline asked, dubious as to Shirou's true intelligence. _"Do you SEE anyone else around, Shirou-chin?...Can you put me down now?_ "

Unable to cope with the shock, Shirou's hands loosened their grip, letting the previously-normal-seeming cat fall to the ground on all fours.

" _Your face is a lot funnier than I thought it'd be by the time I revealed myself-nya~_ " Kuroneko said in response to Shirou's blank stare.

"The cat can talk..."

She stretched her legs, letting out a yawn-like mew. " _Ah~ But where are my manners? My real name isn't of any importance right now. Besides, I found your unimaginative pet name for me to be kind of cute, Shirou-chin~_ " She looked up at the stunned expression on the two boys' faces.

"Cat. Can. Talk."

" _While I'm sure you have some questions as to how this is, I do believe you two boys were on a deadlines-_ "

"Shirou, I don't think you should keep her." Issei said, immediately objecting to the existence before his eyes. "I also don't think we should accept advice from a cat."

" _Oh, like YOU have some brilliant plan to rescue your pretty friend? From what I hear, your rep with girls isn't too great._ "

"...Yep. I can tell you are definitely Shirou's friend. You're both assholes!

" _Back to the main point here, Shirou-chin. The reason I'm talking to you now is because-_ "

"THE CAT CAN TAAAAAALK!"

The newly-speaking Kuroneko let out a sigh.

She certainly had her work cut out for her this time.

* * *

Next Chapter - **Rescue Operation Begins! I Will Save Her!**

* * *

 **And, finally finished. Maybe not tasteful, but it's done. I promise to start doing better once the next arc starts, but, for right now, let's just get this done.**


	21. Chapter 18: Rescue Operation Begins!

**Here we go! Finally! This shit has hit the climax! Don't worry guys! Hopefully, this will be the last chapter we have to deal with for this arc!**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Which means I don't own shit! Try and claim copyright now, bitches! XD.**

* * *

 **Chapter 18: Rescue Operation Begins! I Will Save Her!** **  
**

It was frustration after frustration in the life of Rias Gremory.

Any one of her servants could have easily figured it out from the furious way she filled out or responded to the forms that laid on her table. They deeply wished to broach the issue, but thought it best to refrain from bothering Rias while she was in such a state. Besides, they knew the source of her ever-increasing tension and frustration could be none other than a certain snow-haired young man. Despite their feelings of camaraderie, he was the only person who could have driven Rias to such an irritated state where she was breaking five pens for every seven forms due to pushing on them too hard.

Her patience was clearly exceptionally thin judging from the how, whenever she improperly filled out a form, she crumpled it up and harshly tossed it into the waste bin rather than using a spell to simply undo her errors.

When Akeno brewed Rias some tea, the crimson-haired woman didn't even react. She just let it sit next to her seemingly infinite stack of forms long after it had cooled. Akeno eventually had to remove the cold tea out of fear of the potential scenario where it spilled over Rias's desk, thus causing an inevitable explosive outburst from their master (They had known Rias long enough to know that "explosive" wasn't too much of an exaggeration when it came to Rias. When Rias's temper flared, there was a building that was bound to be on fire, reduced to rubble, or full of holes with burn marks around them).

They all just sat in silence, doing what they normally did when they had no assigned tasks.

Akeno took to reading a novel she had recently become interested due to some "interesting content" that suited her (everyone was aware of what it was, but dared not mention it), Kiba began polishing some of his swords, and Koneko (being Koneko) simply munched on some snacks she kept hidden in one of the cabinets.

Oddly enough, without work, the club felt empty and "boring" without their two more uproarious members and their quirks and habits. Even Koneko found herself longing for her two punching ba-erm-"friends".

There was only so much they could do before night fell and their contracts became active.

They could only sit and wait in silence until-

"I just don't understand that child!"

Everyone immediately perked up at the sudden scream of frustration that came from Rias's mouth, the club president crumbling yet another form in her hands.

"Buchou?" Akeno asked, concerned for her friend.

After a few seconds, Rias let out a sigh, the heavy, aggressive aura around her gradually vanishing. "Shirou. You've seen his behavior, Akeno."

"What do you mean?"

"He's rebellious, arrogant, and incredibly juvenile!" Rias answered, increasingly angered as time went on. Everyone appeared even more concerned. "I don't hate him, don't get me wrong! I could never hate one of my adorable servants, but it feels like he goes out of his way to fight and oppose me on every decision I make! I tell him to call for back-up when he's in trouble, and instead he goes charging off on his own every time. I tell him not to get preemptively involved with the Fallen Angels following Issei, and instead he enlists Koneko to stalk one of them with him and even gets into a fight with one of their priests." Koneko "casually" sank deeper into her seat, trying to avoid being noticed. "When I tell him not to get involved with the Fallen Angels anymore, he BEFRIENDS one of them only for them to attack him!"

Koneko looked the other way. "...He's just thick-headed, Buchou." She noted. "I doubt you would be able to get your words through even if they hit with the force of an eighteen-wheeler."

"Not too far off the mark." Kiba admitted, glad Shirou was not present to hear such slander against him (or it would have been slander if it weren't completely true).

"I just can't understand his feelings." Rias said, sighing. "I mean, Issei never seems to show this level of disobedience. Issei is a good boy. But Shirou? I just don't understand him at all. Even after being betrayed by his so-called friend, who is a Fallen Angel, he still retains faith in her and still opposes me when it comes to that matter. I want to say that perhaps it's some sort of hypnosis, but I at least know Shirou's too strong-willed to fall for a spell that has minimal effects on Devils in the first place. What do you think, Akeno?"

The moment Rias absentmindedly asked her question, she regretted it. The sore look on Akeno's face hardly helped.

She knew Akeno's feelings, so the way she had phrased her words sounded as though she expected Akeno personally to know considering her origins.

Wishing not to press the issue, Akeno averted her eyes. "I...I don't know." She answered. "I would normally attribute it to stubbornness, but...I just don't know. She's one of those creatures, so I can't understand it."

"It may be a bit vulgar for me to mention it," Kiba said awkwardly, "but...perhaps she seduced him with her feminine wiles-" He bit his tongue when Akeno shot him a sharp look. "-Never mind. To be honest, I don't think Shirou would be the type to be seduced so easily."

"Especially not by one of them." Akeno added.

"That _is_ true." Rias tapped her chin, looking pensive. "I mean, remember how long it took for him to realize _Kiyome's_ feelings? And she's known him much longer than the Fallen Angel, so that can't be it...I just thought that, if I could understand and put an end to what is causing him to behave like this, he would be much better. At the same time, it sounds so oppressive and that only puts him at further odds. I just wish I could understand..."

Over and over again, the words Mikoto Fujimura spoke to her rang through her mind.

There was certainly something Rias was missing, but she couldn't quite figure it out...

Something within Mikoto's words was probably the key, but not a single idea came to mind.

"...Maybe it's because he sympathizes with them." Every eye turned to Koneko, who had been passively listening the entire time. When she noticed their stares, she paused, a piece of chocolate halfway to her mouth. "I mean, Shirou-senpai is much more empathetic than he seems and he cares about others, so maybe, because of the way you-"

BZZZZT! BZZZZT! BZZZZT!

The sound of Rias's cellphone vibrating against her desk suddenly drowned out what Koneko had been intending to say next.

Somewhat impatient, she picked up her phone and narrowed her eyes at the collar ID, wondering if perhaps the caller was omniscient when he was spoken of:

 _Shirou_

A vindictive part of Rias wanted to re-identify the number as "Disobedient Child", but felt that it was too mean-spirited (albeit not inaccurate).

"Speak of the Devil..." She muttered to herself, swiping the touch screen and picking up the call. "Shirou, where have you been? Club activities started a long time ago!" She put the phone on speaker, wishing for the conversation to be shared by everyone.

[Is that how you say "Hello" to your coolest servant, Buchou?]

A pause.

[Geez. Not even a reaction. You're really still pissed about yesterday?]

Rias took a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for whatever laid ahead. "I've decided to put yesterday behind me and focus more on correcting your long line of acts of disobedience. You have been out of line for quite a while, Shirou."

[To be fair, I would have needed to be "in" the line to be "out" of it.]

Don't react. That was what Rias kept telling herself. It was very important not to react no matter what Shirou did or said. "Regardless, at some point, you need to stop acting on your own. Checking in, maintaining contact, and doing as you're told are important when it comes to being a Devil servant."

[Hey, I don't see you getting on Issei's case.]

"That's because, unlike you, Issei is a good boy. So far, I haven't needed to scold him once barring the incident where he was unaware of the consequences of getting friendly with that nun."

There was a heavy inhalation from the other end of the line.

[...There are so many things I want to say to that right now, mostly because I think it would be hilarious, but now's not the time.]

Something about his words struck Rias as strange. "Shirou, where are you right now? I tried calling your home, but it seems your house phone isn't accepting calls right now."

[You consider just calling Ka-san's cell?]

The thought of what the admittedly terrifying woman would respond with should she pick up made Rias cringe. She had yet to forget the terrifying moment where she had had a knife held at her throat. She could not help but just sit there in depressed silence.

[...Buchou? Buchoooou? Hello? You still there?]

Rias sighed. "Just what are you calling about now?"

[ _Shirou-chin, are you almost done? We don't have much time left._ ]

Every member of the Gremory group paused as the sound of an unfamiliar voice reached their ears. None of them seemed more stunned than Koneko, the usually gluttonous girl dropping her snacks. She looked as though she had petrified for a moment before shaking her head.

 _"It's a coincidence..."_ She thought to herself. It was what she kept telling herself. However, the unfamiliar voice was jarring nonetheless.

[Shut up! I'm trying to ease my way into it!]

The others had to cover their ears as Shirou's volume rose drastically.

[Hey, Rias...Just making sure, we're allowed to go anywhere in town EXCEPT the Fallen Angel's Church, right?]

"Yea-Wait..." It was then that Rias definitely noticed something wrong with Shirou's words. "How did you know that? We only figured that out last night. How did you know where their base was located?"

[...]

A long, empty silence was the only response Rias received.

[Shit! Issei, she's starting to catch on!]

[What do you want ME to do about it?! It's YOUR plan! You fix it!]

"Issei?" Rias could not help but take yet another pause at the sound of her newest servant's voice. "Issei, is that you? What are you doing with Shirou?"

A moment of awkward silence could be sensed from the other end.

[Uh...heeeey, Buchou...How's it going?]

"Isseeeeiii." It was clear from Rias's tone that that one word was meant as a warning against doing anything stupid. "Why are you with Shirou? Why is Shirou mentioning the Fallen Angel base?"

[Well...um...you know how you told me NOT to get involved with Asia again?]

"Yeeees."

[IranintohertodaybutshegotkidnappedsoShirouandIaregoingtorescueher!]

"WHAT!?" Rias shouted not only because she barely comprehended what Issei was saying but also because of the contents of his words. "Issei! I specifically told you not to do that! Just come back here so we can discuss the matter more thoroughly!"

[No! You're just going to slap me and tell me I'm not allowed to save my friend! Shirou and I aren't going to quit!]

"Issei, I've told both of you several times that you aren't to get involved with the Fallen Angels!" Rias screamed, holding the phone in front of her. "I forbid the two of you from going to the Fallen Angels' base! It's enemy territory-"

[Aw yeah! You got her to say it! Way to go, Issei!]

[O-Oh! Right! We did it!]

"Huh? What?" It was getting harder to understand the situation as Shirou once again spoke over Issei. "What are you two doing?"

[Well, we're going to go rescue Asia and maybe turn Kalawarner on the side.]

"What?!"

[Byyyyyye, Rias~]

And then the line went dead.

As if challenging the world to create an even heavier, more severe silence, the Occult Research Club's meeting room's air became so thick with silence that one could have cut it with a butter knife. Every member who had half a brain wisely stepped away as a heavy, crimson aura became to shroud Rias's body. The first sign was when Rias clutched her phone so tightly that the screen began to crack, but the demonic aura made it unbelievably obvious. Koneko moved herself over to the door, prepared to run in case Rias exploded.

"Everyone..." Rias finally said, giving a deceptively kind and calm smile. "...I believe we're going on a field trip." She turned to Akeno, still smiling. "Akeno, when we find Shirou, I give you permission to punish him any way you like."

"Hm?" Even though she was deeply surprised, this had been the first bit of good news in a long while and the exciting news she had expected the least. Her sadistic mind was already picturing the lewd and lascivious ways she could use her little "toys" with her favorite comrade. She had just ordered new whips last week that she had just been DYING to test on someone else.

"Let's go deal with our disobedient juniors."

[Y-Yes, Buchou!]

None of her frightened servants dared object to the pissed-off smile on Rias's face.

* * *

"Bitchin! We got what we needed!" Shirou cheered as he shut his cell phone. "And since this is just gonna get broken anyway and so there's less of a chance of Rias tracking us-"

CRACK!

Shirou crushed his cellphone in his hand like a tin can, smirking before chucking it as hard as he could into the distance.

"You know you didn't have to do that, right?" He turned to Issei, the younger Devil sitting on an old tree stump, his arms resting on his legs and a noticeable expression of anxiety on his face. Issei sighed, shaking his head at Shirou's behavior. "It seems a little pointless."

Shirou stared blankly. "...Were you talking about tricking our irresponsible club president into declaring enemy territory part or the smashing my phone part?"

"The phone part." Issei answered, shrugging. "Personally, I thought the idea to trick Buchou like that was pretty brilliant."

Shirou mimicked Issei, shrugging his own shoulders. "Meh. It's probably gonna get smashed at some point anyway, so maybe it should finally be my turn to INTENTIONALLY break my phone." It was not out of necessity, but to have one final hurrah before commencing the mission that could have ended up resulting in one or both of their very brutal, very excruciating deaths. "I mean, usually it's being broken by some sort of accident or hideous creature, so why not-"

" _That's not true._ " The voice of his feline(?) friend, Kuroneko(?), interrupted their conversation. The cat eyed Shirou in amusement, flicking her tail back and forth in a hypnotic fashion. " _Don't you remember what you did shortly before your first confrontation with that hideous Stray~?_ "

The question caused Shirou to give it some thought, turning his gaze towards the sky in contemplation...

* * *

 **Flashback - Several Months Ago...**

 _BZZZZZZZZZZT!_

 _His cell phone started vibrating inside his pocket, slightly tickling his upper thigh._

 _Shirou bit his tongue, resisting a curse as he pulled his cellphone out of his pocket._

 _"Please don't let it be her. Please don't let it be her. Please don't let it be her." Shirou hit the button to pick up the call. "...Hello?"_

 _[It's me.]_

 _"DAMMIT!" Shirou covered the receiver on his phone, hissing out curses towards his piss poor luck. Out of everyone, it just HAD to be Rias. Then again, it wasn't like there was anyone he expected to call him..._

 _It then occurred to Shirou to question why he even owned a phone in he first place._

 _[I was just calling to check the progress of your contract. It has been a few hours and I am growing concerned.]_

 _Shirou laughed awkwardly. "Oh, everything's going JUST FINE!" He lied. "My client's having the time of her life right now! Oh yeah! So much fun in this party!"_

 _[Uh huh.]_

 _Shirou frozen as he realized what kind of "Uh huh" Rias had just used. It was the kind that women used to let him know he was in deep shit._

 _[You see, I'm standing here holding something interesting. Do you know what it is?]_

 _"No." That time, Shirou answered honestly. He had no idea._

 _[I am holding a Devil evaluation submitted by your contractor. Why, pray tell, do you think she would submit his if you were, as you said, in he midst of your contract?]_

 _"Uuuuuuh..." Shirou started to sweat._

 _[The only logical reason I can find for your evaluation returning before you would be that something went amiss...DID something go amiss?]_

 _It was by pure instinct Shirou reacted._

 _"...rry-KUURRRRCCCHHHHH!-Can't make-KUUUUURRRCCHHH!-Going under a tunnel!" Shirou continued to make static-like noises into he phone. "I'm losing you now-KUUURRRRCCCHHHH! It's really-KUUUURCHHHHH!"_

 _[...Shirou, I know the entire landscape of this town. There are no tunnels.]_

 _That gave Shirou food for thought._

 _"Did I say "tunnel"? I meant-OH MY DEVIL! A GIANT METEOR IS FALLING FROM THE SKY! AAAAAH-!" Shirou then proceeded to chuck his cell phone as far as possible. After a few seconds, a soft crack and subsequent crunch could be heard echoing through the night. Shirou dusted himself off. "Genius, Shirou. Genius."_

* * *

" _And, as I recall, it was you who broke it that time too..._ " Kuroneko added.

Shirou turned his gaze back to the cat, smiling awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh yeah...Forgot about that..." He grinned. "That _was_ pretty fun. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to do it again." He pursed his lips at the looks he was receiving from his two comrades. "Hey, it's not my money being spent on the phone, so who gives a shit really?"

"Well, considering that Buchou is the one who bought it for you, I would think she would."

A pause.

"Hey, it's not my money being spent on the phone, so who gives a shit really?"

"OK, before we start our mission that has suicidal odds stacked miles high against us, I have a question." Issei said with half-lidded eyes. "What's up between you and Buchou? I mean, you two argue a lot...Do you...Do you hate her? Do you hate Buchou for some reason?"

When Shirou looked at him with a questioning gaze, Issei could not help but feel incensed. "What are you talking about?" It was clear from his tone that he was implying he thought Issei was stupid. "Who said I hated our Senpai?"

"...Well, you always argue with her about _everything_ from what I've observed so far and-"

"So?" Shirou cut in. "Just because we fight, that automatically means we hate each other? Koneko and I fight every time we get together, but we're still best friends."

Issei stared with a blank expression.

"You know, before I was doubting what you were saying...but now I'm calling bullshit!"

"Huh?"

"It's one thing to argue, but I'm fairly certain I've seen Koneko-chan poisoning your tea!"

"Nah, it was just dirt she sprinkled in there to give it some grit...and to get back at me for accidentally crushing her bag of chips under my foot."

"..."

"..."

"...So you don't hate Buchou?" There was no point in pursuing the previous line of questioning for Issei knew it would have only driven him to insanity.

"Nah." Shirou shook his head. "I think she is a prideful, stubborn idiot."

"...Don't you think you're being a bit hypocritical in that regard?" It was an off-hand comment and Issei hadn't expected Shirou to suddenly get up in his face, a clear expression of irritation on his face.

"Hey!" Shirou snapped. "At least my brains are still in my head rather in a pair of unreasonably-sized melons like that narrow-minded boss of ours! Seriously! Have you not noticed how she acts? She's a NOBLE, Issei! She doesn't understand things from our perspective. I'm not saying she's a bad person. She's just too sure of herself and that overconfidence makes her blind."

"...Hey, Pot, I hear that the Kettle's been calling you."

"Oh screw off, Issei!"

"To be fair, it was by your suggestion that we're here, about to march to what could be our certain demises albeit for a good cause."

"Oh shut up, you Negative Nancy. It ain't over til the fat lady sings."

"Who came up with a phrase like that? What does that even mean?"

"The mission is only over if they have a fat lady and she starts singing, I guess..."

"I'm no expert, but I'm 97% sure that that's not what it means."

" _Hey, Dumb and_ _Dumber_ ," The voice of their impatient feline comrade interjected, _"if you're done making out, don't you think we should focus on the mission at hand?_ " Both young males let out a dissatisfied grunt of annoyance as they turned to face Kuroneko, the feline looking unconcerned with her tail swaying back and forth across the ground.

Shirou sighed, raising his hands in surrender. "You're right. You're right. We should just get this going." He lowered his arms, his expression becoming much more serious. "OK, so let's go back over the plan again: This is going to be a quick search and rescue mission. Our objective is to find Asia and get out while bringing as little attention to ourselves as possible."

"Obviously." Issei agreed.

The snow-haired boy walked over to Kuroneko's side, gesturing to her. "And Kuroneko claims she has a method to help us avoid attention, at least until we've entered the Church, by..." He trailed off, no words coming out of his mouth. Not because he could not remember, but because he could not even recall discussing HOW the cat intended for them to succeed in their endeavor. "Erm...Kuro...HOW do we do this?"

It was difficult to tell, but Shirou could have sworn a mischievous smirk formed on the cat's face.

" _Cat magic._ " Kuroneko responsed vaguely. " _Cat's with built-up magical power are capable of casting quite a few interesting spells-nyan~_ "

There was another short pause as Shirou stared at her with doubting eyes.

He clicked his tongue, taking a few breaths before he felt mentally capable of addressing her. "...OK, let me get this straight..."Cat Magic" is how you're going to get us in there? As in, magic that can only be used by cats? Cat Magic? You can use Cat Magic?"

He could have sworn he heard the cat snicker.

" _You act as if it's the strangest thing you've observed so far, Shirou-chin~_ "

"...Fair point." Shirou admitted after a pause. "It's not like I crossed "My best feline friend can speak and even use magic" off my list of "Shit that could happen in my life"." He sighed. "OK then, how are we doing this? You gonna turn us into mice or something, let us scurry into the base and completely avoid detection?"

" _That's ridiculous._ " Her blunt insult stung just a tiny bit. She leaned forward into a crouch before pouncing, jumping onto Shirou's shoulder and casually wrapping her tail around his neck. " _I'm just going to ride on your shoulders. I'll focus and hide your respective Ki's so as to prevent you from being detected by your enemies. If you wanted to, I could even use my powers to cast illusions and trick them into attacking each other._ "

"Oh yes. That is significantly more realistic."

" _Sarcasm is unbecoming of you_."

"I would say that it is _very_ becoming of me. And expected from me to the point it's a crime for me _not_ to use it."

" _...Do you want to sneak into the Fallen Angels' base or not_?"

Shirou shrugged. "Meh. I was more into the whole "Busting down their doors and kicking ass" plan honestly, but I value life more than epic moments, so I'm sucking it up." However, he clearly looked uncomfortable. "...But are you SURE you can do this? You can really do that "presence obscuring" you said you could do?...I mean it, Kuro. This isn't something we're joking about. We're really doing this. I would like you to be 100% honest about your rather hax-assassin-type abilities."

" _Aww~ Don't be so mean to little ol' me~ Over the few years we've known each other, you doubt my words~?_ "

"Over the few years we've known each other, you never once told me you could talk?" Shirou countered, arms crossed. "I'm actually quite upset about that, Kuro. Not even for the fact that you lied, but because I've said and done some rather embarrassing things that I feel you're going to comment on at some point and never once indicated that the being I was sharing with was human-like in sentience."

" _Touche._ "

"Shirou, I get there's a lot of stuff you want to go over with your cat, but I think we really need to get going if we want to rescue Asia."

"Right." Shirou agreed, shaking his head to rid himself of the other thoughts that had been plaguing him. He took a deep breath, trying to soothe his shaking hands. "We...We can't keep standing here. We'll make our move now. Kuro, cast your cat magic and let's get going!"

" _Already did._ " The cat replied, hopping onto Shirou's shoulder.

"Alri-Wait! What do you mean you already did?" Shirou raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say you had to have physical contact with one or both of us to mask our presences?"

" _Nooooo. I said that I could would ride on your shoulder and mask your presences and you just ASSUMED it required physical contact_."

"Wait, if you didn't need physical contact, why am I carrying you?"

" _Because I don't feel like walking aned am quite literally the only back-up you have and, without me, you're boned._ "

"Well, when you put it that way..."

" _Exactly._ "

"Alright! Let's just get this trainwreck over with and hope for the best and hope we don't blow up the entire building by accident."

"That's just worst case scenario, right?"

"...Sure."

Together, the three began the trek through the massive woods, doing their best to stay away from the main path that would lead to the Church. Even though they had Kuroneko's magical protection hiding their presence from the observing eyes of the Fallen Angels, it was agreed between them that it was necessary to minimize any and all risks and take the longer path to avoid detection. It was quite literally an uphill trip, Issei not possessing the ability to control his enhanced agility, so he ended up taking longer than Shirou and Kuroneko to get over very obstructions in their path such as boulders and fallen trees.

Even though he had less weight than Shirou to carry, Issei was the one with the slowest pace, struggling to keep up with Shirou and the cat.

"Hey, Shirou?" Issei ducked underneath some large tree branches, almost stumbling over a large, twisting tree root. "I have to be honest, I was a little surprised you're helping me..."

"Why's that?" Shirou pushed forward another branch, turning his head to give Issei a curious look.

"Well...I dunno...I mean, you seem soft on Fallen Angels...I mean, you have the hots for one of them and it seems like-I dunno...weird. I was half-sure you were on their side."

This caused Shirou to pause in his track. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing!" Issei said quickly. "I mean, considering the fact that Fallen Angels are our enemies-"

"Oh my God-GUGH!" Shirou winced as he felt a sharp pain pierce his skull. After recovering, Shirou turned his head and glared at Issei. "We are so NOT having this conversation right now! Not to mention the fact you're being a hypocrite right now!"

"Asia is different! She's not evil like the Fallen Angels-"

"AH AH AH!" Shirou held up his hand to silence Issei. "I don't give a rat's ass about your beliefs about the bullshit "peace" between the factions where they're all still technically enemies, but I don't need another Rias around, so you had better drop this line of conversation before things get ugly, Issei."

"...Sorry." His words sounded so genuine that Shirou could not help but lighten his harsh gaze. "I mean, I was killed by one of them, so I won't say I'm not biased, but the real issue I want to raise with you was...well...we'll be fighting the Fallen Angels."

"I believe we just went over this." Shirou stated, ducking under the tree branch, releasing it just as Issei walked up to him, the poor boy arriving just in time to receive a thick, thorny branch to the face.

"OW!" Issei rubbed the new red mark on his face, quickly following after Shirou. "No, I mean...that Kalawarner...She's on their side, isn't she?"

"...Yeah." A solemn look crossed Shirou's face. "I was hoping we could convince her to change sides if not at least convince her to stay out of the conflict..."

"And if you can't?"

"...I'll improvise."

"That doesn't seem like a thought-out plan."

"...Yeah."

Issei shoved his hand into his pockets, trying to ignore the awkward silence that the two fell into.

" _Something that just now occurred to me...do you guys have any back-up plan?_ " Kuroneko asked, leaning against the side of Shirou's head. " _Seriously. I can get you in, but between you two and the nun, it might not be as easy getting out. I can hide you from their senses, but I can't hide you when they realize she's missing or when they spot your less-than-subtle selves._ "

"...I'll improvise."

" _...You're lucky you have a cute face_."

The rest of their trip passed in silence, the feline focusing on masking their presence and the two young men steeled themselves for the battle to come.

* * *

"... _Amen_."

Asia opened her eyes as she finished her prayer.

It was hardly the first one she had made since being forcibly brought back to the Church. About the seventy-second one she made in the past hour. It was the only way she could pass her time rather than dread the ceremony that was to come. She had been sitting her knees on the stone floor of her prison cell for so long that the jagged edges had started to dig through her dress and into her knees.

She didn't mind it though. It was hardly her most important concern and it was yet another feeling that kept her from falling back into the despair that threatened to grip her heart.

Of course she had gone with Raynare to save Issei's life. He was her very first friend.

That didn't mean she wasn't afraid.

It didn't matter if she was a nun or a member of the Church. She was still a human being. A rational, kind human being who shared everyone's natural fear of death.

And in the prison cell she had been placed in by Raynare so as to prevent her escape, all she could do to spend her time was pray. Pray to the God that had abandoned her for her "sins" and the heretical power that she had used to heal a Devil.

She didn't regret the life she had lived. She still hadn't lost her faith even after the trials she had gone through and the inevitable end that laid before her. She would not spend her final moments cursing God or regretting anything. She had no reason to because she had finally gotten the only thing she ever truly desired:

A friend.

Issei, who had been incredibly kind to her, even risked his own life twice in an attempt to save her just as she had allowed herself to be taken in order to save him.

He was the reason she was able to keep calm and sane, the fact that he would live being what sustained her.

She tried to focus on the fun they had together...rather than the fact they would never meet again.

She tried to focus on the kind smile he gave her...the one she would never see again.

She tried to focus on his passionate and caring words...the ones she would never hear again.

Her heart was filled with happiness while being stung by despair for every moment she remembered spending with her friend.

Even her prayers were focused on him. Every word she prayed to the Lord, desperately hoping he had not shut out her voice as he appeared to have done many times before, was for Issei's safety, that, even though he was a Devil, he would be able to live a long, happy life.

If there was one prayer he heard, Asia begged that it be these ones.

 _Creeeaaaaaak_

Asia's entire body tensed as she heard the sound of the wooden door to the underground room she was imprisoned in opened in a way that could only be described as agonizingly slow. She had known what was going to happen, but that didn't stop her heart rate from skyrocketing.

"Hey, nun-girl! I've been sent to get ya!" Someone, undoubtedly one of the priests serving Raynare, called out. "I hope you're decent!"

Whatever state she had had before, she ended up in a state of panic. Not outwardly, but inwardly.

It was almost time to die.

She was tempted to clasp her hands together in prayer, but, in the end, decided it was futile. There was nothing she had left to say in the first place. She had to resign herself to her fate.

 _Creeeaak_

Yet another creak was heard from the wooden door, surprising Asia. She looked up, trying to observe what happened, but could see nothing even if she pressed her face against the bars. The door to the room was behind the corner created by the wall of her cell and the bars were too close together for her to stick her head through to observe. She could only make out a vague shadow, approached from behind another shadow that Asia didn't recognize.

"Hey, what are you doing here? Raynare-sama didn't call for-" The man didn't finish. The second shadow drew some sort of weapon and brought it across his throat. "GYUGH!"

There was the sound of choking followed by a sound that seemed somewhere between the splash of water and piles of snow being thrown against a wall.

...but Asia saw it. Even if she couldn't see what actually happened, the slashing movement of the other shadow and the spray of blood that spattered across the wall made it fairly obvious.

She heard the man's body fall to the ground...followed by a second, unpleasant thud created by the man's head.

Although not much solace considering what she had vaguely witnessed, Asia was glad she had not see the man's death in person. She knew she would not have been able to get such an image out of her head. She only hoped that, however painful it had been, he would find peace.

The second shadow suddenly started walking, a loud _clop_ sounding every time one of their feet touched the ground. In the empty dungeon-like room, it was even louder than it should have been, echoing of the walls in the all but silent room.

Countless horrible scenarios filled Asia's mind. If it was someone else from the Devil's side or perhaps the Church side, it was unlikely they were there with pleasant intentions. Asia was naive, but she had witnessed first-hand what the Fallen Angels' group did to other species. It was unlikely that they were any more merciful towards those under the Fallen Angels be it out of duty or revenge. It could have been either of the two groups, having arrived to silence the nun that Church had deemed a heretic.

...or it could have been Freed coming to finish what he had started.

That thought terrified her more than the others.

She could only sit there, waiting in suspense and fear as the shadow came closer and closer.

She could only shut her eyes and place her hands over her ears.

The final step sounded right in front of Asia's cell. The shadow was right in front of her, but she was too scared to look.

Just as before, all she could do was sit and wait for the end.

"Hey! Stop looking like you're going to piss yourself!" Asia tensed at the voice, her eyes opening wide in shock. "I'm not going to eat you or anything. I save that for cute, younger guys."

Asia recognized the woman standing in front of her. Although they had never personally interacted, there were only four individuals who stood above the others in the hierarchy of their group. The four Fallen Angels who oversaw everything their followers did.

And standing right in front of Asia was one of them.

She was rarely around, but Asia caught a glimpse of her here and there and recognized her from her navy-blue hair (Asia didn't know anyone else with such an odd hair color).

"M-Miss K-Kalawarner!" She called out in surprise. Even though she was going to die, she had instinctively referred to the Fallen Angel in such a respectful manner. "W-What are you-MMPH!" Asia stared in surprise when the Fallen Angel knelt on the ground in front of her, pinching the young nun's lips together.

"OK, if we're going to do this, let's get a few things straight." The Fallen Angel said, her words confusing Asia more than the situation had before. "This isn't some kind of rescue. I'm not playing the role of some dashing prince in shining armor who's going to sweep you off your feet or something like that...and not for the obvious "reasons"." Although she didn't make any kind of gesture, Asia could tell that Kalawarner was referring to her (admittedly superior) "female parts".

Naturally, the humble and reserved nun wasn't quite sure how to respond to something like that. She could only make flustered croak-like sounds as she tried to cope with what just happened.

"Don't get the wrong idea, blondie. I'm doing this for completely selfish reasons." While not malicious intent, Asia could tell that Kalawarner's were the truth. The Fallen Angel then proceeded to release Asia's lips and standing up, reaching into her cleavage, ignoring the squeak of surprise Asia gave when Kalawarner pulled out something golden with jagged edges: A key. "I don't know how this little jail break will turn out, so don't blame me if you die."

It was only when Kalawarner spoke those words that the realization hit Asia like a ton of bricks.

"Y-You're rescuing me!?" She hadn't meant to shout the question as loud as she had. The response she received was a flick to the forehead. "OW!" Asia rubbed the bruise on her forehead created by the Fallen Angel's casual use of her strength.

"Didn't I just tell you a moment ago?" Kalawarner asked impatiently. "I'm not staging some kind of rescue here." She sighed when she saw the confused expression on Asia's face. "'m helping you get out of here, but if we run into trouble, don't expect me to risk my neck to save you. If we get caught and run into overwhelming odds, I'm just going to lie and say you escaped after killing the guard to save my own ass. Are we clear?"

There was a _clank_ as the door to Asia's cell unlocked and opened.

"...But..." Asia stood up from the ground, looking all around, as if to confirm this wasn't some sort of sick joke before turning back to Kalawarner. "...Why?"

Kalawarner raised an eyebrow. "Are you turning down my generous offer?" A hint of irritation could be heard in her voice. "Don't forget that I don't care whether you live or die, so you can sit here and rot for all I care."

"No no!" Asia called out, panicked. "I-I am very grateful I suppose, but why are you doing this? A-Aren't you on Mi-Raynare's side? Why would you help me?"

"Like I said: I'm doing this for selfish reasons."

"But...wh-OUCHIE!" It was at that point that Asia felt a sharp knuckle pound against the top of her head.

"I ALREADY TOLD YOU EVERYTHING I INTENDED TO TELL YOU, YOU BRAT!" Kalawarner screeched in irritation. "STOP ASKING STUPID QUESTIONS AND MAKING ME REPEAT MYSELF! SO SHUT UP, FOLLOW ME, AND BE DAMNED GRATEFUL I DON'T OFF YOUR ANNOYING ASS MYSELF, GOT IT!?"

Asia never felt smaller than she did at that moment, only to squeak out a meager, "Y-Yes, ma'am!"

The older of the two females took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "OK, perhaps I was a bit to harsh just now. Considering how much nerve it took me to do this, I'm a bit on-edge." The rage quickly left Kalawarner's face, her expression looking more tired than angry. "It seems like a simpler choice to the rescuee than the rescuer, but this took a lot of thinking so you should be grateful I'm doing anything at all now..." She clicked her tongue. "Let's go, blondie, before we're discovered." Kalawarner turned her back to the blonde-haired nun, beginning to lead the way out of the dungeon.

"U-Um, Kalawarner-s-san?"

The sharp look the woman shot over her shoulder was a clear warning for Asia to not waste her time. "What is it now?"

Asia bowed in apology, looking very flustered. "I-If it wouldn't be too much trouble...what _are_ these selfish reasons you have for rescuing me...?" It was not a matter of distrust, but rather, Asia was curious as to what could have driven one of Raynare's comrades to betray her. "I-I was j-just wondering!"

For a brief moment, it appeared as though Kalawarner was just going to snap at Asia after she just got done screaming about her refusal to answer anything further. Then she sighed.

"Since you're going to be a pain in my ass for however long _this_ lasts, I may as well answer." Kalawarner decided. While lust was the reason she Fell, she had eventually adopted a bit of the trait of Sloth over the years she spent as a Fallen Angel, so it was her preference to get through bothersome situations as soon as possible. "To make a long story short: I want to understand."

It was a response as confusing as everything else that was going on.

"Understand?" Asia parroted.

Rather than get more irritated, Kalawarner turned away. "Yeah..." Asia may have been under a misunderstanding, but she could have sworn to God that Kalawarner looked...sad. "I tricked someone pretty bad and said some rather mean things. I thought he was an idiot, but he's an honest-to-God innocent kid...who also happens to be an idiot...Because I was arrogant, I failed to understand him. I heard his words, but I didn't understand what he meant...So I'm helping you out to apologize to him. So I have another chance to understand him." Then, for some odd reason, Kalawarner shot Asia an annoyed look, muttering something along the lines of, "I don't see what guys see in younger girls..."

"So that person, the innocent boy you spoke of...he's the reason you're helping me escape?" Asia asked.

"Essentially. Of course, I've played the villain for him so much that it wouldn't matter if I let you die as nothing will have changed from before." Again, Kalawarner's voice and expression became cold and uncaring towards Asia. "I'm a little indifferent as to the outcome of this, but I would prefer it if you died while helping me clear my conscience rather than on some slab of wood having your Sacred Gear ripped out." The Fallen Angel motioned Asia forward, the nun following her out of the cell. "We should go before someone realizes I killed the one they sent to fetch you." She paused when she realized Asia wasn't following her. "What _now_?!"

"Kalawarner...this boy..." A small gasp was caught in Kalawarner's throat when she saw the admiring smile on Asia's face. "He must be a very important friend for you to do this."

"Huh?" The praise had come as such a surprise that Kalawarner was unable to successfully mask her feelings. She could only stutter for several moments before turning away, desperately trying to hide her face. "..."

Yet, oddly enough, Asia could not help but feel that the Fallen Angel was smiling.

"Yeah...I guess he is."

Without any want for further conversation, Kalawarner led the way, giving Asia the new-found hope for freedom...

* * *

"ACHOO!"

Shirou could not help the loud sneeze that escaped him.

"SSSHHH!" Issei suddenly hushed him, an irritated look on his face. "What the Hell do you think you're doing? They can't sense us, but I'm pretty sure they can hear us!"

"Sorry." Shirou apologized, sniffling as he rubbed the back of his neck. "...I got this weird feeling somebody was talking about me. Anyway, we're already at their base, so stealth is a little bit pointless by this point." Shirou casually pointed to the heavy front doors of the Church's chapel in front of them. "You said this was where you sensed the weird power, right, Kuro?"

The black cat let out a mew-like yawn, stretching her form on Shirou's shoulder. " _Yep. Pretty much. I sensed a large accumulation of magical energy underneath this building, so this is likely where the ritual is being held and the likeliest place your friend is being held._ "

"Bitchin!" Shirou shoved his hands into his pocket, smirking as he turned to Issei. "It looks like rescuing your girl will be a cinch from here, huh?"

"M-My girl!?" A light blush appeared on Issei's cheeks, his embarrassed expression quickly changing to irritation again. "Would you quit it with that "my girl" stuff already!? I'm just trying to rescue Asia as a friend!"

"Riiiiiiight!" Shirou agreed sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "And I'm part fox demon."

"Whatever!" Issei was desperate just to change the subject by that point. He rushed past Shirou, pushing the Church doors wide open. "Let's just keep going!"

Shirou couldn't help but snicker as he followed Issei in. "You spend everyday peeping at naked girls in the locker room. I wouldn't have thought you were the type to get flustered over a bit of teasing."

"Shut up!"

"Well, well~ Look at what the cat dragged in!" Their entertaining conversation (it was entertaining for Shirou at any rate) was cut short by the sound of the annoying, disgusting voice that both young men knew very well unfortunately. "Not one but TWO of the shitty Devils I hate most~" Freed Sellzen greeted them with harsh words and mocking open arms.

A sharp pause seemed to punctuate his words.

"...OK, when you say "what the cat dragged in"-"

"Shiroooou." Issei warned.

"-do you mean literally or figuratively?"

"Shirou!"

" _I would also like to know the answer to that question._ "

It was clear that the King of Delinquents and his talking cat were easily thrown off-track.

"Here's the thing," Freed said, a mocking smile on his face, "I pride myself on the fact I never have to battle any Devil more than once." He dragged the edge of his hand across his throat like a blade. "If there's one thing I won't abide, it's being mocked by maggot Devils in the house of God!" He reached into his robes and pulled out a familiar sword of light and a familiar pistol Shirou recognized. "Let's finish this!"

Shirou instinctively summoned his Sacred Gear. "Get ready, Issei." His eyes turned in their sockets to stare at Kuroneko. "You might want to get clear, Kuro. This could get ugly and I don't think I can protect you while you're on my shoul-" It was by that point that he realized that his furry friend was gone.

" _I have complete faith in you-nyan~_ " Kuroneko cheered from her safe position by the door, waving a teasing paw good-bye.

"Dick move, cat-girl!" Shirou flipped her the bird. "Dick move!"

" _Oh come on~ You know I'm just joking, Shirou-chin~_ "

"...Did that cat just talk?" Much like Shirou and Issei, the young priest showed genuine shock after noticing the magical talking cat. "...Oh well. I always wanted to know if cats tasted good cooked, so the more the merrier~ Cooked meat makes the taste of Devil blood go down much better~"

"You twisted fuck!" Shirou called out, feeling nauseous just picturing the sight. It sickened him to see cute, cuddly animals killed and cooked.

"Hey now! No need for name-calling~" Freed said with a filthy smile. "You don't see me calling YOU GUYS bad names~"

Issei and Shirou didn't even need any time to think of a response to that.

"Yeah! You kind of do!"

Freed shrugged. "Eh, I'm a hypocrite. What can you do~?"

"Enough games!" Issei rushed forward, shoving Shirou to the side out of irritation. "Where's Asia!?"

An amused chuckle escaped Freed's mouth. "Well, you Devils arrived a little early to the party, but if I were to guess, she was already moved to dungeon below the basement floor~"

"You mean sub-basement, right?" Shirou asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"What?"

"Well, if it's a floor below the basement floor, then it would just be "sub-basement", right?"

"Does it really matter? It's a floor below the basement where we're planning a super magic ritual to rip out her Sacred Gear and that's all you need to know."

"I'm a little surprised you're so forthcoming about this. I expected you to jerk us around a bunch and only let it slip after we whooped your ass."

"Yeah, well, I see no point in hiding the facts~ Games of cat and mouse? So boring." Freed admitted. "I prefer to get straight to the point and stab whatever gets in my way!...Besides, why should I bother hiding from three soon-to-be corpses~?"

"Bring it on!" Issei summoned out his own Sacred Gear, glaring at Freed. "We're going to kick your ass and then we're going to save Asia!"

"Suck it, ass-wipe!" Canis Regalia turned into a powerful light, changing forms to that of its rifle form. Shirou squeezed the trigger four times in rapid succession.

The Stray Exorcist dodged the first three shots consecutively with the bobbing and weaving of his body, managing to catch and deflect the last blast with the flat of his blade, the redirected blast destroying what had already been a vandalized angelic statue. Freed lunged forward, striking downward only to have his blade caught on the bottom of the barrel of Shirou's gun. Shirou pushed forward, knocking the sword away from him and bringing his leg around in a heavy kick which Freed hopped backwards to dodge. The young priest stuck out his tongue madly before lunging forward once more, discharging several bullets of light from his own firearm. Shirou ducked to avoid the shots, but failed to properly counter the swing of Freed's sword.

A hiss of pain escaped him as the tip of the blade dug a long, thin cut diagonally across his chest.

Shirou lashed out with his palm to knock away the follow-up slash from Freed, twisting his body to avoid being put in the line of fire of his gun.

 **[Boost!]**

"Pawn Punch!" Whatever attempt Freed would have made on Shirou's life was interrupted when Issei rushed up to him, hitting the priest square in the chest with enough force to knock him off-balance. Shirou recovered his own stance and the two Pawns made some distance between them. As Shirou looked to his friend, he could not help but notice the green gem in his Twice Critical had an odd glow.

However, rather than focus on that, he focused on his friend himself, staring with half-lidded eyes. "Really? "Pawn Punch"?"

"It was all I could think of in the heat of the moment! Leave me alone!"

Freed rubbed the new, large bruise on his chest before looking up and glaring at the two Low-Class Devils. "To think I got hit by some stupid Devil scum! How insulting!"

"Hey, we don't want to touch you anyway." Shirou quipped. "It's no fun for our side either."

"GRR! SHUT UP!" Freed discharged several shots, the scattered bullets being impossible to dodge consecutively. With no chance of avoiding them, the only option left was to completely dodge, the two Pawns being separated in the process.

It was obviously by Freed's design due to the way he completely ignored Shirou, instead aiming his blade at the weakest link of the two: Issei. It was clear from the look on his face that Issei was panicked. Shirou had heard of what happened against Freed the last time, so his body is tensing up, increasing the amount of time it takes for him to react. Not a good thing in a battle that could be to the death.

"Time to make some Devil-Jerky!" Freed brought his blade around to strike, Issei raising his Sacred Gear to block.

Unfortunately, it appeared Issei still hadn't managed to adapted to Freed's fighting style, looking genuinely surprised when Freed raised his gun to fire again. Even if it weren't a gut shot, a bullet of light would have put Issei out of commission at once considering the stage of "Devil Infancy" he was in experience-wise.

"Fujimura Dragon Kick!" Shirou wasted no time in rushing to Issei's side, driving the heel of his foot into Freed's side, hitting him with enough force to knock him off his feet and send him flying. Shirou couldn't help but wince as Freed's impact broke one of the Church pews in half. It was clearly not a pleasant landing. Issei gave a nod of appreciation, Shirou smirking in acceptance.

"STOP DOING THAT!" Freed screamed, climbing out of the splinters of the destroyed, glorified chair. He fired a shot at Shirou while slashing his sword at Issei.

Suffice to say, it was fairly efficient when both enemies were skilled at running away. Freed couldn't get both of them at once and there was no way he could possibly attack both of them at once due to the distance between the two. In one-on-one, he obviously would have had the advantage with his gun + sword style of fighting, but against two close-range fighters at once?

It was a no-brainer as Issei and Shirou quickly realized.

They didn't discuss any form of strategy or plans, but somehow, the two Pawns immediately knew what the other was thinking.

Shirou ran forward, dropping into a slide as Freed swung his sword, sliding underneath the sharp edge. Freed twisted his body around to shoot him, but failed to properly react to Issei's charge, receiving another blow to the face.

"Stay still so I can kill you!"

 **[Boost!]**

Shirou blinked, uncertain if he had misheard Issei's Sacred Gear. Issei had already used his Twice Critical. It shouldn't have been activating again.

Issei, however, didn't appear to notice. He was too busy avoiding Freed's flailing strikes. Although his skill and speed were greater, they had greater stamina, control, and endurance. Essentially, they could solve a problems others would solve with skill using nothing but their fists to beat the problem down and their heads to bust the problem's skull.

Still, something about Issei's Sacred Gear troubled Shirou. There was no doubt in his mind that Issei's punch had been the same as the last time his Sacred Gear made an announcement, but there shouldn't have been a reason for it to make the same announcement. His only regret was that he didn't have the time to explore the mystery further due to the dangerous circumstances they were in.

Although, it didn't really make a difference in the end.

The battle was over the moment Issei spoke those words.

"Promotion: Rook!" Even though Issei wasn't particularly fast, Shirou knew there wasn't anything to worry about when Freed started firing numerous bullets at once. Shirou had already seen just about how effective those were against Koneko. "The Rook is a tank! It's power is an unparalleled defensive strength!"

Freed seemed to realize the situation as his bullets bounced harmlessly off Issei's body (oddly not piercing his clothes either).

"Yeah, I'm fucked." Were the eloquent words he gave as Issei came within a foot of him, pulling back his fist to strike.

"Did I mention it kicks some serious ass!?"

With the type of punch Shirou would have come to expect from Koneko, Issei sent the Stray Priest flying and crashing into the ground several feet away, a decent-sized crater formed around his body (not a crater as large as what Koneko was capable of, but certainly large enough). Realizing that the fight had come to an end, Issei gave a sigh of relief before grinning victoriously.

"We did it!"

However, Shirou didn't look as excited.

"Hey, Issei, I just realized something."

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't we just Promote from the get-go?"

"Oh, that's because we-...SON OF A BITCH!"

"Yeah, that's what I thought..."

"No! Not that!" Issei pointed as the Stray Priest slowly got to his feet, sword in hand. "That!"

"You bastards!" He leaped through the air with the agility of a praying mantis and the grace of a blind flamingo.

 _"Quick, Shirou!"_ Shirou's mind screamed at him, recognizing the incoming danger. _"What would Koneko do?!_ _"_ This was his thought moments before he picked up a Church pew and chucked it at the Stray Priest with cold indifference.

"Ouchie!" Freed cried as the piece of wood splintered to pieces as it made contact. He hit the ground, but managed to change his impact into a roll, stopping on the ground in a kneeling position, breathing heavily. He let out a growl of irritation as the two Pawns approached him, prepared to finish the fight.

Shirou walked up to him, his Sacred Gear in the shape of a bladed gauntlet. "It's over, Freed!"

The Stray Priest grit his teeth in frustration, staring at the two with hateful eyes. "Screw that!" He lashed out with his arm, Shirou instinctively stepping back to avoid whatever blow Freed could have inflicted. It was within this period of hesitation that Freed leaped backwards, drawing out an odd sphere-shaped object from his robes. "I'll be damned if a bunch of Devils get the better of Freed Sellzen! You've won the battle, but not the war, scum!"

Before either boy could react, Freed smashed the sphere against the ground, a sudden flash of intense, blinding light filling the room. They could do nothing but shield their eyes until the light finally faded, revealing Freed no longer present in the spot where he had previously been standing.

"Damn! He got away!"

"Forget it, man." Shirou sighed. "Pick the battles you really want to pursue. This shouldn't be one of them. The sound of fighting probably won't be ignored, so we should get going. Freed said Asia was being kept downstairs, right?" He walked over to the altar and kicked over the podium, revealing a staircase that led downstairs.

Issei nodded. "Alright. Let's go!"

"Yeah, come on, Kuro!" Shirou called out to his feline friend.

He paused at the entrance to the stairway when he realized there was no response. No cute quip of any kind or any kind of teasing. Just silence.

This caused Shirou to turn his head, staring at the place where he had last seen her.

"Son of a Queen! She left us!" Shirou flailed his arms about, gesturing harshly to the open door to the Church building. "She actually left us! Dick!"

"...She thinks we're going to die, doesn't she?" Issei asked, freezing in his tracks as the color drained from his face.

While a part of Shirou felt that abandoning a sinking ship was anyone's first guess as to what Kuroneko was doing, but Shirou had known her long enough to know that wasn't her style. She enjoyed freedom, but she wasn't a traitor in any respect...Granted, despite their long-term friendship, Shirou had only recently learned she could talk, but he didn't feel any malicious or cowardly intent coming from her.

"Nah...She probably just thinks we can handle ourselves from here. It's straight-forward from this point onward, so I'm inclined to agree." Paying the open door one final glance, Shirou began his descent down the winding staircase.

* * *

"I cannot help but feel we were woefully unprepared for this."

"What do you mean?"

When they reached the bottom of the staircase, they had expected to outright end up in the ritual chamber and be able to rescue Asia before it was too late. Yet, instead, they had ended up in an even larger chamber with numerous doors in any direction that could have led to God-knew-where. They were rushing door to door only to find empty room after empty room. Where they got the permits to build such an elaborate underground base, Shirou had no idea.

Issei was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the amount of time it was taking them to locate Asia. "I mean, we came here with no plan and only the vaguest idea of where Asia is! Not to mention we're taking too long! I don't know how long Asia has!" He was opening and looking through doors without the slightest bit of hesitation, a stronger sense of hurry in his steps.

Shirou, on the other hand, was being more cautious as he opened each door. "We can't be reckless about this man. We can't save Asia if we're dead. I mean, we open a door in a hurry, face down the barrel of a gun and-BAM! Deader than a corpse."

"You're being overdramatic." Issei rolled his eyes, continuing his frantic search.

"Dude, the last time I opened doors without caution, I got eaten alive...I really would not be surprised by anything being behind these doors."

"It was one time, man. It's not like there's something bad hiding behind every d-"

BANG

It was at that point that the door Issei had been inspecting burst open, a black blur shooting through the opening and slamming into Issei, knocking both of them to the ground. "Move an inch or say a single word and you're dead!" It was hard for Shirou _not_ to enjoy the event.

"As you were saying, Issei?"

"Screw you! Help me out here, Shirou!"

"I told you to shut up!" It was only then that Shirou heard the assaulter's voice or noticed her mature, feminine form. Then she paused. "...Wait."

"K-Kalawarner-san, is everything alright?"

It was when the familiar blonde spoke a name that realization hit Shirou like a truck carrying smaller trucks.

"Kalawarner?"

The woman stood from the ground, staring. "Shirou?!"

"Asia!" Issei quickly got to his feet and ran over to hug the blonde-completely alive-nun.

Asia's eyes widened before hugging him back. "Issei-san!" Shirou stared at her.

"Asia?"

"Shirou-sa-"

"OK, let's save this joke for when we're not in the middle of an enemy base!" Kalawarner suddenly interrupted, stepping in-between the happy reunion everyone appeared to be sharing. "We have to go now before we have scores of priests trying to stab us in the throats!"

However, the two Devils could only stare, trying to piece together what was going on in the situation they had found themselves in.

"Kalawarner..." It was only when she had calmed down that Kalawarner herself finally realized what had just happened. For a few moments, she and Shirou simply stared at one another. "What are you doing here?!"

It was Asia who responded, a surprisingly relieved and cheerful smile on her face. "Kalawarner-san was freeing me from the dungeon as an apology to the person she cherish-OW!" Asia winced as Kalawarner gave her arm a sharp pinch, a notably irritated look on the Fallen Angel's face. She easily silenced Asia, but there was nothing she could do about the wide smile that started to form on Shirou's face.

"Aha! You DO care!"

"No, I don't." Was Kalawarner's immediate response albeit with much less certainty than last time.

"See, Issei?! I told you she was on our side!"

"W-Wha-But I'm not-!"

Issei raised his hands in surrender. "Fair enough. I thought she was evil and here she is, saving our friend for us...neat." A part of him was clearly disappointed...and perhaps uncomfortable, perhaps from the fact that he wasn't able to save his friend himself or the fact that he was casually interacting with someone who was part of the group responsible for his murder. "So...uh...I-I'm Issei. Issei Hyoudou. I don't think we...actually met before...Huh."

"Now, hold on-!"

Asia turned to Kalawarner, a bright smile on her face and admiration in her eyes. "Kalawarner-san! Does this mean that Shirou-san is your precious person?" She clasped her hands in prayer, looking deeply awed and joyful. "A Devil and a Fallen Angel, just like Issei-san and I becoming friends, truly it is a miracle from God that we were able to come together like this!"

Not a single one of the three non-humans found even a shred of themselves capable of responding to the words spoken by the nun. In the end, they simply decided to let the matter go and focus on the bigger issue they were dealing with.

"So...Kalawarner..." Shirou said, trying to get the matter back on track. Kalawarner avoided his gaze. "...you're serious, right?"

When Kalawarner completely turned away, Shirou thought she was going to continue ignoring him. Then-

"I want to understand."

It felt like Shirou's heart was rising in his chest as he stared in wonder at Kalawarner. "What?" Curious, he tip-toed around Kalawarner's body, trying to get a good look at her face. She did her best to hide it, but she was blushing deeply, looking annoyed by Shirou's "invasive" eyes.

"...It's only fair isn't it?" She asked, unable to hide the hesitation in her voice. "You said that...that you wanted to understand me. Isn't it fair that I try to understand you in return? I-I'm not changing sides or anything like that! This is purely for selfish reasons for the sake of knowledge!"

"Whatever." Shirou rolled his eyes, smirking as he taunted her. "I know how you really feel~ You care and yooou know it~!" Kalawarner's embarrassed blush intensified, but she didn't deny it. "This is great. I find out my cat can talk, I get to help beat up a fake priest, infiltrate a Fallen Angel base, we rescue Asia, and Kalawarner's my friend again. Life is good. Life is very good."

[Where did she go!?]

A voice down the hall behind the door Kalawarner came from harshly broke up the happy moment between the rescue party.

[That worthless bitch can't have gotten very far! We can still catch her!]

[Raynare-sama said to capture her! It's fine if she's hurt as long as she doesn't die.]

[Don't forget to kill whichever bunch of idiots thought it was a good idea to break into a heavily populated enemy base to break her out!]

Shirou leaned over and whispered in Issei's ear, "I think they're talking about _us_." The sound of footsteps suddenly started to seem closer and closer with each passing second, the Stray Exorcists appearing to be rather eager to decapitate whoever laid at the end of the hall (this case being the well-intentioned rescue party). "They probably figured out Freed wasn't reporting in...Yeah, we should probably get out of here. We beat Freed two-on-one, but I don't feel comfortable taking on...Kalawarner, how many priests are the-"

"Fifty-four."

"-Holy SHIT! We gotta get out of here! Go go go!" He gestured to Issei and Asia. "Don't just stand there! Run!"

As if suddenly remembering how to use his legs, Issei ran forward and scooped Asia up in his arms. "Right!" He felt a little embarrassed about doing such a thing without Asia's consent, but she was wearing an ankle-length dress and they were about to run for their lives. Common sense won over embarrassment. Perhaps it was the even stronger sense of urgency or perhaps it was the sensation of adrenaline, but Issei found himself sprinting off much faster than he normally would have.

There were a few jokes Shirou had wanted to make at Issei's expense, but he found that the timing was inappropriate. "Let's go, Kalawarner." He grabbed his friend's wrist and started to drag her along, bursting into a sprint-

-only to be suddenly jerked back and knocked off his feet, falling gracelessly onto the ground. Shirou looked up from the ground, noticing Kalawarner stuck in place.

"The fuck are you doing!? We gotta go!"

However, the Fallen Angel woman simply remained stuck in place, staring blankly down the hall from which the sounds of footsteps originated. It wasn't as though she were in some sort of trance. She was perfectly lucid yet she showed no sign of moving from that spot. It was actually surprising how stubborn she was. He could pull on her arms all he wanted, but it was like she had stabbed her heels into the ground to keep herself in place.

"...Which would be better do you think?"

"Wha?" Shirou stopped yanking on Kalawarner's arms, staring at her out of confusion towards the question.

"It's a closed space, so I don't have much aerial freedom, but I'll still be faster...or, I could just let them come through the door and stab them one-by-one."

"What are you talking about? We-really-need-to-GO!" Shirou frantically motioned towards the way from which they had come. "Door's right there! Come on!"

Kalawarner stared at him with sympathetic eyes. "Shirou, there's no way we're going to make it with Fifty-four-"

"Wait! If we're counting Freed among them, who ran like a total bitch, then now it's Fifty-three!

"-fifty-three priests, Raynare, Mittelt, and Dohnaseek following us. Even if you all escape, they would just come after you en masse. After all, by legal definition, you are the ones who broke the law by taking Asia who is of our faction."

"Oh come on, that's not fair. You guys murdered Issei and blew me up, so if anything, you guys are the ones who-" Shirou paused. "I'm really not helping the situation right now."

"You're really not."

A soft hum escaped Shirou's mouth as he casually walked over to the door and nudged it shut with the tip of his shoe. "There weee go." He whispered softly before firmly pressing the flat of his foot against the door as if to act as some sort of weight to prevent it from being opened. "That's thirty extra seconds we have to think up a plan-"

BANG!

At that moment, a bullet made of light pierced through the wooden door, shattering against the wall behind Shirou.

"-Ten seconds. We probably have ten seconds before I lose the confidence to stay like this against the guys who can shoot me dead. Plan?"

Kalawarner shook her head, ignoring the sound of a solid body slamming against the door. "None. We are totally out of our league here. I'm strong, but terrain and numbers are against us." Another bang as another body slammed against the door, knocking Shirou off-balance. Shirou quickly recovered and pushed his entire body against the door, trying to prevent the enemy from busting it down. "And considering my plan to free the nun STEALTHILY was derailed with the ruckus you two caused upstairs and everyone realizing Freed hasn't been radioing in-"

"Oh I'm sorry for ruining your master plan, maybe you could run me through the chest with a spear made of hot light again. That seemed to work last time."

"Are you still upset about that?"

Then the door was knocked away, breaking into splinters as Shirou was thrown through the air by the force.

Shirou casually sat up, turning to Kalawarner as stray priests flooded the room in droves. "Yes. Yes I am. The first person to ever run me through the chest was a psychopathic snake woman who dedicated her life to kill me out of murderous obsession. I feel you don't have that kind of commitment in any regard." The priests started to form a neat circle around the arguing duo.

"Look, Shirou, I will apologize (and probably take your virginity) later!" Kalawarner snapped. "But can we please worry about the matter at hand?!"

"Having a lover's quarrel, Big Sis~?"

Both Kalawarner and Shirou's eyes narrowed in irritation.

[For the love of unholiness, no. Not her.]

They spoke in perfect sync.

The priests surrounding them parted like the Red Sea, a familiar loli Fallen Angel casually strolling through the now-shattered door, each step emphasized with an exaggerated kick like the dancers in a kickline. A more indifferent Dohnaseek following after her, hiding his expression with his fedora. The pair of Fallen Angels stopped several feet away from Shirou and Kalawarner, a sharp stare-off taking place between the two pairs.

Mittelt was silent for a moment, casually kicking around the splintery remains of what had been a door. "...OK, first and most obvious question: Who broke the door?"

"It was Larry." One of the priests somewhere in in the middle ring of the circle of priests stood on his tip-toes to answer.

"Thanks..."

"Bob." The rat-erm-"priest" said, giving his name.

"Right...Bob...Anyway, Larry, where are you?" Mittelt scanned the crowd, squinting her eyes until she saw a hand stretch into the air. "Can you come to the front, please?"

There was a round of "Excuse me's" and "Pardon me's" as the Stray Exorcist Larry worked his way to the front of the crowd, nervous. "Yes, ma-GUGH!" His words turned to throaty gargles as a spear of light suddenly lodged itself into his throat, the exorcist frantically grasping at the holy weapon until his eyes rolled back into his head, his body falling backward against the ground, causing those around him to step back to avoid getting corpse blood on their robes.

"That's more than enough payment for the broken door we have to pay for. Now...uh...Bob, was it?" Mittelt asked, searching for person who had first spoken up. "Where are you?" The crowd suddenly shifted and moved to reveal a bespectacled, average-looking man. "Ah, there you are!"

"What is it, my lad-BLRGBUBLG!" He got a spear through the skull, spit bubbles forming at the corner of his mouth before he, too, collapsed onto the ground, dead as a doornail.

"Nobody likes a snitch, Bob."

While Mittelt was busy addressing the strays around her about answering minor infractions with surprisingly severe punishments, Shirou took the opportunity to lean over towards Kalawarner.

"You have Exorcists named Bob and Larry?"

"Yeeaaaah..." Kalawarner turned away, looking awkward.

"Hilarious." Shirou pursed his lips as he stared at the clearly distracted Fallen Angel. "You know, if they keep going like this, they could deal with all of the strays for us."

"But back to the corpses-I mean-"matter" at hand~" Mittelt said cutely, as if she hadn't been about to say something violent or gruesome. "To think I could have been so wrong about being so wrong about you, Big Sis Kala~" Mittelt made a face as if she were actually disappointed. "To think you would slut around with a stupid Devil like this for "feelings"~ I mean, I know you liked the taste of young, virgin boys, and I consider your targeting this boy a good choice-"

"Wait, you do _what_ to young boys?"

"That's not important." Kalawarner answered.

"I disagree! I'm also very concerned about that comment earlier about taking my virginity!"

"-BUT I never thought you would actually FALL for one of them~" Mittelt continued, trying to get the conversation back on track with an amused grin. "HAHAHAHA! Get it~? "FALL"!? It's funny because we're-"

"We get it." Shirou interrupted, feeling nauseous from how bad that joke was. "So what now?...You gonna kill us or make us listen to more of your bad humor? Really, I would prefer you kill us. It seems less painful." He cringed when Kalawarner smacked him in the back of the head. "Ow!"

Mittelt took several steps closer to them, staring at Shirou and Kalawarner with examining eyes. The silence she possessed as she paced back and forth, walking mockingly in front of the pair.

"You know, it's not too late, Kalawarner." Mittelt mused, eyeing Shirou with a look that held more interest than he was comfortable with. "I mean, it's fine for you to act out here and there, do a few rebellious things, stab your friends in the back, all that. I mean, it's not like you actually _did_ anything. We'll still have the nun by the night's end and we'll be going through with the ritual to take the Sacred Gear~"

"No you won't!" Shirou summoned out his Sacred Gear again, his stance showing a clear indication of his preparedness for battle. "Even if I can't win against you clowns, I can at least stall you until Issei and Asia get away! Face it! You've lost this night!"

"Ufufufufufu~" Mittelt giggled mockingly. "Is that so~?"

The amount of hope in Shirou's heart decreased drastically the moment Dohnaseek also gave a snort of amusement. "It's amazing how having only one of them able to get away with the girl gives them such a sense of accomplishment. It's almost endearing really." Dohnaseek gestured to their surroundings. "Look around us, and tell me what you see here, Devil servant of Rias Gremory?"

The question was odd in nature and made Shirou even more suspicious than before. Making sure not to lower his guard around the numerous enemies surrounding them, Shirou did as Dohnaseek, getting a good look at every body, every annoyed face, every hateful stare directed towards him. Still, he could not quite understand what it was that the Fallen Angel was getting at. He flinched when the fedora-wearing man took a step towards him.

"I don't get it! What are you saying?"

"Do you notice anything missing?" Dohnaseek asked with a taunting smile.

"Ooh~ Ooh~" Mittelt raised her hand like a child in a classroom trying to show off. "I know~ Let me answer~"

"Now, Mittelt, no spoiling. We have to let him figure it out for himself." Again, the Fallen Angel gestured to the surrounding area. "Tell me, can you truly figure out what is missing here?"

It had taken him so long to realize it that it was embarrassing. Dohnaseek's clue was what gave it away entirely, the fact that something-some _one_ was not present. Someone whom Shirou had encountered before, someone who had hurt his best friend in the worst possible way.

"Raynare..." It came out as little more than a breath of shock, Shirou staring wide-eyed in shock.

"Ding ding ding~ Give the boy a prize~" Mittelt smirked, looking as if she were impressed with Shirou's answer. "Raynare is kind of a poor team player~ Didn't want to come see the amazing job we were doing with the ritual til the prep-work was done~ And do you want to know what she likes to do while she's waiting on these types of things~?"

The air in the room suddenly became much colder as Mittelt's smile became much more malicious and cruel.

"She enjoys going out for long flights, taking a smiting any annoying creature she sees from the air for fun~ And what do you think she'll do when she sees your cute lil' friend~?"

* * *

 **[Elsewhere...]**

It felt like his heart was constricting, his arms tightening around Asia, holding her almost painfully close to the point the poor nun could not breathe.

It felt like his legs had been paralyzed, like every muscle in his body was refusing to respond to him.

"Well, well. It _has_ been a while, hasn't it, Issei?" That sickeningly sweet voice. One that nowhere near matched the owner's heart.

Every step she took forward was another step Issei took backward through the forest brush. Even though he had resolved himself to fight the person in front of him, his body was refusing to obey. It was remembering everything that had happened to him at her hands. Or perhaps he was recognizing how screwed he was due to the noticed absence of Shirou or Kalawarner. Or perhaps his mind was registering the fact he was more vulnerable because he was trying to protect Asia again.

Dressed in the same BDSM outfit as when they had last met was the Fallen Angel Raynare-Yuuma Amano as Issei had known her.

"I can't help but wonder what you're doing with my _property_." Every word was taunting and laced with malice, even more-so when she turned to face the nun trembling behind Issei. "Asia-dear, I believe I made myself quite clear last time what would happen to your beloved Issei if you did not come with me. If you were going to run away again, don't you think it was rather foolish to end up in the exact same situation as before?" Then a look of mock-surprise appeared on her face. "Oh! Did you truly believe that the Demon King of Kuoh and my traitor of a subordinate were going to make any difference?"

Issei's heart almost stopped entirely. "How did you...?"

"I guessed it the moment I was told that Asia had escaped." Her answer was as preemptive as it was arrogant. "That crimson-haired bitch is full of herself, but even she would casually stroll into our base to stage an unnecessary rescue of someone _from an opposing side_. That left the only fools I know: The idiot-boy who fell for "Yuuma Amano" and the worthless "Demon" who was stupid enough to try and make friends with a Fallen Angel."

"But how did you know Kalawarner would change sides?!" As far as Issei knew, even Shirou hadn't known.

"Because I'm not an idiot." Whether she was being insulting towards Issei, Kalawarner, or both of them was cause for speculation. "She already told him our plans. The next step from there was fairly obvious."

"Then...Then why let her back into your group?" All Issei had to do was keep stalling her. Sure the odds were against them, but if it's Shirou and Kalawarner, Issei reasoned, perhaps they had a chance at surviving and coming to his aid.

Raynare gave a casual shrug. "Why not? If she was genuine in her intentions to stay with us, it was more muscle to ensure the ritual went well tonight. If she wasn't, it wouldn't have made a difference. Even without the Twilight Healing, I could have dealt with her at my leisure, but it was best to have what I needed to heal any unpleasant scratches afterwards. Now or after the ritual, she would have died, but killing her along with the rest of you is just as convenient. Who knows, maybe I'll even lay her corpse next to your dear friend's. It's the least I could do for my _comrade_."

Issei's eyes widened in shock and horror. _"I may be a Devil, but this bitch is just evil!"_ Raynare had been intending from the very start to kill not only Asia by stealing her Sacred Gear, but even her own comrade just for being the only one among them with a heart. Issei extended his arm out in front of Asia, blocking Raynare's path to her.

"I offered to erase your suffering, Asia." Raynare feigned a sympathetic expression. "Your Sacred Gear which had caused you so much pain, I gladly would have taken it. Then you could have simply rested in the blissful embrace of Death with no more worries without wasting the lives of those who had tried to save you tonight."

"Don't give me that crap!" Issei snapped. "Stop trying to make what you're doing sound noble! You were going to take her Sacred Gear and kill her!"

"That is the fate of all Sacred Gear-users at one point or another. Their fates are ones of misfortune. This is their destiny." Raynare motioned towards Asia, the girl peeking out from behind Issei. "Even if she tried to live normally, she would always be different because of that power of hers and treated an outcast by other groups and the world itself, even though the power itself is magnificent. Humans hate things that are different. I would think you would have figured that out from your time spent with Shirou-kun. Oh, the nasty things I've heard people say about _him_ ~"

And then she started insulting Issei's friend on top of everything, leaving the only thing restraining him being the fact that he still had to protect Asia as well as himself.

"But unlike poor little Asia, Shirou-kun seems tough enough to deal with such a world. Do you really think such a fragile girl like Asia could have survived on her own while possessing such an incredible power?"

"I can protect her!" Issei defended.

"Issei-san..." A mix of emotions filled Asia's heart.

"Ahahahahahaha!" Raynare let out a mirthful, mocking laugh. "What an amusing thought from the second stupidest Devil I've ever met!" Issei almost asked who the "first stupidest" was until he remembered some of Raynare's earlier comments. "You do realize that you haven't so much as scratched the other times we met, but look at you trying to play hero for your friend. It's so sweet I might throw up~" She extended her feathery wings outward, smirking at Issei. "You can try, Issei, but I promise you: You can't save her. Why? Because you're going to be dead before the night's end. And, as soon as I have acquired the Twilight Healing, so will all of your precious-Little- _Friends_!"

And that was what finally made Issei snap.

"You're not going to lay a hand on any of my friends!" The green gem on Issei's Sacred Gear started to glow. "You hear me!? I'M NOT LETTING YOU TOUCH ANY OF THEM! I'M TAKING MY FRIENDS BACK WITH ME!"

 **[Dragon Booster!]**

"Issei..." Asia tugged Issei's sleeve, causing her friend to stare curiously at her. "Please protect Shirou-san and Kalawarner-san as well! They're also our friends."

"Of course." Issei extended his Sacred Gear arm forward, a strange mark appearing on it. "I'm going to take her down!"

* * *

 **[Back with Shirou...]**

Shirou pointed the blades of his gauntlet in Mittelt's direction. "Then I guess I'd better kick your asses so I can go help him out then, right?"

"You might want to check your numbers, Devil." Dohnaseek taunted, each and every one of the remaining fifty-one Exorcists grinning about the present situation. "The way I see it, it's not a matter of whether you win or lose, but a matter of whether or not we decide to let you die painfully or painlessly."

"There's no strength in numbers!"

"I beg to differ." Kalawarner muttered offhandedly.

"SSHHH!" Shirou raised a finger to his lips, shushing her. "I'm trying to intimidate them."

"Big Sis Kala, I really am disappointed in you~" Mittelt said with an obviously fake pitying expression on her face. "Even if you don't like us, I would assume you would still like to live through tonight, huh~?" She used her wings to fly into the air, casually floating around Kalawarner with an undeserved amount of grace. "I mean, it's just one boy out of millions of these disgusting human apes and hundreds of thousands of these disgusting Devils~"

Dohnaseek adjusted the fedora on his head, smirking. "I can't help but agree-"

"Shocker." Shirou muttered under his breath.

"You're really risking your life for someone who is like millions of others in the world?" Dohnaseek asked. "An unimpressive, vulgar, immature, brat?" Somehow, Shirou knew Dohnaseek had tacked on the insults deliberately to irritate him. "Do you truly wish to die for someone as insignificant as him?"

There was silence for a moment as Shirou stared at Kalawarner. A part of him felt her answer would be "No". Not out of cruelty or genuine disdain, but out of fear. Fear of death, fear of losing a loved one, and fear of tying your heart to another and the possible consequences. Her answer could have been anything, but ultimately-

"No...I do not wish to die." Kalawarner's words were like a knife cutting through ice: Cold and unpleasant. "...but I don't wish to see someone I'm fond of die in front of me either." Kalawarner extended her wings, glaring at her former comrades. "There may be millions of people like him," She admitted, "but there is only one individual who is Shirou!"

A morbid feeling entered the air, making the silence all the more unpleasant.

"Then you have sealed your fate." With that, Dohnaseek snapped his fingers, giving the signal to begin the attack.

"Raaaagh!" One of the priests leaped through the air like a trained acrobatic, raising his sword into the air to strike. "Die, you rotten-BLURGH!" His words and, more importantly, his face were obstructed when an armor-covered fist smashed right into the side of his face, the sound of cracking teeth being quite audible amongst the stunned silence.

"Don't think your petty numbers scare me!" Shirou exclaimed. "I've gone up against way scarier odds and against way scarier freaks than you guys! I've fought Strays, magic-powered delinquents, and I even helped kick Freed's sorry ass. Compared to that, you guys are nothing!"

And, much to his surprise, his taunts actually made the other Exorcists pause.

"What did he say...?"

"He beat Freed?"

"No way! A runt like that?"

"...But Freed isn't here. He'd never miss out on a chance to mutilate some Devils."

"Then, the kid's telling the truth...?"

"No way...That's unreal!"

"It's as real as you or I!" Shirou declared. "I kicked Freed's ass and, if you don't move out of the way, I'll deliver to you the same ass-whoopin'!" He extended the blades of Canis Regalia's gauntlet, letting the priests know that he sincerely meant business. "Who's first?"

One of the Strays stepped back, turning to Dohnaseek. "Um, Dohnaseek-sama, what do we do now?"

It was bad enough that the teenager had the gall to break into their hideout, but there he was, right in front of Dohnaseek, having turned one of their comrades to his side and instilling an undeserved fear in the hearts of the stray priests serving their group. It was irritating, seeing anyone fear such a pathetic-looking Devil. More irritating that these "anyone's" were his subordinates. So, in his angered state, he did what any sensible person would have done.

He stabbed a spear of light right into the forehead of the offending stray priest. An expression of shock and horror flashed across the man's face before life left him, his body dropping to the ground. "Anyone else have any questions?" Not a single one of the terrified priests dared to respond. "As I thought. Now _get them_!"

The priests needed no further encouragement, charging towards the pair of enemies they sought to decapitate.

Shirou and Kalawarner moved closer to the center of the circle, quickly standing back-to-back to ensure they didn't have any openings.

"Any ideas?" Shirou asked, sighing.

Kalawarner narrowed her eyes, scanning the surroundings for several moments before her eyes fell on Dohnaseek and Mittelt, the two looking on cockily as if about to witness a slaughter. "I do have one idea..." She half-whispered/half-muttered. "Shirou, about how long do you think you can hold off these priests?"

"I really don't like where this is heading."

"How long, Shirou?"

"You're making me feel really uneasy right now, Kalawarner."

"SHIROU!"

"Five minutes tops, maybe seven if none of them have the same crazy, acrobat psycho shit as Freed." Shirou turned his head, increasingly anxious as the group of light weapon-wielding exorcists converged upon them. "You got a plan?"

"Yes. If you want to kill a snake, you just have to cut off its head." Her meaning was not missed by Shirou, the delinquent nodding his head. "I'm the second strongest of the group, almost as strong as Raynare. If you can keep those priests off of me, I might be able to defeat Mittelt and Dohnaseek on my own."

""Might"!?" Shirou didn't mean to exclaim, but he had suddenly needed to exert himself by delivering a kick to the face of a hasty Exorcist who had leaped without looking. "That's a pretty big "might", Kalawarner!"

"It's the best plan we have in this situation unless you have any better ideas!"

"Alright alright! Just get it done!" Shirou shouted back, resigned to the rather unpleasant plan he had agreed to. "For the record, if we die, I'm going to haunt you until the end of time!"

"Duly noted." One second passed...then two. "Go!"

On that signal, Kalawarner jumped, kicking against Shirou's back to spring herself into the air while also launching him forward towards the mass of enemies.

* * *

"Guaaaaaaaaaah!"

Issei could not help but let out a scream of pain as two light spears pierced straight through the flesh of either of his thighs.

Even after the odd [Boost!] announcement and the mark on his Sacred Gear changing from a I to a II, Issei had still failed to avoid the incredible painful attack. The moment he experienced the pain of the poisonous light from a genuine light spear, Issei could not help but gain a new-found respect for Shirou's physical endurance. Sure, Issei had been shot and stabbed by weapons of light, but nothing could compare to the light of an Angel or Fallen Angel. Like pouring hot lead through his veins as every nerve screamed in aversion to the harmful power.

"Issei-san!" Asia ran up to him, raising her hands to heal his wounds until Issei stretched out his arm, motioning for her to move back. Smoke was beginning to rise from his wounds. "You're hurt! Please let me heal you!"

"It's fine!" Issei grunted, his legs threatening to buckle underneath his own weight. "I...I can do this!" With shaking hands, he reached down and firmly grasped the shaft of the spears, gritting his teeth as his body was wracked with even more agony. "Guaaaaaaaaaah!"

It felt as if all of the flesh on his hands was going to be burnt off by the power of light. Even while experiencing such intense pain, Issei refused to let go, further tightening his grip.

"Light is toxic to Devils." Raynare taunted. "Just touching it scorches your bodies. It's said to be the most intense and worst pain a Devil can endure. So, what do you think? Is it true?"

"Nugaaaaaaaah!" Issei grimaced, beads of sweat forming above his brow as he gave the spears a yank, only causing himself further pain as the weapons of light grinded against the insides of his legs. The pain became worse and worse, an agony that words themselves could never fully describe. He felt himself fade in and out of consciousness once or twice, but did not loosen his grip. "What do I care if it is!?" With a defiant roar, he fiercely ripped the spears from his thighs, blood flowing freely from his wounds. "This is NOTHING! Nothing compared to what Asia's gone through! I'll put up with anything for her!"

 **[Boost!]**

Again, the gauntlet on his arm made the same noise as before.

Issei stumbled as the spears vanished in his hands, barely managing to keep himself from falling over.

"Not just me...but Shirou and Kalawarner too! We're all fighting for her sake!" He winced before falling back, landing on his backside. "...I can't just fall down and die when she's depending on me."

Even with feats considered impressive from a recently reincarnated Devil, Raynare was hardly moved, continuing to speak in a mocking voice. "You know, I really am impressed. A Low-Class Devil making it this far, that power is something to be reckoned with." She scoffed. "Not that it's going to do you any good though. I just wanted to make sure you got your kudos for doing so much better than expected for a Devil of your class."

And that was when it occurred to Issei, the realization that hit him as he struggled to catch his breath. "That's it. God isn't gonna help me. I'm a Devil now...What was I thinking? I need to call Maou-sama." For a brief moment, surprise and confusion flashed across Raynare's face. Asia held her hands over her mouth, suppressing a gasp. "I'm a Devil now, too, so what do you say? Just this once, I need a little help."

Raynare raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. "What are you mumbling about over there? Has all the pain driven you mad?"

"I'm begging you..." Issei panted out. "I won't ask you for anything else after this..." Even Raynare looked shock as Issei slowly struggled to get back up to his feet, a pair of bat-like Devil wings sprouting from his back. "Turn this around on her...Let me destroy her ass!"

For the first time since the confrontation began, uncertainty began to worm its way into Raynare's wicked heart, the girl taking one step back, a subconscious reaction that she had not thought much of even if, unbeknownst to her, it was her body warning her against what was about to happen.

"How are you able to stand?!" Again, Raynare took a step back. "This is impossible! That light should be burning you from the inside-out! Tell me how you're doing that! You don't have the power to temper light! You are nothing!"

"Don't get me wrong...It doesn't tickle." Issei admitted, stumbling forward. "Even with this strength, it feels like I'm about to pass out. But I don't care! I'll fight through it if it means I can take you down!" Issei raised his Sacred Gear into the as it emitted a bright, green light, far brighter than everything up to that point.

 **[Explosion!]**

And that was how Raynare came to understand what "fear" was.

"That energy wave is at least Mid-Class! His Sacred Gear should be nowhere near this strong! It's just a Twice Critical!"

She flinched when Issei took a step forward. In desperation, Raynare threw a light spear at Issei, hoping to dispatch him with as much ease as she had been able to only a moment ago.

What little hopes she had were dashed when Issei easily smashed the spear with a single swipe of his arm. All of the color completely left the Fallen Angel's face.

"N-No!" She turned around terrified and desperate to escape the situation she herself had caused. She flapped her wings, trying to fly away, but found herself jerked backward when a rough hand tightly grasped her arm, pulling her back down to Earth.

"You won't get away, bitch!"

"It can't be!" Raynare exclaimed, struggling against Issei's hold on her. "I'm a Fallen Angel! I'm superior in every way!"

Issei gathered all of his power into his left fist, the green energy his Sacred Gear possessed flashing brilliantly.

"Uoryaaaaaaaa!" He drove his fist into the side of Raynare's face, pushing it as deep as he could before the high force of the attack sent Raynare flying and crashing into a nearby tree, the impact causing it to break completely in half.

Issei gave a sigh of exhaustion, gravity finally overcoming his defiance. "That felt good." Despite the numbing sensation of pain that returned to his body or his complete and utter inability to stand let alone move, Issei felt satisfied with the outcome.

His fall to the ground was interrupted when a steady arm wrapped around his waste, throwing his arm over their shoulder to give him the support needed to stand. He was about to give words of thanks to Asia when his words were caught in his throat, too stunned to speak coherently.

The person who caught him was certainly blonde, but it was not the nun who was standing several feet away from him.

"Sorry we're late." Yuuto Kiba apologized, giving a small smile. "You didn't exactly give Buchou much of a heads-up for your unauthorized activity."

"Kiba?!" Issei winced from the sudden exertion, Kiba adjusting himself to help Issei carry his own weight better. "What are...What are you doing here?"

"Well, did you really expect your Devil senpais to just sit back while you guys risked your lives?" He asked. "I'm more surprised you guys managed to pull it off on your own..." He paused. "...OK, let me rephrase that."

"If you're here...then doesn't that mean-" Issei didn't have the chance to finish the thought.

"Issei, you and Shirou are in big trouble." Rias Gremory scolded her Pawn with an expression of relief that did not match her feelings. Koneko and Akeno appeared, following closely behind her.

Even Rias herself was surprised by how quickly her anger and frustration drained out of her the moment she saw her servant, (relatively) safe and sound and not dead. The thought of either of them perishing was an even more intense and painful emotion than every last hint of anger she had felt at her servants' disobedience.

However, her soft smile was quickly replaced by a frown, Rias noticing she had, in fact, found two people, but one of them most certainly not the servant she had been looking for. "Where _is_ Shirou?"

That was when the thought hit Issei like a bullet train.

"Shirou!" He suddenly straightened up, the effort causing his head to spin. "He-He's still in the Church with that Fallen Angel, Kalawarner!"

"With who?" Surprisingly, it was Akeno who seemed the most shocked by this revelation as well as the most worried.

Issei let out a large exhalation. "I know how it sounds...but she's on our side. She's the one who helped me and Asia get out...but now she and Shirou are back there, in some pretty deep shit." He attempted to stand up on his own, only to almost collapse to the ground again, Kiba rushing to help him back up. "We have to go save them!"

The news was a bit sudden to Rias and, while she was reluctant to admit it, a rogue Fallen angel certainly would have explained why Issei had made it as far as he did even with Shirou.

"We have to go save them!" Issei huffed out. Rias placed a calm, reassuring hand on Issei's shoulder.

"Issei, you need to rest now." Her voice was calm, gentle, yet elegantly commanding at the same time. "Just leave the rest to Akeno and I." Rias turned to the one of the two that she had yet to address, Asia. "You, Asia, was it?"

"Y-Yes!" The nun suddenly stiffened, perhaps feeling awkward about how she was being confronted by her former "enemies" (even though it was hard for her to even think of considering them enemies in the first place). However, every last bit of uneasiness and confusion faded when she saw the crimson-haired Devil's charming smile.

"You possess the Twilight Healing, correct?" Asia nodded in confirmation. "Would you mind taking care of my adorable servant while I fetch the others?"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Asia answered eagerly, immediately rushing over to Issei's side.

Rias looked over to her Queen, noticing her still in a state of doubt. "Akeno!"

Akeno blinked, snapping out of her thoughts. "What?"

"Let's go. We're going to get Shirou!"

"R-Right!"

The two had barely taken more than two steps when in the underground chamber beneath their feet, all Hell broke loose, a large earthquake shaking the ground they were standing on.

* * *

 **[Several Minutes Earlier...]**

"Die, you little shit!"

"Piss off!"

Shirou drove the heel of his foot hard into the face of the recent Exorcist who had attempted to run him through with a blade, unable to help a wince as the man's head smacked against the stone wall. Shirou used his thumb to wipe off some of the blood oozing out of the light cut on his face, a souvenir from the exchange. He twitched as his tongue brushed up against a cut on the inside of his mouth, no doubt having cut the inside of his cheek on his teeth when the previous priest kicked him in the jaw.

He sucked up all of the blood in his mouth before spitting it out onto the floor, staining another part of it red with blood.

Sweat dripped down his chin, Shirou struggling to catch a breath. He could not help but let his eyes wander over the 15 prone bodies laying unconscious on the ground or over the 25 remaining conscious bodies standing around him.

They were definitely not on Freed's level. Tough and dangerous, but not as dangerous as a sword-wielding, gun-toting psychopath with no apparent set of boundaries.

That didn't mean Shirou didn't come out of the exchange without injury. Although he was surprisingly resistant to the pain caused by the weapons of light (albeit not without tingling and stings here and there), the wounds themselves were hardly insignificant. He had several lacerations on his right leg, a sword wound across his back, and the upper part of his left arm was cut up due to a few poorly deflected blows from his Sacred Gear. He was also fairly sure he also had a bullet hole in his right shoulder, but had been a bit too preoccupied to check.

And still, they seemed to fear their boss more than they feared him, a factor that was certainly not working in Shirou's favor. After the twelfth or eleventh priest had taken a fall, they had gradually come to realize that he did not share their intent to kill, using that to their advantage and practically throwing themselves at him. While not an efficient tactic, it was certainly effective. There was no possible way he could defeat all of them alone.

"Kalawarner?" Shirou called over his shoulder. "How you doing over there?" Hovering through the rather restricted airspace, Kalawarner flew about, tangling with Mittelt and Dohnaseek in their little two-on-one match. Much to Shirou's surprise and relief, Kalawarner had not been exaggerating when she spoke of her ability to fight both at once. She was fighting rather efficiently, like a soldier who had been trained to fight for years.

"It's-going-al-ri-wagh!" Kalawarner maneuvered in jagged motions through the air to avoid the thrusts of Dohnaseek's spear before swerving sharply to the left to avoid the sharp end of one of Mittelt's spears. "Don't interrupt me!" Kalawarner materialized two light spears in her hands, launching them at the pair of enemies with reckless abandon. It was a difficult position she was in really.

If she focused on one, the other would take her by surprise. She couldn't let down her guard for a second and had to have complete awareness of her surroundings.

It was noticeable from her ability in battle that her experience outranked Shirou's.

Kalawarner could not help but smirk as she saw Dohnaseek pause to catch his breath. "I'm surprised, Dohnaseek." She said, too amused to resist taunting him. "Considering all your talk about Fallen Angel superiority, I would have thought you personally had the brawn to back it up. But you're still no stronger than lower Mid-Class."

Another light spear formed in Dohnaseek's hand, the man lowering his hat over his eyes. "At least I don't forsake my race or my pride for some disgusting Devil!"

"Don't call him that!" Kalawarner lunged at him, spear in hand, a blow which Dohnaseek managed to dodge albeit suffering a small, minor gash to his side. "He's more of a man then you ever could be!"

"Aww! That's so nice!" Shirou butted in, sidestepping a swipe from a blade on the ground below. "Thank you!"

Kalawarer sighed, a light blush coloring her cheeks. "You should probably be focusing more on not-dying."

"On it!" Shirou smashed the very corner of his elbow against the Exorcist's face, hearing the satisfying snap of a broken nose.

His Fallen Angel friend turned her head back to Dohnaseek, noticing the half-lidded eyes he had. "Oh shut up! He's a good kid! Awkward when it comes to most things, but in a cute way!"

"It sounds like you really value him."

"...I do." Kalawarner answered cautiously.

It wasn't what Dohnaseek had said, but rather, the way in which he had said it that immediately tipped Kalawarner off. Something was certainly wrong in that moment, but it had taken her a second to figure it out.

"Then you should do a better job protecting him~!"

All of Kalawarner's realizations were summed up to one single word: Mittelt!

Time seemed to slow down around them.

Kalawarner turned around in midair, being able to glimpse the malicious and joyful smile on the blonde Fallen Angel's face, light spear in hand.

Shirou was occupied with the stray priests too much to recognize the danger.

And, as if their bodies were moving in order to catch up with the passage of time, it happened in a flash.

Blood poured from the hole torn through flesh, a brilliant spear of light expanding for a mere second before contracting, vanishing into nothing.

Blood spattered across the air.

Blood spattered across the floor.

Blood spattered across the horrified face of Shirou Fujimura.

And yet, Kalawarner still smiled at him, tightly gripping his arm with barely suppressed tears in her eyes.

"Idiot...Don't stare at me with those pathetic eyes..."

But Shirou could not look away from the massive puncture wound that had been made on her body, blood quickly flowing from her body and staining his clothes red.

He held her tightly in his trembling arms, eyeing the part of her torso that had been pierced clean through, looking as tough an animal had clawed a hole through her. When she had suddenly dropped from the air like a fly, Shirou's instincts had kicked in. He suffered a deep stab wound to his thigh, but he had managed to catch Kalawarner before she had hit the ground. Even though it was clear the pain was excruciating, she still managed to give Shirou such a beautiful smile. It was Shirou's hostile aura that kept the exorcists at bay, for how long was anyone's guess.

"Don't...Don't, Kalawarner...! You can't die! It'll be fine, right?" Shirou whimpered, holding back his sobs with the force of his denial. "Light weapons were made solely to kill Devils, not Fallen Angels...It's impossible for you to be executed like this! We just need to get you to Asia and you'll be fine! Right as rain!" The tears which had stung his eyes began to roll down the sides of his face, dripping onto Kalawarner's increasingly-pale face.

"You're crying for me...?" Kalawarner let out a small breath that Shirou felt must have been her attempt at a laugh. "...Even though...I'm a Fallen Angel?"

Shirou choked, doing his best to force a smile similar to hers. "I thought we went over this already? I'm a naive, idealistic fool. Things like race or faction fly right over my head."

Again, Kalawarner did her best to laugh, only coughing up blood. "You're so hopeless...even now. You've-" She suddenly started coughing, raising her other hand to her mouth to block the blood that she hacked out. "-You've changed so much yet so little...You have so many more people beside you...than when we first met. What's so special about me...?"

"Why does there have to be something special, idiot?" Shirou asked, doing his best to avoid raining more of the water flowing from his eyes on Kalawarner. "Why can't I just like you just because?"

"Pfft!...Just the answer I would have expected from a kid like you...and that's one of the many things I really liked." She was still speaking calmly, but the amount of time that passed between her eyes fluttering closed and open had started to increase. She was weakening. Her bitter expression more than gave it away. "I'm...sorry...Sorry I couldn't be honest...I thought we had to be enemies...because we were on opposing sides, but...after holding me like this, I may just fall for you yet..."

"You...You idiot! I knew you were lying all that time. You're a terrible liar!" Shirou searched every inch of his memories, trying to think of something from his magic lessons with Akeno that could work in that situation. "Come on! Stay awake!"

"You know...It's funny. You really were right..." Shirou looked at her, still choking on his sobs. "...about before, I mean...Our world is really absurd."

"Please, Kalawarner! Stop talking! Save your strength! You're going to need it!"

Her eyes were slowly beginning to slide shut...for what appeared to be the last time. But still she found the strength to raise her hand to Shirou's cheek, using her fingers to brush away his tears.

"I just wish that...I had met you sooner..." Her voice was weakening more and more, to the point of being no more than a whisper. Her hand slowly started to slide away from his face, taken by gravity's power. "...I just wish that...if I were reborn...as...a...Devil..."

Kalawarner went quiet, her body no longer moving.

"No...No!" Shirou laid her on the ground, gently shaking her. "Don't die...You-You can't just..."

 _"You can just leave me like this! Don't die!"_

Images flashed through his head, Shirou crying out from the pain like teeth of a chainsaw being run through the inside of his skull.

Blood.

Death.

Carnage.

Tears.

That girl.

Blood.

Pain.

Loss.

Horror.

Despair.

She wasn't going to wake up.

She would _never_ wake up.

She was dead.

"AAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGHHH!"

Shirou clutched the front of his head, digging into his skull with his nails so hard that he pierced the skin. Tears rained freely from his face, no longer being restrained by willpower, Shirou's wails of sorrow being the only noise he could hear.

He failed to even realize that Dohnaseek had stopped in front of him, spear in hand.

"Move, Devil brat or I'll cut you up with her." Dohnaseek demanded, aiming his spear at the corpse of his fallen former comrade. "I'll deal with you soon enough, but a traitor like her? I'LL CUT HER UP INTO SO MANY PIECES SHE WON'T EVEN HAVE A ONE IN A MILLION CHANCE AT REBIRTH!" He jabbed Shirou with the tip of his spear, the snow-haired boy showing no reaction.

"You should listen to him, Devil-boy~" Mittelt teased, unmoved by what had transpired. "After all, you should be grateful~ We gave you the opportunity to say goodbye AND you get to live a few more seconds~ Talk about a sweet deal, right~?"

""Grateful"? "A sweet deal"...?" Shirou parroted, as if uncertain he heard right. "You took one of the few things I had left to be grateful for...you took one of my friends from me...In the end, all she had wanted was to live happily." When Dohnaseek tried to jab him again, Shirou lashed out and grabbed the sharp end of his spear, ignoring the burning sensation or the blood oozing from the cuts on his hand. "She didn't want any of this...and you...you...!"

Dohnaseek smirked. "If you don't let go, you're going to lose some fingers."

"You are the one..." However, Shirou's hand only tightened its grasp further on Dohnaseek's spear, Shirou showing Dohnaseek eyes that burned with unending hatred and fury. "I'LL NEVER FORGIVE!"

With a sudden squeeze of his hand, the spear of light shattered to pieces much to the shock of Dohnaseek and even Mittelt who watched in awe.

Shirou stood from the ground, stumbling slightly as he stood to full height, a powerful blue aura swirling around his body.

"Canis Regalia...I know you can hear me, you piece of shit!" Shirou snapped, glaring daggers at the weapon that was equipped to his left hand. "I know you have more than that. Give me more power! GIVE ME THE POWER TO TURN THESE SHITTY BASTARDS INTO A PAIR OF BLOODY MEAT PILES!" The gem on the back of the gauntlet started to glow brilliantly, the Sacred Gear returning to its base form.

It felt as though the temperature in the room was dropping rapidly to the point that they could see their own breath.

"What-What is this!?" Mittelt screamed, shielding her face as blinding light shone from Shirou's weapon.

Dohnaseek groaned, summoning a spear of light in his hands. "I don't know...But it ends here!" With the determination to kill the young man in front of him, Dohnaseek threw the spear in Shirou's direction.

However, Shirou didn't seem afraid. He didn't even seem fazed. He pulled back his left arm, throwing a heavy punch towards the light spear.

" _Eat up_!"

The maw of the Sacred Gear's "head" opened, the surprisingly wide mouth of the metal wolf catching the end of the spear when it landed down its throat. Rather than pierce through Shirou's arm and shoulder like one would have expected, it was as though the spear had entered some sort of empty space, showing no signs of revealing its other end inside of the wolf's mouth and throat.

The wolf head seemed to struggle for a moment, opening and closing its mouth, slowly dragging the spear deeper and deeper until finally closing its sharp teeth over the end, another light sparkling in the wolf's gemstone eyes before quickly fading.

"Come out! Fourth Form! GUNGNIR!" Again, the Sacred Gear shone brilliantly, its form changing. It separated from Shirou's arm, becoming a separate body. Its form became longer, a blade forming at the end of his staff-like shaft.

The shaft itself was long, slender, and a brilliant white color like that of snow. Pure and innocent. The blade at the end was surprisingly large for a normal spear, close to that of a halberd. It was a darker shade of white than the shaft, but still fairly pure, only dark enough that one could see the emblem of a wolf decorating either side of the spear's massive blade, a hole in the area that had been made into the wolf's open mouth.

Shirou spun the staff around in a way that could have been considered artistic, swinging the blade around until it was pointed at the two enemies in front of him.

"With this power, I'm going to crush you!" Shirou declared.

Even Mittelt, with all of her arrogance, took a step back in confusion and uncertainty.

"From this point forward, you're all my bitches!"

* * *

As Shirou brandished his wolf-themed ice-spear in the face of his adversaries, one of the stray exorcists group struck forward. Once the foolish, reckless priest entered Shirou's range, the Devil immediately swung his spear, knocking the weapon right out of his hand, disarming him...then he "dis-armed" the priest in the most severe of literal ways possible, severing the priests arms with two follow-up swing of his spear.

The rest of the stray priests' eyes went wide in shock, gasping in shock and horror at how casually Shirou dismembered one of their own. Even Dohnaseek and Mittelt, who were still unnerved of Shirou's sudden burst of power, did not need to bother commanding their army.

Shirou was not fazed in the slightest by their larger numbers. He simply swung his spear around, forcing the miniature army to keep their distance to avoid the very real and very sharp blade. Still swinging his spear around, Shirou charged straight into the heart of the mob, straight like the very spear he held in his hands.

Stray exorcist began to fall left to right as Shirou's blade carved into their flesh with surprising movement and spearmanship comparable to that of a master, his skill as natural as the flowing water of a river. Even the stray exorcists who managed to force their way past the blade through brute strength were only allowing themselves be entrapped by Shirou's swings.

"Don't get close, you fools!" Dohnaseek bellowed. Sure they were an army of disposable foot soldiers, but he wanted them to fall in battle at least SLIGHTLY whittling away the boy's strength and staminarather than as cannonfoddier. "Keep your distance and used ranged attacks! You have guns! Shoot him!" He gave Mittelt a quick look and the female fallen nodded in understanding and began to fly around the room; her eyes never left Shirou.

The remaining stray exorcists raised their firearms, forcing Shirou to face the rain of bullets with that held the intent to kill him.

It wasn't even a moderate threat to Shirou. Whether because they were tired or because they were weak from the get-go, Shirou easily dodged and weaved between the bullets, deflecting those that he failed to avoid with a twirl of his spear.

"Just keep firing! Don't let him get any closer!"

While it was quite obvious their attacks were growing increasingly ineffective, the priests continued pressing their attacks.

He evaded or parried bullet after bullet with an emotion on his face that was neither anger, confidence, or sorrow.

It was grief. Every strike, thrust, and slash was filled with overwhelming amounts of this intense emotion.

As if having foreseen it, he quickly shuffled to the side, moving just in time to avoid the worst of a passing light spear that grazed the outside of his thigh. Even when in his current state, it was impossible for Shirou not to wince slightly in pain as the spear carved through his flesh. He turned to see the blonde loli Fallen Angel hovering in the air behind him, hiding at a point in the air where she was perfectly obscured: His blind-spot so to speak.

Mittelt held another spear of light in her hands, ready to be used at a moment's notice.

"Fuck, I missed!" Mittelt cursed her aim as she desperately threw another of her spear, which was easily deflected by Shirou, in order to cover her attempt to create more distance. While scanning around the room in desperation, Mittelt's eyes could not help but wander over to the open gash on Shirou's leg. "But no matter. The light element has slipped into your body in several doses ever since you first started fighting. It's only a matter of time until your body succumbs to light-poisoning."

Shirou narrowed his eyes, but his expression was lifeless. "Would you shut up about that already, you stuck up bitch?" There was no emotion in his voice, but that didn't stop the level of irritation in Mittelt's body from rising. "You annoying crows just keep repeating that shit. It's really obnoxious." It was then that something happened that not a single soul within that room expected.

With a swing of Shirou's spear, Mittelt suddenly was slammed into the wall. She gave a sharp shriek of pain as several sharp objects struck her wings. She attempted to struggle and escape only to find several blades of of ice impaling either of her wings, effectively pinning her to the wall.

The other enemies didn't even have the time to gawk before Shirou swung his spear again, launching a second wave of icicles at them. It was disorienting more than anything, the priests having had the reflexes to respond by evading or blocking most of the sharp fragments of ice.

Shirou immediately lunged forward again with his spear brandished. The massacre began again, with the enemy who was closest being cut down by Shirou's blade while those far enough were being rained by blades of ice used to severely suppress their movement and prevent intervention.

Dohnaseek soared higher and roared in a fit of frustration. Gathering spears of light on both of his hands, Dohnaseek flew behind Shirou and hurled his spears towards Shirou's unguarded back. However, a wall of ice suddenly generated from the ground behind Shirou and took the brunt of the fallen angel's attack.

BOOM! PRANG!

The ice-wall shattered after the two spears pierced halfway through, but it was enough to serve as a shield.

"You little shit! You're supposed to be another lowly devil! How did you gain this kind of power!?" Dohnaseek bellowed once again, watching in horror and disgust as all of his subordinates were struck down before his eyes.

His eyes narrowed as he caught sight of Mittelt furiously ripping the ice blades from the wall, freeing herself. Although her wings were damaged, they were in good enough condition for her to kick against the wall, pushing herself back into the air. The two Fallen Angels then brandished the biggest spear of light they each could have manifested and charged to Shirou from mid-air.

[IT'S OVER, YOU WRETCHED BRAT!]

Shirou didn't turn to face them.

He sighed before raising his spear into the air...shortly before slamming it downward, burying the blunt end of the shaft deep into the ground beneath his feet. The heavy aura around his body began to increase in magnitude while the aura surrounding his spear began to lessen, as if being leeched off of by Shirou's own body.

An unidentified magic circle in blue colour then appeared beneath Shirou's legs and it shone as its size expanded across the room.

Shirou stretched out his left arm straight, closing his eyes as every last bit of his aura transferred to that one arm.

"You're right..." His eyelids slowly slid open, revealing unending fury in his bloodshot eyes. "It is!"

He knelt on the ground, using his right arm to balance himself on the ground, pulling his left fist back.

"THIS IS FOR KALAWARNEEEEEER!"

Before his fist even made contact with the ground, a blinding blue flash of light swallowed the room...

And then it was over.

* * *

When Shirou finally opened his eyes again, the scenery around him had changed completely.

It was as if the world around him had been transformed into some sort of white, wintry Wonderland. The walls, floor, ceiling, every inch of the room was coated in icy splendor. Even though it was a stunning sight, Shirou could only vaguely remember what had happened.

He remembered pain. Loss. Kalawarner had died in his arms, and he couldn't do a thing to protect her. He felt angry, of course, then bitterness and sorrow, and then just the emptiness of despair.

When Dohnaseek had attacked him again, the same anger from before returned tenfold. The desire to kill surged just as it had back during his fight against Eliade. The only difference was that Shirou _knew_ he had remained fully conscious and aware this time.

...Yet, at the same time, something felt "off".

It was a sensation difficult to describe with words. Like, he was there, but he _wasn't_. An out-of-body experience in a way.

Shirou scanned the battlefield once more, acknowledging the oddly-positioned ice statues that littered the area.

He walked up to one of them and squinted through the glass-like ice, taking notice of the vague shape hidden within the icy-shell: A face-

-No, not a face. A human being. One of the stray exorcists he had fought was encased in ice.

Not just one or two. Every other living being in the room had been imprisoned in ice.

He even recognized the two oddly-shaped statues as the two Fallen Angels he hated most: Dohnaseek and Mittelt, their feathery wings giving the appearances of massive, malformed arms when they were obscured by the ice surrounding them. The black color of their wings also shaded the icy-white a dull-gray color.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shirou noticed something: a prone figure laying motionless upon the ground, miraculously untouched by the power that had savagely frozen the rest of the room.

His face emotionless, Shirou trudged over to the body. It felt as though the exhaustion had hit him like a bullet train covered in spikes, ran him over with its entire length, and then proceeded to back up just to hit him again. Just lifting a foot became a trial in itself.

Still, he persevered, only coming to a stop once he had reached her, falling to his knees beside her.

[Your wish has been granted...]

He heard the voice appear suddenly in his head, but he didn't care. He tuned it out without thought.

He gently caressed Kalawarner's face, as though he expected her to shatter if he weren't careful. His eyes began to sting...

He wept.

The fighting was over.

The enemies were all defeated...

And Kalawarner was still gone.

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 **Next Chapter -** Finale - Return to Normal Days! ORC's New Bishop Appears!

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 **And, it's finally done.**

 **Special thanks to** ahsoei **for writing the battle scene between Shirou with Canis Regalia's newly revealed Fourth Form: Gungnir. Without him, I never would have gotten this puppy finished. So everybody clap your hands.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	22. Chapter 19: Fallen Angel Arc Finale

**This is officially the last chapter of this arc! Hooray! There will be a little break between this arc and the next arc because I think I'm going to be doing something fun.**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Which means I don't own shit! Try and claim copyright now, bitches! XD.**

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 **Chapter 19: Finale - Return to Normal Days! ORC's New Bishop Appears!**

The moment Rias and Akeno took the first step down the secret passageway which led deeper into the Fallen Angels' base, they knew something was wrong.

They had followed Issei's directions to the letter, having easily found the hidden passageway ironically hidden by what had once been a statue depicting a holy figure. While they had certainly expected it to be mildly chilly considering the seasons as well as the fact that a structure such as the one they entered was unlikely to have temperature regulation in any shape or form, they didn't quite prepare themselves for what happened.

They hadn't took more than a few steps when the temperature dropped drastically.

It was like they had walked into a giant refrigerator and had the door locked tight behind them, the cold being cranked up to its highest setting.

When they came to the door that laid at the bottom of the footsteps, the air was so cold that they could easily see icicles forming from the ceiling. Even Devils could only ignore extreme temperatures to a certain degree, and the cold they felt in that hidden stairway beneath the Fallen Angel-controlled Church was far too unnatural to be normal. Not just any weather could affect Devils. These temperatures were definitely not normal.

The door was also hardly unaffected. Frost coated the edges, bits of ice forming over the frame of the door.

Rias reached out, grabbing the knob of the door. "Ow!" She winced after holding the knob for a mere few seconds, pulling back immediately.

A look of alarm flashed across Akeno's face. "Is it hot?"

However, Rias shook her head. "No, it's ice-cold. It felt like just touching it would give me frostbite."

Understanding the situation, Akeno nodded, extending one of her hands towards the knobs. "Allow me, then."

A small magic circle appeared. From it bloomed a golden-orange "flower" that moved and danced gracefully in the palm of her hand. Being as careful as a doctor performing surgery, Akeno held the flame near the doorknob, not too close so as to prevent melting or otherwise damaging the metal. Rias waited patiently on the side, waiting as the small fire created by her Queen slowly melted away the ice coating the metal pieces of the door. After a few seconds, Akeno removed her hand from the door, facing Rias.

"Done."

Accepting the quality of Akeno's work at face-value, Rias reached out to the doorknob again, this time not experiencing the sudden intense irritation caused by the cold.

Taking a deep breath and preparing for the worst which may lay on the other side, Rias twisted the handle, pushing her way inward through the door. There was gravely scraping sound as the bottom of the door dragged itself across a patch of ice that seemed to coat the floor, scattering ice chips into the air.

Exchanging curious looks with one another, Akeno and Rias proceeded forward...

…And they almost mistook the underground chamber with a garden made of ice.

It was...beautiful. Odd, unnatural, and a bit unnerving, but beautiful.

Even Rias, who had observed many wondrous things in the world they lived in, could not help but feel a little awed.

The only things she found curious about the Wonderland built from ice were the ice statues that littered the room, all in various positions from standing straight to cowering with their arms in front of their face in vain attempts at defense. She may have been imagining things, but she could have sworn a fair number of them were holding odd items in their hands. Some of them had unintelligible shapes while, others, she could not help appeared to be-

"Swords." Akeno spoke one word that finished the thoughts Rias was having. "They're all carrying swords."

Then realization hit Rias. "They're...They're not statues. These are the Stray Exorcists! The ones serving the Fallen Angel!" It wasn't just that realization that shocked her, it was what the realization entitled. Several dozen unmoving, possibly dead bodies but no sign of Shirou. He wasn't the strongest, but he was one of the most tenacious people she knew. Just the thought of him dying in a place such as that...It was too difficult to believe. "We need to search the area. Shirou should be around here somewhere."

"Yes..." While Akeno agreed, Rias could not help but noticed she was somewhat lacking in energy. Her voice was dripping with uncertainty. It was likely she came to the same possible conclusion that Rias had come to. Akeno turned away, examining the room around them as well as the mist that had filled the air, making accurate vision close to impossible. "The moisture in the air down here was frozen...This place is laced with magical power. Be careful."

Both women in agreement, they proceeded to travel further into the room.

They hadn't needed to walk very far to hear the sobbing.

It was soft at first, but the further they walked, the more audible it became.

Being as silent as possible, the two followed the noise, trying to discern its source. Every second or so, the sobs were punctuated by a sad sniffling-type sound or a sharp silence as though the source had had a pause to take a breath. They dared not speak for fear of interrupting what could have been the sole living denizen of that chamber. The closer they got, the less dense the mist was, as if it was being pushed away by an unseen force at the epicenter of the abnormality.

And, all at once, they entered the one area where it was clear.

Where the sobbing was loudest.

Where they saw poor Shirou mournfully hugging the body of a Fallen Angel as tightly as possible.

Shirou looked as though he expected the black-winged woman in his arms to vanish like a dream.

He looked alive and well, but there was no real "feeling" in the air surrounding him. No happiness, hostility, anger, sorrow, pain, or anything.

Just emptiness.

"S-Shirou?" Akeno called out, somewhat hesitant.

"Yes?" He answered with none of that sort of hesitation. When he turned to face the pair, they could not help but do a double-take. His eyes were puffy and were the same color red as the rest of his face. Rias didn't even want to comment on the fact that the stream of tears rolling down his face had frozen solid. "...I heard you two come in. I don't get why you're trying to be stealthy. A girl with crimson-red hair and a bombshell sadist aren't hard to miss, you know."

It was truly hard to tell whether or not Shirou was taking a shot at them and, for the sake of her sanity, Rias decided not to think about it.

However, something was definitely off and even she could tell by that point. Shirou had taken one of his most-expected jabs at the pair, but there wasn't the slightest bit of sharpness to his tone like there normally was. It didn't sound like he actually meant anything by it which was a big red flag for someone like Shirou who is rather blunt and severe with what he says.

"Are Issei and Asia alright?"

"Y-Yes."

"...That's good...That's very good."

Again, his words held no real feeling...

There were so many things Rias wanted to say and far from enough time to get through them all, but Rias felt that that moment wasn't the best time to speak of these things.

"You were right, you know."

The sudden words that came from Shirou's mouth took Rias by surprise. ""Right"? About what?"

"Peace could never exist..." Shirou said, not facing Rias. ""I'll gladly stick to my naive idealism"? I'll break through all reason?...What a joke."

"What are you-" Rias hadn't even gotten halfway through her question when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Akeno's face, while usually amused, polite, or happy, carrying a rather solemn expression. It was only when she remembered the unmoving figure in front of Shirou that she realized that Shirou wasn't talking to _them_.

"I acted like I was so tough, but in the end, I still couldn't do anything until it was too late...It's not fair."

Both girls practically jumped as Shirou punched the ground beneath him with all of his might, breaking a larger crater into the ground through the ice.

"DAMMIT!" Shirou screamed towards the ceiling or perhaps the Heavens above in fury and anguish before falling back to all fours, looking as though he was struggling to keep himself from falling to the ground. "Why...? Just one time. I wanted to be able to do something right just this one time!...But I screwed up, just like I always do..." He choked, as if doing his best not to start sobbing right in front of his two seniors. It was almost frightening really. There just weren't quite any words that could be said in such a situation.

Unlike Rias, however, Akeno had far more than enough courage to try. "Shirou," She reached out, tenderly grasping his shoulder, "it's alright. You've won. You did a bad thing by disobeying Buchou and breaking into the base, but considering the circumstances, I think you won't get into too much trouble, so, please...Just calm down and-"

"What does it matter if I won...?" The sudden bitterness was not lost on Akeno. "What does it matter what punishment I get? What does any of it even matter!?" Shirou's voice cracked, tears slowly rolling down the sides of his face, right over the frozen ones. He leaned forward and grasped the hand of the Fallen Angel. "She won't ever smile again. She won't ever get to dream again. I'll never be able to see her again, all because I was too weak! Again...I couldn't save a single person...I couldn't even protect my friend! Kiyome, Issei, and now Kalawarner too...I keep letting everyone I care about suffer like this..."

"Shirou, I-"

"No more..." He spoke again before Akeno could even attempt to reason with him again. "The others of this group...arrest them...imprison them...do whatever you want. I just don't care anymore..."

His despair was almost suffocating. Not a shred of hope remained within the shell that was his body...

This was exactly the type of thing Rias had wanted to _avoid_.

Because of the Fallen Angels, he had been hurt. Not in the way she had expected, but it had happened nonetheless. And, unlike Issei, Shirou's pain could not simply be erased by confronting the source of his trauma. There was no "enemy" Shirou had to defeat. Even if there was, he had still "lost". He couldn't regain what had been taken from him no matter how ferociously he "fought".

There were just no words Rias could think of to comfort him.

The sight of his present state was absolutely heart-breaking. The absolute opposite of what had happened last time.

Before, Shirou's despair had been directed outward, lashing out violently towards Eliade and (albeit unintentionally) Akeno and Kiba. But this time, his despair was directed inward, having no enemy upon which to exact his vengeance upon. While Rias was not sure about it, he had held genuine care for the Fallen Angel whom Issei had claimed had been their ally. There were so many questions that could have been asked, but Rias wasn't even sure which one she should have asked first if at all.

Out of the corner of her eye, Rias could not help but notice the expression on Akeno's face. It was difficult to discern any individual emotion, but it appeared as though it was some sort of mixed reaction to her observations.

"Did you truly care about her, the Fallen Angel, I mean?" Akeno's tone belied no emotion, as if she was trying not to feel anything about the black-feathered woman laying in Shirou's arms.

Shirou nodded weakly. "She was...she _is_ my friend..."

Rias could not help but look between Akeno and Shirou, wondering if, perhaps, she should not have been there.

"Molting."

"Huh?"

"What?"

Both Shirou and Rias could not help but turn to Akeno in surprise, somewhat unnerved by the uncharacteristically neutral expression on her face.

"It's called "Molting"." Akeno repeated. "It's something that Fallen Angels go through when they die."

For the first time, Shirou snapped out of his state of shock long enough to look curious about Akeno's words. "What...What do you mean...?"

"When a Fallen Angel dies, their wings vanish and their feathers scatter." Akeno sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. Nobody noticed how Kalawarner's face had started turning a paler, anxious shade of color. "She's faking it...The Fallen Angel, I mean."

Nobody spoke. Shirou found himself staring at Akeno silently for at least three minutes, tears still steadily streaming from his eyes. Then he looked down at the Fallen Angel in front of him...

And she stared right back at him, a small smile forming on her face. "Shi...rou."

Shirou choked on all of the words caught in his throat. He couldn't even believe it was real, that she was alive let alone speaking to him with the lovely voice he had come to know. He struggled to remember how to breathe let alone speak, his eyes going so wide it looked as though they were going to pop out of their sockets. Shirou could only stare at his very-much-alive friend in his arms.

"That face of yours is actually kind of cute..."

In light of such a moment of joy and relief, Shirou wanted to say something warm and profound:

"Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! I'm so glad you're aliiiiiiive!"

He did not.

He lunged at her, wrapping his arms tightly around her as tears poured from his eyes. "You're...You're an idiooooot! I was so worried about yoooou!" What Kalawarner failed to notice was how his expression of relief suddenly changed to irritation or the way his arms suddenly rose to shoulder-level, quickly tightening around her neck in a chokehold. "IS THAT WHAT YOU THOUGHT I'D SAY, YOU BASTAAAARD!?"

"Gugh! Agh!"

"Playing dead while I fight fifty-fucking-exorcists and two Fallen Angels on my own! Making me think you were gone forever because of me! Dick move! What the Hell!? WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL!?" Shirou screamed, tightening his hold around Kalawarner's neck in his rage, tears practically bursting from his eyes like a geyser. "DIE, DAMN YOU! DIE!"

Rias turned to face Akeno, her Queen just as stunned as she was. "Akeno?"

"Rias, I know what you're thinking and I swear to our Maou that this wasn't what I had in mind." Akeno said in her defense, raising her hands.

"Huh..." Rias turned back to Shirou who had suddenly put Kalawarner in a suplex, bending her spine to a painful angle. "He really has an...interesting way of expressing relief towards friends and loved ones...Remind me not to almost-die around Shirou."

"I don't know. As long as he's not strangling to kill, I wouldn't mind." Akeno said, eyeing Kalawarner's punishment with an _unhealthy_ interest.

"What are you-" Rias paused. "-Oh, that's right. I almost forgot who I was talking to for a moment." It was scary to Rias that even she didn't know how depraved her friend's masochism could become when pushed.

"I CAN'T FUCKING BELIEVE YOU ACTUALLY DID THAT!" Perhaps by accident or due to not having any other punishments in mind, Shirou sat on her back, his arms wrapped around her chest and pulling upward, as if trying to crush her ribs, squeezing with an inhuman amount of force, eliciting a sharp scream of...pain(?) from Kalawarner. "Seriously! It seems romantic and funny in anime and manga, but that was SO not cool!" He crushed Kalawarner's torso with force one would have used to break a metal bar in half.

"Aaaaaauuuugh!" Rias could not help but notice the erotic undertone in her scream, making it sound like more of a squeal. "It hurts! Ithurtsithurtsithurts!" And yet she was smiling, a hint of drool dripping from the corner of her mouth.

"See, Rias?" Akeno stated sharply as if making a point. "I'm not the only one who likes it rough. I mean, I dislike the only other person here who's like that, but they still exist in this town."

"...I'm just going to let that one go." Then Rias turned back to Shirou who had finally started to seem to come down from his high of frustration. "Are you done?"

Shirou started taking deep breaths in and out, having exhausted himself from the excitement of physically punishing Kalawarner. "Yeah...I think I'm good now."

"I'm also fine, thank you." Kalawarner piped up.

"You, be quiet!" Shirou snapped, shooting Kalawarner a sharp look. "You don't have the right to talk right now! I'm still mad at you!" Kalawarner shrank away, staring at Shirou with the eyes of an adorable puppy. "Also, how are you not dead right now?"

Kalawarner smiled sheepishly, covering the wound in her torso with her hand. "Well, essentially a mix of luck and Mittelt having pretty shit aim. I only faked my death because I knew it would give you the push you needed to wi-GWAH!" She was cut off when Shirou chopped her on the head with his hand.

"I told you not to talk!"

"But you just asked-"

"WAPOW!"

"AUUGH!" Kalawarner winced in pain, rubbing the newest bump Shirou had left on her skull. However, Shirou noticed her eyes going down to her chest wound. "But seriously, I _will_ bleed to death if I don't get this hole in my chest checked out...well, not if the shock kills me first because, despite my pleasant tone, this really does hurt."

Shirou sighed, crossing his arms. "Fine. I'll finish bitching at you after we get our rescuee to heal your-such a dick move-wounds."

"You're really not letting this go, are you?"

"Oh-ho-ho-ooohhh-No." Shirou said, laughing in a rather fake way. "As soon as we get out of here alive, I'm going to really lay into you with my mouth!"

A long, awkward pause ensued.

Rias opened her mouth to speak.

Shirou held up his hand to stop her. "Yes yes, I heard it the moment I said it." He rubbed his temples. "God, it could be exhaustion, but that fight has left me with a huge headache..." It was possible that he had overexerted himself, but the heavy yet dull pain in his head felt like he had a weight inside of his skull.

"Which reminds me," Rias said, blinking before turning to Shirou, "not to sound upset or anything, but the two major questions I should be asking: How are you alive and, more importantly, how did you manage to defeat...let's see...one, two, three...fifty?" It sounded as though she was asking Shirou to which he nodded. "Fifty stray exorcists and two Fallen Angels all on your own?!"

It was a question Shirou himself wanted an answer to. He looked at his left arm, clenching and unclenching his left fist, the torn and tattered bandages usually covering his arm partially unraveled as an effect of the various injuries and chaos Shirou had endured over the course of the night. Now that he was back in his right mind rather than a vengeance-driven state of grief, he could not help but think back to the odd event that had occurred after the abnormal boost in power he had received.

[Your wish has been granted...]

Shirou paused, blinking several times in rapid succession. It had been those exact words. He found it weird that he remembered the words with such clarity.

[This is not your memory, pup. I was simply reiterating my words in case you missed or misheard them.]

"Holy shit!" The outburst was stronger than Shirou had intended, the shock causing him to lose his balance and fall backward. "Who said that?!"

"I did." Rias said. "I mean, I literally _just_ asked the question, Shirou."

"No, not _that_!" Shirou said, quickly getting back to his feet so he could observe the room. "That weird, gruff, growl-y voice that just spoke!"

Still confused, Rias reached for her throat, rubbing it awkwardly. "My voice isn't growl-y..." She turned to Akeno. "Is it?"

"No, not _you_. It was a man's voice."

"OK, now I know you're exaggerating." Rias said, sounding thoroughly insulted...and a bit insecure.

[She isn't very bright, is she?]

"Oh my God-GAK!" Shirou cringed as sharp pain stabbed at his brain. "I'm talking about someone who isn't one of us! He literally just spoke!"

Frowning, Kalawarner placed the hand not covering her chest-hole to feel Shirou's forehead, as if checking his temperature. "Are you alright?" She asked. "I mean, _I'm_ the one dying of blood-loss, so you shouldn't be the one hallucinating or hearing voices in your head."

Letting out a growl of irritation, Shirou smacked her hand away. "I'm serious! I heard it loud and clear! I heard it after my Sacred Gear got that new form, too!"

"Wait!" Rias stepped forward, eyeing Shirou with a look of curiosity. "You said your Sacred Gear achieved _another_ new form? Are you sure?"

"Let's check." Shirou closed his eyes, focusing all of his power on summoning out his Sacred Gear. Once it was out, he focused his mind on the familiar form he had used less than ten minutes ago. He imagined the spear which shared the name as the legendary divine weapon of the All-Father. "Fourth Form: Gungnir!" There was a bright flash of light as Canis Regalia shifted forms again, molding and stretching into the shape of a blade polearm.

""Gungnir"?" Rias parroted, raising an eyebrow at the name. "Like the spear wielded by Odin?"

Shirou nodded. "Yeah...Dunno why I called it that. Back then, it was like when I first summoned out Canis Regalia." Shirou stared at his Sacred Gear, feeling more and more confused as time went on. "It was like a voice at the back of my mind...well, more like a gut feeling. Something imprinting this name into my thoughts. It was weird."

[Aye. That was me, pup-or rather, it was my instincts, power, and thoughts being subconsciously detected by you.]

"There it was again!" Shirou jumped, desperately scanning the area around. "Whoever you are, show yourself!" His behavior was quickly increasing the worry of those around him. "Come out here and die like a man, you son of a bitch!"

[For the record, you're lucky she's not around. My mother could, quite literally, squash you underneath her heel.]

"Shirou, tomorrow we are going to have you see a psychiatrist." Rias said, placing a calm, slow, reassuring hand on Shirou's shoulder as if he were a bomb who could explode at any moment. "It's going to be alright."

"I'm not imagining it!"

[Only you can hear me, my partner. Fear not though, you are not yet on the brink of insanity.]

"Who are you?"

"...Buchou, I think we should schedule that appointment for tonight." Akeno suggested, looking increasingly worried. "It appears his memory is starting to go as well."

[Simply speak with your thoughts and I will be able to hear you.]

"OK then..." Before he could consider Rias's response to his still-apparently-insane ramblings to a voice inside his head, he decided to attempt what the voice suggested. _"So you can hear me even when I'm speaking inside my mind?"_

[That is correct. You called to me in a state of desperation. Because of these powerful emotions, you awoke the necessary power needed to hear my voice and unlock more of your Sacred Gear's latent abilities.]

 _"...Are you a Zanpaktou spirit?"_

[...]

 _"...Hello? ...Mr. Voice?"_

[If it helps you understand it better, than yes.]

 _"OK, but who are you?"_

[An explanation for a later date. You are weary, so it is best we save this discussion until you are well again.]

 _"Oh come on! I just fought through fifty exorcists!"_

[You have grown stronger than before, yes, but you aren't in a state to retain extended contact between us. It is best that you rest.]

 _"Please! I have the power to move the fucking world and-You're ignoring me now, aren't you?"_

[Do not act beyond your limitations. You are still but a mere pup at the moment.]

"What was that!?" Shirou covered his mouth after his unintended outward outburst, having forgotten to think it rather than say it.

[...]

The voice in Shirou's head stopped responding.

 _"Fuck you!"_

However, he knew that the voice would not respond for the time-being. For better or for worse, he (Shirou assumed it was a "he" judging from his voice) was at least Shirou's ally...unless of course Shirou was actually insane and the voice in his head was actually a figment of the twisted imagination formed by his fracture psyche. In that case, he would probably be more inclined to do as Rias asked and see a psychiatrist.

"Anyway, Shirou, can you explain something to us?" Akeno asked, the atmosphere growing serious once again.

"I can promise to _try_. I'm still a bit dizzy from everything that's happened."

"Why do you trust _her_?" It was so unsurprising when Akeno pointed at Kalawarner that Shirou didn't even feel the need to react at first. "She's-"

"My friend," Shirou said, cutting her off, "and we aren't discussing this any further. She's done some bad things, but she risked her life to help us and I won't let you guys talk bad about her. Least of all _you_ , Rias." Rias raised an eyebrow. "I get why you dislike Fallen Angels what with the whole that was before you were even born, but she's the reason Asia and Issei are alive and well. Why can't you believe in her? Are all Devils Saints? No. They are creatures who are intimately tied to sin and countless atrocities, but you and I are still friends. I believe there are good Devils like you among the bad Devils just like I believe there are good Fallen Angels among the bad ones. Just give her a chance!"

An odd expression flashed across Rias's face, like she was impressed, but then another odd look took its place, like she was thinking before Rias narrowed her eyes, her expression stern. "Shirou, the Fallen Angels are our enemies. You can't trust them. I mean, sometimes I can't help but feel your ability to doubt others outside of our group is a bit lacking."

Shirou shrugged. "If I'm bad at doubting others, I'd rather believe in them. If I get tricked, I'll think about what to do when it happens. Things are simpler that way, so there's no reason to worry about it before it gets to that point."

Rias crossed her arms, but Shirou noticed something was...off about her posture. It seemed...fake somehow. "I can't have you serve me with such conflict. You need to pick a side: Devils or Fallen Angels. Your response may determine your punishment for these treasonous actions. In the worst case, you may even be branded a Stray-"

Akeno gasped, her eyes going wide. "Rias?!"

"Sshh, Akeno!" Rias hushed her. "I'm doing something right now!" However, something about the way she said it struck Shirou as odd. "So what will it be, Shirou? Fallen Angels or Devils?" She pointed at Kalawarner, the Fallen Angel feeling somewhat out of place on top of the harsh pain emanating from the hole in her chest. "Will you make enemies of us for her sake alone?"

From the expression that appeared on Shirou's face, one would have thought he had missed the question entirely.

"Don't be ridiculous." Shirou said in an obvious way. "I don't consider any of you my enemies. That's not how I think of you." Rias nodded, an expression on her face as if waiting for him to continue. The atmosphere started getting chillier again and the look in Shirou's eyes became much darker. "However, if any of you raise a hand to harm the people I care about, even if you are also my friends, I won't hesitate. In order to protect to protect them, I'll fight you with everything I have!"

"Shirou..." Awe and admiration filled Kalawarner's heart, her body trembling at how _manly_ he looked.

"If this world says we have to be enemies, then I'll change that." His arms hung limply at his sides, but his hands had slowly tightened into fists. "For Devils and Fallen Angels-no, for everyone; For Angels, Devils, Fallen Angels, all of them. I'll create a bridge that connects them all!"

"OK then."

"I already told you-" Shirou almost stumbled in surprise to Rias's response. "Wai-What?" That was not what he had expected from his Devil master.

"I have seen your resolve to take responsibility for your actions, so I see no reason to argue the issue further."

"Besides, if I still said "No", would you have listened anyway?"

"Probably not."

"Rias-" It sounded as though Akeno was going to object, but Rias held up her hand to give her pause.

"Akeno, it's time for us to have faith in our Kouhai, even if we personally disagree with his decision." She was saying yes, but she was hardly any more encouraging. Rias turned to Kalawarner next. "I am conflicted as to how we deal with you, though. You were part of the group that assaulted both of my Pawns several times, but, you aided them in escaping death. Because I already promised to approve of your relationship with Shirou, I can't severely punish you, but what happens next is something you and I must discuss in private at a later time."

It appeared that Kalawarner was (understandably) cautious towards Rias's intent, but gave a slow nod. "Very well, Lady Gremory."

"Good, we're all on the same page." Shirou said, giving a sigh of relief.

"Buchou, Shirou!" Everyone in the room turned towards the entrance as a familiar young man with brown hair came running in, hunching over as he struggled to catch his breath. Kiba appeared behind him, carrying a familiar blonde-haired nun on his back (likely due to her inability to walk or run very fast in a dress), Koneko appearing close behind them with the object she was carrying being obscured by the mist. "We came as soon as we could...to...help..."

The newest servant of Gremory paused awkwardly as he noticed everyone (barring those encased in ice) 100% alright excluding the Fallen Angel with a hole in her chest.

"Oh...uh...Way to go, Buchou! Akeno-san!" Issei gave a wide smile at the club's president and vice-president, but cringed when Rias shot him a reproving look (something Shirou tried hard not to enjoy). "I guess there wasn't really anything to worry about since you two are so strong...Hahaha..."

While Rias definitely wanted to reprimand Issei for charging in so recklessly, she decided to let it go. "Actually, it was apparently Shirou who defeated all of these enemies."

...

"What?" Issei looked at Shirou for confirmation, the latter simply waving with a cocky smile. "No way! There were two Fallen Angels and a few dozen priests! No way he beat them all!" It had taken all he had (and two holes in his legs) to beat a single Fallen Angel and yet Shirou had somehow managed to beat two Fallen Angels and fifty priests. Life was just so unfair sometimes!

The way Shirou's smile became more of a taunting smirk hardly helped the situation. "Get used to it, Kouhai~" He said. "I'm on a level you can't hope to reach~"

"...Senpai, don't make me break your arm again." Koneko's warning combined with her piercing eyes was enough to make Shirou immediately shrink away, hiding behind the still-wounded Kalawarner. After making sure Shirou was thoroughly threatened, she returned her attention to the person with the most authority in the room, Rias. "Anyway, I brought it, Buchou." And so she came closer to the group, revealing the "it" she was dragging in her other hand as a limp and unconscious young woman dressed in S&M apparel with black, feathery wings. If Shirou had not met her once before, he might not have recognized her due to the drastic change.

Yuuma Amano or, as she was better known to them as, the Fallen Angel Raynare.

The moment she laid eyes on the girl, Rias's expression became cold. "Thank you, Koneko." Koneko nodded in acknowledgement. "Now then, let's wake her up. Akeno."

"Yes, ma'am." Akeno raised her hand, conjuring a small sphere of water in the air before letting it rain down on the head of the downed Fallen Angel.

Raynare hacked and coughed as she almost suffocated on the deluge that forced its way through the orifices of her face. She slowly sat up, glaring at the group of Devils (and one traitorous Fallen Angel) that surrounded her.

"Good day to you." Rias greeted. "My name is Rias Gremory, also known as the next head of the House of Gremory. Even if it's for a short while, it's wonderful to meet you." Her sarcasm was as chilling as it was sharp. Like cold knives of ice.

"You think you've defeated me, but soon backup will arrive-"

"Oh, you mean the two Crow-sicles over there?" Shirou asked, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder to gesture to the two frozen Fallen Angels. Raynare's eyes went wide in shock, looking as though she just noticed the numerous humanoid figures encased in ice around her. "Yeah, I don't think they'll be giving you any help on this. Neither will the rest of your crew. In case you haven't realized, Kalawarner's on our side now."

The way the Fallen Angel who had shown so much arrogance before appeared to fall into despair was almost comical.

"Oh yeah!" Everyone turned their eyes to Issei as he remembered something. "That reminds me, she said she was planning to kill Kalawarner after the ritual was done anyway!"

A soft whistle escaped Kalawarner's lips. "Wow, I'm am very glad I changed sides." She smiled at the snow-haired boy beside her. "What do you think, Shirou?" However, she cringed when she saw the soft glare he was giving her.

"I'm still mad at you." Then he turned to Asia. "You, heal her. I want her to be _alive_ when I start bitching her out." While a bit surprised by Shirou's command, Asia nodded, getting off of Kiba's back and walking over to Kalawarner.

Kalawarner gave an adorable pout as Asia started to heal her wounds, but quickly returned her attention to her ex-comrade. "You've lost, Raynare. I warned you that defying Azazel-sama's direct orders would have severe repercussions. It was your own pride and arrogance that led to your downfall rather than considering the alternative solutions to our objectives." She turned to Rias with an accepting look. "Our group acted against Azazel-sama's instructions, so there are no consequences for "punishing" any of us. If Shirou hadn't frozen them all solid, I was a little worried you would show up and demonstrate the power that earned you your title as "Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess"."

"Wait-What?!" Shirou's head suddenly jerked in Rias's direction. "When the Hell did you get such a cool title?"

"I've had it for quite a long time." The pride at being genuinely praised by her rudest servant for the first time made Rias feel a little cocky due to how tight-lipped he was when it came to compliments.

"That's not fair! An irresponsible, over-confident leader like you getting such a cool nickname!?" Shirou complained, figurative arrows piercing Rias's ego, replacing her pride with irritation. "I mean, sure I'm called the Demon King of Kuoh, but it's not cool after seven years of the same thing. I want a cooler nickname! Rias, when we get back, I need help creating a cooler nickname!"

"Can we focus on the matter at hand?" Akeno asked, scolding both of them.

The two teens with abnormally-colored hair exchanged sharp looks, but Rias eventually managed to return to the matter at hand. Immediately, her eyes rested on Issei's Sacred Gear, then they moved to Raynare. "You lost because you overlooked Issei's Sacred Gear. This is [Boosted Gear], a Sacred Gear that is said to be the rarest of the rare. The Red Dragon mark on the gauntlet is the evidence. Even you have heard of that name before, right?"

"B-Boosted Gear?! Are you telling me that a Longinus is possessed by a boy like this!?" Issei frowned at Raynare's comment, perhaps taking time to process the fact he was just insulted.

Rias smirked as Raynare was left at more and more of a loss as time went on. "According to legend, the [Boosted Gear] can double the power of the possessor every 10 seconds. Even if his power starts from 1, it doubles his power every 10 seconds, and it can reach the power of the leader-class Fallen Angels and High-class Devils. And by mastering it, the user could butcher the gods themselves."

"Brutal." Shirou muttered. However, his eyes widened, horror appearing on his face. "Wait! Then that means-"

"Haha!" Issei pointed a victorious finger in Shirou's direction, giving a cocky grin. "In your face! I have more contracts AND the better Sacred Gear!" He fist-pumped into the air. "On your knees, beeyotch!"

His body had already been exhausted, but the "finishing blow" was too much for Shirou, causing him to collapse to all fours. "No way...Outdone by my foolishly perverted kouhai..." A heavy cloud of despair hung over him as Issei started to laugh at his misfortune.

"Don't get too carried away, Issei." Both boys turned curiously to look at Rias who suddenly appeared next to Issei, pinching his cheek. "No matter how strong your Sacred Gear is, there's no opponent who will wait for you to keep doubling your power. You won this time because your opponent let her guard down!"

"Ha!-Ow!" Shirou taunted victoriously only to receive a slap to the back of the head courtesy of Akeno. Shirou frowned, rubbing the place that had been slapped.

Akeno wagged her finger at him in disapproval. "You're hardly any better due to all of the reckless actions you take on your own." Shirou let out a soft growl of annoyance, but did not object to her point.

"But it's interesting. Just to be expected from my Servant!" Rias praised affectionately, patting Issei on the head with a bright smile. "Just like I thought, Issei is an interesting boy, so I'm going to adore you even more!"

"Why does Issei get all the praise?!" Shirou objected, cringing when Rias suddenly turned to him with a terrifying smile.

"Because, unlike you, Issei is a good boy who usually does as he's told." Rias stated in a disturbingly calm manner. "If you also desire to be praised, then stop stirring up so much chaos and being so difficult towards your comrades who are trying to be kind and helpful towards you."

"Y-Yes, ma'am."

"...Was that a crack I heard?" Koneko asked, tilting her head as if to listen. "Because I think you're whipped."

"Hey, fuck off! I'm not going to be whipped by anybody!" A small vein popped up on Koneko's forehead, her fist clenching at her side. However, he felt an odd chill when he noticed the _hungry_ stare Akeno was giving him, as if she was thinking something along the lines of "I wouldn't say _that_ ".

The potential chaos that was about unfold was prevented when Rias cleared her throat to gather their attention, the crimson-haired girl casually stepping on Raynare's ankle when she noticed her trying to crawl away. "Now then," The air became colder than it was before when Rias's dark look returned, "Time for you to disappear. Naturally, I will be taking the nun under my protection. Consider her the spoils of war." She continued when she noticed Shirou opening his mouth to reject, "Relax, Shirou. I don't intend to use her as a tool as these people have. She will be treated with the respect and care she deserves."

However, Raynare was still having trouble comprehending how badly things had gone south. "Y-You can't be serious!? This healing power is for Azazel-sama and Shemhazai-sama—"

"To live your life for love is beautiful," Rias said before shaking her head, "but you are too tainted with dirt. You have no elegance. And I don't allow that." Raynare's body started trembling even more fiercely when Rias raised her hand.

"Issei-kun, please save me!" Faster than Shirou could even blink, Raynare's form had changed. Her clothes had become something more casual yet less extreme than her S&M-style garments and her face had become the innocent-seeming girl she had been when she was first introduced to Shirou. Tears started streaming from her eyes, the only real thing about her appearance being the fear and terror in her eyes. "This Devil is going to kill me! I do like you a lot! That's why, let's defeat this Devil together!"

Even after all of the horrible things Raynare had done, Shirou could see Issei's resolve beginning to crumble, immense emotional pain wracking his body. It was hard to just completely cut off all feelings related to the first girl you loved.

It sickened Shirou to see her casually look at Issei with those eyes after everything she had done to him. "Shut up, you disgusting crow!" He moved forward to hit her, but found himself held back when Koneko grabbed his arm, staring at him with a hint of worry in her eyes. He couldn't stand to look at her either. With everything going on, he just felt so sick. He knew why he was feeling as such, but he couldn't understand it.

"Shirou-kun, can you not understand me?!" Shirou's eyes widened when Raynare's words were directed at him. "You were a normal boy who was put on the pedestal of a demon before your life even began! I know what happened! And These wicked Devils want to kill me solely because of what I am! Do you really think they would give the same punishment if it were a Devil? Can't you sympathize? All of those humans who mistreat you and hate you, who desire you to die for a reason that is unrelated to who you are?"

It felt like a dozen daggers had been subsequently driven into his chest before being used to rip his heart open. That was the horrifying power Raynare had with her words, Shirou realized. It was so much more than deception. Just from observing someone, she could learn what they desire most, what they fear most, and use it as a deadly weapon to control and/or wound them. How of if she even learned about _that_ , Shirou had no idea. But the thought terrified him. Even if it was a lie, Raynare had stabbed in one of the few chinks in his "armor".

He backed away, shoving his hands into his pockets before looking away. He received some curious looks from Koneko, Kiba, and Akeno, but he ignored them.

"Kalawarner, aren't you crueler than I am!?" And still, her attempts to achieve salvation continued. The Fallen Angel turned to her former comrade, sobbing without remorse. "You're guilty of the same crimes I am!" Kalawarner averted her eyes, an unsatisfied look on her face. "Aren't you just using me as a scapegoat to get away with a slap on the wrist?!" However, Kalawarner backed away from her just as Shirou had.

"No, Raynare. You're worse."

A sharp squeak of fear escaped Raynare when she saw how increasingly irritated Rias was becoming. Then her eyes rested on one person. The one person with a heart kinder than all of them combined.

With not a shred of self-respect, Raynare threw herself at Asia's feet, tightly gripping the hem of her dress. "Asia! Please, you sweet girl, you, don't let them kill me!" It was getting more and more pathetic as time went on and it was beginning to grate Rias's nerves. "Surely you could have some pity? You're the benevolent nun who was excommunicated for saving a Devil! Please don't let them kill me!" Asia looked as though she didn't know what to think. She was afraid, but she wasn't sure what to do in that situation. "Come on, you're a kind, forgiving girl! Surely you could-" She found herself cut short when the sharp edge of a sword was placed at her neck, Kiba holding the handle of the blade without any form of hesitation.

"That's enough out of you, Fallen Angel." Kiba said in a voice that chilled Shirou almost as badly as Akeno's could sometimes. For once, he wasn't wearing his normal smile.

 _"She's going to die."_ Shirou noted, his discomfort forcing him to glance at least once in the direction of the Fallen Angel.

Raynare gave one final pleading look towards Issei. "...Issei..."

 _"...Buchou probably won't leave a trace..."_

Issei shut his eyes, an expression of deep pain etching into his face before he managed to turn away. "...Buchou, I'm at my limit...I'll leave it to you..."

 _"She deserves it."_ Shirou rationalized to himself. Such was the fate of someone who used and threw away everyone who came close to them. When their back was against the wall, they were all alone. Nobody left to protect them.

If only he could stop the feeling of nausea rising in his throat as the nightmarish images he knew by heart once again flooding his vision.

Someone had to die. Someone had to pay the price for what she had done...

It was justice. It was what was right...

Why wouldn't she deserve to die?

Rias took Issei's place, shielding him from seeing what was about to happen. "Don't try to sway my cute servant."

It had only taken a single blast of demonic power to remove the person known as Raynare, who was also known as Yuuma Amano, from the world, leaving nothing but scattered feathers floating about in the breeze.

SLAM

It had been the sound of a slamming door that had quickly cut into the silence.

Rias closed her eyes, sighing. "I guess I should have seen it coming." Everyone had noticed Shirou leaving in a hurry, but none of them bothered trying to stop him. "Akeno, if he doesn't come back in a few minutes, go check on him."

"Yes, Buchou."

A part of Rias felt a little bad for doing such a thing in front of her older Pawn, but the leader, Raynare, was not someone she could just forgive for her transgressions. She didn't think his revulsion to the act would be so apparent. In time, she was sure Shirou would understand.

Rias turned to Issei, an expression like that of a wounded puppy on his face.

Issei needed time as well. That was what she had decided.

That was at least something her two Pawns had in common.

* * *

"Bleeeaaargh!"

Shirou had to lean on a nearby tree for balance as he released all of his stomach contents onto the ground. It was a painful three or four minutes. Every time he thought back to that moment, back when Rias had blasted Raynare, back to the horrified last expression she would ever show, Shirou found himself throwing up again. He had always known he was never good with horror or blood, but he had never expected himself to fall to pieces like this, especially not over someone like _her_.

That black-haired harpy had done horrible things to Asia, to Kalawarner, and she had probably done the worst to Issei.

" _I never expected a big, bad tough guy like you to throw-up just from seeing a corpse or two..._ " Shirou didn't even have to turn to recognize the voice of his feline friend. " _Then again, I don't really know what I was expecting, Shirou-chin~ I saw you go to town when it came to that icky, nasty Stray Devil-nya~"_

Shirou swallowed hard, trying to keep more bile from rising up his throat. Remembering the room filled with the corpses of Eliade's victims was hardly alleviating his nausea.

" _No hard feelings about me leaving you to your own devices?_ " Kuroneko asked with a slight pur.

Weary and covered in sweat, Shirou couldn't help but manage a weak smile. "None at all." He heaved a heavy sigh, turning and leaning his back against the tree, allowing himself to slide to the ground. "The reason you left us like that was because you knew we could handle it from there, right?"

" _Actually, I sensed that Gremory-chan on the way and decided to leave before she caught me~_ "

"That's your reason, you jerk!?" Shirou took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "Never mind. It's fine."

The cat tilted her head to the side, staring curiously. " _Why so glum, chum?_ "

"Dunno." Shirou answered honestly. He himself couldn't understand why he was behaving in such a way. He hugged his knees against his chest, turning his gaze towards the sky. Considering the hellish night he had had, it was surprising how beautiful the stars in the sky were. "Rias killed Raynare."

" _I felt her life get snuffed out._ " Kuroneko confirmed, casually flicking her tail back and forth in a hynotic fashion. She leaned forward, realizing Shirou didn't seem satisfied. " _Are you unhappy with the outcome? All three of the people you desired to protect are now safe and sound and all it cost was a single life. The life of an enemy._ "

"That's what's bothering me." It sounded wrong, but he felt _bad_ about the outcome. "I came here because I didn't want _anyone_ to die. I know everything Raynare did and her very existence makes me sick, but, at the same time, the sight of her dying right in front of me also made me sick. I should be happy, shouldn't I? In a way, I had avenged my inability to protect Issei before because the person who hurt him is now dead...but I don't like it."

" _How so_?"

"It's like I said. I didn't come here to _kill_ anybody. I don't _want_ to kill anybody!" Shirou repeated. "I mean, I should feel happy, but I'm not! I'm _upset_ that the person who had murdered my best friend in cold blood is dead! Why? Why can't I feel happy about it? Am I that twisted?"

" _Do you feel twisted?_ "

"I don't know...Would you think so hard on someone dying in front of you, Kuro?" Shirou asked, shooting a glance at his friend.

" _Excluding a few exceptions? Probably not_." She sounded so certain that it left a small part of Shirou uneasy.

"I see..." He banged the back of his head against the tree behind him. "I let her get inside my head, Kuro. Even if it was only for a second, Raynare managed to force me to think about it. The thought of what if what we were doing was wrong. With her last breaths, she stole what little satisfaction I had about the situation and now I somehow feel that it was wrong to kill my friend's murderer...Why? Fuck! I know it's wrong to feel happy about someone dying but I know it's also wrong not to feel happy or at least relieved about someone horrible who hurt those close to me dying."

Kuroneko remained silent, staring at Shirou with her golden-yellow eyes. " _Then I guess that just proves how much of a good person you are._ "

"Kitty-say-what?"

The cat sniffed, leaning forward to stretch her front legs. " _I'm no therapist, but the fact you're thinking so much on this proves you're not a bad guy._ " However, Shirou could have sworn that the cat rolled her eyes at him. " _A bit of a boring goodie-two-shoes, but not bad._ " She paused when she noticed Shirou's narrowed eyes. " _OK, OK. How about chaotic-good?_ " With that classification, Shirou seemed satisfied. " _If I killed someone, I already told you I probably wouldn't think twice, even if it was you._ "

A chill went down Shirou's spine.

" _Oh relax, I'm kidding-nya~_ " Kuroneko mewed, Shirou well-aware of the smirk she was probably hiding. " _You're one of the few people in this town that doesn't bore me-nya~ If you were gone, I would be even more bored on top of having nobody to mooch snacks off of. So don't go and do something selfish like dying or getting all depressed over the death of your enemy, mmkay-nya~? You're as adorable as my baby sister when you smile, so do more of that instead~_ "

Shirou raised an eyebrow. "You know, coming from a talking cat, I'm not quite sure how to take tha-" It was then that he processed what Kuroneko had said. "You have a sister?"

And for once, Kuroneko didn't make a joke. She looked like a deer caught in the headlights. She probably hadn't intended to let that tidbit slip.

" _Yeeaaaah._ " Kuroneko admitted, avoiding eye-contact. " _Anyway, let's focus on you instead~_ "

"Oh my shit's over and done with. I'm more curious about the fact my talking cat friend, who has lied to me for over several years about her ability to talk, has a sister of the same species." That single bit of information had completely ensnared his curiosity. "There are more of you?"

It was in her arrogance that "Kuroneko" failed to remember one vital fact about Shirou Fujimura: The moment animals or things of a soft and cuddly disposition came into play, there was no other item on the boy's mind.

At the very least, it seemed to snap him out of his funk, so she decided to roll with it. " _Yeah. A few of us._ " The cat answered vaguely, like she was trying to avoid the issue. " _You see, my and my baby sister are some of the few of our kind left. Most of us died due to illness like my parents or were killed off-_ " Inside her mind, the cat sighed, realizing how quickly she went back to the death and violence she had been attempting to evade.

"O-Oh..." Was all Shirou said at first, taken aback. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know-"

" _Don't worry about it. I've had a long time to come to terms with my parents' death, so I didn't think anything of mentioning it._ " And, as sad as it was, Shirou could tell it was true. Kuroneko was abnormally solemn, but not depressed, sad, or bitter. He hoped it was simply because time healed all wounds. " _We're endangered. Nothing left to be mourned or worried about. I'll try to stop it if I can, and if I can't, then I tried._ "

"Oh..." Shirou turned his gaze downward, feeling very awkward about the whole situation.

Kuroneko sighed, realizing she was bringing the mood back down. " _Anyway, let's focus on my baby sister._ " It was sadder for the boy who loved animal and animal-like creatures to hear one species was going extinct than a member of the actual endangered species. Kuroneko could not help but find that weird...and a bit funny when she thought about it. She always found Shirou to be one of the more amusing humans (and later Devils) she had met. " _I originally came to this town to check up on her_."

"Is she alright?" Shirou asked.

" _Oh no! She's not in trouble~ Nothing of the sort-nya~_ " Kuroneko could literally _see_ Shirou's body tense un-tense. " _We're just not on speaking terms for...reasons_."

"Like what?"

" _Like none of your business_." Despite the rude words, there wasn't much hostility in Kuroneko's voice. Maybe a little awkwardness (and maybe loneliness?), but not hostility. " _It's nothing you need to concern yourself with. I can't help but feel that your night has been eventful enough._ "

"Then maybe later?" Shirou asked, raising an eyebrow at Kuroneko's odd behavior. "I get your stuff is your stuff, but, I mean, you talked to me so I should talk to you about your problems. Something. We can talk more about it later if you want. See if I can help you out."

Kuroneko remained silent for several moments, looking pensive.

After a while, she said, " _I'll think about it...A girl's gotta have some secrets, and this IS my baby sister, you know~ Nya~_ "

"I understand." Shirou crossed his arms behind his head. "I really hope I can meet her someday. If you two are at odds, maybe I can even smooth things over. You know I am very "persuasive"."

" _About as persuasive as a playboy~_ "

Shirou snorted. "I can't tell if that was an insult or not." Kuroneko didn't indicate either specifically. She just continued with her expression of playful amusement.

It was probably the best Shirou was going get out of her for the moment, so he let it go. He gave one final look at the stars in the sky above.

"I should probably get going before the others wonder where I am." Shirou stood up from the ground, brushing himself off. "Thanks for the help, Kuro."

" _Anything for my precious food-slave-nya~_ " Kuroneko said. " _Also, if you could keep me a secret from Gremory-chan, I would really appreciate it~_ "

"What? Why?"

" _Reasons._ "

"...For someone who enjoys playful teasing so much, you are one mysterious cat, you know that?" However, Shirou didn't refuse. Kuroneko had helped him and Issei infiltrate the base without being caught. He owed her _something_. "It'll be no problem. Anyway, I'll-"

"Shirou-kun?" Shirou almost jumped out of his own skin when a third voice entered the conversation, taking him by surprise. He immediately looked in the direction the voice originated from, relaxing as Akeno's familiar frame pushed past the brush to Shirou's position. "Who are you talking to?"

"I was talking to-" Shirou opened his mouth to respond, but when he looked back, his feline friend was gone, nowhere to be seen. Shirou sighed before a soft smile appeared on his face, remembering the promise he had just made. "No one. Just talking to myself about how relieved I am that all of this is finally over."

He faltered underneath Akeno's suspicious gaze, but the latter didn't seem to detect his deception (or, if she did, she didn't address it further). "How are you feeling?" She asked.

"Don't worry, I'm not crazy." Shirou waved off Akeno's concerns. "I know I was talking to a mysterious voice who can only talk to me in my head, and I may still be working on figuring out where the Hell it's coming from, but do _not_ worry. I'm not crazy."

Akeno stared silently for five seconds. "Mmmmm-Yeah, OK." As long as he wasn't carrying out a brutal killing spree, there wasn't any reason to deal with the matter. "You doing alright? You left the room in a bit of a hurry."

And suddenly the mood took a turn for the heavy. Shirou sighed, leaning his head back against the tree. "Oh yeah...Sorry about that." Shirou cringed as he thought back to Raynare's final moments, unable to suppress a shiver. "I had seen a lot of messed-up stuff, but I think that was the first time I actually saw someone die in front of me..." Just saying it aloud in itself felt like a large effort.

"What about the several dozen statues in the chamber beneath our feet?" Akeno asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

"They're not dead, you know. They're just frozen." Shirou paused, blinking in surprise. "Oh shit, I probably should have told Rias that! They're probably still conscious even! I wonder if she's going to be alri-"

GOOOOOOOON!

Shirou instinctively jumped to his feet as the ground below his feet started trembling. There were several other sharp quakes, but then there was silence.

"...I'm sure she's fine." It was hard to tell if Akeno's smile meant "You're so adorable when you're being silly" or "Did you really doubt her?" smile. "To be honest, you should be more worried about what she's going to say about you leaving the job half-finished."

"...And now I know I am directly or indirectly responsible for the potential deaths of fifty others." Shirou realized, turning his gaze towards the ground. "Neat." However, it was clear from his tone that he thought the exact opposite.

"Does it...bother you?" It was easy to discern Akeno's confusion from the fact both her face and her tone appeared to be expressing curiosity. "I didn't think you of all people, and don't be offended when I say this, would be so nauseated by someone dying."

"No, I get it." Shirou said without argument. "I tend to be fairly brutal. I get into fights on a regular basis and I messed up Eliade pretty badly and tend to overdo things...but that doesn't mean I enjoy watching people die in front of me." It sounded so much more horrible when spoken out loud. "I don't know how far I would have gone back then if you, Rias, and the others hadn't stopped me, but I know it would have haunted me for the rest of my life. Beating someone without mercy is a hell of a lot different from watching them get snuffed out right in front of you. Watching them completely ceasing to exist as anything besides a incorporeal memory. It's horrible."

"Oh...Oh!" Shirou's answered had caused Akeno to do a double-take. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't think that...I mean, I thought that maybe you had hemophobia or just felt sick at the sight of corpses! I didn't think that-Oh, wow. I admit I feel a little bad now for thinking that...well...I just didn't know that taking the life of even someone so evil was...I mean-"

"It's fine. I know what everyone thinks of me." Shirou sighed. "I may only be capable of violence and destruction by most standards, but I don't think I could stomach taking a life after the fact. I don't think a person's life is something that can be measured as so light and cheap that it could just be taken so easily. So far, I've only arrived after the fact, but that was the first time I watched someone die in front of me, so I'm just a little shaken. I should be back to normal soon enough." Shirou stretched his arms, letting out a soft grunt of exhaustion. "Anyway, where do we go from here? Asia's safe, I believe Kalawarner's done enough to avoid a "death penalty", and Issei took out his bitch of an ex...so where-to from here?"

"We're going to put some careful thought into deciding what to do with the _Fallen Angel_ ," Akeno's lip curled in disgust as if it were some dirty curse word, "but, as for the nun, Buchou will likely provide her some temporary housing until we find her a more permanent residence. She can't return to the Church and we can't very well return her to the Fallen Angels in good conscience-"

"What about Kalawarner?" Shirou asked. "I mean, Kalawarner is on our side and she has her own apartment, so-"

"How do you know that?" It was only with Akeno's question that Shirou realized his slip. Shirou pursed his lips.

"...I plead the Fifth."

"We don't live in the States."

"I plead the First. Freedom of Speech."

"...You're lucky you have a cute face."

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "To be honest, I'm so tired. Right now, I just want to meet up with the others, get things all wrapped up, and then go home so I can go to beeeeeeee-" Shirou's voice trailed off, as if he was remembering something.

* * *

Back at the Fujimura Residence, one of the walls collapsed entirely. With the weakened support, it was only natural for at least half of the building to collapse in on itself, leaving about half of the house leveled. Somewhere underneath the rubble was the bed belonging to Shirou Fujimura.

* * *

"FUCK!"

And so, another eventful day ended in the life of the now-homeless Shirou Fujimura, only a single thought on his mind:

"Ka-san's gonna kill me!"

* * *

"Thanks for letting me camp out in the clubhouse again, Buchou. I REALLY didn't want to face Ka-san after disappearing for a day after our house was left in ruins and I didn't trust Kalawarner not to molest me in my sleep."

"Your house was completely destroyed and you literally had nowhere else to go." Rias reasoned, feeling a mix of amusement and bemusement in response to Shirou's gratitude. "I would have to be coldhearted to just let you sleep under a bench like a common bum while it's undergoing repairs. I'm upset with your disobedience, but you are still one of my adorable servants and I care about your well-being all the same."

"Oh yes, I can tell by the electric collar around my neck." Shirou pointed to the black dog collar around his neck with black spikes around them. "I am just feeling the love right now."

The two were sitting across from one another in the Occult Research Club's meeting room, Shirou's feet kicked up and resting on the table between him, his arms resting on the back of his seat. Rias held a cup of steaming tea in her hands and seemed to be rather passive about the whole matter, acting as though putting a collar on Shirou was perfectly natural.

"It's your own fault we needed to resort to this." Rias reasoned. "Not just for the disobedience but so we can keep you out of trouble. Whenever you display chaotic, disruptive, or hostile intentions unnecessarily, you will receive an unpleasant shock. You drove Issei to take part in something he wasn't ready for and you both could have been killed. I can't take that kind of risk with you again, Shirou. I've tried doing it the nice way and now I have to inflict some strict discipline. Tough love as they say."

After a short pause, Shirou pursed his lips. "OK, I get that, but, other than my objection to being treated like a dog, did it really have to have spikes?"

"Is that a problem? I thought you would have liked those." Rias frowned at Shirou's apparent displeasure concerning his situation. "Aren't pieces of apparel with spikes and studs considered masculine?"

"Yeah, with bikers and leather clothes and stuff, but not with dog collars on human/humanoid men." Experiencing an unpleasant chafing between his neck and the inside of the collar, Shirou tugged on it to give his skin some air. "I mean, with spiked collars, it usually means the wearer has something to do with gothic culture or has an apparent interest in masochism. Everyone will wind up thinking I belong to somebody. Like a bitch. All of the street gangs and other jackasses I put up with are gonna take one look and say "Oh hey, it looks like Fujimura is someone's bitch now"."

"You ARE someone's "bitch", Shirou." Rias pointed out. "You _know_ whose."

"...Yours?"

"I was going to say Kiyome's but that works too."

Shirou did a spit-take. "Hey, now! I am _not_ Kiyome's bitch!" He objected. "I'm my own man! I don't cower or cringe before anyone!" He failed to notice the third presence in the room until a shadow fell over him, all the hairs on the back of his neck standing stiff.

" _Oh Shiroooouuu_ ~" Kiyome's pleasant smile and musical tone belied her malicious intentions as she tightly gripped a clump of Shirou's hair in her hands.. The dark aura surrounding her was also another strong indicator of how pissed she was. "What is this Rias's been telling me about you stirring up trouble again~?" She yanked him out of his seat and started dragging him by his hair to the room's entrance. "It looks like we need to have a talk~"

"No, Rias, save meeeeeee!"

However, the crimson-haired Devil suddenly appeared to be particularly interested in her tea at the moment, ignoring her servant's cry for help.

"You bastard!"

"Good morning!" A moment before Kiyome could reach the door, it slid open to reveal Issei, the young man pausing to look at Shirou. "..."

"..."

"My, my, you came on time." Rias noted, avoiding the awkward silence the three by the door had fallen into. "How are your legs doing, Issei?"

Issei walked into the room, careful to avoid stepping on Shirou who immediately managed to free himself from Kiyome's grip, running behind the couch before Kiyome could catch him again.

"They're...doing fine." Issei answered awkwardly, watching as Kiyome started stalking around like a lioness about to pounce on her man. Even with Rias and Issei speaking, it was hard to take the current situation seriously with Kiyome chasing Shirou around while the latter begged for mercy. "Anyway, Asia's healing ability really is amazing. I don't feel any pain at all."

[Shirooooou! Get back here!]

[No! You're just gonna yell at me!]

[You're damn right I'm going to yell at you! You almost got you and Issei killed!]

Again, Issei tried to completely ignore the two, but their screaming and running was making it incredibly difficult. "Um, Buchou?" Rias lowered her tea, staring calmly at Issei. "If there are the same number of Evil Pieces as in chess itself, then it's possible to get 6 other Pawns besides me and Shirou, right? So will there be a day when another [Pawn] besides us will join?"

Rias shook her head. "No, my only Pawn is you, Issei..."

[No no no no nonono!]

Shirou leaped right over the back of Issei's couch, hitting the table in the center face-first. When Issei tried reaching out his hand to check if Shirou was still alive, he suddenly jumped up, rolling to the side as Kiyome lunged forward to grab him. The blonde-haired girl gave a sigh of annoyance before glancing at the two teenagers staring at her.

"...Rias. Issei."

[Kiyome.] They greeted in return.

Rias sighed as Kiyome casually pushed herself off the table and continued her pursuit of her boyfriend. "...you and Shirou. Although, to be fair, he's more of Akeno's Pawn than mine."

[You REALLY know how to make a guy feel wanted, Buchou.]

A hint of hurt could be detected in Shirou's voice as he evaded a sweep of Kiyome's foot in an attempt to trip him.

"You know what I mean, Shirou." Rias replied. "Shirou died protecting Akeno, so Akeno asked me to bring him back."

Issei frowned. "He didn't tell me that part. He always just told me that he got impaled by an ugly snake-lady. I assumed he just got killed on his way home or something."

"I think he might just be embarrassed about it-Ow!" Rias winced as a PENCIL of all things was chucked at the back of her head.

[Shut up, Buchou!]

Rias shot him a sharp look but said nothing else. "When reincarnating a human as a Devil we use the Evil Pieces, but depending on the ability of the person being reincarnated, more Evil Pieces will be consumed."

[Skip to the point, Buchou!]

Another wave of irritation washed over Rias after Shirou's recent interruption.

[Gotcha!]

THUD! CRASH!

There was the sound of something breaking as Kiyome finally tackled Shirou to the ground, Shirou struggling to get away as Kiyome tightened her snake-like grip on him.

Again, Rias sighed. "As I was saying, Issei, I used 7 Pawns to resurrect you. If I hadn't, it would have been impossible." She looked as though she was trying really hard to avoid looking Shirou as he crawled up the back of the couch, struggling as Kiyome tried putting him in a choke-hold while riding on his back. "And Shirou only required one of my Pawns."

"When I found out, I decided to make you into my servant, but I couldn't find the reason for a while." Rias said. "But now I'm convinced it is because you were the one who possesses the Boosted Gear which is said to be one of the supreme Sacred Gears, a Sacred Gear with a class whose name is shared with the spear that slew Christ, [Longinus], a power as valuable as it is rare."

"Wait," Shirou objected, "but I have a Sacred Gear, too! Why did I only need one Pawn? Is there that big of a difference between one of these Longinuses...Longinii...One of these powerful Sacred Gears and a normal one like mine?" The question was interesting enough that Issei didn't even take the time to gloat in Shirou's face about having more Pawn pieces than him.

"Yes and no." Rias's vague answer left both Issei and Shirou, who was still being choked by Kiyome, confused. "In terms of the powers they possess, the Longinus outclass normal Sacred Gears, which is why they are so renowned. However, even a normal Sacred Gear, if it possesses the power to harm supernatural existences like yours can, would normally require more than a single Pawn."

Shirou tilted his head to the side, raising an eyebrow. "But you said Issei took seven pieces and we're both Pawns and that I couldn't be resurrected with only one piece. So then that means..." Shirou paused. "I don't know what that means."

"It means that the Pawn I used to reincarnate you wasn't an ordinary Pawn." Rias explained as if that sated Shirou's curiosity. "You see, when Evil Pieces were created, people discovered an abnormality in the system. An abnormal piece that looked similar to the others but possessed greater power. It's called a Mutation Piece. If reviving a person requires more than one piece, then using one Mutation Piece would be sufficient in reincarnating that person instead of having to use several pieces. Mutation Pieces can be a Queen, Rook, Knight, Bishop, or Pawn. They are said to be very rare, and only 1 out of 10 Devils possess the Piece and I was fortunate enough to be gifted with two in the same set as surprising at it was. One Bishop and one Pawn."

"So my Pawn was one of these Mutation Piece things?"

"That is correct. I attempted seven Pawns with you as well, but only the Mutation Piece seemed to work with you." It was hard for Rias not to smile from the awed look Shirou had on his face. "So don't think you're any less valuable than Issei. I know what you think sometimes concerning how I treat you two, but it's wrong to think that I don't care for you."

"Awwwww~" Shirou could not help but be moved by Rias's words. "That's so nice~ That really means a lot, Bu-GAK!" Kiyome strengthened her choke-hold toss Shirou to the ground on his back. Shirou stuck up his thumb, speaking in a choking voice, "I'm okay. You two...go ahead and keep talking...I'll be down here..."

Without a second thought, Rias turned to Issei, smiling despite the fact her other Pawn was being choked to death. "Our matching is also great since its crimson and red, the "Crimson-Hair Ruin-Princess" and the Boosted Gear. Issei, first of all, aim to become the strongest Pawn. If it's you, you can definitely do it. After all, you are my adorable servant."

"What about Shirou?" Issei jabbed his thumb over his shoulder, Shirou taking the moment to throw Kiyome off of him and make a break for it.

[Haha! Freedom!]

[You're going to pay for that, Shirou! Raaagh!]

Rias turned her head, following with her eyes at Shirou continued running circles around the room, pursued by an even more enraged Kiyome. "Shirou is more like an adorable pet...or a wild animal you tamed to the point they become something of an adorable pet." She said, trying to be as tactful as possible. "Like a porcupine...or a bear...or a-"

"Or a wolf!" Shirou chipped in, panting. "Wolves are cute when tamed!"

"OR a wolf!" Rias agreed, nodding. "Thank you, Shirou." Then she turned back to Issei. "You are my adorable Pawn, so strive to be the strongest."

Rias leaned forward, kissing Issei on the forehead.

With the way Issei's face lit up, one would have thought he won the lottery.

"I probably should stop adoring you here." Rias said with a mischievous, amused smile. "The new girl might get jealous of me."

"Issei-san..." Asia Argento stood at the door, looking on with a clearly displeased face that Issei could not understand.

"A-Asia?"

"I-I see." Asia displeasure changed to disappointment and a hint of envy. Rias and Shirou were doing their best to suppress their snickers at how flustered the former nun was getting. "S-Since Rias-buchou is pretty, t-that's why why Issei-san also fell in love with her-No, no. I can't think like that!" Asia clasped her hands in prayer before either Rias, Shirou, or Issei could stop her. "Oh, lord. Please forgive my sinful heart-Owie!" Asia looked as though the inside of her head had been struck by lightning, rubbing her temples. "I have a headache."

"Of course." Rias sighed. "If a Devil makes a prayer to God, of course you will receive damage."

"Uu, that's right." Asia agreed sadly. "I turned into a Devil. I can't face God any more."

"Do you regret it?"

"No, thank you very much." Asia bowed politely to Rias in gratitude. "No matter what situation I am in, I'm happy as long as I am with Issei-san."

"Awwww~ That's so nice~" Shirou was then pelted in the head with a shoe thrown by Kiyome, the girl hopping on her one foot that still possessed one as she pursued him.

"Stop ruining moments!"

"I see, if that's the case, then its okay." Rias noted with an amused expression. "From today onward, you will also be my servant, and I will make you work along with Issei."

"Yes! I will do my best!" Asia replied energetically.

An expression of uneasiness appeared on Issei's face as he tried to discern how difficult Devil life would be for a former nun like Asia until his uneasiness was replaced by curiosity when Issei realized what she was wearing.

"Asia, that uniform…" Asia was wearing the girls' student uniform for Kuoh Academy.

"D-Does it suit me…?" She asked shyly.

"It's the best!" His tomato-red face made it obvious he was thinking a lot more than that simple praise, but he was tactful enough not to speak thoughts like those aloud. "Let's take a photo with only the 2 of us."

"Eh, y-yes."

"I decided to have Asia attend our school." Rias explained, stepping back as Kiyome tackled Shirou to the ground in front of her, mounting his torso while Shirou desperately tried to break free. "Since she is about the same age as you, and since she's also in 2nd year, I also had her put in the same class as you and Shirou. Today will be her first day, so make sure to look after her."

"I will be in your care, Issei-san." Asia bowed her head to Issei.

"Yeah. I will introduce you to two of my pals."

"Yes, I'm looking forward to it."

"Oh, God! OW!" Shirou whined as sharp pain pierced his skull. "I really am going to need to keep her away from Kiryuu!" It was hard to tell whether or not Shirou was joking because he looked so serious. "Kiryuu could even turn the purest of nuns into perverts! We have to protect the innocence, Issei! There's no other girls like that at our school!"

Kiyome's left eye twitched, her hand slowly snaking out to grab a pillow from the couch. "What was that, Shirou?"

"Uwaaaah!" Shirou screamed as Kiyome shoved the pillow against his face. "Mmmmph!"

"Soooo sorry I'm not innocent enough for you!" Tears were shooting out of Kiyome's eyes like a geyser. "Die, you jerk!"

It was around that time that Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko walked into the room, immediately taking notice of the spectacle taking place. It looked as though Koneko looked the most amused out of the three

"Good morning, Buchou, Issei-kun, Asia-san, Shirou-kun, Kiyome."

"…Good morning, Buchou, Issei-senpai, Asia-senpai, Kiyome-senpai, Idiot-senpai."

"Mmmph!" (Translation: Fuck you, shorty!)

"How are you all doing, Buchou, Issei-kun, Asia-chan, Shirou-kun, Kiyome-senpai?"

The group exchanged greetings as the whole club gradually came together, everyone greeting Asia as their newest member.

"Three new servants in less than a year, Rias." Kiyome noted, seeming a bit impressed while still smothering Shirou to death. "I heard some Devils go decades and centuries before they're able to fill up their Peerages, but you seem like you're halfway done!"

"I have an affinity for meeting interesting people." Rias said with a smile. "Anyway, since everyone is here, shall we start the party?"

With that, she snapped her fingers, a big cake appearing out of nowhere on the table.

"It might be good sometimes to gather in the morning to do these kinds of things, right?" Rias asked, oddly shy when everyone's gazes turned on her. "S-Since we got new members, I made some cake, so let's eat it together."

"Someone say "cake"!?" Shirou immediately shot up, unconcerned when Kiyome fell onto her back, no longer holding back on his girlfriend. "Why didn't you tell me we were having a party!? I could have made an _amazing_ cake!"

"It's true." Kiyome agreed, sitting up with a hint of dissatisfaction on her face. "When it comes to cooking, Shirou can't be beat."

"Next servant or celebration, I'm handling the cooking, Rias!"

"Well, if you're so dissatisfied with my abilities, don't have any."

"H-Hold on! I didn't say anything like _that_!"

"No. Too late. None for you."

"Kiyomeeeee, Buchou's picking on me agaaain!"

"It's fine, Shirou. You and I can just share a plate...and a fork...U-Ummm..."

"Ufu~ I didn't think you would get flustered from something as small as an indirect kiss~"

"S-Shut up, you S&M Queen!"

"...Somebody hurry up and cut the cake."

"Here, Kiba, you get the smallest piece, right here!"

"...You're so mean, Issei-kun."

"S-Shirou-san, what is with the evil presence surrounding Akeno-san and Kiyome-san?"

"For your own safety, Asia, don't get involved! Kiyome's a real monster when she's angry!"

"Don't think you're off the hook, Shirou!"

"Ah shit! She's pissed again!"

"What's all this I heard from Rias about you being alone with an older woman?!"

"OK, that is SERIOUSLY out of context!"

"Shiroooou!"

"K-Kiyome, put down that knife!"

"Raaaaaaaagh!"

"Uwaaaaah!"

"...Shirou-senpai can run real fast when he's being a total bitch."

"You wanna go, squirt!? I'll kick your ass!"

"Shiroooooooouuuu!"

"AAAHHH! Why does this shit always happen to meeeeee!"

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** The Day After The Next! Chaos in Daily Life with Familiars!

* * *

 **And so we bring an end to the Fallen Angel of Broken Promise arc...that's what I decided to call it just now. Deal with it.**

 **Anyway...Hm...I felt like there was more I was going to say here...Hm. Weird.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	23. Chapter 20: Daily Life and Familiars!

**FINALLY DONE! THANK GOD I CAN FINALLY MOVE ON FROM THAT NIGHTMARE!**

 **Anyway, sorry it took so long to post this. It's actually been done for like a week now, but I've been trying to get three chapters ahead so I have a stockpile. However, I recognized that too much time has past since my last update, so I decided to go ahead and post this. Unfortunately, now I'm only one and a half chapters ahead...**

 **Oh well. Here's Familiars.**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Which means I don't own shit! Try and claim copyright now, bitches! XD.**

* * *

 **Chapter 20: The Day After The Next! Chaos in Daily Life with Familiars!**

The moment Shirou woke up that morning, he knew that that day was going to be one massive headache.

He had spent the night sleeping on the couch in the club's meeting room with no blanket. And, befitting such an old school building, it did not have a heater. Shirou assumed that such an item was not necessary due to the fact that Rias and Akeno could warm the building with a snap of their fingers. He knew it hadn't been so cold the first time I slept in the building. He couldn't understand what had changed...at least, _at first_.

[It's because you're still adjusting to my power. You're unconsciously releasing your power which is lowering the room temperature.]

 _"Oh great,"_ Shirou thought to himself, _"this is back._ _"_ Either he was truly insane or the voice wasn't a figment of his imagination.

[I told you I would contact you as soon as you were in peak condition again, pup.]

 _"I was in peak condition yesterday."_ Shirou pointed out, irritation flashing across his face. _"Your help would have seriously been very appreciated back when Kiyome was trying to kill me."_

[I fail to see any reason to intervene in a situation where your life is not in any threatening danger.]

"She was trying to stab me with a knife!" He had so much pent-up frustration that he failed to use his inside voice, instead shouting out loud. He tore open his dress shirt, revealing a small, inch-long scar on the left side of his chest. " _And she actually did it_! What qualifies as "life-threatening" in your book?!"

[She missed your vitals and, as I recall, she only plunged the knife in because she tripped. Something about only having one shoe I believe...]

 _"..."_

[Aren't you truly the one at fault for having been so weak as to have actually been wounded by such a pathetic attack?]

 _"..."_

[It's honestly for the best that you received such wounds. Perhaps it shall temper your pride and instincts for the future.]

 _"..."_

[Even your reaction was like that of a sobbing pup. Pathetic.]

 _"You're such an asshole."_ It was all Shirou could say after the rather one-sided abuse by the voice in his head. _"And for the record, I did not cry! I-It's just some blood got in my eye is all...it stung and shit...Yeah. Anyway, why the Hell are you talking in my head? Don't you have someone else to be a prick to, yoooouuuuu...I don't know who you are. Who are you?"_

[I am the one who knows you best, pup. Someone who has known you since the day you first came into this world.]

 _"...That answers literally nothing."_ Shirou complained in irritation. For a voice that just forced its way into his thoughts and kind of took over the inside of his head, he was pretty cocky. _"Give me a straight answer or I throw myself off a bridge! If I die, you'll die with me!"_

[You cannot be serious.]

 _"1-Try me!-2-"_

[For the record, even if you die, I will not cease to exist.]

 _"2-and-a-half-wait-what?!"_ Shirou's eyes widened. _"How does that work? You're just a voice in my head, aren't you? If I die, you disappear as nothing more than a memory."_

[Let us get two things straight. First, I am not a figment of your imagination nor am I a sign of insanity. Second, did you not pay attention to anything I said last time?]

"I don't believe you and no I did not are my answers to your respective comment and question. I don't understand why you are not afraid of dying with me." Shirou replied in an orderly manner. "Although, to be fair, a fall from a bridge probably wouldn't kill me anyway. I fell from a rooftop once. A bridge is like only one step up the ladder...I dunno. It might work. I'd have to ask Buchou about it."

[Can we please get back to the subject at hand?]

BZZZZZZT!

"Hold on, I have to get this." Shirou pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and checked the Caller ID. "You know, it's weird, but I could have sworn I broke my phone already. No clue when I got this one."

[I thought we were-]

"Now who's calling me...?"

[Pup, I think you just need to-]

"Oh shit, it's Ka-san." Shirou sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, I've been evading her for the past two days. I don't think I'll be able to hide for much longer. I should probably pick this up."

[Are you serious right now?]

"No, not really." Shirou answered, suddenly returning to conversing with the voice in his head. "Not fun getting the short end of the stick, is it? To be thrown off by random occurrences or vague/open-ended remarks that ultimately make no real sense to you? Listen, man, you don't have to be a dick just because you can. Speak to me like a calm, professional adult rather than some prick who likes to mock others."

[...]

"So you are going to talk normally right now and you are going to give me some goddamned straight answers!"

[*Sighs* Fine. If you wish to know my true identity-]

BZZZZZZT! BZZZZZZT!

"...In a little while though because someone really _is_ calling me." Shirou said, pointing to his phone. "Can we pick this up at a later date?"

[What? But I-]

"Hellooooo?" Shirou greeted as he picked up the call.

[WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN, YOUNG MAN!?]

Shirou felt as though his eardrum had almost been completely torn through, wincing in pain. "Heeeey, Ka-san. How's it goooiiiin'?" He ended up talking very slowly, not out of fear, but because he was slowly figuring out that he was talking to a real, physical person and not a person inside his head who may or may not exist.

[Don't you "Hey, Ka-san" me, Shicchan! Where have you been for the past two days!?]

"Ooohhh, you know..." Shirou looked off to the side. "..."Around"."

[No, I don't know. _Please enlighten me._ ]

Even though Mikoto's tone remained level, Shirou could tell just from her intensity that she was actually upset with him. It didn't happen often, but Shirou knew that, when Mikoto was upset, it was a very dangerous time for him if he was unable to quell her anger within ten seconds of seeing her. Over the course of his life spent with her, he had had around a 50-50 success rate.

"Um..." It was hard trying to find a way to justify the things he had done without Mikoto's knowledge especially when he couldn't reveal _what_ he had done. Hard to justify an activity that she wasn't allowed to know about. "It was...Erm...I was busy with club activities for the past two days." Not a complete lie. It _was_ related to his club activities in a way.

[Uh...huh. And I suppose you had no knowledge of half of our house being leveled two days ago in the middle of the night?]

Shirou had done his best to fake a semi-not-really-believable gasp. "What happened to our house?! This is definitely news I am learning just now! I can't believe it! How could our house just explode like that?!" Even he didn't believe his own attempt at hiding the truth.

[Funny, I don't recall mentioning that it was explosive damage.]

"...Uh huh." Shirou said, rubbing his chin. _"Fuck!"_

[Anyway, while this certainly raises a lot more questions, there was actually another reason I had to call you, Shicchan~]

The way Mikoto suddenly shifted back to her normal, cheerful tone let Shirou know that she wasn't as upset as she had been before. Naturally, he would have to do more later to throw Mikoto off the trail and calm her down or, in the worst case scenario, have Rias magic her memories of the incident away or hypnotize her to stop being suspicious. While Rias was at it, Shirou figured that perhaps she could implant some pleasant memories that made Mikoto fond of the crimson-haired girl.

It may have been Shirou's imagination, but he sometimes had the faint suspicion Mikoto didn't like Rias.

"What was it, Ka-san?"

[I need you to meet up with me at the cafe so I can introduce you to someone~]

"...OK, who told you what? Whoever it was, they're a liar! Kiyome and I are still together, Ka-san!"

[OK, Shicchan, I admit I could have worded that better~ It's not a date~]

"So who is it? Who are they?"

[You'll see when you get heeeere~]

"OK, I'll get there as soon as I can. Bye."

[Love you, byeeeee~]

* * *

"Welcome, Master~"

Shirou was not emotionally or mentally prepared for what he encountered several moments after stepping into the cafe he recalled passing several times on the average day. Normally he avoided going inside because everyone always stared at him as though they expected him to singlehandedly rip the building asunder and chuck one half over the horizon and devour the other half (Not too much of an exaggeration considering his reputation). The only reason he entered at all was because it was where Mikoto told him to go...

After he had realized she never gave him a location.

It was only after he realized he knew none of the cafes in town that he decided to call Mikoto again and ask her for directions.

And that was when he came face-to-face with the forbidden sight that blessed his devilish eyes.

While older, she was a mature woman in the best of ways, possessing a curvaceous figure only a woman could possess. However, what truly appealed to Shirou was her outfit which was that of a maid. It hugged every single one of her curves sensually in a way that would have drawn the eyes of every patron of the cafe had Shirou's presence in the vicinity not forced them to look down at their laps, mentally praying that they didn't "become his victim" or that they be allowed to return home to their families.

Her waist-length, navy-blue hair was tied up in a bun and her brown eyes twinkled with a mischievous light, and that smile of hers was just as beautiful as it had always been. The only reason he was stuck in shock was the identity of the gorgeous, cosplaying woman in front of him.

"K-K-K-K-K-K-K-" Shirou had trouble saying so much as her name due to how wide his jaw was hanging open and how his tongue wouldn't stay in his mouth.

Mikoto walked between the two, smiling as she gestured upward at the woman who was taller than both of them. "Shicchan, I called you here so I could introduce you to our new housemaid, Kalawarner Smith~" It was surprising to see how cheerfully Mikoto was smiling. "She'll be starting to work for us as soon as our house gets fixed up~"

"Momma-say-what now?" Shirou blinked, taking a moment to process what his mother was saying. "A housemaid?"

"That's right~" Kalawarner confirmed. "Mikoto-sama hired me take care of your humble abode and help keep it in order~ Not just cleaning, but cooking, yard work, and tutoring~"

Shirou raised an eyebrow. "Tutoring?"

"I give skillful-ufufufu- _personal lessons_." Shirou's "danger senses" started to go crazy when he saw Kalawarner lick her lips seductively. "Ufufu~"

"Hahahahehe..." Shirou laughed awkwardly, realizing the horrible thought of how much serious danger his chastity was in. "OK, why did this happen-I-I mean- _how_ did this happen? That's what I meant...Yeah-no! Seriously! Why and how did this happen!?"

"You sound displeased to see me." Kalawarner said with a pout, leaning forward as she looked Shirou in the eye. Shirou only looked directly at her face because he was desperately trying to avoid looking at her cleavage. It was a difficult due to the fact that the top of Kalawarner's maid outfit had been cut off, possibly even deliberately, just to give a show of her marvelous gifts. "Don't worry, _Master_ , I have _very_ gentle hands~" She wiggled her fingers in a way Shirou could not help but feel would be malicious in terms of his purity's safety.

Shirou turned to Mikoto, staring blankly at her. "Ka-san, why are you inviting this woman to work in our house?"

The underdeveloped woman rubbed her chin pensively. "Good question...Hmmm..." For a brief, horrible second, Shirou's mind considered the possibility that Kalawarner hypnotized his mother into letting the Fallen Angel have her way with him. At the very least, Shirou suspected Kalawarner hypnotized Mikoto into hiring her. "...I guess I just found her to be a pitiful person."

"Huh?"

That most certainly had not been the answer Shirou had been expecting. He had been expecting some brainwashed "because it's perfectly normal" response or something along those lines. Mikoto's response was as unexpected as it was confusing.

"I found her lost and alone on the streets, Shicchan!" Mikoto said, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"I was living in a box." Kalawarner added.

"She was living in a box, Shicchan!" Mikoto sobbed, rubbing her eyes with her sleeves. "I was on my way back to my apartment after spending the whole day LOOKING FOR YOU-you're still in trouble for that by the way-" Shirou cursed under his breath. "-and I found her just sitting there, inside a box, no home, no real shelter, curled up into a ball."

Eyes narrowed, Shirou leaned in close to Kalawarner and whispered, "Is this true or is she just dramaticizing things?"

"No, everything she's saying is true." Kalawarner admitted. "After Rias Gremory (albeit reluctantly) spared a majority of the remaining members of my group, including _those two_ ," Kalawarner scowled, an expression Shirou mirrored as both recalled the second and third foulest of the Fallen Angels of the three who opposed them, Mittelt and Dohnaseek, "she submitted a report of our illegal actions to Azazel-sama."

"I assume you guys got punished pretty badly, huh?"

"Well, Mittelt and Dohnaseek got punished by being given brutal and grueling assignments while the stray priests were simply imprisoned." Kalawarner said, sighing. "As for me, Rias surprisingly relayed my involvement honestly. She explained that I was involved but aided the Devils against Raynare..." Shirou was taken aback when a heavy aura of despair covered Kalawarner's form. "...My punishment was to continue observing this town along with you and Hyoudou...without any funds from the Grigori. So I had no choice but to live in a box until the day my assignment came to an end."

"Oh..." Shirou turned to Mikoto. "So you legitimately hired her? No types of coercion or anything like that?"

Mikoto tilted her head to the side, smiling with an adorably and possibly confused look on her face. "What do you mean, Shicchan?"

"Nothing! Nothing." If Kalawarner didn't use any magic on his mother or if Mikoto didn't suspect she had been magically deceived, there was no reason to press the issue any further.

"I just felt so bad for Kalawarner-chan here that I just had to give her SOMETHING!" Mikoto said, tears steadily flowing down the sides of her face. "She can work for us in exchange for room and board once our house gets rebuilt~ A fair arrangement, no~?"

"Uh...huh." It wasn't that Shirou wanted to object. He just wasn't quite sure how to respond to what was happening. It was so sudden...

"So if you ever need any kind of relief, just depend on me, Master~" Kalawarner said in a submissive tone with a soft smile. However, Shirou could tell from the shadows on her face what lascivious thoughts were going through her sinful head. "I would be very skilled at giving you _relief_ ~"

Shirou found himself oddly okay with the arrangement. However, he experienced the distinctive desire to slap himself across the face for what could have been considered ogling another girl besides his girlfriend.

"Kalawarner-chan~" Only Kalawarner felt the heavy, malicious aura that seemed to radiate from the short woman standing behind her. Even though Kalawarner had seen many terrifying things over the course of her abnormally long life, Mikoto's smile would forever appear in her worst nightmares. Kalawarner could have sworn Mikoto's eyes were glowing red with evil intent from within the shadows her bangs cast over her face. "When we're alone, we should really discuss boundaries between you and Shicchan~ He _is_ a young man who is spoken for, ya know~?"

Her tone was more haunting than Kalawarner would have expected of her.

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" It felt like Mikoto was grabbing Kalawarner's heart rather than her shoulder. "I-I won't do anything r-rash!"

"Hm?" Shirou looked at Kalawarner, whose expression had been overwritten by fear and then back to Mikoto, the latter's malicious aura vanishing the moment Shirou looked at her. "Is something wrong, you two?"

"Yeah~ Is something wrong, Kalawarner-chan~?" Mikoto asked, still smiling brightly.

"No-No-No!" Kalawarner quickly shook her head. "Everything's fine~! I'll just-um-wait for you to call me for work~! Until then, I will maintain an abstemious relationship with Shirou-kun, Mikoto-sama~!" Kalawarner was speaking with the same cheerful tone as before, but it seemed a little forced.

"I see..." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward. "Was there anything else, Ka-san?"

BZZZZT!

Shirou felt a vibration in his pocket, reaching one hand in to grab his cellphone, not tearing his attention away from his mother.

"No no~ Just wanted to let you know what was going on~" Mikoto said cheerfully. "Just-uh-makin' sure you were still alive~ If something bad had happened to you while you were out, some bitches were gonna pay~"

"Yeah, the past few days have been rough." Shirou admitted with a sigh, pulling his cellphone from his pocket and looking at the name on the caller ID: Rias. "I mean, with everything that's been-Wait, what was that?!"

"Nothing~"

Shirou could have sworn Mikoto had just said something strange and disturbingly malicious, but then he shrugged it off. This was his mother he was talking about. He doubted she had a genuinely malicious bone in her body.

"OK then." Shirou looked at his mother with an apologetic look. "Ka-san, my club's president is calling. Can I get this?"

"Go right ahead~" Mikoto answered cheerfully. "Me and Kalawarner-chan will just go ahead and have that chat about "boundaries"~"

Shirou flipped his latest phone open and put it to his ear. "This is the personal line of Shirou Fujimura, this is Shirou Fujimura speaking. How may I help you?"

[Oh good. You found the cell phone Akeno left on your person.]

"Yeah, but why didn't she just leave it on the table next to the couch?"

[...I want to respond honestly, but I'm sure it wouldn't get through that thick skull of yours.]

"Huh?"

[Nothing. Do you think you could show up later? We have an event planned for the club's newer members including you.]

Shirou glanced at Mikoto, the shorter woman standing in front of a terrified, kneeling Kalawarner and quickly turning to Shirou with a bright, sunny smile. Then Shirou whispered into the receiver, "Is it normal club stuff or Devil club stuff?"

[The latter. Is this a bad time?]

"No." Shirou answered. "A great time actually. I think you've just saved me the awkward experience of having an at-length conversation with my mother concerning where I've been the past few days."

[I keep telling you, Shirou. If you want, I could always-]

"Rias, for the last time, you are _not_ brainwashing my mother!" Shirou hissed into the receiver.

[It's not "brainwashing". It's just _convincing_ her to believe something that isn't according to her beliefs and-]

"Noooooo!" Shirou's irritation started to slowly increase as a result of Rias's persistent attitude. "Not every problem can just be made to go away by mind-fucking people."

[We'll see.]

"Rias, you come near my mother with your magic powers and I will shave your head in your sleep!"

[...You're bluffing.]

"I'm really not. Unlike Issei, I don't have the desire to bone you."

[...]

"Too crass?"

[Just a little bit. Not untrue though.]

"You know, I meant to ask you; Doesn't it feel a little awkward knowing he's constantly picturing what you look naked?"

[Oh come on! It's adorable~ He's adorable~ Besides, why should it be awkward? I have a great deal of pride in my body.]

"Well, they do call you the "Exhibitionism Princess" for a reason."

[That's-Wait. Who calls me that?]

"Mainly me and Kiyome, sometimes Akeno when you're not around."

[...]

"...I did not mean to answer that so honestly."

[So can you come to the meeting room later? Sometime before this evening?]

Thankfully, Rias decided to just let it go. It was hardly the worst thing Shirou had said and, for once, it hadn't been meant in an aggressive manner. Likely something of a simple tease.

"Yeah. Just let me wrap up things with Ka-san and I'll be right over." Shirou said, glancing again at Mikoto who suddenly looked in his direction with the same bright smile as before. Shirou waved, receiving a pleasant wave from Mikoto in return. Out of the corner of his eye, he could have sworn he saw Kalawarner mouthing the words "Help me" before he turned away. "Also, when is my house going to be rebuilt? Ka-san wants to hire Kalawarner as a maid and Kalawarner is desperate for the money."

[...I'm not even going to ask. I've decided to not ask anymore.]

Shirou heard Rias sigh on the other end of the line.

[Anyway, reconstruction should proceed in the next few days. I'm still filling out reports on the Fallen Angel debacle and planning out the rebuilding process.]

"Alrighty then. See you at the clubhouse later."

[OK. I have to get back to informing the others...Don't tell your mother I called.]

A hint of fear could be felt in the last thing Rias said.

"What? Why?"

However, before Shirou could receive a response, the line went dead. Rias probably hung up on him.

Shirou raised an eyebrow, staring in confusion at the open cell phone in front of him. "Weird." The odd tension he sensed between Rias and his mother was as confusing as it was awkward. Rias always started behaving strangely whenever his mother was mentioned, always responding with the same vague answer or completely changed the subject. After a while, Shirou stopped trying to approach her about it. That didn't stop him from feeling curious though.

He looked back to Mikoto and Kalawarner, the two still casually talking with one another. Shirou then looked down at the time indicated by his cell phone. They looked as though they were going to be deep in discussion for quite a while. He had to find a way to get away.

"Hey, uh, Ka-san, I have to go and take care of some club-related stuff."

Mikoto looked up from Kalawarner, smiling sweetly at her son. "OK~ Have fun~"

Much easier done than said as it turned out.

"Oh...OK then." Shirou jabbed his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the door. "I'm just..er...just gonna leave then."

It was almost how scary how easily his mother was letting him leave after an unprecedented two-day absence from home.

"I trust you, so I will believe in you enough to forget about your abnormal behavior. You only get the one though."

Well that explained a great deal. Not exactly sound logic, but it explained it.

"OK, see you later, I guess?" Shirou started awkwardly backpedaling towards the door of the establishment.

Kalawarner tried subtly following after him, numerous beads of sweat rolling down the sides of her face. "I'll just go with him then~ Never know what assistance Master might require in everyday life~" However, she was almost jerked off her feet when Mikoto grabbed her by the back of her dress.

"Where are you going, Kalawarner-chan~?" Mikoto said with a dark smile that Shirou failed to observed. "I'm afraid we must continue discussing the terms of your employment." However, after Shirou fell just out of earshot, she dragged the Fallen Angel to her knees and whispered, "Like whether or not we need to have you fixed before I can trust you around Shicchan~"

"Wait, doesn't that only work for males? They're the only ones with-"

"-Cuts and gashes aren't the only things thread can sew shut forever. And I just so happen to have a case of iron threads in the rubble of what had once been my home."

"Eep!" Kalawarner turned towards Shirou, planning to beg for help, but the boy was already gone. Tears started pouring from her eyes. _"Just what kind of terrifying family did I get myself involved wiiiith!?"_

* * *

"Issei, what happened to your face?"

It was when all of the members of the Occult Research Club had gathered that Shirou noticed the heavy number of bruises and bumps on Issei's general head area. It looked like someone had run over his face with a car only to put it in reverse and back right over him...and then the driver got out with a piece of metal pipe and then proceeded to bludgeon him.

More pain seemed to wrack through Issei's body as tears poured from his eyes. "I experienced Hell..."

"...Then I guess you learned your lesson." Shirou looked at Koneko, the loli of the club's mouth in an almost perfect "n"-shaped frown.

Shirou looked between her and Issei several times, an odd sense of deja vu and a vivid sensation of nostalgia running through his body.

Shirou was sitting next to Koneko on one couch, leaning on his elbow which rested on the couch's arm. Issei sat in a single chair while Rias took her seat at the head of the table so to speak, Akeno and Kiba sitting on the couch opposite of Shirou and Koneko.

Asia was in the process of gradually reducing the bruising and swelling with her Sacred Gear's powers. "Does this help?" Despite the fact that the collective opinion of the club's majority believed it was warranted and well-deserved considering the fact that Issei's habit of hiding in the locker's of the girls' locker room to peep on them was a borderline crime, they didn't point it out to the nun who appeared to deeply idolize and bear great affection for Issei.

Shirou stared with an indifferent expression. "You really do not hold back, do you, short-stack?" While Issei was still the person in the wrong, it didn't make looking at his face (which had become _even uglier_ in Shirou's opinion) any easier.

"...You reap what you sow." Koneko replied with a shrug. What actually confused Shirou was how she had not hit him for the "short-stack" comment if she had, in fact, heard it at all. This didn't escape Rias who looked on with an interested look in her eye but did not respond to the oddity.

Instead, Rias turned back to her newer Pawn, sighing in astonishment. "Geez, Issei, why are you so..." Fantasizing about naked girls was one thing, but breaking into their locker room to peep without their knowledge was a greater degree of extreme.

"Ara ara." Akeno giggled in amusement. "You have to keep the level of peeping at girls changing at a moderate level."

Issei hung his head, his entire face aching from Koneko's merciless assault. "I got too carried away..."

"I will show you anytime when I'm getting changed." Kiba said with a pleasant smile as if there was nothing wrong with what he just said.

It took a few seconds for Shirou to even consider coming up with a proper response. He took a breath. "Um...Kiba, you want a few minutes to rephrase or even rethink what you just said?"

"Hm?" Kiba did not stop smiling. "You are interested?" It was clear he did not. Whether it was a joke or not, he did not take it back.

"Alright then." Shirou looked to his left at Koneko. "Koneko, trade seats with me. I don't feel comfortable being in Kiba's range."

"No." Was the loli's blunt reply.

"What? Why not?!"

"Don't think I missed that "short-stack" comment."

"Fuck..." Shirou squirmed in discomfort. He wasn't homophobic, but he had played Majikoi. He learned from Aoi Touma that the charming, bisexual prince-type was the most dangerous person to be around.

"Shirou-kun-"

"This is MY butt! MY BUTT!" Shirou screamed, scooting as far back as he could away from Kiba while covering his hindquarters. "Take Issei's butt instead! It's the only sex he's ever going to get in life."

"Screw you!" Issei snapped, wincing again from his partially-healed face. "Even if it's futile, I refuse to turn from the female body, no matter how underdeveloped or tiny they are like Koneko's!"

"Undeveloped….."

"Oh shit, Issei! Run!" The death glare Koneko was giving Issei betrayed her obvious killing intent, causing him to pale.

"U-Um, I'm very sorry, Koneko-sama!" Issei bowed his head in panicked apology. "Please accept the promise of an offering of numerous sweets and snacks as an offering in exchange for not killing me!" Shirou had taught Issei that one. The only sure way to avoid being brutally stomped into the dirt by Koneko.

"Issei-san. You shouldn't be peeping at girls getting changed…" Asia said shyly, wriggling around like a nervous schoolgirl (which she technically was now). "… I…if you want to see the naked body of women that much…I can..."

"No, no! You don't have to push yourself Asia!" Issei said, raising his hands and shaking his head. "I want to! But that's not it!"

Yet again, Shirou felt annoyed at how oblivious Issei was to the affection of a girl who obviously liked him.

"You look jealous, Shirou-kun." Akeno teased, smiling as she appeared next to Shirou, leaning forward in a provocative manner. "If you wish to, just tell me. I wouldn't mind sharing with my adorable Kouhai~"

Shirou's cheeks lit up a bright-red. He raised his hands, shaking his head. "C-Could you not tease me like that, Akeno?" Shirou asked. "After I got stabbed (by accident) by Kiyome, I've learned to be careful about talking about that kind of stuff. You never know where that woman is lurking, waiting." Akeno pouted, seeming playfully disappointed (or so Shirou assumed).

But seriously. Issei was an unbelievable idiot for not noticing when a girl digs him.

"So, Buchou," It was for the best that Shirou changed the subject, "why was it you called all of us here?"

"Familiars."

The response was so sudden and brief that Shirou had almost missed it.

""Familiars"...? Issei parroted it as a question.

"Yes." Rias confirmed as if that somehow answered everything. "You, Shirou, and Asia don't have one yet."

"And Familiars aaaare...?" Shirou asked, trying to lead Rias to answer the question. His not-so-subtle attempt made Rias give him a look of annoyance, but she moved on.

"A Familiar is an existence that waits hand and foot on us Devils. They usually handle the job of handing out leaflets which is shared by newly-reborn Devils."

"Wait wait wait!" Shirou suddenly got out of his seat, irritation on his face. "Why didn't you ever tell me about Familiars?! I've been a Devil for several months now! That really would have come in handy for all of the bike rides I went on into town!"

"I _tried_ to broach the subject with you two or three weeks into your life as a Devil," Rias defended calmly, "but, unfortunately, this was back when you were being..."

"An asshole?" Shirou guessed.

"I was going to say "difficult", but that works too." Rias crossed her arms, sighing. "Between that, normal club activities, and you being busy with Kiyome, there wasn't any real opportunity before now."

"I see..."

Rias extended a hand, creating a magic circle in the palm of her hand...

BON!

A small, red bat appearing out of thin air.

"This is my Familiar."

Shirou leaned in, eyes wide and blank. "...So cute..."

Rias frowned, looking at Shirou with a look of curiosity. "Excuse me?"

"Hm?" Panic hit Shirou hard before he quickly composed himself, shaking his head. "N-Nothing!"

"This one here is mine." Akeno summoned out a small creature with the appearance of a small oni.

"So adorbs." Shirou mumbled out before covering his mouth. Akeno raised her eyebrow, having missed Shirou's words but knowing something was off about them. Shirou felt his body trembling. He had seen cute pets before, but his ability to control his reactions weakened the more there were around him.

"…This is Shiro." Koneko said, raising a small, white kitten with hazel eyes up to chest-level. She narrowed her eyes as human-Shirou when she noticed him staring. "...What? I named him before I even met you."

Shirou shook his head. "No no, it's not that...um..." He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward. "I was just...Just wondering if I could maybe...pet him?"

The request struck Koneko as "odd" due to its timid nature, but there was no legitimate reason to refuse. "...Fine." She held feline-Shiro tenderly in her arms, holding him closer to human-Shirou as he cautiously reached out his hand, petting the cat's soft, white-furred head.

The cat seemed to pause at the unfamiliar contact, but Shirou's experience with animals helped him quickly discover the place he loved to be petted. While confused at first, feline-Shiro quickly started to let out purrs of satisfaction, nuzzling his face against Shirou's hand.

"Awwwwww~ He's so cuuuute~" Shirou squealed, face tinged with pink as he observed the small kitten's adorable reaction. "Who's a cute kitty~? You are~! You are~!" He continued affectionately petting feline-Shiro, making rather accurate cat noises to calm him down further as he was being petted. "Who gave you permission to be so small and adorable~? Huh~? You know what~? When I get back from Familiar-hunting, I'm going to buy you a treat~ Would you like that, Shiro~? Would da widdle kitty-witty like that~?"

"Ahem!"

Shirou paused, his entire body tensing as he came back to full awareness of his surroundings.

Rias, Kiba, and even Akeno were staring with wide-eyes, shocked, confused, and perhaps a little disturbed by what they had observed. All of them were blushing slightly, embarrassed just from watching the spectacle.

Issei and Koneko, the only two to have ever observed "that side" Shirou possessed, simply averted their gazes. Asia, the girl raised with an abnormal lifestyle by the Church, was the only person unaffected by the "event".

It took a moment for Shirou to realize they had all been watching him. Another moment for his face to completely light up red.

Shirou narrowed his eyes, glaring at all of them. "You all saw _nothing_." Kiba opened his mouth to say nothing. "NOTHING!"

"You really care for you animals, don't you, Shirou-san?" Asia asked innocently.

"Shut up!"

"I don't understand why you are so embarrassed about-"

"ShutupShutupSHUTUP!" Shirou got up out of his seat, crossing his arms in a huff and walking to the other side of the room, his back turned to the others. They could still see the red that had spread even all the way to his ears. "Buchou, can we just GO!?"

"OK...uh...sure..." Rias knew there was another point she wanted to add to her explanation of Familiars, but, for the life of her, it was hard to think about anything after seeing something like what just happened. "E-Everyone, l-let's go catch some Familiars!"

[R-Right...]

And so it was decided that the events of what occurred at the end of that horribly awkward meeting would be struck from the records of the Occult Research Club, torn from the books of history and burned forever.

* * *

The group was silent after the light from the magic circle faded, leaving them in the midst of a dark and monstrously-huge forest that would have been more frightening had they not had the superior vision Devils possessed.

When it came to the dark, it wasn't so scary anymore. The things lurking IN the no-longer-dark dark were the only things to be afraid of.

"Well this place doesn't seem **Familiar**. HAHAHAHAHAHA!" Not a single person responded to Shirou's pun, a pun that had been an attempt to try and forget about what had transpired shortly before they left. He didn't blame everyone for their awkward silence. They needed time to cope. Odds are that, in the end, they would simply choose to repress it and continue business as normal.

"...Pfft!" Asia covered her mouth, trying to suppress giggles. "I get it, Shirou-san!"

Ordinarily, one would have thought Asia was simply patronizing him, but Shirou knew she was too pure and naive to do something like that.

Her sense of humor was the thing to be worried for if she actually found that funny.

"So this is the place where we're getting Familiars from?" Shirou asked, trying to obtain some sense of direction in a forest where every direction looked exactly the same.

Rias nodded. "Yes. This is the Familiar Forest, the place where people may make pacts with creatures who become their Familiars."

""Familiar Forest", huh?" Shirou said with half-lidded eyes. "You can tell they put a lot of thought into that name."

"It doesn't matter what it's called." Rias stated in response to Shirou's poor attitude. "This is where many Devil Familiar-users live and it is where you, Issei, and Asia will be obtaining your Familiars from. It is inhabited by a variety of creatures from normal animals like rabbits and pigeons to more powerful beasts such as Dragons and even spirits who can also be made into Familiars."

Shirou paused. "Wait...Did you say "spirits"? L-Like "ghosts"?" Even with Devil vision, it would have been difficult to perceive how the color was draining out of Shirou's face.

"Yeeeaaah." Rias answered with a raised eyebrow. "Why?"

"N-No-Nothing! Nothing." Shirou shook his head so fast that it looked as though his head would fall right off his neck. "I'm fine with s-spirits of the dead which is scientifically non-existent. If anything, I-I believe more in UMA and Atlantis than ghosts!" His tone was (almost) perfectly calm, but his body was trembling.

However, everyone stared with curious eyes at Shirou's hands which were each clutching at Issei's and Asia's respectively.

Issei looked up at Shirou and then down at the hand holding his own. "Err... Shirou, what is this?" He looked down at his hand and back to Shirou's still-sweating and increasingly pale face. One would have thought he was holding Issei's hand for dear life. "No seriously. What the hell?"

"Hm?" Shirou perked up, blinking rapidly. "What? I'm just making sure that you two won't get lost or injured. Can't you see that this place is too dangerous for a fragile flower like Asia? Besides, you two are my junior Devils after all.

Asia tried lifting up her hand, but Shirou's grip was too tight. "Shirou-san, are you okay? Your hand is sweating... and you're holding my hand a bit too tight..." Asia started letting grunts of pain, trying to yank her hand away.

Everybody kept staring at Shirou, curious as to his odd behavior. Akeno was the first to come up with an idea and decided to test her most recent theory about Shirou's odd behavior.

"Ah, there's a woman with pale skin on Shirou's back."

Then, faster than Yuuto's knight speed, Shirou lunged into a nearby bush, disappearing into its depth.

Everybody became even more suspicious at the sight of Shirou's lower-half sticking out from the bush.

"...Shirou, what are you doing over there?" Rias asked.

It took few seconds until Shirou came out with his still stony yet pale expression. "...I-I thought that I saw some UMA or something around here. Y-Y'know, potential F-Familiars."

"...Senpai's scared." Koneko noted with mild amusement.

Shirou's expression contorted into one of frustration. "Hey! I am not afraid of anything or anyone!"

"Get daze!"

"AAHH! RIFLE MODE!"

Shirou immediately summoned out his Sacred Gear in its rifle form, firing a random shot in the vicinity of the voice that spoke.

"I will bury you, spirit!" Shirou screamed, keeping the barrel of his gun trained on the source of the voice.

"Oho! What sharp reflexes! There may just be hope for you yet if you wish to catch a good Familiar!"

Blinking at the seemingly humane figure (despite the fact he looked like an old man in clothes for a teenager), Shirou let a sigh of relief followed by an awkward laugh."O-Oh! Hahaha! I-I thought you might be a ghos-no, I mean, a... hostile. An enemy! Yeah, I thought you're an enemy ambushing us!"

The man rubbed his head, looking at the massive hole that had been blasted clean through the tree next to him. "Let's hope you can hone those skills to deal non-fatal damage! Haha!" For a man who had almost had the upper half of his body either frozen or reduced to nothing, he was oddly care-free and cheerful.

"Haha...ha..." Shirou stared blankly at the man for several seconds before raising the barrel of his gun again. "OK, you have five seconds to explain who you are before I kill you for real. Five-Four-"

"My name is Satouji of Madara Town!" The man greeted with a cheerful grin before Shirou could continue his countdown. "I'm a Devil-in-training, aiming to become the Familiar Master! Get daze!"

Shirou paused for a moment, staring with half-lidded eyes as he turned off the safety.

"Three-two-" However, his gun was smacked away by Rias's hand, the crimson-haired girl giving him a scolding look. She quickly turned back to the odd man in the poorly-fitting clothing.

"Satouji-san, I brought the ones I spoke of."

"Wait," Shirou turned to Rias, pointing at Satouji, "this clown is the guy who's supposed to help us get our Familiars?"

"That "clown" happens to be a growing expert on the numerous types of species capable of being tamed as Familiars." Rias pointed out. "He's also the one who may decide to only help you get a tiny mouse if you don't behave yourself." The threat was hardly subtle, so Shirou decided to bite his tongue for the moment.

"Heehee! Besides the thug-looking boy with good instincts, there's a dull-face boy and a blonde beauty huh?" Satouji appeared as though he was suddenly pumped up. "OK! Leave it to me! If it's me any Familiar immediately would be 'get daze'!"

"Dull-faced...?"

"Who's he calling a "thug"?"

The feelings of irritation and annoyance were hardly hidden by Issei and Shirou's faces.

"Just don't show Shirou-kun any spirit-type Familiars~" Akeno teased. "He's really afraid of ghosts~"

Shirou growled, glaring as all of his friends did their best to suppress snickers. "You know what!?" He snapped. "Fine! I'm afraid of ghosts! Happy now!? But you know what else?! That's perfectly fine! It's fair to be afraid of ghosts! They're creepy and all white and you can't hit them like you can giant, ugly monsters! You can't punch a ghost! THEY'RE INVISIBLE! And punching and kicking is pretty much my thing!"

"I think you mean "intangible"." Kiba corrected.

"Same difference!"

"Alrighty then! I'll cross out the various Ghouls and Evil Spirits of potential Familiars then!" Satouji said, pulling out a literal _list_ from his pocket along with a pen, dragging several lines through items on it. "Now, what type of familiar do you desire? Strong one? Fast one? Or one with poison?"

"Don't say something scary like poison-type all of a sudden." Issei said, trembling at the thought of whatever monsters could have been lurking in the forest. "So, what type do you recommend?"

"Personally, I want a strong one." Shirou answered bluntly. "A wicked strong one."

[What a surprise.]

Everyone aside from Shirou and Satouji murmured in perfect unison.

Satouji smiled as if Shirou had suddenly started speaking his language. "If power is what you're after," He pulled out what looked like a catalog from his bag, "then this is what I would recommend! One of the Dragon-Kings, the Chaos Karma Dragon, Tiamat! It's a legendary dragon! It's also the only female among the Dragon-Kings! Even now, there hasn't been a Devil who has caught her yet! That would be obvious since she's said to be as strong as a Maou!"

"Sounds bitchin'!" Shirou exclaimed, grinning like a kid in a candy store. "If I ever want to rise from my current station, I could use a Final Boss-level Familiar at my side! Where she at?!"

"You can't be serious..." Issei said, sweatdropping. "She's a Dragon who has never been tamed!"

"Then I'll be even more famous for being the first!"

"You'll be famous as the idiot who actually went through with it and got himself killed!" Issei turned to Rias, hoping for the voice of reason to speak her peace. "Buchou, tell him that it's a stupid idea!"

However, Rias's expression appeared to be far from one of disagreement.

"Actually, I think Shirou's plan sounds good." It was at those words that every other member of the club (excluding Asia and Shirou) stared as if she was crazy. "With his fiery personality, taming such an existence may not be outside the realm of possibility. I mean, he's made friends with a Fallen Angel and he's survived many wounds that should have made him bleed to death. I think he should go for it."

"See! Even Rias thinks it's a good idea!"

Issei blinked once. Then twice. "OK, Buchou, let's get one thing straight." Issei pointed at Shirou. "You think Shirou's plan is a good idea?"

"Yeah. Why?" Rias asked.

"You think SHIROU'S plan is a good idea?"

"What are you getting at, Issei?"

Kiba scratched his cheek nervously. "Um, I think he's trying to get you to remember all of the other times Shirou had a "plan"." It was that comment that finally made Rias pause, thinking back over the situation. " _Shirou_ thinks this is a good idea, Buchou." Rias blinked once. Then twice.

"Oh dear Devil lord, what was I thinking?" Rias brushed her hair out of her face, taking a deep breath. "If he doesn't get killed by it, he'll probably end up killing someone else with it!"

"Hey!"

"...Senpai would probably destroy an entire city in the process."

"Shirou-kun does have the most destructive tendencies when it comes to collateral damage~"

"A dangerous person like Shirou and a dangerous being like Tiamat working together would probably not work out well."

"Oh, all of you guys can just go straight to Hell." Shirou huffed before turning his back to his so-called friends.

"Satouji-san," Rias turned back to the Familiar Master-in-training, a serious expression on her face, "please make sure Shirou doesn't get anything dangerous enough to destroy an entire city let alone a country."

Satouji rubbed his chin, examining the group curiously. "I'm getting the vibe that the thug-looking boy is the most chaotic of the bunch-"

[You hit the nail on the head there.]

"-so I'll try to get him something below Ultimate-Class." Satouji pointed towards one of the directions in the forest. "Onward! Surely we'll find a suitable Familiar! I promise to help him catch one that matches him as an individual!"

"Can I get a cute one?" Asia asked innocently.

"Right after we find one for the blonde beauty!" Satouji was suddenly filled with an odd enthusiasm after observing Asia's cute expression.

"The fuck!?" And that was how Shirou learned the lesson of how life was easier and more convenient for girls with adorable looks.

"Onward! Let us go and begin our journey to become Familiar Masters!"

Shirou had the distinct feeling, as he followed after the hyperactive Satouji, that it was going to be a long day.

* * *

"Listen up." Satouji said as the group came to a stop in the middle of an un- **Familiar** lake. "This area is special due to the sprites that live here." The members of the Occult Research Club all looked on with avid interest and curiosity as they explored the Familiar Forest...well, except for one of them.

"This is stupid." Shirou huffed, crossing his arms with dissatisfaction on his face. "Who cares about some stupid sprite thing?"

Rias waved off Shirou's complaints when Satouji looked as though he was about to retort. "Don't worry about him. He's just being grumpy because we're not going to let him start an apocalypse by trying to tame a Dragon King." A harsh, throaty growl rumbled in Shirou's throat. "Shirou, you stir up enough chaos on your own. We don't need you partnering up with a being whose power could rival a Maou's."

"Hmph! Screw you guys! I can totally rock that shit! Y'all's just bein' bitches!"

"You better not give me any lip, Shirou." Rias warned. "I don't want to hear it."

"You better not give me any lip, Shirou!" Shirou mocked with a disturbingly impressive impersonation. "I don't want to hear it!" Everyone stared in surprise.

"Whoa...that was..." Issei looked between Rias and Shirou. "...trippy."

If Issei hadn't seen the words come from Shirou's mouth, he would have genuinely thought it was Rias who said them. That's how well Shirou mimicked their club president's voice.

Shirou's face showed a smug look full of pride. "Well, due to the amount of time I had to myself before joining the club, I got bored and decided to practice impersonations. It's gotten to the point I can copy someone's voice just by speaking with them regularly. When I wasn't fighting or at school, I had nothing else to do really. Sometimes I practiced an original voice just to pretend I had someone to talk to..." Awkward silence filled the air. _"Shit. I didn't mean to say that out loud."_

"That's weird."

"That's weird." Shirou repeated in a perfect Issei-voice.

"OK, you made your point."

"OK, you made your point."

"Buchou, tell Shirou to stop it!"

"Buchou, tell Shirou to stop it!"

"Shirou, this is your last warning," Rias said, narrowing her eyes at her older Pawn, "stop misbehaving."

"Shirou, this is your last warning: Stop misbehaving."

"Akeno, the collar."

"Yes, ma'am~"

"Wait-Shit-No!"

Shirou started clawing at the collar around his neck several moments before it emitted a sharp electrical shock through his body.

Shirou twitched and convulsed involuntarily as Akeno kept her index finger pressed on a button on a remote nobody recalled her having moments prior.

"Gaaah!" Shirou growled, eyeing Rias with an unhealthy amount of anger. "Fuck! You crazy bitch! I can't believe you did that!"

"What? Did you think I was bluffing?" Rias placed her hands on her hips. "I believe it's called "Operant-Conditioning". If you do something bad, you will receive punishment in the form of several dozen volts being sent through your body. This is done to discourage you from repeating these actions."

"And if I'm "good"?"

Issei snorted while everyone else hid their own respective reactions of amusement.

Shirou rolled his eyes. "Oh HA HA HAHAHAHA HA HA HAAAAA...HA!" Shirou clicked his tongue. "Assholes." He gritted his teeth as another wave of voltage was sent coursing through his body. "What the fuck!?"

"It's rude to talk about your friends like that."

"Oh yeah! The friends who enjoy unethically disciplining me with electro-shock therapy! With friends like you, who needs enemies!?"

"Relax, Shirou." Rias said as though Akeno HADN'T just electrocuted him for the second time. "As soon as you have proven we don't have to check up on you every five minutes to make sure you're not about to get yourself killed, I will gladly remove the collar."

"Can you at least give the remote to someone _other_ than Akeno?" Shirou asked, jabbing a finger at the Yamato Nadeshiko-type woman waving pleasantly back at him.

"Why?"

"You _know_ why."

"..."

"..."

"Fair enough." Rias decided, looking pensive. She stretched out her hand to Akeno, gesturing for her to hand her the remote. "Come on, Akeno. We both know you can't be trusted in the long-run."

Akeno pouted playfully. "Awww~ It looks like my fun's over already~" She sounded as if she had been told her friends had to leave after a day at the mall. "I was so looking forward to _training_ Shirou-kun~"

A shiver traveled down Shirou's spine at the thought of what "training" meant.

He looked back to the glittering, sacred lake in front of them, sighing. "It's just a shame I couldn't even meet Tiamat. She sounds like a pretty strong Dragon."

"Maybe when you're stronger, Shirou." Rias said, trying to soothe the disappointment her first Pawn felt. "At the moment, even if I did let you meet her, there is a high chance you would only end up getting yourself killed. She's an opponent even a Maou would think twice about fighting."

"...I see..."

"Ahem!" Satouji cleared his throat, gathering everyone's attention. "You may want to be quiet. The Undines who live in this lake won't come out if there's too much of a disturbance."

Everyone nodded, quieting down after Shirou gave one more final grunt of dissatisfaction.

Undines, as Shirou recalled, were known as water sprites, possessing a pure heart and a beautiful body. However, despite this, they were said to have impressive elemental abilities. Shirou couldn't care less about what they looked like (unlike Issei who was drooling at the thought of the things he could do with the female spirit), but what he needed was a Familiar with a power that complimented his own or at least gave him an edge in a fight. He disregarded this when it came to Tiamat who was supposedly Maou-Class because her power would make abilities compatibility obsolete as a necessity. For any other Familiar, he had no such luxury.

He could deliver leaflets normally, but he needed a partner to aid him in battle should he end up on his own again. Every situation up to that point, he had been saved by dumb luck or a power boost courtesy of the mysterious being who claimed to be part of his power. If he obtained a Familiar with the power to fight alongside him, he wouldn't have to end up in a situation where he needed to be saved ever again.

He had slowly been learning more about the abilities of Canis Regalia ever since his fight against the Fallen Angels. It had taken him a while, but he was slowly beginning to see connections between its multiple forms and its true power. It had taken a few tests, but he knew enough about it that he felt confident to use it more efficiently. The only reason he hadn't gone forward with what he knew to Rias yet was because he wanted to wait until he had something to impress her with. Something that made a genuine difference.

If he got a Familiar like an Undine whose powers complimented the ice-type capabilities of Canis Regalia, that would only increase the usefulness of his Sacred Gear.

"B-Buchou, since it would be my familiar, I can do whatever I want with it right?" Issei's stupid comment was what snapped Shirou out of his thoughts, long enough to shoot Issei a disgusted look.

"Yes, do as you like." Rias confirmed. "It would become your Familiar after all." Her words drove Issei to tears as he seemed to slip off into a lecherous fantasy involving a fairy-like woman.

"Really, Issei? Is there any line you won't cross?" Shirou shook his head before leaning back against a nearby tree. "Have some class, man."

"I can't get a girlfriend you like you did! Leave me alone!"

The argument that was bound to ensue when Satouji interrupted them, "Oh, the lake started glowing. The Undine should make its appearance." With that, Issei immediately forgot about Shirou and focused his perverted eyes on the lake as it began to radiate a beautiful light.

And the one that appeared was a being with light-blue hair sparkling like lights, who was wearing a transparent robe over its…gigantic, body-builder-type body. The behemoth that appeared from the water looked like a monster trained to kill with a fierce gaze that fit that description. Each of its muscles were bigger than Shirou's waist and its face had several scars.

"What the Hell is that!?" Issei asked, pointing at the creature that appeared from the water. "Kill it with fire!"

"I thought you said you wanted the Undine?" Satouji asked, looking as though he didn't understand the cause of Issei's shock.

Shirou whistled as he looked on from the back of the group. "That's a big ol' of son of a bitch." Just looking at its (apparently HER) overwhelming, superior muscle mass made Shirou want to do some push-ups.

"Yeah, Undine always have a battle while having their territory on the line. If you aren't strong, you wouldn't be able to get the lake." Satouji explained. "The World of the Sprites is also about power, but it sure is a strong-looking sprite. That is quite rare. I recommend you catch it while you can. A water sprite in punching sure won't be bad."

Shirou frowned. "So it doesn't have elemental powers?"

"No," Satouji shook his head, "Sprites generally fight using their fists or anything they can find laying around."

"Then it's useless to me." The Demon King of Kuoh decided, quickly becoming indifferent to the sprite. He had all the punching power he needed, so a non-Maou-class spirit specializing in physical combat was worthless.

"That thing!?" Issei snapped, eyes wide in horror. "He looks like he could pick me up and break me in half!"

"You need to get your eyes checked, boy!" The laugh from Satouji's mouth only compounded Issei's increasing horror. "That's no he, but a she."

"I think I'm going to be sick..." The realization of the truth was too much for him.

Despair quickly overwrote Issei's expression, the boy crumbling to all-fours as he began to sob.

Shirou snorted, covering his mouth with his hands as he suppressed laughter. "OK! OK! I change my mind about before. This is pretty great." Shirou turned to the others, enjoying Issei's crushed spirit. "Isn't this great? This is great. We should do this more often."

"Uwaaaaah!"

Issei's wails could have been heard throughout the entire forest, frightening any and all sentient predators who would have sought to attack him from the shadows.

"Bet you're wishing we had gone after Tiamat now, huh, Issei?" Shirou taunted. "Right, Buch-GAGAGAGAGA!" Shirou fell to the ground as another shock traveled through his body, Koneko trying not to smile as she pressed the button on the remote. "You gave it to Koneko!? You're TRYING to make sure I die, aren't you, Buchou!?"

"Shirou, for the last time, I forbid you from going after the Chaos Karma Dragon!" Rias said, wagging her finger at him like a mother scolding her child. "You're not strong enough to face her let alone tame her. You're too weak."

"We'll see..." Shirou muttered under his breath.

Rias had been too focused on the sight before them, a second Undine appearing to challenge the first, to notice Shirou's words.

Nobody noticed Shirou slowly slipping away at the back of the group.

* * *

"I'll be seeing that horrifying figure in my nightmares for as long as I live." Issei sighed, trudging beside Rias. It was hard for the others, excluding Asia, not to be amused by his response.

"She had rather kind eyes though. I could tell that, despite her fearsome appearance, she was actually kind and caring."

It was hard to come up with a good response to Asia's disturbing amount of purity and innocence, so Issei let it go.

After Issei's stern refusal to obtain the Undine as his Familiar, the group had decided to move on to the next potential Familiar for Asia. Rias had decided it was for the best to look for something cute to avoid further traumatizing Issei's fragile mind. Satouji was the only person who couldn't comprehend why Issei refused to tame the Undine to be his Familiar, showing quite a great deal of surprise and irritation at Issei's refusal to capture such a powerful one. His response to Issei's "stupidity" revealed two things: First, he had been living in that forest without women for far too long if such a thing didn't faze him. Second, he was incredibly passionate about his job and was destined to become the Familiar Master.

"If you don't like Sprites, then perhaps a Sprite Dragon will satisfy your picky nature." It was clear from the tone of Satouji's voice that he was still annoyed. However, he was slowly getting over it.

"A Sprite Dragon?" Issei asked, perking up slightly from his previously despair-filled state. He was still wary, however, after both Satouji and later Shirou's repeated mentions of the Dragon called "Tiamat".

"Yes." Satouji nodded. "It's a Dragon that possesses powerful, blue lightning. It's near-impossible to catch one as an adult, but much easier when it's still a child. Childhood and infancy are the best times to capture and tame a Sprite Dragon. These Dragons are well-known for being in the top-tier of Dragons in terms of power."

[Oh great, we get to cradle-rob Dragons now. What next, Rias? Putting down old hell hounds?] was what everyone had expected Shirou to say. The fact that he chose to remain silent about this was odd, but none of them bothered squandering their good fortune of silence from the animal-nut and an avid Rias-critic. Koneko and Issei, in particular, expected something like this considering his strong love for animals, especially small and adorable ones.

Issei considered his options. He had really wanted to capture a sexy spirit to do erotic and generally ecchi things with, but a powerful creature like a Sprite Dragon wasn't a bad choice either.

"Owa!" Before Issei could make a choice, Satouji let out a cry of surprise and excitement. Issei didn't quite understand why until he looked where the man was pointing, catching sight of a small Dragon with blue scales. "Sprite Dragon! That is it!"

Everyone could not help but stare in awe and admiration of its beautiful scales and bright, sparkling eyes. While Issei would have deeply enjoyed a woman-type Familiar to do erotic things with, the Sprite Dragon, on top of its potential to obtain great power, made it an ideal choice for a Familiar.

[It's so adorable~] is what Issei had thought he heard Shirou say, unaware the reaction was merely his own thought and that Shirou was still disturbingly quiet.

The Dragon appeared to have noticed them, but it showed no intent to run or attack. It looked as though it was examining them, trying to discern the response of its fight-or-flight instincts. While it had yet to decide, Issei had intended to jump and catch it...

"Kyaaaa!"

Then Asia screamed.

Immediately on-guard and prepared for a fight, Issei spun around towards Asia, prepared to rescue her from whatever danger there was.

He paused when he noticed the weird-looking...thing that had clung onto her body. It was green and looked like a pile of goop...that was moving for some reason.

"T-This is-!" When Issei turned to look at his club president, she, too, had been covered in the mysterious goop-like existence that was crawling over Asia's and now her body.

Not just them, but all of the female members of the Occult Research Club were covered in the mysterious-

"Slime." Kiba said suddenly, confusing Issei.

For a moment, Issei was worried. If they were anything like the slimes from the various RPGs he had played, slimes were usually a poisonous monster that slowly killed people by dissolving or poisoning them.

"My c-clothes… are melting!" Asia let out a squeal as her clothes were slowly dissolved by the mysterious creature. The other girls as well. All of their clothes were slowly starting to melt away as the slimes devoured their clothes. "…Please don't look!"

Blood started to pour from his nose as the sight.

Kiba, ever the gentleman, turned away. Issei, being the prodigal pervert, showed no such restraint, "feasting" on the sight with his eyes.

A green, vine-like appendage like a tentacle came out of a nearby tree trunk, starting to wrap around the girls, curving around Asia's leg and traveling up her ripped clothes.

"This one doesn't have a name. It's just an ordinary slime with no real intelligence." Satouji explained, looking proper despite the fact he was also having a nosebleed like Issei. "And those are just tentacles with no real power. These guys often work together to attack their prey, but even if they are called monsters, slime only targets the clothes and the tentacles target woman's secretion so they aren't harmful or effective in combat..."

Issei's eyes widened, the thought of such a skill sounding like beautiful, lewd music to his ears.

"It's not a rare slime and tentacles, and they are just a nuisance for when you want to investigate the forest. It would be the best to use fire on them to get rid of them-"

"Buchou, I will make these slimes and tentacles as my familiars!" Issei declared passionately with sparkling eyes. "Melting clothes! Eating woman's secretions! They are the ones I have been looking for!"

"You know, Ise. A familiar is very crucial for devils, okay?" Rias said while wriggling against the tentacle and slime's grasps. "T-Think properly."

Issei paused. "Understood." He closed his eyes and started to think.

…

"Like I thought, I will make them my familiars!"

[...You truly are a remorseless pervert, Issei. I feel ashamed to be a Pawn like you.] was what he thought Shirou was saying.

"Shut up, Shirou! You have a girlfriend! You wouldn't understand my pain!"

There was a long awkward pause despite the girls continuing resistance against the two creatures working in unison to "attack" them.

"...I think Issei-senpai has a perverted screw loose...looser than usual anyway." Koneko said with half-lidded eyes. "He's talking to himself."

"Huh?"

"Shirou didn't say anything, Issei." Kiba pointed out, frowning as he realized something wrong with that statement. "Which is honestly strange..." Everyone else in the group (excluding Satouji who wasn't actually "part of the group") slowly came to the same feeling of suspicion.

"You _really_ don't have anything to say to this, Shirou-kun?" Akeno asked, looking around, not exactly fighting her hardest against the tentacles and slimes restraining and humiliating her in a lewd fashion.. "That's oddly out of character for such an innocent-minded boy who is usually timid when it comes to these things..."

There were two things the group noticed at that moment:

1) The smell of female arousal was stronger around Akeno.

2) Shirou still hadn't responded, leaving the group in united silence while waiting for a flustered retort or a caustic quip.

And it was only after realizing 2) that the group finally came to the realization that, when they took a head-count, they always came up one head short.

Shirou was the only person unaccounted for.

"Huh? I could have sworn he was with us before..." Kiba looked around, seeing neither head nor tail of their white-haired friend. "...When did he leave?"

"Oh, your friend?" Satouji asked as if it wasn't anything of consequence. "He left our small pack about half-an-hour ago, back when we were examining the Undines' amazing power."

It was at that moment that the girls were finally able to wriggle free of their restraints, Rias giving the slime that had dared attacked her a good blast of magic, turning to Satouji as the other girls started following suit (much to Issei's horror).

"Satouji-san! Why didn't you say so earlier?!"

"He looked like a man on a mission!" Satouji defended, giving a nod of acknowledgement at Shirou's actions. "The first, most bravest act he claimed to desire accomplishing being to tame the Chaos Karma Dragon, Tiamat! With the fire I saw alight within that boy's eyes, there's no doubt in my mind he will become a Familiar Master!"

Silence ensued, the slimes having eaten almost all of the girls' clothes while they were still frozen in shock.

"Buchou, can I punch him now?" Issei asked, having never heard a crazier nor stupider (nor suicidal) thing Satouji had ever said.

Rias paused, stepping on the tentacle below her harshly with a blank expression. "Ha!" Everyone was surprised to hear her laugh shortly before she blasted the tentacle to ashes. The cheerful smile on her face was incredibly alarming to her servants. "Come now~ Even Shirou isn't foolhardy enough to go take on a Maou-class Dragon by himself, right~?"

Issei: "..."

Kiba: "..."

Koneko: "..."

Akeno: "..."

Asia: "I...I don't know. I haven't know Shirou-san for that long."

Asia was the only person among their group who didn't realize Rias was simply in denial about the current situation.

"Ha...Haha...Shirou? Go after Tiamat alone...?"

It was only moments later that a scream of un-paralleled anger, frustration, and annoyance emitted from the noble mouth of Rias Gremory, cursing the name of the Pawn who continued to cause so much trouble.

* * *

"...Stupid Rias...Stupid Familiars...Stupid Dragons...Stupid-Uwah!"

Shirou tripped and stumbled over one of the many tree roots that sat upon the surface of the ground, almost falling flat on his face.

A harsh growl rumbled in his throat.

"STUPID-FUCKING-TREES!" He screamed towards the Heavens.

It was only after taking several deep breaths that Shirou's temper started to settle down. It had been almost an hour since he left the others to go off on his own and he still had made no progress in...ANYTHING. His intent had been obvious from the get-go, so obvious that any third-party observer could have discerned his intent:

To find and tame the Chaos Karma Dragon, Tiamat.

He had no delusions that it would have been easy, but he wouldn't know whether or not he could pull it off until he at least made an attempt.

And Rias's deliberate attempts to put him down and oppose his desire only inflamed his wish to attempt the feat.

Whether he lived or died, he would attempt it without regrets. That was how he desired to live with the life he had. Just as he had done with every act of defiance towards Rias as well as his attempt to befriend Kalawarner, he would choose his own path and would not regret the path he had chosen. It was actually the Occult Research Club who taught him that, the people who opened his heart as well as his mind. That was the reason why he wished to find Tiamat against all advice...

...That and he just wanted to spite Rias a little.

Who was she to say he wasn't capable of taming the Dragon?

Just the thought of her looking down on him and his abilities pissed him off.

Thus, he intended to track down the feared Maou-Class Dragon and make her his partner.

He would make her his partner and then he would firmly rub it in Rias's face.

One problem: He had no idea where the Hell he was going.

Without some kind of guide or map, Shirou was completely and hopelessly lost. His sense of direction was already awful in unfamiliar places, but in a dark, eerie forest full of monsters ready to tear into him with their claws, it was at least ten to a hundred times worse. He hadn't even received the slightest clue as to Tiamat's location in the first place. The irony of how he hadn't even bothered learning where the Dragon King was living before running off to find her in the never-ending effort to spite his master was not lost on him.

"Fuck...how large is this forest?!" Shirou snapped, wincing as a long, slender tree branch slapped him right in the face. "Just where the fuck is that Dragon Ki-" Shirou failed to notice the slope hidden by the thick brush beneath his feet. "-IIII-IIIIIIIIING!"

His attempt to slow or stop his descent only resulted in him tripping over and hitting his face against the ground as he tumbled down the hill. He let out a noise every time his body flopped against the ground.

"OW-CRAP-FUCK-DAMN-BITCH-OUCH-SHIT-WHYYY-HUH-YYYYYY!?"

This Hell lasted for a good minute before the ground started to level out, Shirou sliding on his face across the ground before coming to a stop.

He let out a groan, slowly waiting as the pain ran its course. About five minutes passed before Shirou decided to tempt fate by pushing himself up from the dirt, finding himself at the entrance to a large clearing.

Sitting smack-dab in the center was a large pool of water. "Son of a bitch! Did I just go in circles?!" However, he quickly realized that the area he was in was different from the area where he and his friends encountered the monstrously muscular Undines.

The body of water before him seemed too small to be an actual lake but far too large to be considered a simple "pond". In the end, Shirou decided that lake was the best classification for the crystal-clear water. Just looking at the pure, perfectly-drinkable water was enough to make Shirou feel thirsty. He had been walking for the past hour with nothing to drink.

"Just a quick water break couldn't hurt."

Shirou looked around, making sure nobody else was present in the area. It would have sucked to have been caught by Rias before he managed to find Tiamat. He could imagine Koneko's trigger finger was already prepping to give him one nasty shock.

It took about four long strides to reach the lake, Shirou crouching beside the water with his hands cupped together and gathering water. He carried the water to his mouth, slowly drinking and savoring the cold, refreshing H2O that slid down his throat. Water dribbled from the corners of his mouth, but it was so rejuvenating that he didn't care. He hadn't even realize how intense his thirst was until he took his first drink from the lake.

"Damn, I wish I could just take this whole lake with me..." Shirou said with a sigh. "It would be helluva lot more convenient than just wandering aimlessly with no water supply...Hm?" Shirou paused, something catching his attention below the water's surface.

A shadow.

For a horrifying moment, Shirou worried that he had perhaps wandered into another Undine's territory. He probably would have kicked their ass, but he wouldn't have felt very good about it. It was one thing for self-defense, but technically it would be the Undine fighting in self-defense if this had, in fact, been her territory. In such a situation, _Shirou_ would have been the bad guy and, more importantly, he knew he would not hear the end of it from the others.

His worries were sated when he saw a pair of glowing-red eyes looking up at him.

Certainly not an Undine, but it had certainly spotted him.

He had had less than a second to move away from the water's edge before a massive form shot straight up through the water's surface into the air, possessing a long, scaly, serpentine neck that connected its body to the depths below.

Water from the sudden burst from the surface rained down around Shirou, quickly drenching him.

[Who dares intrude upon my territory!?]

It was a raspy, serpentine yet vividly feminine voice that Shirou could not help but relate to that of Eliade (minus the hiss added to every "S"-sounding noise).

When Shirou got a good look at her (as he decided to classify the monster as), he noticed that she was a very large serpentine creature with two Shimenawa wrapped around her neck, bearing a form similar to an eastern-style Dragon. She had white-blue scales with a white underbelly. While demon-like in appearance, her face was vaguely snake-like in appearance, with glowing yellow eyes, blue horns, and a layer of fur around her head. Truly a fearsome beast. Any normal person would have been quaking in their boots.

Shirou was not normal nor did he mind a challenge.

He stepped forward, smirking. "The name's Shirou Fujimura, and I'm here to find the strongest Dragon in this forest!" He looked right into the creature's eyes, refusing to back down. "Know where I can find her?" This creature appeared to be reptilian, so it was possible she held some connection or knowledge as to Tiamat's location...

The snake-like beast seemed to growl, but nodded.

[It is I. There be no Dragon within this forest stronger than I. If meeting me is all that you desired, begone.]

Shirou's eye widened. _"It's her!"_ He couldn't believe his luck. He had actually found Tiamat! Without help too! A wide grin broke across his face at that thought. "As if!" He pointed a finger in her direction. "You! Dragon! You're coming with me!"

[What?]

"I'm going to bring you with me whether you want to or not, so you may as well just come quietly!"

[...So that's how it is...You're allied with them...]

Tiamat said some strange things, but Shirou disregarded them, feeling it was irrelevant nonsense at the time.

[How DARE you! You rude, little child!This is my domain! My sacred water! I refuse to be bullied out of it! Do you not know who I am!?]

"I know who exactly who you are!" Shirou raised his fists, knowing that a fight was about to break out. "And that's why, no matter what, I'm definitely going to catch you!"

Tiamat let out a bestial roar and the water around her began to froth and swirl, massive geysers shooting up into the air as if commanded by her will. The ends of the water spurts seemed to twist and turn, moving through the air like liquid tentacles with the potential to crush even an eighteen-wheeler.

One of the geysers turned in his direction, a heavy deluge of highly-pressurized water being released at him.

"Canis Regalia! Second Form!" Shirou's arm began to emit a brilliant light before the bladed gauntlet appeared. "Hyah!" He stabbed forward with the blades, meeting the force of Tiamat's attack head-on.

CRACK!

The moment his blades embedded within the water's surface, it frozen solid, the entire geyser freezing right down to its roots. A small patch on the surface where the attack originated from was also frozen into a thin sheet of ice. After it had finished, Shirou withdrew his claws, doing nothing to hide the massive grin that continued to stretch across his face.

"So you're a water elementalist, huh? Just what I was looking for!" He pointed his bladed finger tips at the Dragon. "It also means you've picked the worst match-up, Dragon! My Canis Regalia is an ice-element-type Sacred Gear! If your only abilities are a few water-type parlor tricks, I'm afraid you'll find yourself hopelessly outmatched! I'll show you just why I'm something to be feared! I'll show you why I'm the Demon King of Kuo-Oh shit, the water!" Shirou turned just in time to be hit right in the face by another burst of water, sending him flying and breaking through several trees with his body.

What he had failed to realize was that, unlike most enemies, the Dragon before him would not wait for him to finish his monologues before attacking.

* * *

Rias's group felt the explosions before they heard them.

And they heard the explosions before they saw them.

They knew Shirou was involved the moment they felt the air temperature drop to freezing levels. With only Issei's student blazer as protection, Rias felt like she was going to freeze solid. It was cold enough when she first experienced the power while fully-clothed. Asia (and her new Sprite Dragon Familiar which rested upon her head) and Koneko seemed to be faring no better. They had decided to walk closely together, Koneko carrying Asia so they could share body heat (Although Asia had shown a slight desire to be carried by Issei instead). Akeno didn't truly seem to be fazed in the slightest by the freezing temperatures, calmly walking in sync with the others in the remains of what had been her school uniform.

While Rias wanted nothing better than to return home and get a fresh change of clothes, it was dangerous to leave Shirou wandering around on his own.

She found her fears to be justified when she finally got to the source of the chaos and destruction that appeared to have leveled a great deal of land in the area.

Shirou's uniform was torn in several places, mainly around his shoulder which bore wounds similar to some sort of bite (an oddly popular spot when it came to bite wounds Shirou received). Sheets and fragments of ice covered the ground around his feet and he tightly held the spear form of Canis Regalia, Gungnir, in his left hand. His body appeared to be soaked to the bone, said water being partially frozen by the cold temperatures that surrounded them. Whether or not it contributed to the light exhaustion beginning to show on his face was uncertain.

All that was certain was that it was unnatural for someone to wear the time of excited smile that Shirou was wearing in such a situation.

Especially with a massive, pure-white snake staring him down with golden-yellow eyes, massive geysers of water spewing from the area around it.

The snake showed no visible injuries, but fatigue could be seen in its swaying movements.

"You're not bad for a lizard!" Shirou said, grinning like a fool.

[You're power is also formidable for a Low-Class Devil, but I'm afraid you stand no chance of defeating me! I won't surrender to you!]

"Bring it on!" Shirou took a stance, clearing intending to pounce on the creature before his eyes whom he clearly saw as "prey". However, before he could-

"Fujimura Shirou, get away from that creature this instant!"

Rias's voice has caught Shirou seconds before he leaped, causing him to stumble several steps forward before looking back in shock.

"B-Buchou!?"

[Who's this now!?]

The Dragon looked on at the new arrivals with apparent curiosity...then confusion.

Shirou looked genuinely shocked to see his fellow club members standing there...the female members in the nude. "Why the Hell are you guys naked!? Shit! Did Rias turn this into an Exhibitionist Club!? She truly is the Exhibitionist Queen!"

"Shirou-" Rias stopped herself before she could retort to Shirou's words. "Look! I don't care what you're doing, but you're coming home with us! Right! Now!"

"No way! I'm not leaving until I capture her!" Shirou leaped out of the way shortly before at least three tons of water bombarded the area he had been standing moments before. He back-flipping through the air, digging the blade of his spear into the ground to keep himself from sliding too far along the ice. "And I've seriously hit the jackpot with this one! To think I would be able to encounter such a powerful Dragon!" Shirou let out a chuckle of amusement as he released his spear, cracking his knuckles. "Just watch me, Buchou. I'm gonna get a Critical!"

He quickly grabbed the end of his spear and sped across the ground, doing his best to evade the repeated strikes and lashes of the Dragon's water attacks, being especially careful when the water began to mold into the shape of crescent blades, carving deep into the ground at various points where Shirou had been standing mere moments prior. It wasn't much of a gap. It was only because Shirou didn't slack on his training that he was capable of evading such precise attacks.

[Take this!]

The Dragon gathered several of the geysers, letting them swirl around one another in a sort of helix-shape before it twisted through the air, moving with intense speeds. The ends of the streams narrowed out, forming a sort of bladed point at the end of what should have been a blunt damage attack. Shirou swung his spear around, a heavy, blue aura forming around its form as it swung straight through the helix, severing the head from the roots and causing the upper half to dissipate and return to the lake from which it had originated. The lower half of the attack quickly frozen, proving to have a large enough surface area that Shirou was able to land safely, sliding down it as though it was some sort of playground activity.

"Ha!"

[Don't underestimate me! I've lived several of your lifetimes boy!]

The Dragon swung its mighty tail out of the water, using it to completely shatter the remains of the pillar of ice, causing Shirou to be slip as his only foothold was broken. Shirou slid at first before tripping off the first massive break in the ice and falling face-first towards the massive Dragon. The beast's mouth opened at least several feet wide, enough that it could have swallowed Shirou in one go. It appeared as though the victor was going to be obvious-

"It's punishment time~"

Then a heavy bolt of lightning slammed into Dragon's side, knocking her (they assumed it was a "her") off-balance, Shirou instead rebounding off the side of her head and rolling like a barrel down the arc of her body before flying of the edge and landing face-down onto the ground bordering the lake. Thankfully, the hard, cold ice was there to cushion what would have normally been a harsh, painful landing. Shirou chose to wait at least a good minute before peeling himself from the ice, looking upward to see the scolding expression of Rias Gremory.

"Hm. I think I preferred the few when I was face-down."

"You. Are. In. A. Lot. Of. Trouble." Rias paused after every word.

"Are you okay?" Shirou asked, not understanding.

"Oh, nothing." Rias said, smiling in a way that told Shirou she was NOT happy. "I just thought that you needed me to take my time to spell it out since you clearly have trouble with listening and obeying orders! Koneko!"

"On it." Koneko pushed the button on the remote, another wave of electrical charge running through Shirou's body, causing him to flop back against the ground.

Issei could not help but find it strange that, aside from the fact he had no idea where Koneko could have kept it considering all of her pockets had been dissolved, the device was still unharmed.

"Fuck!" Shirou cursed as he pushed himself back up from the ground, getting back to his feet. He took one look at Rias, irritation covering his face before he turned away, clicking his tongue. "Anyway, if you guys will excuse me, I have a Dragon to beat up." Before he could walk so much as a single step, Rias grabbed onto his shoulder, violently yanking him back as the Dragon in the lake slowly began to make a recovery from the unforeseen assault handed to it by the Akeno, the girl floating in the air almost completely naked. "Can I help you?"

"Shirou, you are coming home right this instant!" Rias said, trying to drag Shirou back before he broke away. "The moment we get back, you are in big trouble!"

"You're not my mother, Rias!"

"Yeah! You're right! Do you see me threatening you at knife-point?!"

"W-What?"

"Nothing!" Rias quickly averted her eyes, panic etched into her expression, as if she expected a blade to appear out of nowhere and impale her skull. "Anyway, you're lucky we came before you got into too much trouble. Your fight could have completely upset the forest's ecosystem and scare away all of the potential Familiars or, worse, it could have completely obliterated the forest. When it comes to you, nothing is outside the realm of possibility in terms of how bad something can get."

Shirou smacked her hand away, glaring. "Oh my Maou! You _always_ do this!" Rias blinked, as confused as she was surprised. Shirou turned his glare to the rest of the group, everyone clearly wondering what they had done. " _All_ of you guys treat me like I'm a kid with a lit match! Just because I had an idea, you always assume it's going to be bad! You always assume you guys know better and it's _really_ starting to piss me off! You ever think for once that, even though it was an idea _I_ had or even though it was something I wanted to do, it might not be the worst idea? I know I can be reckless and vulgar, but that doesn't mean you guys are better than me! All I want to do is to live this new life of mine how I want, and all you guys do is mock me and put me down! Just give me a chance for once before immediately deciding all of my ideas suck!"

"..." Rias stared, taking several seconds to process what Shirou just said.

[...]

Everyone else was, likewise, genuinely surprised by the new side they were seeing of Shirou.

"O-Oh..." Was all Rias could say for a while. It was hard to respond when Shirou spoke his thoughts so suddenly. "...I...I didn't think...I mean you always seemed to just shrug it off, so I...Oh..."

"This kind of feels like deja vu..." Akeno noted, the only person of the group to experience such shock and astonishment before.

[...It sounds like your group has a lot of issues you need to work out.] The Dragon's (oddly worried) interjection was what set Shirou off.

"SHUT YOUR SCALY SNOUT!" A heavy blast of raw demonic power shot out of Shirou's hand, hitting the foolish Dragon right in the face. It didn't deal any critical damage, but it was enough to distract the beast. Before she could recover, Shirou ran forward, completely discarding his spear. Sensing the incoming danger as Shirou leaped through the air, the Dragon sent several more water blades at Shirou, the young man easily evading. Shirou pulled back his fist, glaring daggers at the beast he was preparing to vent on. "MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!"

The fury carried in Shirou's fist was enough to cave in the Dragon's face, the shock and damage being enough to blow them right back to the ground.

The Dragon let out a defeated howl before collapsing, showing no more intent to fight as it appeared to slip into a state of unconsciousness.

Shirou landed in front of the other members of his club, giving them a serious, piercing gaze.

"Anyone else got something they want to say?"

"No thanks."

"We're good!"

"S-Shirou-san looks angry..."

"...Scary."

"I knew you could do it, boy!"

The last bit of praise had come from Satouji, the presence Shirou had both missed and quickly ignored due to his lack of importance compared to his friends. It became significantly more difficult to continue doing so when Satouji patted him on the shoulder.

"To find such a sacred and powerful Dragon on your first attempt, you truly must have the makings to become a Familiar Master!" The man praised, laughing out of amusement. It appeared he completely failed to notice or acknowledge the awkward silence emanating from the other Devils. "Not only that, but you managed to defeat it in one-on-one combat as well!"

"Enough with the celebrations." Shirou jabbed a finger in the direction of the downed Dragon. "Tell me how make that thing my Familiar. I want to rub it in my friends' faces as soon as possible that I managed to find and tame the mighty Dragon King!"

For the first time since Shirou had met Satouji, Satouji's smile left him, turning into a look of confusion.

""Dragon King"?"

"Yeah..." Shirou frowned. "You know...Tiamat." Shirou pointed back to the Dragon he had been referring to. "I spent the better part of an hour looking for her, so...yeah. How do I make Tiamat my Familiar?"

["Tiamat"?]

Shirou instinctively twisted on his heels, turning to face the white-scaled Dragon as it slowly picked itself off of the ground, shaking its head as if trying to get over a case of dizziness. The Dragon blinked in a way that could only be described as "cute". It was odd considering only moments before she had been viciously trying to bite Shirou's head off.

[...I'm not Tiamat-dono.]

It took a while for Shirou to let that sink in. "...Dragon-say-what?" He looked up at the pure-white Dragon. "What do you mean you're not Tiamat?"

[I mean I am not the mighty Dragon King, Tiamat-dono.]

"Bullshit!" Shirou responded as the Dragon claimed ignorance. "You told me you _were_!"

[What are you talking about? I never told you that I was Tiamat-dono. If it had been her fighting, there would not be enough of you left to fill a thimble. You're lucky I was the Dragon you picked a fight with.]

"Liar!" The accusations from Shirou's mouth did not end, further flustering the Dragon and leading to the confusion his friends felt increasing with each passing second. "Back when we first started fighting, you said-and I quote-"There be no Dragon within this forest stronger than I"! Those were your exact words!"

[No-No-No! I was answering your question! You asked who the strongest Dragon in the forest was!]

"Yeah! That's Tiamat!" Shirou looked at Satouji. "That's Tiamat, right? That's Tiamat!"

It was when Satouji averted his gaze that Shirou felt that something was off. "Well...technically."

"What do you mean "technically"?"

"To be fair, Tiamat doesn't get along well with the population of the forest, so she rests in the mountains just north of this place. However, due to her immense power and being located in the wilderness, she has always been considered a possibility for a Familiar."

"So she's here, but she's not _here_?"

"That about sums it up, my friend."

Shirou looked back up at the Dragon. "Then who the fuck are you!?" The Dragon seemed irked by Shirou's rudeness, but acquiesced.

[I am the Water Dragon and the protector of this Sacred Lake...and I had thought that you were here to kill me...]

"..." Shirou paused. "Why would you think that?"

[You came here out of the blue, a complete stranger, and told me you were going to take me from my home. Murder isn't too uncommon when it comes to associations with murder.]

"You thought I was going to kill you?! I thought you were going to kill me!"

[That's because I thought you were allied with those wicked creatures who continuously try to steal my home and my sacred water from me...Is...Is that not true?]

""Wicked creatures"? "Steal your sacred water"?" Something about that sounded vaguely familiar.

Issei frowned, narrowing his eyes as a look of disgust overcame him. "Wait a second..."

[Those muscle-bound freaks keep trying to sneak into my waters while I'm sleeping and keep hitting me in the face! Always the face!]

Shirou started whistling as he hid his fists behind his back.

[I wake up every morning in a cold-sweat, usually with a heavy migraine, before I have to send those sprites flying.]

"...Sprites...?" Shirou stared at the Dragon in surprise. "...You mean the Undines? That's who's been bothering you?"

[...You mean you're _not_ working with or for them?]

"N-No! I don't think they even have the brain cells necessary to think up the idea of allying with someone." While Shirou's words were rude, they were not entirely inaccurate.

[...O-Oh...Oh my God...Oh my God, I am _so_ sorry!]

Everyone paused. [What?]

It could have been Shirou's imagination, but he could have sworn that the blue-white scales on the Dragon's cheeks turned the lightest pink color.

[I thought you were with the Undines and-Oh! I feel so embarrassed! I just went and attacked you like that-Are you okay?!]

Shirou looked back to his friends, silently asking for instruction in regards to the situation. None of them said anything or made any gesture aside from Koneko who gave a shrug. Then Shirou turned back to the Dragon, doing his best to smile, but it looked a little forced.

"Y-Yeah! It-It's cool, chick! I mean, I just completely decked you in the face back then. I should be asking _you_ that!"

[No no! I'm fine! While you're stronger in terms of fighting ability, being the only person to down me even once, the Undines' punches are a lot more painful. My skull has endured worse.]

"I-I see..." Shirou trailed off, having no idea where to proceed from where they left off. Beating her up was officially out of the question and that was usually his response to most problems related to monsters, so he was lost. "S-So...you're not Tiamat?"

[No. You're lucky I'm not. Once, during my youth, I challenged her...]

The Dragon seemed to pause, shuddering as if remembering something unpleasant.

[She was in a playful mood, so she decided to let me go with a "slap on the wrist".]

"So she has a soft spot for kids?" Shirou asked hopefully, believing for a brief moment he could still tame a Dragon King.

[No. She has a soft spot for fools who don't know what they're getting into. You _will_ die if you try to tame her.]

"Oh..." It was one thing when Rias said it because she usually viewed everything he did critically, but if a fellow Dragon like Tiamat said it was impossible, then it probably was. "Uh...Ms...uh...Water Dragon?"

["Ms"? How did you know I was female? Most sentient creatures I meet assume I'm a male or neutral-gendered either because of my defensive disposition they interpret as aggression or because they lack the ability to distinguish when it comes to Dragons.]

Shirou shrugged. "I dunno. I just took a look at you and assumed you were a girl. It's some sort of a weird sixth sense I have when it comes to people and animals and everything in-between. Plus, your scales are so shiny and pristine. Beautiful. It was hard not to associate you with the female gender." He saw the Dragon's face-scales pink again.

[That's so sweet of you to say~ You're the nicest humanoid I've met so far~]

It was clear Shirou's words made her really happy, although it took a little while for him to understand why.

"Uh...right. So, Ms. Water Dragon, do you want to be my Familiar?"

The Dragon blinked.

[That's what your intentions were?]

Shirou nodded.

[Oh! Now I feel even worse. I just feel so bad. I completely blew this whole situation out of proportion! I'm sorry!]

"N-No no!" Shirou shook his head, trying to calm the Dragon down. "I think there's more than a fair share of blame for both sides here. Let's just...er...bury the hatchet and move on. That sound good?"

[Yes, that sounds lovely. But as for becoming your Familiar...]

The Water Dragon looked back to her Sacred Lake and then back to the group in front of her.

[I would really love to, but I can't. This lake is my home and I can't leave my Sacred Water unattended. The moment I step out, the Undines will swarm and steal my treasure.]

"...Like your treasure as in your Sacred Water or treasure as in gold and stuff laying at the bottom of the lake?"

[Yes.]

 _"What a smart-ass response."_ Shirou thought with half-lidded eyes. Then he smiled. _"I like her already!"_ However, the issue of the Water Dragon's refusal was a cause for concern. "Is there any way we can get around that? There has to be some way to make sure your Sacred Lake is protect while you act as my Familiar."

The Water Dragon shook her head.

[I'm afraid not. There are no creatures in this forest sentient or trustworthy enough to entrust my treasure to. While I have no qualms with becoming your Familiar, I cannot leave my home unguarded.]

"Damn..." Shirou sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "...I disobeyed Rias and came here for nothing...Ultimately, nothing to show for it."

[I'm sorry.]

The Dragon's face looked apologetic.

Everyone else who was watching the scene unfold had been either unsure as to how to respond or felt it was improper to interrupt. When Rias stepped forward, the others were sure she was about to snap at Shirou or punish him in some way for his disobedient actions. Shirou didn't react much when he saw Rias approaching him aside from rolling his eyes, clearly with the meaning along the lines of "Here she goes again".

...And then she strolled right past him, much to his astonishment.

For a moment, Rias completely disregarded the Pawn whom she had, moments ago, been imagining punished in numerous ways for his actions. Her attention was, instead, focused on the massive reptile before her.

"My name is Rias Gremory." She said, introducing herself politely despite her rather improper appearance. "It is a pleasure to meet a majestic Dragon of your power."

[A daughter of the Gremory household? Well-met Lady Gremory. However, it is as I told the boy, I cannot leave my home unguarded for any reason.]

"That is what I wish to discuss." Rias said, her serious and business-like demeanor giving Shirou cause to feel a little impressed. "I have a proposition for you."

[Oh? I am open to negotiations if that is what you so desire, Lady Gremory.]

"As most sentient creatures related to the supernatural side of the world know, the Gremory family has an abundance of wealth and power befitting a High-Class family." Rias stated, not showing any of the normal overconfidence; rather, she showed a polite and more approachable level of confidence. "If you would desire, we could claim your lake as our territory. While it is in fact part of the Familiar Forest, which is considered a neutral territory, this area is in fact owned by you. If you were to ally with my servant, this area, including your Sacred Lake, becomes property of the Gremory household. Thus, we would have the authority required to place it under our protection from ne'er-do-wells." The Water Dragon didn't object so far, but it was clear she was showing skepticism in response to this deal. "However, there is a catch."

The Water Dragon didn't seem surprised.

[As I expected.]

"The Sacred Waters found in this forest are a valuable resource due to the fact that, despite its name, does not have harmful effects for Devils." Rias explained, her motivation becoming clearer the more she spoke. "While not as effective as Phoenix Tears or Twilight Healing, it does possess incredible rejuvenation properties and accelerates the natural healing process, proving to be worth a great deal of money. So, in exchange for guarding this lake as our territory as well as you becoming Shirou's Familiar, I make the humble request of my family being allowed access to your waters. I am aware you have reasons to distrust this deal due to my conditions, but I guarantee we shall use it in moderation and shall not deplete the vast amount stored in your lake and shall not exploit it as other Devil families would. You have my word as a member of the the Gremory family."

[Hmmm...]

The Water Dragon looked so close to breaking, but it was clear that there was something she was still uncomfortable with.

"Naturally, you will receive your share of any profits obtained from the distribution and use of your Sacred Waters."

[I find your terms acceptable, Lady Gremory.]

It wasn't a bad deal, Shirou reasoned. The Water Dragon's Sacred Lake would be protected by reasonable, sentient individuals and she would also receive income for its usage unlike with other creatures within the forest who sought to simply steal the water from the Dragon. And very few creatures in the forest could stand against Rias's family if there were people even stronger than she was, so it wasn't really much of an effort on their part. No matter how you looked at it, the one who won the most in the end was Rias Gremory.

Such was the impressive Greed that Devils possessed. Shirou was colored impressed.

"Bitchin!" Shirou pumped his fist into the air, grinning like a fool. "So that means you will become my Familiar, Water Dragon?" He could not help but feel odd when addressing the scaly creature in front of him by such a vague title.

[According to the conditions of my arrangement with Lady Gremory? Then yes...Shirou, was it?]

"Mmhm." Shirou confirmed. "Come to think of it, I don't have anything to call you yet. I can't just keep calling you "Water Dragon". You got a name?"

For an odd reason, that simple question gave the Dragon pause.

[Hmmm...I may have had one at one point, but it's been so long since I've had a long, pleasant conversation with someone that I had no reason to use it. You may name me if you so desire if you are to be my new master, Shirou-sama.]

For an equally odd reason, Shirou felt pleased when his name was called with the "-sama" honorific attached.

He scratched his chin, eyeing the Water Dragon with curiosity. "Let's see...if I had to name you..." He closed his eyes, thinking carefully about the issue. "I'm going to name you "Akari"!"

Rias raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I figured it was appropriate for her." Shirou explained with a thorough amount of detail. "I thought a name that meant "light" was pretty and positive-feeling, just like her scales are, so I decided to name her that."

He received many more blank stares from his friends before they decided to just ignore Shirou's weird choice of names.

"What do you think of that name?" Shirou asked the Dragon, the eastern-style beast giving a nod of satisfaction.

[I think it's beautiful.]

"Alrighty then! Akari it is!" Shirou declared, turning back to his friends. He gave an especially victorious look at Rias. " I got a wicked-ass Familiar! See what happens when you let me make my own decisions?"

"Yeah." Rias said despondently with half-lidded eyes. "You pick a fight with an innocent Dragon, level a wide area of forest-life, and, on top of getting yourself killed as a result of a misunderstanding, you almost failed to even obtain your Familiar if it weren't for my help..." Shirou sighed at her continued criticism, " _but_ you still managed to find a strong and rather polite Familiar in the end, so I suppose your choices don't end in _complete_ disaster."

What she really meant was "I'm sorry I hurt your feelings" albeit spoken in a rather rude and seemingly apologetic way...

That was the only way Shirou could deal with the harsh words she tried to congratulate him with.

Issei let out a defeated sigh as he and the others approached the group. "So Shirou got a Dragon like Asia, huh?" He sounded horribly disappointed to the point it irritated Shirou.

Shirou was mouthing the words Issei said with a questioning gaze until he looked at the nun in question, or rather, the small purple lizard on her head.

"OOOHHHH! That's what that was!" Shirou casually strolled over to the former nun, staring at the small Dragon laying on top of her head. The Dragon stared back. Shirou smiled brightly while reaching out his hand. "Well he's adorable~"

[Wait, Shirou, no!]

Both Kiba and Issei, who had experienced the ire of the Sprite Dragon once before, attempted to stop Shirou, but it was too late. They both immediately backed away the moment Shirou's hand made contact with the Dragon's head, petting him ever-so-slightly.

However, much to their surprise, there was no sound of crackling electricity, no sound of Shirou screaming in SHOCK and pain, and, most surprising of all, no sound of Shirou attempting to strangle a baby Dragon to death in a fit of rage. When they looked back, Shirou still held his hand on the top of the Sprite Dragon's head, petting him affectionately. He eyed Issei and Kiba curiously.

"What's up with you guys? It's just a baby Dragon." Shirou turned back to the Sprite Dragon smiling brightly. "You're so adorable~ Now Akari won't have the perverted jackass as her only fellow Dragon on the team~ Isn't that great~?"

The Sprite Dragon didn't respond, merely closing his eyes as content spread across his face.

Not just Issei and Kiba, but the other members of the Occult Research Club looked on, unable to figure out what was happening before their eyes. Only Asia, unaware of her friends' concern, seemed happy and content that two of her friends (the Sprite Dragon and Shirou) were getting along so well unlike how the Dragon gave the non-females of their group a nasty shock not too long ago. It was only after the intensity of these stares increased that Shirou turned and shot suspicious looks at his friends.

"Why are you all still staring at me!?" He turned his suspicious, narrowed gaze from them to the Dragon he was petting. "What? Is his skin poisonous or something? Am I going to die now?"

"Impressive." Satouji said, examining Shirou and the Sprite Dragon with interest. "It's rare, almost impossible, to see a male, wild Dragon react so calmly and passively towards another male." Then he looked back to Shirou, looking pensive. "Are you sure you're a man? It's not uncommon for some women to dress like-GUAAAH!" His words were cut short when Shirou let loose his fist against the side of Satouji's face, sending him flying through the air and landing in Akari's Sacred Lake, much to the eastern-style Dragon's distaste before casually knocking him out of the water with a swing of her tail.

Shirou was flushed with frustration, clenching his trembling fist. "Asshole...!" Then he noticed everyone else staring at him. "OK, but seriously, _why_ are you girls naked?"

The air suddenly became awkward. The girls (excluding a shameless Akeno) all averted their eyes, suddenly seeming much more conscious of their torn and shredded clothes. Koneko appeared to be the most annoyed with Shirou. He wasn't sure what he had particularly done to annoy her that time other than notice what they should have noticed a long time ago.

While a little embarrassed, Shirou decided there were more important matters to deal with as he turned to face Akari again, walking back to the Dragon.

"So...uh...I guess we just make our pact and I'll just...head home?" The last part had been a question towards Rias, who nodded. "Yeah, so let's get this done, mmkay?" He paused, turning back to Rias. "Rias, how do I do a thing?"

"You mean you went off on your own to find a Familiar without so much as the information on how to make a pact with one?"

"Yep." Shirou replied without shame or embarrassment.

Rias pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing.

"Hey, if you just explained these things from the get-go rather than waiting til the last minute when it becomes important, I wouldn't be having these problems."

There were no words that Rias could use to describe the irritation she felt as a result of her situation. However, at the same time, she was impressed.

As Shirou had said, she repeatedly underestimated him. Not just his stupidity and recklessness, but also his determination and capability. She had written off his previous successes as dumb luck or miracles that could not be repeated, but he had managed to find and easily befriend an adult Water Dragon. If it weren't for the Dragon's territory being an issue, Shirou likely could have tamed her all by himself. Not many Low-Class Devils could perform such a feat without incredible injury.

 _"But Shirou isn't normal..."_ Rias concluded.

Issei was an open-book. The embodiment of Lust, but a good and ultimately innocent boy. He was easy to read and completely honest about his thoughts. Rias (albeit secretly) favored him over Shirou due to Issei's love of peace and how he would normally behave without retort or disobedience. Aside from his Longinus, the Boosted Gear, Issei was an overall normal human before becoming a Devil, still behaving as such if one excluded his incredible passion when it came to those close to him.

Shirou was the exact opposite. While Rias knew his original cold and spiteful disposition towards, not just his fellow Devils, but humanity in general back when he was first reincarnated was a result of his rejection at the hand of his peers up to this point. Rias believed this stemmed from his vulgar and violent behavior which, despite being fearsome, was never with ill-intentions. However, unlike Issei, Shirou could be too closed when it came to his personal thoughts and feelings, usually hiding them with passiveness or humor. Unlike Issei, Shirou's will was abnormally strong and stubborn. He did things that stunned (although not necessarily pleased) Rias into silence, evidenced by how he risked his life by associating with a Fallen Angel, one of the sworn enemies of the Devils...

Rias thought back to something Koneko had said to her once before...

* * *

 **[Flashback - Before the Battle at the Fallen Angels' Hideout]**

 _"Koneko," Rias addressed her Rook as the two hung back behind Kiba and Akeno as they slowly approached Fallen Angel territory, "what was it you were trying to tell me earlier?"_

 _The white-haired Rook turned to Rias, blinking in confusion as she tried to understand what Rias was asking._

 _It was clear that Koneko didn't expect Rias to remember something so particular while there was a bigger matter to deal with at the moment, namely ensuring the survival of the two Devil servants did not perish while having their souls entirely erased from the world by the Fallen Angels' light. While it was certainly a matter of concern, her thoughts still dwelled on what Koneko had been intending to say before Shirou had interrupted their conversation with news of his latest reckless and near-suicidal venture which also risked Issei's life._

 _"What do you mean, Buchou?" Koneko asked._

 _"About Shirou, I mean." Rias clarified. "You were saying something about why he was able to empathize with Fallen Angels, why he has so much rebelliousness against me. Is it because he still harbors a degree of dislike for me or is it out of a grudge towards those with more power? I noticed he's not particularly fond of authority figures aside from his mother, but that doesn't quite explain it either."_

 _Koneko shook her head. "...No, it's nothing like that." It was then that Rias noticed that Koneko **tried** to sound aloof. Normally, such a tone came naturally to the girl, having had quite a great deal of practice at hiding her emotions. The fact she deliberately tried that time (Rias could tell the difference due to the long time they've known one another) made Rias feel a little more curious. "Shirou-senpai, despite being an idiot, does care about you. About all of us. Even if he tries to downplay it, he risked himself getting injured by the Stray Devil, Eliade I mean, to protect me. It was unnecessary, but he still put his life on the line. I don't think he would hesitate if it were any of us, especially you or Akeno, Buchou. People who he cares about."_

 _"Then what is the cause of his willful behavior?" Rias asked. "Can't he understand that the Fallen Angels are one of the most hated enemies of the Devils?"_

 _"...That's probably exactly why he's so empathetic." Rias stared at Koneko with a surprised look on her face._

 _"Huh?"_

 _"...Shirou-senpai, I see it a lot." Koneko's expression became...complicated. However, her tone, however level she tried to keep it, sounded sad. "He empathizes with them because they're so hated. People talk bad about him all of the time because of his reputation as a delinquent, so he understands what it's like to be hated by everyone. It's because of that that he seems to accept everyone regardless of their flaws or personalities...something that also makes him afraid. He probably can't let it go if he sees even a speck of good in someone, which is why he's so stubborn about the Fallen Angel. Essentially, he talks big and tries to act mean, but he's still just an idiot..."_

 _Rias was surprised to see her normally quiet Rook so verbose and thorough about her thoughts._

 _"...Anyway, that's just what I think." Koneko added as if trying to ask Rias to completely disregard everything she had said up to that point. Koneko quickly picked up the pace, moving to keep up with Kiba and Akeno before Rias could question her further._

* * *

 **[Back to the Present]**

Rias looked on as her adorable servants spoke amongst themselves. Shirou looked as though he was bragging and boasting to a downtrodden Issei, the latter snapping, a response that caused yet another predictable argument between the two. Kiba was giving an awkward smile and a tired sigh, Akeno was giggling in amusement, Asia was (predictably) trying to settle the argument peacefully, and Koneko simply looked on with indifference.

Her adorable servants who were also her family. Shirou looked as though it was uncertain whether or not he belonged even though it should have been an obvious "Yes". Something was always "off".

Rias knew there was something more, but she couldn't quite figure it out.

If what Koneko suspected was the truth...what was Shirou afraid of?

He was hard to predict when it came to the long-run. Rias still roughly remembered the event that occurred while Shirou was confronting Eliade, the sudden burst of power. Not to mention the burst of power that could be felt from several meters underground when Shirou unlocked the fourth form of his Canis Regalia. Then there was his abnormal ability to tame animals, even taming an adult Water Dragon and befriending a male Sprite Dragon who supposedly loathed males.

Only one thing was certain:

Shirou was not normal.

Whether this was a good thing or a bad thing, Rias believed only time would tell.

For the moment, they could only live life normally as Devils. To live the wondrous days she wished to cherish for as long as she could.

* * *

 **Next chapter -** Yet Another Storm Over the Horizon! Prelude to the Phenex's Advent!

* * *

 **Aaaaaaand done.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed.**

 **I know the thing with Koneko in the flashback may have seemed like a bit much...but, as we all recall, she probably has a great deal of knowledge on how it feels to be abandoned and alone. I mean, for Christ's sake, they tried to have her executed. Other than Akeno, whom I feel already gets enough screen time out of Shirou's girls, Koneko just seemed like the one most qualified to shed some more light on Shirou Fujimura.**


	24. Chapter 21: Prelude to Phenex

**It's just about time to begin everyone's most favorite (maybe not): The Phenex Arc~! If anyone has a good, new name for it, feel free to PM or review.**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Which means I don't own shit! Try and claim copyright now, bitches! XD.**

* * *

 **Chapter 21: Yet Another Storm Over the Horizon! Prelude to the Phenex's Advent!**

 _Struggling..._

 _Struggling..._

 _...He wanted to escape._

 _He had to escape._

 _They held him down without remorse or gentleness, as though restraining a wild horse._

 _He struggled with all of his might, but they were stronger..._

 _His chest tightened as he saw the silvery needle coming closer and closer._

 _It hurt! It hurt it hurt IT HURT!_

 _He had felt it many times before, the painful prodding._

 _Get away. Get_ _away_ _getaway_ _getaway_ _getaway_ _getaway_ _getaway_ _getaway_ _getaway!_

 _He tried kicking, scratching, biting, but they had tied every limb he could move down, forcefully turning his head to the right, exposing his neck._

 _He clawed at the table he was tied to, desperately trying to break free._

 _A horrid shriek escaped his mouth the moment he felt cold metal press against his bare neck, quickly digging into his flesh._

 _The shock struck him harder than the actual pain._

 _The thought of the metal "pick" digging into his body made it so much worse..._

 _His body being **violated** as they injected him once again, the greenish-blue liquid inside the plastic syringe seeping into his veins._

 _He could only close his eyes and cry..._

 _Almost over...Almost over...Almost over..._

* * *

"No more needles!"

Shirou shot upright, completely throwing off his sheets.

He inhaled and exhaled deeply several times before he managed to get his heartbeat under control.

"Damn!" Shirou rubbed the back of his neck, sighing. "Geez, I wish I could just block that stuff out sometimes. I swear, if they took those nightmares and turned them into a series of horror flicks, the film industry would make a killing. It's a wonder-GAK!" Shirou's words were cut short as the bottom of a thrown alarm clock hit him right in the side of his face.

"Could you shut up!? I'm trying to sleep!"

Issei looked down at Shirou from his bed, the drowsiness clear from the expression on his face. He likely failed to obtain a good night's sleep last night.

"If you're going to sleep on my floor, the least you could do is keep quiet when I'm trying to sleep." Issei complained, letting out a tired yawn. "You kept me up half of the night, mumbling about something or other..."

Shirou pursed his lips. "Oh..." He averted his eyes. "...Sorry."

With that, Issei seemed satisfied, his expression going from drowsy-irritation to just drowsy. "Whatever..." He turned over and went right back to sleep. "Just try to keep it down, man..." For once, Shirou didn't feel as though he had the moral authority to argue with Issei on the matter considering how Shirou was technically being a free-loader.

Due to the fact that Shirou's home had still yet to undergo complete repairs, he was currently staying in the Hyoudou Household.

It wasn't an overly-complicated story.

Several days as a resident of the Occult Research Club's couches had taken their toll on Shirou's back. It was horribly uncomfortable and near-impossible to get used to no matter how Shirou tried sleeping on them. Not to mention that the meeting room was horribly eerie and depressing at night when nobody else was around. After the stint in the Familiar Forest, Shirou had come to realize how malevolent the clubhouse at night with nobody around looked.

After Shirou made an off-handed remark to Rias about how sleeping in the meeting room sucked, Rias suggested Shirou stay over at Akeno's home.

When Shirou got on his knees and begged Rias not to leave him alone with Akeno in what he suspected to be an S&M funhouse, Rias instead suggested the alternative that Shirou stay with Issei for the time-being. Issei was reluctant, but after Rias said she wanted her two Pawns to get along better, Issei quickly caved into her demands like an obedient dog following its affectionate master (not an altogether inaccurate description in Issei's case). While Shirou felt more comfortable living in the house of someone who would not make an awkward or invasive roommate, Shirou had strong doubts as to whether or not the living arrangements would have been possible given the fact everyone in town either hated or feared him and that obtaining Issei's parents' permission was impossible.

Then Rias "convinced" them to disregard Issei having a temporary roommate.

Shirou hadn't liked the idea of using the Devil's hypnosis-type magic, but he knew there was no other choice in the matter.

Either back-pain, endangering his purity, or sucking up his discomfort with mental manipulation and hypnotize Issei's parents.

Despite being granted use of the guest room in the house, Shirou had refused. He already felt like enough of a moocher and a cheat considering the way he had intruded upon their home. He had no desire to take advantage any more than necessary. This meant taking up as little space as possible, only accepting a portion of anything offered, and overall behaving politely to Issei's family, a task Shirou didn't find difficult due to how pleasant they were as people. It was also interesting to Shirou that they were well-aware of Issei's perversion, a fact that made them worry for the preservation of their family line.

It was a good home, which only made Shirou feel worse about letting Rias alter their minds. He remembered how Akeno had once told him that memory alteration and hypnosis could cause some damage if not done carefully. Shirou didn't want Issei's parents to suffer anything serious because of him.

And that was how he ended up sleeping on the floor of Issei's bedroom (which was surprisingly far more comfortable than the couches of the Occult Research Club's base). He had his own small guest mattress to sleep on and comfortable sheets that Issei's parents had provided for him during his stay.

It was more Issei's hospitality than Rias's, but the gesture was still appreciated.

"Hey, Issei?"

"Mmmnnnn..." The boy groaned as he once again forced himself to open his eyes. "What?"

"What time is it?"

Issei sat up slightly in his bed, turning to the alarm clock that rested on the night stand next to his bed. "It's only 4:30 AM...Get some more sleep..."

And that was when Issei's alarm went off. Befitting such a lecherous boy, his alarm clock depicted a girl speaking easily misleading words of a perverted nature.

Growling in annoyance, Issei swung his hand lazily at it before finally managing to slam his fist down on the snooze button. "What the heeelll?" He whined, looking at his alarm clock with tired eyes. "Why is my alarm clock set so early...?" He looked at Shirou, too tired to so much as glare or stare with suspicion. "Did you do this...?"

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before shaking his head. "No. I mean..." He paused for a moment, his eyes quickly going wide with realization. "Oh yeah! The thing with Buchou! The-The...uh...work out thingy! Training!" It appeared as though Issei had either ignored Shirou or fell back asleep due to the long silence that ensued. Within the three minutes that Issei failed to respond, Shirou considered several ways as to how he should go about waking Issei up, having decided on the old-fashioned "bucket of water being poured over his sleeping form" before Issei suddenly sat up, throwing off his own sheets.

"Oh crap! I'm gonna be late!" Issei leaped out of his bed so suddenly that his feet got caught on his discarded sheets, causing him to trip and fall flat on his face.

Shirou smirked. "All hail the mighty Red Dragon Emperor." He cheered mockingly. He sighed. "What a shame that the possessor of one of those Longinus is so weak that he's taken out by a mere piece of fabric."

Issei raised his head to glare at Shirou. "Go to Hell, man!" He screamed as he scrambled up from the floor, quickly rummaging through the closet before pulling out a black and white jersey. "Anyway, you should get ready too! You told Buchou you were coming, didn't you?"

"Yeah yeah!" Shirou answered nonchalantly, already rummaging through the travel bag he had filled with the remains of his clothing selection. He pulled out his own jersey, a blue and white one, before getting up from the ground. He pointed at the door while watching Issei struggle with putting on his jersey in a rush. "I'm gonna go change in the bathroom, so you can go ahead and leave without me. I'll catch up when I'm done."

"Alright!"

It was to be the start of what Shirou felt would be a LONG servitude as he looked Issei half-hop/half-run out the door.

Rias's objective was born as a result of the revelation of Issei's Sacred Gear. Due to his body being too weak to face stronger enemies later on, she had deigned that, until she was satisfied, they would commit to an early-morning work-out session everyday starting early and ending before classes started on school days and ending only once the sun fell on days off excluding holidays or nights where Rias had other activities planned. By the standards of a newer Devil such as Issei, it was going to be as grueling as it was dull.

Thus, Shirou had opted to join in so he could enjoy Issei's suffering as well as show the large gap in abilities between them.

Considering how long Shirou had been at the bottom of the food chain, it was nice having some fresh meat to treat with the same disrespect the others treated him with when he first reincarnated.

And so the day began with what Shirou had thought would be the "new normal"...

* * *

"Come on, Hyoudou! Pick up the pace!"

"You're running like a little school girl, Issei!"

Shirou was figuratively running laps around Issei while Rias was riding on a bicycle alongside them. The difference between her and Shirou was that while Rias's criticism was meant to make Issei perform better while Shirou's criticisms were meant as mere taunts when Issei's abilities were compared to his own. As if to further taunt Issei, Shirou made a show of running backwards, still showing a strong capability of leaving Issei in his dust, much to the latter's irritation.

"It feels like my legs are going to snap off, Buchou!" Issei complained as he reached the halfway point of his 20km run. His face and body were drenched in sweat and he looked as if he were about to keel over and have a heart attack. Shirou, on the other hand, didn't show even the slightest bit of perspiration. Despite his repeated complaints, Issei kept running as Rias had instructed, reminding himself of his goal every time his will faltered, "Harem-King...Harem-King...Harem-King..." He repeated the words as if they were part of some occult chant with roughly the same effects due to the bursts of speed that occurred whenever Issei got a lecherous expression at the thought of his dream.

"No complaints, Issei!" Shirou snapped, doing nothing to hide his amusement. "This should be a piece of cake for normal Devils! I can do this mild exercise in my sleep!"

"Oh~?" Shirou turned to Rias, noticing the smile on her face. However, he froze when he saw it. "Then perhaps I should increase the difficulty for you, _Shirou-kun_?"

It was an "Akeno-type" of smile.

* * *

Shirou started to huff and puff as he struggled to keep up with Issei, looking exhausted to the point of nausea. The front and back of his jersey turned darker as it soaked up all of his sweat. Wrapped around his arms and legs were large, circular bracelets, each about the size of a cinder-blocks. However heavy they looked, their actual weight was actually that of their appearance multiplied by twenty, a struggle for a non-Rook Devil servant. Suffice to say, as a result of his unwanted "luggage", Shirou was no longer smirking as he once had.

"Come on, you two!" Rias called out, casually riding next to them on her bike. "If you want to get stronger, you need to start with basic daily training! For my servants to be weak is something I can't forgive!"

It was easier to say that when she was riding a bike while they were running.

"What's the matter, Shirou?" Issei panted as the two ran together, Shirou dragging behind slightly. "Pick up the pace! You're running like a school girl!"

"Screw you! These things are heavy!" Shirou screamed, immediately regretting the oxygen he just wasted that could have been used to fill up his lungs.

Seeing as Shirou was Issei's "senpai" in Devil terms, Rias had wanted them to "be on an even playing field" so Issei would have someone to genuinely compete with. She repeatedly assured Shirou so many times that the weights were not a punishment that he might have decided to believe it just to make her stop talking. However, any third party observer could have easily discerned from her behavior and actions that it was little more than retribution for picking on her second/only other/favorite Pawn who also doubled as her Trump Card (a result of him possessing a legendary Sacred Gear). As a result, Issei was slowly but surely gaining more ground over Shirou, increasing the distance Shirou was lagging behind inch by inch.

"It sounds like somebody's bein' a buh-buh-bitch~" Issei taunted. "They can't be that heavy! You're just being a wuss!"

Shirou laughed, but his expression was malicious. "Oh, how bout I show you how heavy they are by bashing in your face with them!?"

"You'll have to catch me first!"

"ISSEI, I WILL BURY YOU!"

It was only then that Issei realized he had poked the sleeping bear when Shirou came charging after him, his eyes glowing red with vengeance as he completely ignored the weights that restrained him, chasing after Issei with the speed of a cheetah preparing to brutally murder its prey. Issei's eyes went wide as he screamed, starting to run as fast as his legs would physically allowed. And still, Shirou was slowly closing the gap between them, his hands outstretched with the clear intent of wrapping around Issei's neck with murderous irritation.

"Uwaaaaaah!"

"GET BACK HEEERE!"

This (somewhat comical) chase extended far past the 20km mark, lasting until both Shirou and Issei had lost the stamina to even stand let alone walk about 15 to 20km past their stopping point, both of them collapsing onto their backs on the grassy knoll they happened to stop by. Issei had made sure to rest several feet away from Shirou, far enough that he could easily get up and run should Shirou get up as well as be a far enough distance away so Shirou could not simply roll over and strangle Issei while he was down. For Shirou, even if he desired to do such a thing, did not have the energy to even remember why he had wanted to do it in the first place.

After about two minutes of rest, Rias came riding up to them, a pleased smile on her face.

"Good job, both of you!" She praised, applauding both of them. "That will be enough running for now~"

"Phew!"

"Oh thank Maou."

"Now we'll do dashes." Rias decided, pausing to think for a moment. "I think 100 will be a good number to start at~"

"Auuuuu!"

"I think the Maou hates us, Issei..."

Shirou was no stranger to harsh training due to the regular beatings he got from Kiba, Koneko, and Akeno, but Rias was just brutal.

This was how his originally optional training attendance became mandatory.

* * *

"Your ability has a meaning when your basics are high."

"Yes…65…"

"I don't see _you_ doing any of this crap...81..."

Rias had the two boys doing push-ups after they had finally completed their dashes. While they were doing push-ups, Rias sat on Issei's back to put some extra weight on him. She hadn't been able to find anything whose weight matched her, so she decided to put Shirou's arm and leg weights in a book bag and just put that on Shirou's back so it would be "fair" between the two Pawns.

"That's because, as a High-Class Devil, I'm already trained in the use of magic." Rias defended. "I admit that, in terms of a hand-to-hand fight, I probably would not last, but if it was a battle of magical ability, I don't think I would lose."

"If you're so weak physically, then that makes it even more unfair you're not down on the ground with us!" Shirou complained as the weights put more of a toll on his back then they had on his arms and legs.

Rias wore an innocent expression. "These activities simply are suited for a noble lady. Surely it's not so wrong for me to depend on my strong, adorable servants to protect my pure, virgin body?" Her expression did not even come close to matching the Devil she was.

"Like _you're_ a virgin! Ha!" Shirou laughed, finding the thought of someone like Rias not having her cherry popped to be ridiculous. "You're the woman we call the Exhibitionist Princess!"

His sense of hindsight only kicked in to tell him he had said something stupid only _after_ Rias gave him an irritated, soft kick in the side, causing Shirou to almost collapse onto the ground solely due to the surprise throwing off his concentration.

"Maybe I should put more effort towards training you in good manners." Rias said, her irritated expression nowhere near as playful as it had been before. "You truly do not have a shred of tact, do you?"

"Oh come on, I can be tactful." Shirou defended, shrugging off both Rias's accusation as well as her kick.

"No you can't." Issei said with half-lidded eyes, having tried hard not to get involved in their bickering. "I'm agreeing with Buchou here."

"Nobody asked you, Issei." Shirou said casually. "Besides, of course you're going to agree with her. You're already on all fours like her bitch!" Shirou grinned. "Haha! I knew I would get that one in at some point! I just always thought it was going to have to do with a "BL" joke involving Kiba~"

"All this coming from the boy with a dog collar around his neck." The person who retorted at Shirou that time was his "ever-so-supportive" girlfriend, Kiyome, the girl looking upon the two boys with her arms across her chest and curiosity on her face. "I see you guys are hard-at-work with training."

"Correction: Buchou is sitting on her ass while me and Issei are hard-at-work with-OW!" Rias kicked Shirou again, her displeasure clear on her face as he involuntarily dropped ot the ground. He turned his head around to look his girlfriend, whining, "Kiyomeeeee!"

"You probably deserved it."

"Love you too, schnookums."

Kiyome turned to Rias. "I heard you guys went to the Familiar Forest the other day."

Rias nodded, turning her attention to the conversation at hand. "It was a full moon, so it was the best opportunity to introduce Shirou, Issei, and Asia to one of the necessities for Devils." She had assumed it was Shirou who told Kiyome about the trip. Her only concern was HOW Shirou talked about it. Rias could not help but feel that, if the story came from Shirou's mouth, Rias would have been depicted as some abusive, evil Dragon lady.

"Shirou told me you helped him catch a Water Dragon." Kiyome said, looking impressed and failing to notice Rias's look of surprise. "It's a rare catch, more surprising since it was an adult. I don't know how you did it, but good work. Those Dragons rarely ever leave their territories, so being able to tame one is exceptionally rare, even by professionals like my family."

Shirou slowly pushed himself up from the ground to stare at Kiyome. "Oh! That's right! You and your family...do a thing..." He frowned as the thought was slow to come to the front of his mind. "Uh...Beast Tamers, right?" It had been a long time since the fact was mentioned that he had nearly all but forgotten about it. It wasn't like Kiyome talked about work often while they were evading detection by their classmates.

"That's right!" Kiyome said proudly, trying to ignore how Shirou had forgotten the one job her life was to be devoted to. "The Abe family possesses a proud line of Beast Tamers and Familiar Masters!"

"Wait, I thought only Devils had Familiars?"

"No. Magicians and other non-humans are also capable of making pacts with non-humans who become Familiars." Kiyome explained. "It's just not normally at the top of their list of priorities since they don't normally rely on Familiars as heavily as Devils do. My great-great-great-great grandmother was a Magician, considered a "witch" by the Church as the term was coined during those earlier years. It was during her generation that the Abe family started to gain their notoriety as her magical capabilities allowed her to catch and tame various monsters with significantly greater ease than other human Beast Tamers."

"So, you're like part-Magician?"

Kiyome shook her head. "No. That was generations ago and even then my great-times-four-grandmother didn't have very high magical ability. And none of my family at this point have even a shred of that power, so no." She crossed her arms, a satisfied look on her face. "And, to be honest, I'm glad I don't. I wouldn't want to wake up one morning to find out I had accidentally set my bed on fire in my sleep or something like that. I am strictly against involving myself with anything related to magic."

"Coming from the tamer of mythological beasts and who also has a Devil boyfriend." Rias pointed out as Issei finally reached 70 push-ups.

"Which reminds me," Kiyome looked down at Shirou, the boy slowly beginning to get back into the rhythm of pushing himself up and down towards the ground for his push-ups, "why didn't you just come to me if you needed a Familiar? I had more than enough tamed monsters on my family's estate to provide you with at least one Familiar. Not to mention there would be a significantly smaller risk of having your hands bitten off...well, as long as you don't stick your hands into some of their cages at any rate."

An expression of surprise and confusion crossed Shirou's face. "Wait. You would have given me one?"

"Of course I would have." Kiyome said, another look of pride appearing on her face. "I'm just a nice person like that~"

"Funny," Rias said in a neutral fashion, "when I tried asking you for a second Familiar a year ago, you told me to drop dead."

"With good reason. Don't forget you're forever banned from doing business with us, Rias! Especially after what you did to Tibbles!"

"Oh come now, we were just playing fetch."

"He's so traumatized that he never comes out of his cage at night anymore!"

"It was an accident!

"His fur still won't grow back right!"

The two Pawns of Gremory had paused in their training to look back and forth between the two women as they argued, their self-preservation instincts telling them not to touch the subject with a ten foot pole.

"Buchou-san! Issei-san! Shirou-san! I'm sorry for being late!"

The air of animosity between Rias and Kiyome was interrupted as a new, innocent voice cut into the conversation.

Everyone turned in the direction the voice originated from, watching in curiosity as the former nun-turned-Devil, Asia Argento, ran towards them as fast as she could (which was not very).

Not a single one of them was surprised when the girl tripped on seemingly nothing, falling over and landing flat on her face.

"Owwwww..."

* * *

"Issei-san, here's your tea."

"Y-Yeah, thanks." Issei winced as he reached out to grab the cup of tea, his arms feeling especially sore as a result of the training. He groaned. "Ow..."

"Don't be a pussy, Issei." Shirou said, sipping his own tea without much grace as Rias or Kiyome, the two girls raised in noble and renowned families. As expected of a humble girl such as Asia, her ability to brew tea was spectacular. He wasn't sure what to expect from Rias or Kiyome tea-wise, and he had never had anything cooked or brewed by his mother, so the only tea he had to compare it to aside from his own was Akeno. While not quite on any of their level, Asia's tea was still good. Not too sweet, not too bitter.

It was only after resting for several moments, treasuring the time he had to relax after his day of grueling training, that Issei finally turned to the nun and asked, "Asia, why are you here?"

The nun's cheeks turned a pinkish-red, her expression one of embarrassment. "I heard that you three are training here every morning…so I also wanted to be of help to you. Though I was only able to prepare tea today...I'm glad I brought another cup just in case one broke, or else there wouldn't have been enough for Abe-senpai."

"I'm deeply moved by your kindness Asia!" Issei looked as though he was on the verge of joyful tears. "Aaah, I never expected that there would be a day when a girl would say that to me!"

Shirou could only look on as Issei ignorantly failed to notice the meaning behind Asia's actions and her feelings. Sitting next to Kiyome in the grass nearby, he leaned over and whispered, "How much you want to bet he won't notice until his first year of college?" Kiyome turned and gave him a sharp look as he started to snicker.

"Shirou, you're so rude." She scolded. Then she turned to the others, taking another sip from her tea cup. "I'm certain he'll notice her by next year. You need to have more faith than that. "First year of college", you should be ashamed for doubting your friend's instincts."

"To be fair, he's not exactly some Casanova." Shirou pointed out. "I mean, he's not overall bad-looking. Not to mention he's a pretty good guy. If he had just learned to keep his hormones in check, he actually probably could have lost his virginity by this point in time."

"Touche." Kiyome agreed. "If it weren't for his reputation as a complete pervert, even I might have been tempted to go out with him."

Shirou stared at her, waiting. Kiyome stared back, looking unashamed for her words.

"Well, he is kind of cute. And he's younger than me, so that kind of makes him adorable to me."

"Aaaaand we're changing the subject now."

"Oh, don't be so insecure, Shirou~ You know you're the only boy for me."

"Hey! I am _not_ insecure. I am the epitome of self-confidence."

"Then why do you sound so jealous?"

"Oh no, don't go there! I don't get jealous."

"Then why are you getting so flustered? Your face is turning red."

"I-I'm not! It-It's just hot out here, is all!"

"It's no hot. It's winter, Shirou, almost spring!"

"Still?"

"What?"

"Nothing! Anyway, I'm not flustered and I am not jealous."

"You so are!"

"I SO am not!"

"Are too!"

"Are not! I don't get jealous!"

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!"

"Are not!"

"Are not!"

"Are too!" Shirou paused. "Damn it!" He stood up from his seat, letting his teacup fall to the grass-covered ground below. "I'm telling you, I don't get jealous! I ain't that type of guy!"

"OK OK~" Kiyome teased, not sounding very convincing, especially when she got up and petted Shirou on the head patronizingly. However, she could not help but feel a shred of discomfort, realizing somebody was watching her. She quickly turned to the others, noticing Rias suddenly looking down, a faint hint of envy expressed in Rias's expression, not just towards them, but the affection between Issei and Asia. Kiyome had a fair idea why, but felt no need to question it.

Shirou, oblivious to the things Kiyome knew or at least suspected, did not share the same thought. "Somethin' wrong, Buchou?"

"Yeah," Issei agreed, "you look troubled."

Rias shook her head. "No, it's nothing." While this satisfied Shirou, knowing when to and when not to pursue a matter, the same could not be said for Issei who's worry was matched only by his curiosity by her sudden odd behavior. However, she quickly put on a small, elegant smile as she always had and stood up to address the group as a whole. "More than that, it's good timing that Asia came here when she did. I decided to have it done today, so let's head over to your house now, Issei." Rias turned to Shirou her hands on her hips. "You should probably come as well, Shirou. Issei might need help moving the luggage."

Both Pawns turned to look one another as Rias started to lead Asia away.

["Luggage"?]

* * *

"The fuck is this shit, Buchou!?" Shirou snapped, pointing at the unbelievable number of boxes and travel bags littering the front of the Hyoudou Household.

Issei picked up one of the boxes, opening one of the flaps and staring curiously at the contents inside. With the caution he was treating it with, one would have thought he believed a bomb to be inside.

Rias crossed her arms, giving Shirou a stern look. "This "shit", as you've referred to it, is the entirety of Asia's belongings." She explained, raising one of her hands to pat Asia on the head. "I want you to help move these things into the house. Even you must have some form of gentlemanly instinct."

"OK, maybe I asked the wrong question." The delinquent decided, feeling frustrated by Rias' continued habit of dropping things on him at the last minute. "Why are they here?"

In the background, Issei opened another box, his face turning a deep shade of red as he found himself staring at a pair of pure-white panties, Asia letting out a squeak of embarrassment before snatching them away.

"From hereon out, Asia will be living with Issei." Rias said, patting the top of one of the boxes as if to emphasize her point somehow. "As I'm sure you can tell, I went out and bought her a few things to make up for her lack of possessions from back when she was a nun."

"If I didn't know any better, I would have thought you were just showing off your money." Shirou said, rolling his eyes.

"I am."

Shirou blinked, staring as Rias answered his taunt with a blunt response. "Oh...Huh...Gotta give you points for honesty."

"If I let my servants have sub-par possessions, what kind of master would I be?" Rias asked rhetorically. "Besides, my family's building you a new house. Is it so surprising that I buy Asia a few new things?" Shirou opened his mouth to speak, but had no real response. "Do you think you could go help Issei bring these things up the stairs? I need to "smooth things over" with his parents so Asia can stay here."

Shirou shrugged. "Sure. Whatever." Shirou walked over and started picking up boxes, turning to Issei. "Are you going to help or just stand there like an idiot?"

That one jab had been enough to push Issei to act, the young man quickly rushing over to help Shirou carry Asia's things.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

The overall quiet was interrupted as Kiyome's cell phone started to ring, indicating a text message rather than a call. "Oh..." She turned to the others, alarm on her face. "Sorry, you guys, as much as I would like to stick around, I have to go! The lamia we were caring for has started shedding and...well..." Kiyome blushed, appearing embarrassed about something. "...One of the male caretakers training under my family got too close. My parents are away and I need to go calm her down. See you later." She quickly ran over and placed a soft kiss on Shirou's cheek. "Love you."

Shirou blushed. "Y-Yeah. Love you too." It wasn't embarrassment about Kiyome kissing him or being made to say "I love you" so much as it was the awed, joyful look on Asia's face and the envy and hatred on Issei's. "You got somethin' to say?! Say it to my face!"

"The love you share with our Senpai is so wonderful, Shirou-san!" Asia praised, the former nun's intent being as pure as she was. She clearly did not recognize how embarrassing public displays of affection were for him. Being from the Church, a place where any kind of physical intimacy was discouraged as well as frowned upon, such a relationship between a man and a woman were probably new to her. He felt a little bad for her considering how difficult that would be for her in regards to her quickly-growing affection for Issei.

"Popular guys like you should go die in a fire..." Issei muttered under his breath, a dark aura of envy and despair covering him.

Deciding it was best to simply changed the subject, Shirou sighed while rubbing the back of his neck. "Hey, Buchou, what was that thing Kiyome was talking about earlier?" He asked, remembering the reason for Kiyome's departure. What he expected was some drawn out explanation as to the biology or physical mechanics or whatever of a lamia from his club president, but what Shirou initially obtained was silence. While Issei was busy moving Asia's things into the house, Shirou noticed that Rias's expression had the same odd feeling of sadness as it had before. "Buchou? Rias!"

"Huh?" She suddenly snapped out of her trance, shaking her head as if trying to wake up. "Oh, right. Lamias." It took a few moments before Rias finally got her mind back on track and in order. "When they shed their old skin, the new skin underneath is incredibly sensitive to the point that physical contact causes the lamia to experience intense sexual pleasure along with feelings of arousal and affection."

There was a pause.

"Wait, so when Kiyome said one of the male caretakers "got too close", does that mean..."

"Yeah."

"...Oh."

Another pause.

"The supernatural world is weird, Buchou."

"But such is the way of things." Rias replied philosophically. "There are some things we just can't help." Although Shirou sensed an odd tone in Rias's voice during that last statement, he decided to avoid the subject. It was clearly something Rias didn't want to talk about at the moment.

With that, Shirou began to help moving Asia's things into the Hyoudou Household, quickly getting the work done between the two of them.

* * *

While Shirou had deeply desired to listen in on the family meeting between Issei and his parents (joined/intruded upon by Rias and Asia), he felt more strongly that it was not a matter that involved a non-family member such as himself.

"...So I trust the Hyoudou family are taking good care of you, Shicchan~?"

"Yeah. They're good people."

Shirou sat across from his mother, the small yet adult woman dipping her spoon into a massive sundae Shirou felt even Koneko would have had trouble finishing.

Wishing to check on Shirou's well-being, his mother had called him there to meet up. Mikoto had never told Shirou where she was staying while their home was undergoing repairs, but she had simply told him not to worry about it when he tried to bring it up. She had once offered to let him stay with her, but he had already decided to stay at Issei's house for the time-being. Shirou wasn't quite sure how to put up with the stares they were receiving.

It wasn't the stares of spite or hate. He was used to those.

It was the odd stares related to Mikoto's tiny size and the banquet before her as well as Kalawarner, dressed in her maid uniform while standing dutifully beside Mikoto, blowing Shirou a kiss once or twice when Mikoto wasn't looking. However, whenever Mikoto showed the slightest movement of her eye in Kalawarner's direction, the Fallen Angel seemed to stiffen, terror quickly replacing her flirtatious expression. No matter how much he thought about it, Shirou just couldn't figure out why people he knew, like Rias and Kalawarner, looked so scared of her.

Who could be scared of such a sweet, adorable woman?

Mikoto gave such a pleased look as she savored the taste of cold ice cream from the spoon she kept in her mouth. If there was one thing Mikoto Fujimura liked more than food and her beloved son, it was sweets. Shirou had his own sweet tooth, but it was nowhere near as large as Mikoto or Koneko. He was beginning to develop a theory that lolis (at least, those with snow-white hair) all had a major hankering for sweets.

So Shirou just watched as his mother downed the massive pile of dairy splendor, worried when she stopped taking breaths in-between each bite.

With how much she was eating, he felt uncomfortable, so he decided not to order. If he got a normal amount, he felt like he was under-eating, but if he tried to get as much as Mikoto, he felt like he was a glutton. Shirou had a large appetite when it came to good food, but when it came to food not brought from home, it was always hard for him to tell what he was supposed to eat. Not to mention, when he was eating out, it was very hard to tell who had been handling what and to what degree of cleanliness they treated it with. Shirou could block it out at times, but, as a chef himself, it was nauseating to think of all of the possible scenarios that could transpire in the kitchen in the back of the restaurant where nobody else could see.

It took a total of ten minutes and over half of that massive sundae before Mikoto finally paused, taking a breath and puffing of her cheeks. When she opened her mouth to say something-

"OWIIIEEEE!" Mikoto cried, rubbing her temples as pain colored her expression. "Ow OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW! Ice cream headache!"

It was hard to tell what Shirou expected from a childish woman. He sighed. "What have I told you about pacing yourself when it came to food? You're going to make yourself sick at the rate you eat." From the way he scolded her, one would have thought _he_ was the parent. At the very least, he ate responsibly unlike her.

However, Mikoto hardly appeared repentant, continuing to eat the moment her pain faded slightly. "Sooooo good!" She squealed, surprising Shirou. He had assumed she was _inhaling_ the ice cream at the rate she was eating. The fact she could actually taste it still astonished him. It was after about several dozen more bites that she took a breath, then sighed from happiness. She pushed the bowl over to Shirou. "You wanna try a bite, Shicchan?"

It didn't matter if he did. What Shirou saw when he leaned over the top of the bowl and peered inside was nothing but smeared and melted ice cream remnants sticking to the bottom and sides. However, it was his knowledge of Mikoto's lack of restraint that kept him from interpreting the gesture as something rude. He casually poked the bowl with his index finger, pushing it off to the side so he and Mikoto could look at one another, face-to-face.

"So, was there anything else you wanted to discuss, Ka-san?" Shirou asked, trying to make actual conversation after over twenty minutes of Mikoto gorging herself on the decadent dairy treat.

Mikoto's eyes moved off to the side as she descended into thought, licking what little ice cream remained stuck to her spoon. "Hmmmm..." For several moments, she didn't speak. "How are things with your club going? Anything interesting? Have you had any problems with their activities so far?"

It was such a casual, simple question, but, for Shirou, it was like trying to answer the meaning of life. Even if he could tell her about all of his experiences as a Devil, which he could not, and even if there were hypothetical situation where he could, which he could not, relaying all of thye dangerous, life-threatening events he had gone through since being reincarnated likely would have given his dear mother a heart attack. He couldn't simply just say something half-assed or evasive like "Meh" or "Nope. Everything's all good.". He had changed a great deal in the months since he became a Devil. His mother, the woman who knew him best, would never have missed it considering that, before she left for her last trip, he had been bitter, vulgar (MORE vulgar at any rate), and, most of all, friendless. He had to answer with something relevant.

"Um...No problems so far." Shirou answered, slowly piecing together how he could fully answer the question without raising suspicion. "I mean, I won't say there haven't been any issues...I...I just tend to disagree with the way our club president handles things, so we get into arguments here and there. It's no big deal though. They're used to that stuff from me. We get along fairly well as friends and club members."

"I see." Mikoto pursed her lips, as if thinking about something difficult. Shirou knew something was wrong the moment her childish cheer disappeared. "...Shirou...what are you doing in this club of yours? And don't lie to me."

For a moment, Shirou felt his chest constrict. He hid it as well as he could, but the question was so sudden that he was mentally unprepared for it. He took a few deep breaths, somewhat on-edge as a result of the serious and worried look Mikoto was giving him.

"Oh, you know...stuff." Shirou averted his eyes, rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. "Looked into a few ghost rumors, studied occult writings, just childish supernatural investigation stuff. It's not like we're summoning demons or some crazy stuff like that." He was thankful he managed to make his tone more level the more he spoke. He didn't want to behave suspiciously in front of his mother when it came to such a sensitive subject. "It's just a club where we do or study things related to paranormal phenomenon. Sometimes we just get together to just chill or do whatever if anything at all."

"Is that all? Nothing _dangerous_?"

Her tone was cold yet sharp, like steel. Like she was trying to poke and prod holes in Shirou's claims with the tip of her blade, as if testing their durability. Something about it made Shirou's heart rate go up. He had no reason to feel nervous. Mikoto had no knowledge of the supernatural. Even if she somehow had an inkling of what he was really up to, he could, in the worst case scenario, have Rias edit or erase the thought or memory. It was unethical and went against what Shirou believed in, but he couldn't risk involving his mother in the world he lived in.

"Yes." Shirou answered, taking deep, subtle breaths to avoid letting the tension get to him.

"Shirou, are you sure this is the truth you want to tell me?"

It was like she was really testing him. Testing him with questions that have obscure answers at best. He wasn't entirely sure how to feel.

Swallowing, Shirou nodded. "Yes."

For some reason, Mikoto looked disappointed. She sighed. "I thought you weren't going to lie to me?" She wasn't screaming or yelling, but somehow, her calm, casual attitude only served to make Shirou panic further. She knew something. "Shirou, I'm your mother. I'm not stupid."

"W-What are you talking about?" Shirou wanted to bite off his own tongue after stuttering like an idiot in that intense situation.

The Mikoto he was facing then was far different from the Mikoto Shirou was used to facing. There wasn't any bitterness, anger, pain, or irritation in her voice.

There was nothing.

It was so calm and collected yet a mix between passiveness and aggressiveness. A type of feeling one had to train to use properly.

"Shirou, I know you're keeping secrets." She said, still showing no signs of change in her expression, no "Haha! Just kidding!" like Shirou had hoped. She hadn't, as Shirou just noticed, even called him "Shicchan" since that line of questioning began. It was made even more frightening by the fact she didn't elaborate whether she knew what his "secrets" were. She could simply be tricking him in order to get him to confess to something or she could be truly aware. He had no idea. She gave nothing away. "You being gone long after dark, your behavior, the house collapsing in on itself, and the injuries you have sometimes when you come home. I was _home_ the night you came back injured with Himejima and Kiyome." It felt like Shirou's blood froze like ice. "I hid myself because I didn't want to interrupt, but I was there. Only an idiot wouldn't have noticed the blood dripping from your wounds, Shirou."

To be fair, she _was_ right. He was bleeding lakes after his final fight with the Stray Devil who caused him so much trouble.

"Shirou, this club of yours..." Mikoto paused, shaking her head. "...they're dragging you into dangerous business aren't they?"

She was so close that, for a moment, Shirou was certain she _knew_.

"I don't know what you're talking about." His back was against the wall. She was getting too close. All he could do was deny, deny, deny. There was no time or mental capacity to fake proof or to come up with a believable lie.

"Drop the pretenses, Shirou." Mikoto told him bluntly. "I've watched you grow up since we first met all those years ago. I've seen what you really are. I know that getting into this level of danger isn't like you. The only reason I can think of you getting into so much trouble is related to _them_." The way she said "them", one would have thought it was some kind of caustic curse word. "It's been such a short time, but things have been getting worse and worse. You're killing yourself, Shirou."

It was faint and brief, but Shirou saw worry through the small "crack" in Mikoto's controlled expression. She knew something. That was certain.

"Ka-san, I'm fine." He said, trying to assure her. "I just slipped and fell through a glass table the night you saw me with Kiyome and Akeno. I was just feeling dizzy, so they helped me hope and called a doctor to make sure it wasn't anything serious aside from a few cuts and bruises. Even if it were dangerous, I wouldn't get into trouble. Whatever happens, I can handle it."

"Shirou, your body can't withstand the same level of abuse your mind can." Mikoto reasoned. "With the way you're going about things, your body will break. The things you're doing with these people, you could very well end up being killed. You can't keep doing this." His mother took a deep breath, doing very well in keeping up with the truth of whether or not she _knew_. She hadn't mentioned anything supernatural or anything related to non-humans so it was hard to figure out what she knew or what she was assuming. "Shirou, I want you to cut ties with this group, OK? I'm not saying you can't be with your friends anymore. Just, whatever activities they're doing, whatever trouble they're getting into, I don't want you to be a part of it. You shouldn't need to risk yourself for them. You should be able to live peacefully without worrying about whether or not you'll be coming home tomorrow."

Shirou closed his eyes, reaching into his pocket before pulling out a fistful of paper bills and coins before slapping them onto the table. "This should pay for what we ordered." He slid out of the stall and stood up from his seat, turning his back to his mother. He moved to walk away, but paused, looking back at Mikoto, her controlled expression still hiding all signs of worry. "You're right. I shouldn't need to risk myself for them. I shouldn't have to. But I _want_ _to_." Shirou shoved his hands into his pockets. "Back when I first met them, I was all but alone. The moment I first met them, I pretty much hated them all. Now I can't imagine life without them. A peaceful life where I didn't have to worry about all of the dangers of the world and the cruel whispers behind my back would be nice, but only if I have them around to share it with. I admit I'm not as tough, smart, skilled, or charismatic as them sometimes, and even if we fight most of the time, they're something I cherish. So, even if my body breaks or even if I die, I'm going to keep putting everything I got on the line if it means helping them out and protecting them. Meeting them, being with them, that's what I hold the most pride in. They are my pride."

Mikoto heard a soft yet noticeable intake of breath from the woman standing beside her, the "maid's" eyes widening as if realizing something.

"But don't worry." Shirou smiled softly. "I'm really not involved in anything I can't handle. All just fun and games, so don't worry about it. The boy you raised isn't pathetic enough to go and do something stupid like dying even if it were dangerous." He said it so honestly that one would have thought that it hadn't been a partial lie. "It's been fun talking, Ka-san, but I really need to get back to Issei's. I have some homework I want to get done before school tomorrow."

With a final wave farewell, Shirou left, leaving just his family maid/friend and his mother alone in that place.

* * *

Beads of sweat rolled down the sides of Kalawarner's face as she noticed her mistress' increasing irritation and the dark expression she wore on her face. From the way she was reacting, she looked caught between confusion and frustration. Kalawarner took two steps away just in case the girl, a woman whom she had quickly learned was horribly frightening, decided to draw a knife out of nowhere and start stabbing randomly in order to vent. She had experienced Mikoto's "darkness" once before, but that had been more controlled and direct unlike her current state. If the small-sized woman had suddenly exploded, it would not have been too surprising. Since meeting her, Kalawarner had seen her annoyed and harsh, but never quite to the point of anger...

Then Mikoto calmed, letting out a sigh.

"That child of mine is honest to a fault." Mikoto said, smiling tiredly. "I swear, he learned that stubbornness from me."

"M-Mikoto-sama?" Kalawarner called, anxious. When the woman look at her calmly, no hint of indifference or coldness, Kalawarner knew there was nothing to fear.

"It's fine, Kalawarner." Mikoto turned and slid out of her seat onto the floor. "It just appears that we have work to do."

"What do you mean?" However, Kalawarner had a fair suspicion she knew what her boss meant.

Mikoto looked out the window, watching as the sun slowly started to descend over the horizon. "Our peaceful days are coming to an end." She said, bitter sadness appearing in her voice. "While I would really like to rest these old bones of mine for a bit longer, there'll be no more time to sit around and do nothing the further Shirou gets into his new life. A storm is coming, and I'm not sure any of those kids are ready for what troubles lie ahead." She smiled, using the same cute tone she normally used, "And what kind of mother would I be if I didn't help my baby boy when he gets into trouble~?" She walked with a cheerful spring in her step that sharply contrasted with her words or intent. "Come along, Kalawarner~ We have things we need to do, people to talk to, blades to sharpen, all that fun stuff~"

Kalawarner bowed respectfully. "Yes, ma'am." She watched as the woman who raised Shirou walked as though without worry, something Kalawarner knew was a lie. However, her confidence wasn't. She knew that much. Ever since Mikoto Fujimura had sought her out, Kalawarner had been aware that she was far from an ordinary human.

The mother of Shirou was truly a fearsome woman.

* * *

"So how did it go with Asia?"

Later that night, after the stressful situation he had had with his mother earlier, Shirou felt so mentally exhausted that he just went right back home (Issei's home in this case) to rest early. He had just slipped into his little bed on the floor. However, despite feeling so tired, it was the accompanying confusion that kept him from getting proper sleep. He ended up just staring emptily at the ceiling the entire night until Issei returned home from taking Asia out on her first contract.

"It went alright." Issei answered, laying flat on his own bed. "She got it on her first try unlike the two of us." Both boys tried to sink deeper into their beds, depressed at their incompetence.

"Cool..." However, Shirou wasn't really focused on the conversation. His mind kept returning to his previous conversation with his mother. It was unsettling how close she was to hitting the nail on the head. His only concern was whether or not she was aware of whether his activities were related to the supernatural. He didn't want to bring in Rias to do some memory-wiping unless he was absolutely certain his mother knew. After all, it could have been just as likely that she knew about his delinquent activities by that point. It was hardly like nobody knew who Shirou was. "Anyway, where is Asia?"

"She went to go take a bath."

"Ah...Neat."

"Mmhm."

"Respect for not going in to peep on her, man. Didn't know you had that level of self-control."

"Asia is so pure and innocent. Even I feel morally wrong thinking about doing lecherous things related to her."

"...Wow, a line you won't cross. Even more respect, man."

"Screw you, man."

Both young men were rather tired, so their energy just wasn't really in their argument that time. They just laid there.

"Hey, Shir-" Issei cut himself off as a light started to radiate from the center of the floor in the room.

Shirou sat up, staring curiously as he recognized the crimson rose of the Gremory family crest. It was one of their magic circles. "Did one of us get summoned?"

Issei shook his head. "No, I don't think so. We don't even have a drawn magic circle here..."

When the light finally cleared, both Issei and Shirou recognized the crimson hair of their Devil Master, Rias Gremory. However, something was noticeably "off" about her. Shirou couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Buchou…?" Issei was the first of the two boys to break free of the mutual silence that ensued.

Either unaware or ignoring Shirou's presence, she turned to Issei, looking as though she were cornered. "Make love to me."

"E-Excuse me?" Issei barely had any chance to properly object before Rias pushed him over onto his bed, mounting his waist. Without waiting for consent, she grabbed his hand and firmly pressed it against her breast.

"Please...Take my virginity right now."

"Oh holy shit!" Shirou covered his mouth, trying to suppress the amused grin and the chuckles that had overcome him. It was only then that Rias seemed to register his presence. She blinked twice, taking much longer to actually process the fact he was there in the room with them.

Despite his rude and improper interruption, there was none of the irritation or annoyance Shirou had come to expect from Rias in regards to his reaction to her actions. "Shirou? What are you doing here?"

It was hard to tell if she was being rude, insensitive, or just forgetful.

"Um...My house kind of got blown up, remember?" Shirou asked, bringing to mind the rubble of what had once been the Fujimura residence. "I kind of had nowhere else to live, so you placed me here...remember? You also placed Asia here. One more person and we may as well consider Issei's home a "bed & breakfast"."

"Oh...right." It looked as though the thought hadn't even occurred to her. She _must have_ been in some kind of rush. It wasn't like Rias to forget those types of things normally. "I...I hadn't planned on that." She bit the tip of her thumb, indifferent to the fact that a still-dazed Issei was still firmly grasping her breast. "Do you think you could leave me and Issei alone for a little while?"

A sharp laugh escaped Shirou's lips, leaning forward with avid interest. "You kidding? This is the most fun thing to happen since I first got here." He claimed. "I want to stay and watch."

Confusion and worry for Shirou's well-being (or perhaps mental state) filled Rias' head as she stared at him. "Whyyyy?"

"I want to see just how Issei will fuck this up." A blunt yet honest answer with no true ill intent. "You could always just leave if you're uncomfortable with me being here." He was there first after all. If anyone, it was Issei and Rias who should have left.

"No!" Issei suddenly cried out, immediately feeling embarrassed by how improper and childish he sounded. He stared at Shirou with a pleading look as if to ask "Please leave?".

But Shirou wasn't moving from that bed, Rias getting done by Issei or not. He was too tired to move anywhere...and too curious about what would happen. It may have been weird and somewhat creepy, but he genuinely wanted to see what would happen.

At first, it appeared as though Rias was going to acquiesce and leave and/or take Issei with her...

"OK, stay and watch. Just don't say anything."

Both boys' eyes widened at Rias's response.

"Oh shit!" Shirou had expected _any_ other response. "Should I go get popcorn? I really wasn't expecting this."

Rias turned back to Issei, gently brushing her fingers across his cheek. "Just ignore him."

"I dunno..." Issei shot Shirou a sharp look before looking back at Rias. "It feels awkward when he stares like that..."

"Oh don't worry." Shirou waved off Issei's concerns. "On the off-chance this actually turns into something, I'm out. I'm not into watching live action in person. However, because I am so sure one of you is gonna fuck this up, I want to watch and see how this goes wrong. I might even call the others and start a betting pool to see which one of you fucks it up first. I'm betting Rias." That time, both of them shot him a sharp look before they decided to disregard him completely.

"I don't have any time for this..." Rias looked back at Issei. "Let's just-Wait, why me?"

"Well, you're a pure-blood noble with little to no understanding of normal or sexual culture." Shirou said. "Issei is a hot-blooded, overly-excited teenage boy whose favorite pass-times are watered down to watching girls strip naked and jerking off to porn on the internet. Technically speaking, he has more experience. Do you even know where you stick his thing, Rias?"

If that question didn't warrant a long, painfully awkward pause, then Shirou had no idea what did.

"O-Of course." Rias answered honestly, blushing from embarrassment. Then she paused. Then answered more honestly, "...Sort-of. I...I didn't exactly plan this out. I was running out of options and, if I had to do it, I would have preferred someone willing as more adorable like Issei here." She gave Issei a soft pat on the head.

"Huh?" For some reason, Shirou felt miffed. "Why not Kiba? Or me for that matter?" For some reason, that last question only made him feel more awkward.

"Don't be offended. It's not that you're not attractive. You're just not my type."

"Ha! Take that, Shirou!"

"...I'm not quite sure where to start responding to that."

As it turned out, he didn't need to for, at that moment, the room started to illuminate once more, another magic circle bearing the symbol of the Gremory family appeared on the ground.

"...That's not Akeno, is it?" Shirou asked, feeling worried that Rias may have found "other ways" to get him out of her hair.

Rias sighed. "No." A hint of disgust lingered in her voice. "It's too late." With the amount of irritation Rias was showing on her face, Shirou was certain that, at least, it wasn't any of their other club members. She looked expectant, Shirou looked curious, and Issei looked as though he was panicking at the thought of what would happen if anyone of the Gremory family caught him and Rias in such a compromising position.

A shadow appeared in the center of the glowing magic circle before the light began to die down, revealing an equally unfamiliar figure.

"Did you think that by doing this kind of thing the engagement would be broken?"

She was a mature yet graceful beauty, a woman appearing to be in her early twenties. The thing about her that truly stunned Shirou was her hair.

Silver. Not gray, dull-white, or light black. Silver as the valuable metal with which the color shared its name. An elegant yet odd color that left Shirou at a loss. Her beautiful, shiny hair, which flows all the way down to her back, featured a long braid on each side with small blue bows at the ends, while the rest is let down, ending in twin braids. She was clothed in a uniform (or perhaps a costume?) reminiscent of a French maid uniform. While an odd choice in clothing, Shirou couldn't quite bring himself to focus on that. Every time he looked at her, his eyes were drawn to her face and her hair. And every time he looked at them, he was filled with an odd sensation of nostalgia...

And anger.

He couldn't quite figure out what was causing these odd feelings he knew he shouldn't feel towards a stranger. He looked on as Rias sighed in response to the mysterious woman's arrival.

"If I don't go this far, both Otou-sama and Onii-sama won't listen to me, right?"

The maid frowned as she continued scolding the crimson-haired girl. "If it's discovered that you tried to give your purity to a lowly person like this, Master and Sirzechs-sama would be saddened."

"You know," Shirou butted in, crossing his arms as another wave of irritation washed over him, "most people would at least give an introduction before badmouthing people they don't know, maid-lady." On top of the odd sense of anger he was already experiencing, the woman's rude and uncalled-for behavior towards Issei was starting to piss him off. She wasn't entirely wrong about Issei being a little lowly, but she still had no right to insult him.

The silver-haired maid turned to Shirou, as if just noticing he was there (Shirou couldn't help but wonder if it was, perhaps, an issue related to the floor not being on eye-level with others or within a line of sight). She looked as though she were about to open her mouth to scold him, but the moment she laid eyes on the person who rebutted her comment, she froze. It wasn't a pause or that she changed her mind. She just froze, her mouth slightly open as she was about to speak her first word. A multitude of emotions seemed to flash across her face, from shock to sadness to (perhaps) happiness to anger and then to irritation before going back to cold indifference. It all happened in a split second, but Shirou could swear he saw these emotions. It wasn't physical movement or a change in facial expression. It was her eyes. When they had gone wide, even thought for a very brief period of time, Shirou knew she had been surprised about _something_.

And the more he looked at her, the more irritated he became. It felt like he knew her somehow. And yet he didn't at the same time. There was a dull pain in his skull, like there was something his brain was trying to remember.

His anger was only compounded when the maid simply turned away from him, as if trying to ignore his existence.

"It is shameful." The maid continued as if she hadn't just paused a moment ago.

"My chastity belongs to me." Rias stated, clearly finding the whole situation unpleasant. "What's wrong with giving it to someone whom I approve of? And don't call my cute servant lowly. Even if it's you, I won't forgive it, Grayfia." The way Rias defended him clearly made Issei feel happy judging from the dopey expression on his face.

"No matter what happens, you are the next heir of the Gremory household, so please don't attempt things such as this." The maid, Grayfia scolded. "I am simply relieved I arrived before you went too far. Considering the situation, even showing your skin to him could have caused a great deal of trouble."

Despite most of Rias' annoyance directed towards the maid in front of her, Shirou could have sworn Rias shot him a look as if to say "Thanks for that by the way" in a sarcastic manner. It wasn't Shirou's fault that she came barging into people's rooms with half-baked plans involving losing her virginity.

It was only then that Grayfia turned to Issei, bowing her head in a gesture of respect that she greatly failed to show Shirou. "Nice to meet you. I am a servant of the Gremory household, Grayfia. Pleased to make your acquaintance." Even though she had called Issei "lowly" a moment ago, she was already treating him better than the other Pawn in the room.

"Grayfia, did you come here of your own accord? Or because the household sent you?" Rias' expression seemed to darken slightly with each question she asked. "…Or is it by Onii-sama's will?"

"All of the above." The silver-haired beauty answered coolly.

After ten seconds of the two females staring at one another intensely, Rias finally sighed, relenting. "I see. You who are Onii-sama's [Queen] personally came to the human world, so it can only be one thing. I understand." She slowly got off of Issei's bed, standing with a posture as if she hadn't just been trying to force her way into Issei's pants. "I'm sorry, Issei. Just pretend that this didn't happen. I wasn't thinking straight either. Let's just forget this."

Issei's spirit seemed to fall greatly at Rias' words. "Ah...yes."

"Issei?" Grayfia looked surprised. "Wait, is this person-?"

"Yes, Hyoudou Issei." Rias confirmed. "My [Pawn]. The user of the [Boosted Gear]."

"…Boosted Gear," The woman said in almost a whisper, appearing to be deep-in-thought, "the one possessed by the Emperor of Dragons…a power that attracts power..." Shirou didn't miss the suspicious glance she gave him.

The only thing that surprised him was that it usually took people getting to know him for five seconds to begin giving him such looks.

"Grayfia, let's go back to my room." Rias said, speaking directly to the maid. "I will listen to what you have to say over there. Akeno can also attend, right?"

Grayfia nodded. "I don't mind. It's a must for High-class Devils to have their Queen by their side all the time."

"Very well." Rias turned back to her favorite Pawn (AKA: Issei). "Issei..."

"Y-Yes?"

Issei barely turned his head before Rias leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek.

"Please forgive me for today with this. I troubled you a lot. Let's meet again in the clubroom tomorrow."

With that, Rias joined Grayfia in the magic circle on the ground, the circle illuminating the room once more before the pair left, leaving the two young males alone in the room as they had been about several minutes prior.

"...Shirou, that betting pool you made...did I lose?" It was hard for Issei to figure out what the Hell just happened. It was normal for him to feel absolutely lost when it came to matters related to Devils, but the events that had just transpired confused him more than anything thus far. He wasn't even sure whether or not his inability to lose his virginity to the most beautiful girl he knew was his fault or what the situation was in the first place. He frowned when he realized Shirou wasn't responding. "Shirou?" Issei could not help but feel uneasy when he saw his friend sitting, legs crossed and his hands tightly gripping his knees.

Beads of sweat rolled down the sides of Shirou's face, the boy clenching his teeth so tightly together that they might have cracked.

The anger on Shirou's face was clear.

"...Uh...Did I win the betting pool?"

"Issei, that woman..."

"You mean Grayfia-san?"

"I don't know why, but I hate her..."

"Huh?" Issei was taken aback by Shirou's declaration. He had never seen his friend so riled up before. It was stunning and a little scary.

"I really hate her."

It was obvious Shirou's words desired no response.

"Issei-san! I finished using the shower!" Asia called out from down the hall. "You or Shirou-san are free to use it now!"

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** A New Trial and New Troubles! Challenge to the Gremory Household!

* * *

 **Yeah, I have about the patience of a gaming-addict waiting for the release of the coolest DLC...Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to reach that 3-chapter stock. :P Oh well.**

 **Anyway...Started writing a book...so that's happening.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	25. Opening 3 - Hey World

**Song: Hey World (DanMachi/Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka)**

 **By: Yuka Iguchi**

 **[10 Second Instrumental]** The sun rises over the horizon, illuminating the entire town before a bird's eye view descends upon Kuoh Academy.

 **[Karada ha konnani]** The point of view falls upon the outside of the ORC clubhouse, slowly zooming in through the window on the second floor.

 **[kutakuta ni tsukareterunoni]** Shirou lays on the couch in the ORC's meeting room, yawning as he wakes up, letting his blanket from his body as he rubs his eye. He slides off the couch, fully dressed as he walks out the door.

 **[Kokoro ha doushita]** Night falls and the Occult Research, including Kiyome, file into the meeting room, taking seats around the center. Shirou turns in confusion as Akeno sits on his right, not-so-subtly sliding closer to him with an interested smile.

 **[dokidoki ga tomaranaindarou]** Kiyome quickly wraps her arms around Shirou's left arm, tugging him in her direction while glaring daggers at Akeno, the latter grabbing Shirou's other arm and pulling him in her direction. Both girls struggle over him as the others look on in amusement excluding an envious Issei.

 **[Kinou to chigau]** In a hazy, fiery void, Shirou stands at the forefront, a troubled expression on his face while a silver-haired woman stands in the background with her back to him.

 **[ashita ga arukoto]** In a smoky-blue-framed void, Mikoto stands with a bright smile, a womanly silhouette visible in the background, looking back with sharp, blood-red eyes.

 **[Shinjirareru]** The scene fades to black before Rias fades in, a sad expression on her face as the Gremory family crest begins to glow brightly in the background.

 **[jibun ga]** In a vast, artic wasteland, a massive, golden-eyed shadowy wolf lets outs a roar that causes the air itself to quake from its power.

 **[irunara kyoumo hashire]** The Occult Research Club are gathered in front of the wooden double doors to a large building in the mountains, the doors sliding open to reveal bright light that whites out the scene.

 **[Taoretatte]** The ORC, with Kiyome and Mikoto, appear lost in the middle of the forest, Shirou and Issei butting heads while glaring at each other in irritation as Rias and Kiba try to decipher a large map.

 **[hazukashikunai]** Shirou, dressed in a white gi in a small training field, is sent flying and vanishing into the sky with a roundhouse kick to the face by Koneko.

 **[mouichido]** In the middle of a dojo-type room, Shirou, Issei, and Kiba are prostrated in despair in front of Mikoto, a dark smile on her face as her entire body is shrouded in a malicious aura, the wooden sword in her right hand resting on her shoulder.

 **[tachiagareba]** In a dark, dungeon-like hallway, Shirou flees in terror with tears comically spraying from his eyes as the rest of the ORC faces a frightening ghost woman.

 **[Ato sukoshi de]** The Occult Research Club gathers in front of the main school building, all ready for a fight with Shirou at the forefront, grinning confidently.

 **[tadoritsukesou na]** The crest of the Phenex clan appears on the ground, flames spewing outward as Riser's form is revealed.

 **[yokan ga shiteru]** He conjures a massive flame in his left hand, a heavy aura of demonic power surrounding him.

 **[Yume no chizu nante iranai]** A huge pillar of fire erupts from Riser's body, ripping apart the ground as it speeds towards the Occult Research Club, causing all of them to leap high into the air to evade.

 **[Mezasu basho ha mou zutto kimatteiru]** Kiba, Issei, Akeno, and Rias descend, wielding their sword, Boosted Gear, lightning, and demonic power respectively as they fall towards the ground, prepared to strike. Shirou's Sacred Gear takes its spear form, radiating a brilliant light as he swings, whiting out the screen.

 **[Atarashii]** The sun begins to rise and Shirou sits upon a pile of rubble, turning to see his friends and comrades, injured but smiling and beckoning him over.

 **[sekai ni ima deaitaiyo]** Shirou gives a big thumbs up, grinning from ear-to-ear as the camera pans upward towards the deep-blue sky.


	26. Chapter 22: A New Trial and New Troubles

**OK, so I've been going over the High School DxD archive and have figured out there seems to be three general types of stories:**

 **-Immediately-Maou-class/OP OC, usually from some extinct or otherwise made-up/original Devil Clan**

 **-Maou-Class or God-Issei (At the very least, strong)**

 **-Third Dragon Emperor OC**

 **-_- All of you try to refute this. This is what this archive is nowadays (Much like almost every other archive past the 1K mark). Take a look at all of the stories in the archive and I'm sure you'll have trouble finding ones that don't fall into these categories...**

 **Those of you who make this work, and you know who you are, you guys rock, good job. Those of you who don't...O_O O_O O_O_O_O_O...I dunno...I think the real reason I'm so bummed out is that none of these stories these days make me laugh anymore...Combined with college slowly murdering my soul and life just being so hard right now, it's just sad and I feel lifeless...Who here remembers Devil Among Devils? Not the Persona 3 crossover, Demon Among Devils. This one was a humorous DxD story that had characters and ideas crossing over from numerous series, the primary theme being Hataraku Maou-sama...Ha...I love it. Just like OnePunch-Man. I can't really find stories that tickle my funny bone like DxD is supposed to...Course, it could just be my mood...but I dunno. Highschool DxD: The Tale of a Gutsy Sekiryuutei and Bloodstained Omamori seem to do the trick...**

 **I dunno...Anyway, if I never post again, assume I faked my death and currently am on the run out of fear of being ripped a new one for possibly failing my mid-term. If you see me walking on the street in a gray jacket, please supply me food of crackers, water, and cheese. I will figure it out from there. :3**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Which means I don't own shit! Try and claim copyright now, bitches! XD.**

* * *

 **Chapter 22: A New Trial and New Troubles! Challenge to the Gremory Household!**

"It's pretty weird."

"What do you mean, Kiryuu?" Shirou asked as he kicked his feet up, letting them rest on his desk.

Classes had ended for the day, so Shirou and Kiryuu were just sitting at their desks, casually talking. Kiyome had arrived several moments after the final bell rang to join the conversation. The glasses-wearing girl bearing only one rival in terms of perversion skills adjusted her glasses over her eyes, sighing. It was clear that she was bummed out about something, something that was strange for the normally upbeat girl.

"I mean, when was the last time we all just got together like this?"

Kiyome raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? Aren't we always like this?" It was hard to remember a time since last year that they hadn't gotten together as they were at that moment.

A soft moan escaped Kiryuu's mouth. "I guess, but not lately." She whined. "Kiyome's usually busy with her family business and, ever since you joined the Popular Kids Club, you've been like a ghost."

"Ghost!? Where!?" Shirou sat up so fast that he almost fell right out of his seat, alarm on his face. He blushed deeply when he realized both Kiyome and Kiryuu were staring at him. "Hmph!" He quickly leaned back in his seat, looking the other way. "Whatever."

"O...K?" Kiyome decided to go ahead and ignore Shirou's odd behavior, instead focusing on Kiryuu. "Anyway, I'm sorry. Things have just been busy lately and it's gonna get even busier."

Shirou glanced at his girlfriend. "Why's that?"

"Well, one of the male caretakers is in the hospital, so his workload falls to me until he recuperates."

"Why is he in the hospital?"

"Pelvic trauma."

Shirou gave her a confused stare. "What do you mean pelvic trau-" It was then that Shirou noticed how Kiyome averted her eyes, looking embarrassed. "OOOHHH! THAT male caretaker...Sounds like a confusing situation."

"It really is." Kiyome nodded. "More-so because he's now asking me for her cell phone number."

"Do Lamias even use cellphones?"

"Lamia?" Kiryuu, unaware of the supernatural, looked back and forth between her two friends without a single idea regarding the situation. "You guys are even more confusing than before...Are you two dating?"

Both of the other two did a dry spit-take.

"W-What-"

"-the Hell!?"

The couple's faces flushed as they faced their mutual friend.

[What are you talking about!?]

Kiryuu sighed, leaning on her arm with a bored expression on her face. "I dunno. You guys seem closer than normal and you're usually found together in some way, and it feels like I'm the third wheel by this point...it's awkward, you guys." They knew what was coming when a familiar lecherous smile appeared on Kiryuu's face. "So be straight with me: You two did the naught-no-no together, didn't you~?" If one had claimed that Shirou and Kiyome's faces couldn't become redder, they would have been the liar.

"C-Come on!" Shirou stuttered, looking away. "What?!"

"As if!" Their united denial was hardly convincing. Kiyome did her best to maintain a straight expression in the face of Kiryuu's sudden accusation.

And that was the story of how Kiryuu learned their secret.

"Oh my God, you did!" Kiryuu, unlike many other people they knew, was nowhere close to being an idiot. She had seen enough hentai and erotic romance anime to see the signs. "Are you two an ite-MMPH!" She was silenced as Shirou and Kiyome suddenly lashed out, clamping their hands down over her mouth to prevent her from talking further. Their actions said it all, causing Kiryuu's eyes to go all wide and sparkly in a way that should not have been possible in real life.

"Don't go blabbing to everyone!" Shirou hissed in a whisper. "I swear to all that is evil and wicked that I will murder you if you do!"

Still clearly excited, Kiryuu nodded. Willing to have faith in their friend, Shirou and Kiyome removed their respective hands from Kiryuu's mouth.

Kiryuu smiled. "I called it. You guys said "Nah, no way is that going to happen", but I called it." To be fair, she really did. "How long has this been going on?"

"Oh...you know..." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck, feeling anxious.

Kiyome twiddled her fingers together nervously. "...a few months..."

Kiryuu remained silent for several moments, frowning again. "Oh..." She looked down at the ground. "I really am the third wheel, aren't I...?"

"No no!" Considering the fact she was already feeling left out due to Shirou and Kiyome's respective involvement with the world of the supernatural they could not involve their friend in, he didn't want her to feel any sadder than she did. "I mean, we're already keeping it a secret at school, so our time with you is friend time, so it's all good. Really."

"I see..." Shirou felt bad. He never once had second thought about it, but Kiryuu was one of his closest friends aside from Issei who appeared to have replaced her as the number 1 pervert for a while. Perhaps it wasn't right to keep it a secret from her of all people. "...Can I ask though? How did you two get together?"

RIIIING

 _[Oh thank God, a distraction!]_

The two teens let out a small sigh of relief the moment Shirou's phone started ringing. It would have been rather difficult coming up with a convincing lie to hide the fact that they got together after Shirou saved Kiyome from a vicious, man-eating snake-woman and later forced to finally act after a rather intense moment under his mother's scrutiny.

Speaking of his mother, Shirou hadn't heard back from her since their conversation the other day...When Shirou thought about it, the entire day in general had been fairly intense mentally-speaking.

RIIIIING

The sound of Shirou's phone ringing again snapped him out of his train of thought. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and flipped it open.

"This is the latest phone of Shirou Fujimura. This is Shirou Fujimura speaking. May I ask whom I am speaking to?"

[Hey, Shirou, it's me.]

It was Kiba's voice on the other end of the line.

"What is it?"

[I'm not quite sure.] His voiced sounded uncertain. [Buchou called a meeting suddenly and told all of us to gather in the meeting room earlier than usual.]

"Must be serious..." Shirou said, thinking back to Rias' behavior the previous night. He considered the possibility the sudden meeting had to do with the appearance of the silver-haired (bitch) maid, Grayfia. "Alright. I'm on my way. Later." With that, Shirou ended the call without waiting for Kiba's response. He turned to Kiyome and Kiryuu, both girls staring curiously. "Sorry. Duty calls. Buchou wants us all to meet up for some reason, so I gotta get going. Uh...pick this up later?" It felt a little rude to just up and leave after Kiryuu just recently got done feeling sad about how Shirou and Kiyome were usually leaving her on her own.

Kiryuu waved it off. "Go ahead. I'll just be here with Kiyome." The moment Shirou turned around, Kiryuu leaned towards Kiyome. "So, how far _have_ you two gone?"

Kiyome sighed, realizing, as Shirou walked off, that perhaps whatever he would be facing was far simpler than what she would have to deal with now that Kiryuu knew their secret.

Just one of those days.

* * *

The moment Shirou walked into the meeting room, he could almost _taste_ the tension in the air.

With the way the air in the room was, one would have thought that someone was about to drop an atomic bomb.

He felt the uncommon presence grow stronger the closer he came to the meeting room, but he wasn't certain who it belonged to until he finally reached the room.

The harsh feelings were divided between two major groups. There was Rias, bearing the same unpleasant expression she had worn back when the maid had interrupted her attempt to have her virginity taken by Issei, along with Akeno, who was bearing a cold, scary smile, on one side while, on the other, was the maid of Rias' family, Grayfia. Despite the fact that several hours had passed since they had last met, Shirou still found himself greatly irritated by her presence there even disregarding the harsh atmosphere. He had so many things he wanted to say to her aside from telling her to back-off, but he knew that then was hardly the most appropriate moment. All he could do was ignore her and keep his temper under control.

Everyone else looked as though they were trying not to get involved with...whatever was going on.

Issei was standing next to Asia, the former nun clearly uneasy as a result of the atmosphere. Koneko was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, appearing to be the most successful at avoiding the dangerous situation. Kiba just looked on-edge, as though he was trying to prepare for an "anything" that he could not define in words.

When Shirou shut the door behind him, Rias finally took notice of his entrance into the room, giving him a nod of acknowledgement. If Grayfia noticed him, she didn't give any indication.

"Looks like everyone is here." Rias stated. "Before we start the meeting, there's something I need to tell all of you." Her expression was serious, none of her usual lightheartedness or elegance in her voice.

"Ojou-sama, do you want me to explain the situation?" Grayfia asked.

"No." Rias rejected, waving off Grayfia's offer with her hand. "I'll do it." Then Rias turned to her servants, a solemn look in her eyes. "The truth is-"

She never got the chance to so much as finish her sentence because, at that moment, the floor started to radiate a powerful light.

However, unlike the elegant and relatively soft, crimson light radiated by the magic circles of the Gremory family, the light that radiated from the magic circle that appeared in the middle of the meeting room was orange-red, bearing a painfully bright and almost burning presence. Far from the comforting sensation normally felt from their own magic circles' teleportation. Not just colors, but even form. Literal flames started spewing from the magic circle, leading Shirou to believe, at least for a brief moment, that perhaps someone was attacking them. It was so intense that Shirou had to cover his face with his arms to shield it from the heat and the light.

The magic circle that appeared certainly was not bearing the Gremory family crest, so Shirou immediately prepared himself to fight the moment he saw the silhouette of a man appear within the circle.

"Kiba, is it a friend or foe?" Shirou asked the swordsman next to him over the roar of the flames.

"It's the crest of the House of Phenex, another noble Devil family," Kiba answered, sounding conflicted, "but I'm not quite sure I'd be willing to call them a friend..."

"So I should kick whoever-it-is's ass?"

"Yeah, you should probably hold off on that."

Shirou let out a grunt of agreement.

With a single swing of the silhouette's arm, the flames dispersed, allowing the man's full form to be revealed. "Fuu, it's been a while since I came to the human world." He was a young man, perhaps in his early twenties with short blonde hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in a burgundy blazer with gold embroidery on the right with matching pants and black dress shoes. Underneath his open blazer was a white dress shirt that was not fully buttoned (just one button short), giving a slight view to his chest. He had a playboy vibe to him that Shirou immediately hated. He seemed...dangerous. The moment the man laid his eyes on Rias, he smirked. "My lovely Rias. I came to see you."

The crimson-haired girl stared with half-lidded eyes and a look on her face that showed clear distaste for the man before them all. Perhaps unaware or simply ignoring her, the man approached Rias, casually draping an arm over her shoulder.

"Now then, Rias, it's a bit sudden, but let's go and take a look at the ceremony hall. The date of the ceremony is decided so we need to check it before then. It's better to get it over with."

"…Let go of me, Riser." Rias shoved him away, a hateful look on her face.

The man, whose name was apparently Riser, seemed to not think much of Rias' hostile action, still smirking.

Shirou knew what Issei was going to do even before he did. The angry expression on his fellow Pawn's face made it fairly obvious. "Hey, you!" Issei called out, stepping forward. You are being rude to Buchou! Actually, what's with that attitude towards a girl?!"

"Ah?" Riser looked at Issei as if only just noticing he even existed, displeasure in his voice. "Who are you?"

"I am the servant Devil of Rias Gremory-sama! I'm her Pawn, Hyoudou Issei!"

"Hmm. Ah, okay."

Shirou had to admit that the way Riser just seemed to completely disregard Issei as a threat was somewhat amusing.

"I mean, who the heck are you?!" Issei asked angrily.

"…Oh? Rias, you haven't mentioned me to your servants?" Riser feigned hurt at Rias' indifference. "Wait, there are actually guys who don't know about me? Is this a reincarnated human? That must be it."

Shirou only realized how irritated he was when he moved forward, raising his hand to speak. "To be fair, even if we did, I still wouldn't care." It was the truth. He didn't really know who Riser was other than the fact he was a Devil, but just his mere presence pissed Shirou off, more-so than Grayfia's.

"A bit of a cocky brat, aren't you? Isn't it custom in your human world to respect your betters?"

"Dude, you're like five years older than me tops. Stop acting like a big-shot adult."

"What I lack in age, I make up for in overwhelming power that far surpasses all of the people you work with combined."

"I guess that makes up for everything else you're lacking too, huh?"

"You-!"

"Enough!" It was Rias' harsh voice that brought the back and forth between her second-least mature servant and the immature-seeming man who arrived before them that day. Somehow, the two together were even more annoying than the two apart. Rias turned to Riser, the man looking sheepish at his display. "I didn't tell them about it because there was no need."

"Oh my, harsh like always. Hahaha…" Riser just laughed it off casually, but there was a hint of tension in his voice.

Shirou shoved his hands into his pockets, glaring at the face he wanted to bash in. "Hey, maid-lady, who is this douche anyway?" While clearly dissatisfied with being called "maid-lady" by Shirou, Grayfia turned in his direction. However, from the way she was trying to avoid looking at him, it was clear she was trying to make it sound as though she was addressing everyone rather than just his question specifically. Shirou hated her so much.

"This person is Riser Phoenix-sama." The maid stated. "He's a pure-blood High-class Devil, and the third son of the House of Phenex. And he is the fiancee of the next heiress of the House of Gremory."

"Huh? Fiancee?" Issei looked confused, failing to comprehend what the maid had just said. "...But isn't Buchou the next heir...?"

"He is engaged to Rias-ojousama."

Nobody spoke for at least five minutes, even Shirou feeling stunned by the revelation by the maid serving the House of Gremory.

Then Issei broke the silence in the most eloquent way possible.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!"

* * *

"Stop this!"

The situation went exactly as one have expected since the introduction of Rias' (douchebag) fiancee, Riser Phenex. They had tried to sit down like calm, young adults, but Riser's repeated attempts to come into any kind of physical contact were met with severe rejection by Rias. It was hardly possible for the tension to lessen in any regard considering the fact that the Occult Research Club was filled with some of the most hot-headed people Shirou knew. Even though Rias tried to play the role of the calm, elegant, and gentle older sister figure for the rest of them, Shirou knew that, secretly, her temper was easily just as bad as his own. The only difference between them was that, while Shirou could bludgeon a person half to death, Rias could reduce them to a state of non-existence if pushed far enough.

And considering how angry Rias could get, her sudden outburst was hardly unexpected.

"Riser! I told you before! I will _not_ marry you!"

"Yes, you've said that far too many times, my dear," Riser said slyly, "but I say you hardly have a choice in the matter due to your family's issue outweighing your own selfish wants."

"That's none of your concern!" Rias snapped. "If I'm the next heiress for the House of Gremory, then I will choose who will become my husband! My father, brother, and everyone in my clan are rushing it! Also it was a promise that I will be free until I graduate from university of the human world!"

"That's right. You will basically be free. You can go to college and you can do whatever you like with your servants. But your father and Sirzechs-sama are worried. They are afraid that your household will become extinct. We lost a great number of pure-blood Devils in the last war. And even though the war has ended, our rivalry with the Fallen Angels and God hasn't. It's not rare for the successors of pure-blood Devils to get killed in the worthless battle against them, which leads to the household becoming extinct. So for a pure-blood Devil that are also happens to be a High-class Devil, getting together would be the obvious solution for the forces of Devils. A pure-blood High-Class Devil. Even you know that these children will be important from now on, right?"

Every single word out of his mouth pissed Shirou off. While his words sounded noble and with cause, it was nothing more than personal desire that was making him push the issue so strongly. He had met people like Riser before. People like him were what drove Shirou to become who he had been before meeting the Kiryuu, Kiyome, and the Occult Research Club. His pride and confidence spoke volumes about his true character.

A narcissistic manipulator.

It wasn't only him who was showing discomfort at Riser's words. Issei looked especially irritated, although that could have had to do more with Riser's intentions in general rather than his overall character. It took an idiot not to see how much Issei admired and cared for Rias.

"The newly produced Devils-such as your servants-also known as the Reincarnated Devils, are expanding in terms of strength but that would make us, the High-class Devils with old history background, lose our place. There are old nobles who gets close to the Reincarnated Devils because they are very powerful. Well, that might be alright. The newly produced Devils are also important for our future. But we can't allow the pure-blood Devils to go extinct right? You and I were chosen in order to prevent the pure-bloods from going extinct. My house is safe because I have my older brothers. But there are only two siblings in your house. And your brother is someone who left the house. Then there would only be you, Rias, who can inherit the House of Gremory. If you don't take a husband, the House of Gremory will go extinct in your generation. Are you trying to crush the household that has been continuing for a very long time? Because of the past war, there is not even half the number of Devils who were referred as "72 Pillars". This marriage has the future of the Devils on the line."

After hearing Riser's reasoning, Shirou only felt even more pissed off. It wasn't just for Rias' sake, but because the reasons for why this was happening were absolute bullshit. It was for the pure-blooded aristocracy, not Devil-kind.

It wasn't a matter of the survival of the Devils, it was so the upper class and nobles could maintain their control over society. The strong making sure the weak stay underneath their heel.

Politics and bullshit.

Shirou knew that about the 72 Pillars and how many of them died during the war, but the Devils could survive just fine without the Pure-Bloods. At the same time, however, he knew it was a complicated issue for Rias because she herself was a noble. Both a noble Devil and the woman, Rias Gremory. The more thought he tried putting into it, the more his head hurt. It wasn't the type of problem one could just punch in the face and that's what frustrated him. While for different reasons, he shared the same desire as Issei to deck Riser, but the smart part of his brain that provided his common sense which he hated so much reminded him that taking drastic action would only cause more problems.

All he could do was sit back and let Rias handle it, the thought of being unable to do anything pissing him off even more than Riser's general presence.

"I'm not going to crush my house." Rias stated after a moment of silence. "And I am willing to take a husband."

Riser smirked. "Oh, to be expected from Rias! Then let's—"

However, Rias cut him off before he could finish, "But I won't marry you, Raiser. I will marry the one I acknowledge. Even the Devils from the old noble house have the right to choose."

After hearing Rias' response, Riser's expression became unpleasant, none of his previous humor appearing on his face. Shirou could feel it, the way the temperature of the room increased by several degrees, a soft heat radiating off of Riser's body. Perhaps it was a result of his Sacred Gear or perhaps it was just his senses as a Devil, but Shirou had gotten much better at sensing temperature changes in regards to magical power. One thing was for sure:

Riser was unhappy.

"…You know, Rias," Riser said, clicking his tongue, "I'm also a Devil who carries the name of House of Phoenix behind me. I can't let that name get tarnished. I didn't even want to come to a small old building like this in the human world. Rather, I don't like the human world that much. The fire and wind of this world is filthy. For a Devil like me who rules fire and wind, I can't stand it!" He conjured a large flame in his open hand, embers floating in a circle around him, his hostile intent clear.

That had been the breaking point for Shirou.

"Nobody's asking you stay! You're free to go right on home, you flaming, grilled chicken-bitch!"

Shirou stepped forward, standing between his fellow Devils and the now-angered Phenex.

The insult he had given Riser gave everyone very good reason to pause.

Riser took a deep breath, closing his eyes pensively as he took a few steps towards Shirou, looking the younger Devil in the eye with murderous fire beginning to burn brighter in his hand.

"What did you just call me?"

"You heard me." Shirou answered without shame or remorse, leaning forward and speaking in a hiss-like whisper, "Grilled-Chicken- _Biiiiiiiiiitch_."

Riser's face contorted into a look of unending annoyance and anger as he tightly gripped Shirou's shoulders. His strength was greater than one would have thought from his unimpressive physique, but it still wasn't pain Shirou felt particularly fazed by.

"Rias, I have been trying to keep my manners in check, but your servant is beginning to push me." Riser growled, turning to Rias with a sharp look in his eye.

"I see..." Rias said, not trying very hard to hide the slight amusement she felt at Riser getting all riled up.

"You lowly reborn Devil, you have one chance to tak-"

"Grilled Chicken Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. Bitch. _Biiiiiiiiiiiitch_."

Shirou took a breath after completing the sudden, rude interruption in the middle of Riser's sentence. It took a lot of oxygen to speak so much so fast.

The heat of the air around Riser's body increased even though his expression didn't budge a centimeter.

"Rias, I came here to bring you back with me," Riser explained, shooting a glance at the crimson-haired heiress, "and that's exactly what I intend to do, _even if I must burn every single one of your servants to ashes._ " His sudden declaration immediately put every other member of Rias' peerage on-guard, all of them prepared to fight in case a battle broke out.

"Go ahead and try it!" Shirou lashed out and tightly wrapped his hand around the arm Riser had grabbed his shoulder with. "But you should watch your step. I give _icy_ receptions to bitches like you." A soft, whitish-blue aura coated Shirou's hand before spreading to Riser's arm, coating his shirt and flesh in a layer of ice.

Rias stared at her Pawn with half-lidded eyes. ""Icy reception"? Did you really just make a pun like that?"

"Shut up! You cannot make me feel ashamed about this!"

"Insolent brat!" Shirou's attempt to intimidate or perhaps defend himself from Riser only served to further inflame the son of Phenex's rage, the older man pulling his arm out of Shirou's grip, conjuring a powerful-seeming ball of fire in his hand that completely shattered the ice that Shirou had attempted to debilitate him with. "Because your master is too lenient to discipline her servants, I'll personally teach you the consequences of insulting a member of the House of Phenex!" Riser brought his arm around, intending to melt the flesh from Shirou's bones using the massive flame he had created.

It happened in a split-second, faster than anyone other than Grayfia could react.

One second, Riser had been about to burn Shirou like a crispy piece of crispy toast, the next, his arm was sent flying in the opposite direction...severed from his shoulder.

Blood rained down as the appendage rained what remained onto the ground.

Shock was the unanimous feeling that paralyzed every living person in the room, Riser letting out a series of grunts and groans as he looked at the bloody circle that had been where his arm was attached to his body.

"Holy shit." Issei said, eloquently summing up the majority's feelings in two words.

"The back-up was appreciated, but I got it covered, Kiba." Shirou said, assuring the blonde swordsman at the other end of the room.

Kiba frowned at Shirou's thanks. "Um... It wasn't me."

Shirou paused. "Wut?"

If anyone had thought Riser couldn't have gotten any angrier, they would have been wrong. With how violently his face was contorted in rage as he clutched his bloody stump, one would have thought his flesh was going to rip and tear.

"Who _dares_ strike Riser Phenex!?"

"That would be me, lil Riser brat~"

There was a collective inhale from the Gremory group as they noticed a small figure sitting on the window sill, everyone believing with all of their hearts that she hadn't been there a moment before. Although, it wasn't just the sudden presence that gave them reason to gasp. It was the fact that they _knew_ the voice all too well. It was one they heard on a regular basis, usually being used to soothe or baby Shirou.

"K-Ka-san!?"

"Hey hey, all you crazy kids~" Mikoto Fujimura cheerfully greeted. "How's it going~?"

In her left hand, she held an ordinary katana.

The only out-of-the-ordinary about it was the blood staining the smooth steel sides of the blade. That was the weapon that had struck the noble Devil of the Phenex clan.

"Why, Fia-chan~" Mikoto said, turning to the silver-haired maid, the latter narrowing her eyes at the small woman. "I'm surprised you didn't step in first! If anyone here could have stopped the situation before it got out of hand, it would have been you~" However, the sharp edge to her voice was hardly missed. "If my Shicchan had gotten hurt, _I would have been very angry_." It might have been Shirou's imagination, but he could have sworn that, at least for a few seconds, Mikoto's voice became notably lower, more mature. The dark look she shot Grayfia hardly made her new attitude any less unsettling. "A bit irresponsible for the woman known as "the Strongest Queen"."

Grayfia gave a nod of acknowledgement to the smaller of the two women. "Perhaps, but I sensed you were coming. I was curious as to how you would resolve the situation at hand." She turned to Riser, the man setting his rage upon the undeveloped young woman who had appeared in the window. "Although I admit I was mistaken in believing you would handle it without bloodshed, my only responsibility here, in Sirzechs-sama's words, were to prevent conflict between Rias-sama and Riser-sama's families. He did not account for a potential third party and how I should react to such a situation."

Mikoto smirked. "Well aren't you a sneaky one~" She said it in such a cute way, one would have thought she _hadn't_ just cut a man's arm off. "Glad to see that people are aware of and just as annoyed by how obnoxious of a brat he is~ Nothing like his dear ol' daddy~ Just a spoiled, overconfident chicken brat~"

A throaty growl rumbled in Riser's throat. He was a Pure-Blood, High-Class Devil, yet both the lowly reincarnated Pawn of Rias' and the midget woman who dared to sever his arm refused to cease spitting upon his name. They should be groveling at his feet, pleading for forgiveness. The level of disrespect they've shown would have made a less-patient man reduce the entire building to ashes in a fury-driven rampage.

"How dare you..." The flames that lit up around Riser were more intense than any of the ones he created before, to the point where the Occult Research Club's building was in serious danger. The room felt like the inside of a volcano. Even though it was still the closing days of winter outside, it felt so hot inside that room that the low-class Devils present felt as though all of the water in their bodies would be baked out of them. "Don't look down on the House of Phenex, you miserable braaaat!" He extended his stump and what happened next was a shocking sight. Small, reddish flames spewed from the stump where his arm had once been, slowly taking a cylindrical form as the flames slowly spread in a straight line.

When they faded, what was left behind was a flesh and blood arm. A stunning side considering he had an identical arm laying on the ground a few feet away.

"A measly steel sword cannot hope to wound one bearing the power of the immortal phoenix!"

Holding out his remaining hand in front of him, Riser unleashed a powerful wave of demonic flames in Mikoto's direction.

"Ka-san, look out!"

"We have to save her!"

"Let's go!"

One-by-one, the members of the Occult Research Club moved forward in an attempt to protect the human woman who had pushed Riser to the point of murder.

"Children should let the grown-ups handle problems like these."

Her voice was so cold. Shirou felt as though his heart actually stopped when he heard his mother's severe and demeaning comment.

It was only when his instincts kicked in that his body kicked off against the ground, narrowly avoiding the sharp ends of three katanas that had been thrown at his feet, clearly an attempt to prevent him from passing.

"Kiba, what the Hell!?" Shirou turned and glared at the only swordsman he knew with the ability to summon swords.

The blonde Knight was as just as much of a loss as Shirou was.

It wasn't just the three swords. In the span of three seconds, an entire fence made up of blades had stabbed into the ground, carving a line between Mikoto and her would-be saviors.

Despite the fact she was facing a fiery, painful death, the white-haired woman didn't show an ounce of fear. In fact, the soft smirk on her face only served to further increase the confusion of the youths present in the room. The only person completely unfazed by the display was Grayfia. Armed with only a normal katana, Mikoto Fujimura descended from the window sill, walking calmly to the approaching wall of flames.

"This sucks..." Mikoto spat out. Then she held out her katana in front of her, letting out a small sigh. With a surprising level of elegance, she extended her sword arm as far as it could go from her side. It had been a slow, seemingly ineffective slash...

And yet the flames produced by Riser's magic were all simultaneously snuffed out.

"...that attack was barely worth raising my sword for." Mikoto said in a bored tone. "Unfortunately, I couldn't take risks with Shicchan and the others around, so I had to make sure they wouldn't be harmed."

Issei, Koneko, and Shirou's jaws dropped at the sight.

"What-"

"-the-"

"-fuck!?"

"It was so fast..." The three turned to Kiba, the usually composed swordsman's eyes widened in shock and disbelief, his arms trembling at his side.

"What do you mean, Kiba?" Issei asked, wondering what could have brought such a reaction from him.

Kiba swallowed, unable to help his shaking as he turned to his comrades. "Her movements back then. It appeared as though she simply extended her blade to the side, but that's only because she moved too fast for our eyes to observe her swings." He explained, making everyone only more confused and curious. "In that one moment, she swung her sword at least eight or nine times. The shifting wind generated by her movements extinguished all of Riser's fire."

"Tch tch tch!" Mikoto clicked her tongue several times at Kiba's explanation, shaking her head. "That's sad. I expected more from a Devil's Knight, Yuuto Kiba. If you saw only nine of them, you clearly require far more training. I actually swung my blade fifty-seven times."

From the look on Kiba's face, one would have thought he was having a heart attack. It was likely that, for a swordsman like him, such a feat was awe-inspiring.

"You're lying." Everyone turned to Grayfia, the maid wearing a cautious expression as she looked at. "It was forty-three swings."

Mikoto shrugged. "Yes, but how can I resist exaggerating a little? It's not as though I couldn't have actually done fifty-seven, Fia-chan."

"That is true..."

"Am I the only person who doesn't know what's going on here!?" Shirou asked, speaking much louder than he had intended. He turned to his fellow club members. "Guys?!"

The other members of the Occult Research Club were just as easily at a loss for words. Even Riser had been confused into silence by Mikoto's display and behavior.

The only member of their group relatively calm was Rias, the girl simply crossing her arms underneath her bust, eyes closed...as though she expected something like this.

"So you've finally decided to show your true colors in front of everyone, Fujimura-san?"

Silence was the only response Rias received at first, no other sounds passing through the air other than that of Mikoto's sword swinging through the air, the air passing by the blade forcing the blood that had been staining it to be removed. Mikoto hefted the blade over her shoulder and remained silent, her bangs covering her eyes.

Feeling somewhat cautious after the event that had just transpired, Shirou took an uncertain step forward. "Ka-san-"

Then Mikoto turned towards everyone, a bright, sunny smile on her face. "Oh, Rias~ When you say it like that, you make it sound like I'm some kind of anime villain~" She shrugged, letting out a "what-can-you-do" type of sigh. "I'm just a simple, ordinary mother who dislikes the snotty, egotistical brats from your generation of Pure-Blood Devils."

Rias scowled, clearly aware that the insult had been implied towards her as well.

After finally coping with what had just happened, Riser's previous anger returned. "It doesn't matter how fast you can cut with that blade of yours," Riser declared arrogantly, "you're still just a lowly human girl. You cannot hope to defeat a bearer of the immortal bird's power! I am the master of both fire and wind!" As if to emphasize this point, Riser again started to conjure massive flames around his body, accompanied by winds so strong that even Rias found herself being pushed back slightly.

"Oh please," Mikoto rolled her eyes, completely unimpressed with Riser's display, "I fought your daddy many years ago, and trust me, he was _way_ stronger than a child like you."

"Wait..." Shirou stared at Mikoto. "What? What are you talking about, Ka-san? W-What are you even doing here?! What's going on!?"

"All in due time, Shicchan~"

"But what was that stuff you were saying about fighting Riser's old man?"

"All in due time, Shicchan~"

"But what about-"

"All in due time."

"And you-"

"Be patient, Shirou!" Mikoto snapped, narrowing her eyes at her child's lack of restraint. Secretly, however, she couldn't help but find his astonished and speechless face adorable.

"Stop ignoring me!" Riser growled, even more strongly enraged as Mikoto disregarded him so easily that she felt at ease enough to have such a casual conversation in front of him. "If what Grayfia said was true and you're not affiliated with the Devils, there's no problem with me demonstrating my power on you-Huh?" Riser ceased his continued rant when said silver-haired maid tightly grabbed his wrist, narrowing her eyes.

"Riser-sama, I would recommend you cease your reckless actions at once." It sounded like more of a command than a suggestion. "If you do not know her, then it is likely that the current generation could use a greater deal of education on certain people."

Letting out a huff of annoyance, Riser wrenched his arm from Grayfia's grasp (only because she let go), letting his flames start dying down. "What?"

"If this woman had wanted to, she could have easily cut you into pieces so small that even your regeneration would not have been able to save you." Grayfia said all of this without taking her eyes off of the small woman. "I admit I hesitated when you first appeared...You've changed a great deal since we last met, Fujimura Mikoto. The woman known as the "Slash Empress" wouldn't have hesitated to deal with a Devil far more severely. I recall hearing that, when you fought Lord Phenex years ago, you hadn't even hesitated to decapitate him at least six times before the fight ended in a mutual retreat."

"The Slash Empress!?" Apparently the name meant something to Kiba because he looked as though he was about to have a heart attack from the excitement.

"Awww~ You're making me blush, Fia-chan~" Mikoto said, looking playfully embarrassed like a school girl being praised. "But who isn't embarrassed by the mischief of their youth~"

"Shirou..." Issei stared at the white-haired boy, his face pale. "...your mother's really scary."

Mikoto sighed. "Lord Phenex though...I decided to call it a draw in the end. He had incredible power." The praise was small, but genuine. Admiring. "I could truly believe he was the man whose loins spawned the renowned Ruval Phenex. Considering how many Devils of the Phenex clan who I DIDN'T want to kill, I actually thought that you would hold the same level of humility as your father or-at the very least-have the power to back up your inane ranting. Truly a disappointment."

"Can I get a few words in now?" Rias asked, having just as much trouble figuring out what was going on. She had known that Mikoto was a dangerous person, but she had ended up lost the moment Grayfia, the Queen of her brother, somehow recognized Mikoto and even called her by the moniker, "the Slash Empress". "Fujimura-san, is it reasonable to presume that you have no intent of interfering with the previously-ongoing conversation concerning the conflict between Riser and I?"

"Oh," Mikoto said, tapping her chin with her index finger, "right. _That's_ still going on." She turned to Riser as if she had just remembered he was there before turning back to Rias. "Of course not~ I washed my hands of you disgusting Pure-Blood scum years ago, so your problems are none of my concern~ I quite frankly wouldn't mind it if a fair number of you crawled into a hole somewhere and rotted to death while wild animals fornicated with your unmoving corpses~ Teehee~" A chill went down everyone's spine at the thought of how she could say such a horrible thing so easily.

"Then why did you interfere?" Rias asked, trying to get that image out of her head.

"Oh, lil Riser was about to burn my adorable Shicchan in a fit and I just couldn't have that, now could I~?" Mikoto laughed cheerfully in spite of the circumstances. "Don't get me wrong, I _am_ a neutral party here, but I'm keeping an eye on my own interests~ This basically amounts to Shicchan and I with a few exceptions~ I really don't care about the rest of you~"

[So cold.]

Again, everyone aside from Grayfia felt a chill go down their spine that they thought only Rias or Akeno (when frighteningly sadistic) could induce.

"A-Anyway," Rias said, trying to forget how cold and uncaring Mikoto's true face was, "for the moment, disregarding Fujimura-san's interference, may we return to the matter we were previously discussing?" Out of the corner of her vision, Rias noticed how Mikoto pulled out a bucket of popcorn from seemingly nowhere, munching while watching the scene with avid interest as though it were some kind of film.

"Of course." Riser agreed, unnerved by petite woman who appeared to be strong enough to have warranted a warning from the Strongest Queen of all people. "As I was saying, Rias, I'm not returning to the Underworld without you."

"And, as _I_ said, Riser, I have no intention of marrying you, even for the sake of my family!"

As though Mikoto's appearance had never happened, the sudden animosity between Riser and Rias re-lit like a trick candle.

"Before we return to talking in circles, may I speak, Rias-ojousama?" This time it was Grayfia who interrupted the ongoing disagreement between the two Pure-Blood Devils. With a nod from Rias, Grayfia continued, "My master predicted there would be a conflict of some sort. As such, he has assigned me a last resort should communication should break down."

"Yes, of course he did." Rias sighed, clearly frustrated. "Would you care to be a little more specific?"

"If my lady insists on putting her personal preferences above those of her family, she is to settle this via a Rating Game with Riser-sama."

Shirou's eyes widened. "A Rating Game?!" He bit his lower lip, his cautious attitude earning Issei's worry. His club fellow club members' expression shared the same level of seriousness as Shirou. "To think it's come to that..."

"What's a Rating Game?" Issei asked.

Shirou turned to him, staring with a solemn gaze. Then he smiled in a goofy fashion. "I have no idea~!"

There was the sound of several heavy thuds as the young members of the Gremory family face-faulted onto the ground.

"It was one of the many things Rias neglected to teach me about even though I have been a Devil for several months." The sharp jab at Rias was hardly missed by said crimson-haired Devil heiress.

Kiba pushed himself off of the ground, brushing the dirt off of his clothes with his hands. "A Rating Game is a game noble Devils play against each other. Long story short, they and their servants compete in battle to determine who wins."

"A battle, huh..."

His explanation gave Shirou some food for thought. Rias was young compared to Devils who have lived for centuries, so the odds were that, despite not being weak, Rias, Shirou, and the rest of the Occult Research Club were at the relative bottom of the barrel in terms of power and experience. So, the odds were that anyone they challenged in a Rating Game would be at least the same level as theirs if not higher. Which means that Shirou could end up fighting someone on his friends' levels or even higher. The thought of fighting someone as strong as Koneko, Kiba, Akeno, or even Rias...

Shirou grinned. "Sounds like fun."

It made his blood boil with excitement.

"Just as you know, Ojou-sama, only mature Devils can participate in official Rating Game," Grayfia explained, Shirou's spirits falling greatly at being denied the opportunity, "but if it's an unofficial match between pure-blood Devils, even immature Devils can participate. However, in this case-"

"It has to involve a family household and its disagreements, correct?" Rias guessed, her anger becoming more apparent than before. "Meaning Otou-sama and the others have already considered the possibility of my refusal and made preparations for the game...Just how much are they going to tamper with my life until they're satisfied?!"

"Then Ojou-sama, you are saying you would also decline to participate in the game?"

While still clearly frustrated with the machinations of the Gremory and Phenex families, Rias shook her head. "No, I won't, since this is a chance. Alright then," Rias pointed a finger at the flame-wielding playboy in front of her, "let's settle this with a game, Riser."

"Heh, so you're accepting it, huh?" Riser asked with a condescending chuckle that made Shirou want to rearrange his face even more. "I don't mind, but I'm already a matured Devil and I have already participated in the official game several times and have won a great deal of them. Even so, you still want to play, Rias?"

Rias' response was a fearless smile. "I will. I will blow you away, Riser!"

"Fine. If you win, you may do as you like, but if I win, you will marry me immediately."

The intense staredown between the two reminded Shirou of a turf war between two rival gangs, both prepared to bust out knives and pipes and start beating each other to Hell. Of course, the only reason they were glaring at one another was because Shirou was between them and the other group just happened to be in their line of vision.

"Understood. I, Grayfia, have confirmed both sides opinion. I will be in charge of the game between the two household. Is that okay?"

"Yes."

"Yeah."

"Understood." Grayfia bowed respectfully to the two Pure-Blooded Devils. "I will convey the news to both of your families."

"Heeheehee~" Shirou couldn't help but grin again, crossing his arms behind his head. He felt like a kid in a candy store. It would be the first time he was actually _asked_ to fight rather than fighting anyway and being scolded later. "This is gonna be fun!"

"Idiot!"

SMACK!

It was at that moment that Shirou felt a cold, hard slab of metal bang against the back of his skull. It had enough force to almost knock him off-balance.

"Ow!" Shirou rubbed the mark that had likely become a bruise on the back of his skull. He turned around to face Mikoto, the woman wearing a severe expression on her face. "What was that for?!"

"Don't get overconfident, Shrou." She said, sounding serious once more. "If you wish to live in this world as you had told me, you mustn't let your guard down..." Riser smirked at the Mikoto's remark. "...even against a useless playboy like Riser." Riser scowled. "The moment you do, you will be eaten alive. Even a King can be felled by a commoner with a pitchfork." However, since Mikoto's gaze wasn't on Shirou, it was hard to tell whether she was saying it to him or Riser. It could have possibly been for both of them.

"Ka-san..." Now that his attention that had been brought back to his totally-not-mundane-human-mother, he realized he had so many questions to ask her. He only stopped speaking for a moment because he couldn't decide which to ask first or whether or not they should be asked.

Mikoto must have noticed his complicated expression because she ended up sighing. "I understand you probably have a lot of questions about this, Shicchan, but you'll have to save them for later." While Shirou wanted to object, he also knew deep down that there were more pressing matters at hand rather than the fact that his mother could apparently swing her katana he never knew she had with incredible precision and accuracy fifty-seven times in a second.

Most of Rias' servants were put on edge when Riser started looking at them, examining them, before smirking.

"Hey, Rias, it can't be that the ones gathered here are all your servants?"

"And so what if they are?" Rias asked.

"Hahahaha!" As if finding something funny, Riser burst out into laughter. "Then this match will be a laugh. Only your Queen, the "Priestess of Thunder" can fight on par with my adorable servants."

"What's that supposed to mean!?" Shirou snapped, raising his fists to fight before Mikoto pulled him back by the back of his shirt.

The response Riser gave to Shirou's outburst was a simple snap of his fingers.

When the orange-red magic circle bearing the Phenex family crest appeared again, Shirou knew what to expect. He took a step back, shielding his face with his arms as massive flames shot out of the circle.

However, the main difference from that time and the previous time was the fact that it was not one silhouette, but several. Over a dozen.

It was only after the flames vanished that Shirou was able to do a proper head-count. Counting Riser, that was a total of 16. The fifteen additional people who appeared were likely his Peerage, meaning he had a full set. If everyone on their side was at their peak fighting condition, it would be a 7-on-16 battle. Depending on the circumstances, the Gremory family would be put at a large disadvantage. Almost 2-to-1 fights were hardly the worst odds Shirou had gone up against, but he had only had experience fighting monsters and inexperienced thugs. Against people with actual combat training and experience, Shirou wasn't sure. At the very least, he knew he couldn't win against all of them without knowing how strong they were.

The thing that struck Shirou as "odd" (relative to what his newer definition of "normal" was) was how they were all cosplaying. A knight, a Yamato Nadeshiko-type wearing a kimono, a girl wearing a Chinese dress, a magician, twins with cat ears, younger twins wearing gym uniforms, maids, and the list went on and on. Suffice to say, they were almost any fetishist's wet dream. Even Shirou's eye could not help but be caught on a certain mysterious beauty, half of her face covered by a mask. To Shirou, it wasn't just that she was "hot" or "pretty", but rather, she looked "cool" and held a silent air of strength.

"...No way..."

Shirou's thoughts were disrupted by the sound of sobs beside him. He turned and stared at Issei, tears streaming from his eyes.

"I-Issei? What's wrong?" To see his friend crying so much all of a sudden was strange.

"I'm so jealous..."

"Huh?" Shirou stared with half-lidded eyes, his brain quickly putting the pieces together, connecting Issei's tears to the 15 beauties who apparently served Riser. "...Oh yeah, you were doing that whole Harem King shtick..."

"H-Hey…" Riser raised an eyebrow, unsettled at Issei's odd behavior. "Rias, why is your servant looking at me like that?"

Rias placed a hand on her forehead, sighing. "This boy's dream is to have a harem. I think he was moved after looking at your servants."

"I don't see what the big deal is." Shirou muttered offhandedly. "Girls in kinky cosplay aren't that rare and it's not like they're that good-looking. I don't see what you're so impressed about, Issei. I actually think it's embarrassing that Riser has pride in this." Shirou paused when he heard a sigh from behind him, turning to see Mikoto, the small woman pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I _really_ need to teach you about the do's and don't's when it comes to women, Shirou." Before Shirou could comprehend her meaning, there was a loud, collective scream from the members of Riser's Peerage.

[What did he say!?]

"Huh?"

As if he had lit a barrel of gunpowder, Shirou felt himself almost being blown away by the level of killing intent directed at him. Excluding the older girl with the mask, the girl wearing the kimono, and the knight, all of the members of Riser's Peerage were giving him a glare so murderous that, if looks could kill, Shirou would have been writhing in scattered, broken glass on the ground with knives sticking out of his chest shortly before an bulldozer came and ran him over...then back-up right over his face for good measure.

He couldn't quite understand what he had done. It was much harder to understand the girls he was friends with let alone those he had just met and who were technically also his enemies.

He failed, at that time, to remember tact as well as one of the most important rules when it came to women:

Never call a woman unattractive while they are in earshot.

"You wanna say that again, you son of a bitch!?"

"Hey!" Mikoto objected.

Riser lunged forward, grabbing Shirou by the collar and lifting him off of the ground. If anything, Riser was more pissed than when Shirou was calling him a "bitch".

"What would a Devil from a lower caste like you understand about the quality of a woman!? I doubt you've even graduated from being a virgin yet!"

"I fail to see how that's a factor in this." Shirou rolled his eyes, his disinterest in the silly matter increasing with every passing second. "I mean, what's even the theme here? Is there even a point to these outfits?" Shirou gestured to all of the girls dressed in their various outfits and costumes(?). "It seems more silly than sexy. Not as arousing as when you see it in pictures or on the internet. I mean, what meaning do these outfits hold other than so you have a way of satisfying your fetish at any given time?"

"Their costumes are meant to relate to their personalities as well as their roles in my harem!"

"It seems their costumes speak more volumes about you than they do about them."

"I hate you." Riser said, glaring daggers at the Pawn in his clutches. "With all of my hate."

"You aren't the first person to say that and you certainly won't be the last." Shirou quipped.

"Bah!" Riser tossed Shirou back towards his friends, Shirou managing to land with both feet firmly on the ground. "Regardless of your homosexual Pawn's tastes-"

"Oh Hell no!" Shirou was having fun all the way until that last insult from Riser's mouth.

Riser smirked as he wrapped an arm around the shoulder of one of the magician-seeming woman. "-my servants' beauty is matched only by their power and experience in battle-"

"Now hold on! Back the fuck up a sec, jack!" Shirou cut in, clenching his trembling fist angrily. "I am _not_ gay! I have a _girlfriend_ for your information!"

"I see." Riser said, mocking disbelief in his voice.

"I'm serious!" Shirou snapped, being more pissed off about having his love for women doubted than the fact Riser was an unbelievable twat. "I even have a picture of her!" Shirou rummaged through his pocket, pulling out a photo. "See!?"

The photo was one of him and Kiyome together, a selfie Kiyome had took one they had lunch together. Shirou's mouth was still somewhat full of food and the flash caught him by surprise. Kiyome had said he "looked like a frightened rabbit". Despite the fact Shirou was worried about physical evidence, Kiyome insisted that they both had a copy of at least on picture together.

"When did you start carrying pictures of Kiyome in your pocket?" Rias asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The better question, Rias," Shirou countered, "is when _haven't_ I been carrying a picture of Kiyome in my pocket?"

"Hm. Fair point."

Shirou then turned back to Riser, the man examining the photo with avid interest. "See!? And she's way hotter than any of your cosplayers!"

"I see." When Riser said it again, it carried more interest than doubt. When Shirou saw the way Riser was looking at Kiyome in the photo, discomfort started to gnaw at his heart. "She _is_ rather attractive. What was her name again? "Kiyome", was it? While her appearance isn't quite at Rias' level, she isn't an unattractive woman. Maybe if I have time after this, I'll stop and pay her a visit." It was when Riser smirked at Shirou with malice in his smile that Shirou realized he had made a mistake. "There is always free room in the Phenex household. As well as a bed. Consider it a toll for back-talking to your betters."

Shirou snatched the photo from Riser's hand, glaring at him with renewed hate. "Listen here, Riser! You come anywhere near her, and I _swear_ I will-"

"Will _what_?" Riser taunted. "Humans are neutral territory in the world of Devils. To oppose a noble Devil over something as trivial as a human woman would surely amount to something far greater than a mere slap on the wrist. Now would be a good time to think about your actions _very_ carefully."

"Trust me, Riser," Shirou refused to back down in the face of Riser's blatant threat, summoning his Sacred Gear on his left arm, "it's not gonna take me much thinking to decide what to do with you if you lay so much as a single hand on her." A heavy whitish-blue aura covered Shirou's body, his Sacred Gear beginning to glow as it prepared to transform. Likewise, Riser let his own fiery aura flare up, threatening to swallow Shirou whole if he was careless.

It appeared as though a fight was inevitable.

"That's enough, Riser!"

Before such an event could occur, Rias stepped between the two men, prying them away from one another and putting some space between them. Her hateful gaze was especially directed at Riser. He shot a taunting smirk at Shirou, prompting the hot-headed teen to lunge at him only to be forced back by Rias.

"I won't have you instigating any further conflicts with my servants!" Rias exclaimed, glaring at him with a murderous gaze. "I also refuse to let you bring harm to any of the humans I am responsible for, especially Kiyome Abe!"

Riser merely waved off Rias' hostile declaration. "Oh come now, Rias, I have no intention of hurting anybody." Then he smirked again. "But surely there's nothing wrong with _collecting_ , right? Even Pure-Blooded High-Class Devils need to have hobbies, correct? Collecting is notably popular. Some people collect dolls, others collect coins. Me?" Riser smirked as his eyes lingered on Rias, his lecherous desires clearly shown from where his eyes were looking at. "I just so happen to collect some of the most beautiful women in the world and this human, considered neutral and thus free game by our laws, caught my eye. Surely there's nothing wrong with that?" It was so obvious that even Issei could figure out his thoughts, an angry expression appearing on his face. The only question was whether or not Riser would go through with his threat, be it out of spite or desire. "And when we are wed, wouldn't this territory also be shared with the Phenex clan? So, in a way, I'm merely looking after what's soon to be mine."

"Bastard!" Shirou smacked Rias' hand aside and tried charging at Riser, but found his arms quickly grabbed by Akeno and Koneko, forcibly dragging his struggling body back against his wishes. Koneko wrapped her arms around him from behind, restraining Shirou's arms at his side as he spat a large number of obscenities at Riser from the background, some of which that many of the people present didn't even know existed.

"Hey, if he wants to get beaten down so badly, I'm game!" That was when Issei stepped forward, glaring at Riser. "It's bad enough you threaten my Senpai, but there's no way I'll ever let a criminal-womanizing creep like you marry Buchou! Boosted Gear!" With a flash of light, the red gauntlet of the Red Dragon Emperor appeared on Issei's arm. "We don't need to have a game! I'm going to take you down, right here, right now!"

 **[Boost!]**

The gem in Issei's gauntlet shined, a new power filling Issei's body as his own strength was doubled.

After examining Issei for a few seconds, Riser sighed, apparently underwhelmed. He snapped his fingers. "Mira. Do it."

"Yes, Riser-sama."

One of the members of Riser's Peerage stepped forward, a girl with blue hair who wore a white haori with a red obi under a red happi coat. The weapon she held in her hands was a staff.

She was small, but there was something about her stance that made Shirou feel cautious.

Issei, having next to no experience or training in a serious fight, showed no such caution. If anything, he was overconfident. The only reason he was hesitating to throw the first blow likely had to do with the human appearance of his opponent and the lack of aggression. Against monsters like Viser or against wicked people like Raynare, there was no reason to hesitate. Issei had no idea who this Mira was other than being Riser's servant.

The fight was over in little more than a second.

Not even Issei himself realized what had happened until he was sent flying through the air, into the ceiling courtesy of the staff that had mercilessly jabbed him in the stomach. He let out a strangled gasp for air before gravity kicked in and dragged him back to the floor the hard way. He just laid there, defeated and immobile. He didn't move, so it was likely he had been knocked unconscious.

"Issei!" Rias cried out, quickly rushing to her fallen servant's side, holding him in her arms. "I'm here! Please talk to me! Are you alright?"

For a moment, Issei's eyes fluttered open, turning to look at Rias. "Yeah...I'm good...Don't worry about me..." He let out a small breath before he seemed to lose all strength, his eyes shutting as he slipped back into unconsciousness.

"Hmph." Mira clearly looked down on them as much as her master. "If that weakling is really the Red Dragon Emperor, the rest of your group must be pretty pathetic."

"That does it!" Rage suddenly grasped hold of Shirou's body before he could understand what he was doing. While Koneko's guard was down, Shirou snatched his shirt from her grasp, running forward towards the girl who was his enemy. "You're going down, bitch!"

Riser's servant, Mira, smirked before brandishing her staff to face Shirou. "I guess the servants of Rias Gremory must be masochists to want this much punishment." She took her stance, intending to finish Shirou off the same way as Issei.

Again, it all ended in little more than a second.

Shirou felt a light breeze as Mira's staff missed his neck by several inches, Shirou's footwork changing ever-so-slightly to avoid the blow. He narrowed his eyes as Mira gasped in shock.

With a single punch, he snapped her staff in half, the front half being flung sharp-end-first into the wooden ceiling above their heads.

Shirou flipped her the bird. For once, he wasn't grinning after one-upping her. "That was nothing! That dipshit priest was way faster than you are!" Mira was faster than the average newly Reincarnated Devil, but her speed was a far cry from what Freed's. And Freed's speed wasn't even on Kiba's level if the two were to go all-out. "It's over!"

Shirou balled his hand into a fist and threw it as hard as he could, burying it knuckle-deep into the left side of Mira's face.

"K.O. PUNCH!"

With a single blow, Mira was sent flying back in the direction of her comrades, flopping face-first onto the ground at her master's feet.

Shirou raised his fist, still not smiling despite his victory. "Oh darn. I meant to smash her into the ceiling with an uppercut. Thought it'd be ironic."

For the moment, Riser ignored him, instead looking at his defeated servant, laying unconscious at his feet. Without a word, he picked her up from the ground, holding her gingerly in his arms, almost protectively, a gesture that struck Shirou as odd considering the previous demonstrations of his temperament. For a moment, he was silent, his silence being more off-putting than his cocky, arrogant attitude. It appeared the defeat of his servant had given him something to think about. What it was, Shirou wasn't sure. It could have been a lot of things.

It was after a minute that he finally spoke.

"It appears I underestimated you, boy." Riser said, narrowing his eyes at Shirou. "Although Mira was a Pawn as well as my weakest servant, to defeat her effortlessly means you're not as inexperienced as the weak Longinus-user."

Shirou nodded. "I've fought a lot of strong guys, from Mid-Class Strays to super-powered delinquents to corrupt Fallen Angels to Dragons. Compared to what I've been through, I must admit it was kind of relieving to find that not all people in this worlds are complete monsters like that. It would have gotten dull and repetitive to not have a sane, normal opponent to throw down with."

"Then perhaps a larger challenge should be granted to one arrogant enough to damage that which is mine." It was subtle, but Shirou could detect a hint of anger in his voice. Riser turned to one of his servants, a woman wearing a mask. "Isabela, it appears that this little bit of fun has put a sour taste in my mouth. Be a dear and put the upstart in his place?"

The woman bowed politely. "Yes, Riser-sama." She stepped forward, breaking away from the rest of the group to stand directly opposite to Shirou.

Her vibe was completely different from Mira's. The moment she stepped forward, Shirou had already taken his stance, ready to fight seriously. The woman, Isabela, didn't even bother to raise her fists. She had no stance, no hint of a fighting style, and yet she made Shirou more on-edge than most enemies he's fought so far.

Before she could take so much as a step towards Shirou, Rias' voice called out, "That's enough, Riser!" Rias glared at her would-be fiancee as she remained at Issei's side, the Pawn being healed by Asia's Sacred Gear. "The Rating Game hasn't even started yet! This is unnecessary!"

"Butt out, Rias!" It was Shirou who silenced the crimson-haired girl, causing her eyes to go wide with surprise. Despite the tension in Shirou's body, he looked more angry at her. "This is my fight! I don't want anyone to interfere!"

"But-" Rias tried to talk some sense into her servant, finding it pointless to fight before the game even started, but stopped when a hand grasped her shoulder. Rias turned her head to see the youthful face of Mikoto staring at her with serious eyes. It would have almost been intimidating if Mikoto hadn't been sitting on the hilt of her katana in order to be eye-level with Rias, giving her an almost comical appearance.

"This isn't just a skirmish to Shirou, Rias Gremory." Mikoto said, speaking directly to Rias. The two looked on as Shirou prepared himself to fight. "No matter how much you want to, no matter what you see, you cannot interrupt."

"Huh?"

However, Mikoto's attention seemed to be fully focused on the fight in front of them.

Shirou raised his fist, summoning his Sacred Gear in its basic form. It was best not to show any of his real tricks until he knew what his opponent was capable of.

"So I see you defeated Mira." The woman, Isabela, stated with no particular feeling on the matter.

"So I did." Shirou agreed.

"I simply hope you haven't gotten a swelled head from your victory." Isabela said.

"Nah. I know not to let my guard around opponents with a cool head on their shoulders. I probably got a little carried away because that bitch pissed me off." Shirou said casually. "You know, beating up my friend and then spitting on his very existence. Little things like that piss me off."

"Interesting." Isabela began to calmly walk towards Shirou. "I will be sure to keep that in mind once I have beaten you."

And then she vanished.

Shirou could barely raise his arms to guard before a heavy punch was sent his way, aimed at his face.

"Augh!" Even though he blocked, Shirou still felt himself almost being blown completely off his feet. He grit his teeth as he felt the bones in his arms creak slightly under the weight of the first punch. Despite the sudden pain, Shirou still grinned. "I'm sorry. Was that supposed to be a punch? I thought I was just poked by a little girl."

"Hmph." Whether Isabela took offense to his insult or not was unknown. All Shirou knew was that the next punch struck him right in the stomach with exceptional force.

Shirou gagged as all of the wind was knocked out of him in one blow. It was followed up with another blow to the face, knocking Shirou flat onto his back.

It was only a second before Shirou pushed himself up, working to get himself back onto his feet. He spat out blood from the corner of his mouth before raising his fists again. "Oh come on. Was that the best you got?" He bumped his fists together, grinning. "I don't want any sissy punches. Hit me with everything you got! I really want to feel it!" His friends, excluding Mikoto, simply stared in shock and confusion, wondering if the more violent member of their group had some sort of hidden masochism.

Isabela stared at him for a moment, trying to discern his motives before nodding. "Very well. Just know that this is what you asked for. The full power of a servant of Riser Phenex!" And then she vanished again. "You're too undisciplined for a hand-to-hand fighter."

Again, her fist shot into his stomach, followed by at least a dozen or so similar blows with similar or greater strength. Shirou didn't even have time to breathe. Isabela just continued striking his front. He tried to hunch down and block her blows with his arms, but there were too many coming at him too fast. Even if he had the perception needed to see her blows, there were too many to block at once.

"You should just give up!"

A punch to his right shoulder dislocated his arm.

"N-No way!"

A punch to his abdomen made him cough up blood.

"You're only bringing shame to both yourself and your master through this pitiful display!"

A kick to the back of his knee almost made him collapse to the ground before regaining his balance.

"Call it shameful...and call me pitiful...but I'm not backing down!"

A punch to the side of his skull actually made him black out for a few seconds.

"Then suffer defeat!"

There was a momentary calm before her last punch. One would have normally thought it was because it was going slower or because Shirou was already beaten.

But no.

The reason Isabela's last punch, being slower than the others by a few seconds, was due solely to the amount of her strength she put into it.

Shirou's pitiful single-armed defense stood no chance. Even after he quickly raised it to the point it was almost halfway between the two, there was no chance of stopping Isabela's punch. His one remaining good arm crumbled like crackers before a hammer, the bone creaking and quickly snapping in two beneath the power of her punch.

"Gaaaaauuuuuugh!" Shirou couldn't help but scream. He had experienced a great deal of pain before, but it had been cuts and fractures. His arm was now able to bend at an unpleasant 90 degree angle in the wrong direction.

"That's enough!" Reasons be damned. Rias couldn't just watch as her own servant was slowly beginning to cripple himself before her eyes. "Kiba! Akeno! Koneko!"

[Right!]

"Do not interfere!"

The three remaining fighters serving Rias stopped in their tracks before they could so much as take a single step to help their friend from the one-sided beating he was receiving, turning to look at Mikoto, the woman continuing to watch the fight with passive eyes.

"I already told you that you cannot interfere with this." Mikoto said calmly.

Rias stared at the woman as if she were crazy. "What are you talking about!? He's your own son! Why are you _not_ intervening!? Shirou's just going to get more and more hurt if we don't stop this! He might even die! He can't win this!"

"That's exactly why he's doing it." Mikoto's words caught them by surprise. She sighed, turning back to watch the fight. "He didn't start this fight with the intention of winning. He's planning to engrave this humiliating defeat into his body with as much pain and suffering as possible."

"F-Fujimura-san, was it?" Asia asked nervously, uncertain how to approach the woman she had never actually met before, "Why would Shirou-san do this?"

"It's because he feels it's the only way he can become serious about being stronger." It was clear that Mikoto didn't necessarily sound happy about this. "Think about most Shounen protagonists. The one thing they all usually have in common? They are reactive as all Hell and only gain power in response to crises. A major threat arises, so they get stronger. An enemy is stronger than they can handle, so they get stronger again. It is only after terrifying revelation and after humiliating defeat that they obtain the will to become stronger. Isn't that kind of like how real life works sometimes too?" That was when something changed in Mikoto's expression. It wasn't her face itself, but her eyes. The worry she felt was clearly shown through them. "This is something along the lines of how Shirou feels. He knew from the get-go that he was weaker than them. He probably, subconsciously at least, believes he can't train seriously and get strong enough to defeat Riser or his servants until he knows how weak he truly is compared to them."

"That's ridiculous!" Rias stated, entrusting the wounded Issei to Asia's care. "Riser's servants have had a greater deal of experience and training! He could have just trained normally and gotten as strong as them that way!"

"You're misunderstanding, Rias Gremory." Mikoto sighed, shaking her head as if she couldn't believe she had to explain what was happening. "He doesn't want to become _as_ strong as them. He wants to be stronger. It's the instinctive desire to obtain strength surpassing his foe and to completely overcome them that drives these irrational choices."

"Regardless, he's done enough. Issei is already injured." Rias turned away from Mikoto and prepared to step in. "I don't need both of my Pawns incapable of movement let alone fighting. I'm ending this."

"Do it and you will be crushing Shirou's pride."

"What?"

It was as though that Mikoto was purposely finding ways to be vague and cryptic with her words and it was really starting to annoy Rias. In a way, she could believe Mikoto and Shirou were related. They continued watching as Shirou received merciless blow after blow from his masked opponent. Unable to raise his arms anymore, he received each of Isabela's punches with his own body. It wasn't even a fight anymore, between Shirou's refusal to submit and Isabela's refusal to let up, it was a one-sided beatdown.

"He did this knowing the outcome. He specifically said he didn't want anyone to interfere."

"But why? Why would he go so far for such a childish reason!?"

"Probably because he sees you and the others as worth it." Her answer caught everyone of the Gremory group by surprise, disarming any argument they could have given her. "My Shirou does have something like a case of battle-mania, but he never fights without purpose. For you guys, he probably sees this as necessary for him to get stronger. To interfere now would be the same as saying it's impossible, that none of his efforts will matter in the end. The same as you cannot stand the thought of being looked down upon or defeated, Rias Gremory, Shirou cannot stand the thought of being weaker than his enemy. This is his way of making himself realize what he needs to do."

None of them could quite find anything to respond to that with.

"It's over." It was Isabela's voice that broke up their personal silence. She stood with arms crossed while staring expectantly at them. Right in front of her, Shirou stood, arms hanging limply at his sides and his head lowered. He was still standing, so none of them could quite understand what she meant. Shirou wouldn't yield, so it made no sense how the fight was over. "He's been unconscious for the past few minutes."

As if to prove her claim, Isabela roughly grabbed Shirou by his hair and turned him in the direction of the Gremory family, allowing them to see Shirou's face.

His eyes were open, but something was different. There was no life in them. They still had their natural color, but there was no light. If it weren't for the pained movement of his chest as his lungs filled with air, they would have mistaken him as dead.

With a grunt of dissatisfaction, Isabela picked Shirou up and tossed him over to his comrades.

"Shirou-kun!" Akeno ran forward and caught the unconscious boy in her arms, feeling more and more unnerved as she finally got a good look at his injuries.

Other than the massive purple spots on his body where he had been bruised, he had numerous broken bones and at least a dozen more fractures. Isabela had truly been merciless in her assault. The fact he wasn't screaming in agony, if he even had the capability, was a miracle. Such pain would have broken a normal human.

Carefully, she placed Shirou on the ground next to Issei, making sure not to disturb his injuries any further.

Isabela closed her eyes a solemn look on her face. "I should have noticed it earlier. Even though he wasn't consciousness, he was remaining standing by sheer force of will. It was not my intent to deal so much excess damage." She turned back to Riser and gave an apologetic bow. "I apologize for an unworthy fight, Riser-sama." Even though it was Rias' servant she had injured, Isabela was apologizing to her own master, as though the quality and contents of the fight mattered more than the outcome.

Riser nodded. "While I had expected a more interesting show, you performed as expected and the outcome is the same as it would have been in any other scenario." He turned to Rias, the girl on her knees by her servants' sides and his smirk changed into an expression of curiosity. One was the possessor of a Longinus and the other hadn't fallen even when suffering injuries beyond his limit. It was the difference in experience that determined the outcome. If given time, the two might have actually put up an interesting fight. However, at the level all of Rias' servants were at, they were barely worth a glance let alone a fight.

"...Hey!" It was the sound of a voice that shouldn't be speaking that caught everyone's attention.

For a moment, the light in Shirou's eyes returned. Then his expression contorted to one of pain.

"I'm not finished yet..." Shirou's body struggled and squirmed on the ground as he tried to sit up, requiring from assistance from Akeno to push himself into a sitting position. Still, even then, it was painful just to maintain that position. He winced every time he breathed and with every word he spoke. "Hey! Ms. Phantom of the Opera!"

The members of Riser's side paused, the only person moving being Isabela who turned around. She appeared confused, looking around at her surroundings before pointing to herself, mouthing the question "Me?".

"Yeah, you..." Shirou clearly looked like he wanted to get up, but both his physical inability to do so and Akeno refusing to help him further nipped that idea in the bud. "You better save a fight for me in the Rating Game." Shirou pointed his index finger at her, grinning like a beast targeting its prey. "Even if it's tonight or tomorrow, I'll train like Hell with whatever time I got and get ten times stronger than I am now so I can take you down! You're already dead, can you dig it!?"

"Wha-?"

"Isabela! Your face is bleeding!"

One of Riser's other servants called out in alarm, pointing to Isabela's face.

The masked woman carefully reached her hand to her nose, wiping away blood that had started to flow from her nostrils. It was only now that the fighting had settled that she noticed the light pain, as if she had been hit in the face by something soft like a small rock or a small toy car. It was about as painful as a paper cut and yet it had made her bleed.

Isabela could only stare at her own blood in shock. "When did you...?" Rias herself was as surprised as Riser. None of them recalled Shirou raising his fist let alone throwing a punch.

"It was back when...I blocked that last punch." Shirou clarified, taking a pained deep breath. "I decided to get one good hit in before I took my loss..."

Everyone carefully thought back to the moment before Shirou's arm was broken. They remembered how suddenly he raised it, but they had thought that it was part of a vain attempt to defend himself from the seemingly unbeatable enemy before him. But the speed and the angle...That could have been when he struck her. Isabela was so focused on breaking his defense, so certain of her victory, that she failed to notice the true purpose of his movement. Since the moment Shirou's punch made contact with her face was likely at the same time as Isabela breaking his arm, it could have explained why his attack didn't do as much damage as it would have on a lesser opponent.

Rather than showing annoyance or an insulted look as most enemies would have, Isabela smiled softly. "I see. You took advantage of my lowered guard to strike. Futile, but I won't deny that it worked even to such a small degree."

Shirou chuckled. "I'm gonna go ahead and take that one as a compliment." It was a little hard to be cheerful though. With how weak they were, it was likely Riser could just have the Rating Game take place then and there, at the time when the Occult Research Club's defeat would have been imminent. If Shirou got so much as a day to get stronger, he could have found a way somehow. There had to be a way, is what he thought. "So about that rematch...?"

Even though he had suffered such a brutal defeat, he still desired to fight. That thought brought a small smile to Isabela's face. "If you desire it, then so be it. You'll have to survive long enough to reach me however."

"So what do you think, lil Riser?" It was the first time since the fight ended that Mikoto spoke. Her expression betrayed no emotion. "They're more like unpolished gems than worthless stones, wouldn't you agree?"

Riser remained silent, looking from the defeated servant in his arms to Isabela, the girl receiving a handkerchief from one of the others to clean her face. "Perhaps. They have potential, but with the way they are now, defeating them wouldn't be even slightly entertaining nor would it grant me any pleasure."

"Yea-Wait, it wouldn't?" Riser's response took Shirou by surprise. He had expected some cocky comment or insult, but his last statement had been more of an analysis than anything.

"Of course not." Riser said as if it were obvious. "Would you gain any pleasure from crushing ants underneath your heel? It's dull and not very challenging." _That_ was the comment Shirou was expecting. It was good to know Riser hadn't become any less unlikable. Riser turned to Rias. "Ten days, Rias-

"Two weeks." Mikoto immediately cut Riser off, thinking nothing of the half-curious/half-annoyed look he was giving her. "If you give them fourteen days, I guarantee they will be in a good enough shape to pose an interesting challenge...unless of course a Devil from the "immortal" Phenex clan feels that a group of teenage Devils, three of whom are still wet behind the ears," Shirou didn't have to guess which three she was referring to, "could pose too much of a threat if given that much time, then we can simply have it be ten days." There was no emotion in Mikoto's expression, as though she was speaking without a shred of favoritism. "However, if you wish for a challenge worthy of a member of the Phenex clan, then I guarantee that the four extra days given will allow them to give you a fight worth bragging about when you speak of how you defeated the Heiress of the Gremory clan."

Shirou knew how things would turn out from the way Mikoto spoke. She had hit all of the right buttons when it came to Riser Phenex. She played on his arrogance, his pride, the hunger for a good challenge that almost all sentient creatures innately desired. And bragging rights on top of all of it. Riser was similar to Rias in many regards, both being noble Devils, but the main difference between them...

"Very well then."

Rias never would have created such foolish conditions if the roles were reversed (or so Shirou hoped).

Riser turned back to Rias, nodding as he thought over Mikoto's idea. "I suppose an additional four days shouldn't cause any problems. It's additional time to prepare for the ceremony once I have won." However, the only people who understood what the conversation was about were Mikoto, Riser, and Shirou until Riser turned to Rias. "I am willing to give you fourteen days before we have our match, Rias. If we had it now, it wouldn't be very interesting."

Rias' eyes widened as she realized what was going on. "Are you saying you're giving me a handicap?" It was clear that the thought did not please her that Riser was looking down on her so much.

"Are you against it? Is it humiliating?" Riser asked, his expression suddenly becoming serious. "A Rating Game isn't as easy as winning via emotional speeches, you know. A King's disposition can only be judged when he can draw out the servant's power. No matter how talented you are, I have seen a lot of people never bounce back after suffering defeat as a result of failing to accomplish this." Rias didn't object or complain, implying her consent to the arrangement.

"Hmmm?" Mikoto blinked, staring at Riser in surprise, showing a new-found interest. "Oh wow, I'm very surprised. Lil Riser is actually wiser than he looks."

"Of course." The insinuation he didn't know anything about fighting or about how to fight using his servants was irritating. "It isn't as though this is the first battle I've fought."

Mikoto nodded. "Ah yes. About ten matches in Rating Games as I recall, only two losses which is impressive considering the rumors those were favors to family allies." It was hard for anyone to figure out if Mikoto had some sort of angle she was working at or if she was genuinely praising Riser. "However, that is also the major difference between you and Rias Gremory that could very well decide the outcome of this match."

"And what do you mean by that?"

The smile on Mikoto's face, while bright, also held a hint of mischief in them. She didn't respond.

"Forget it." Riser had had enough of the woman who had dared to insult him as well as his power. Just like the white-haired boy, she annoyed him to no end. He turned to leave, but paused, looking back at Shirou and Issei, only the former still conscious. "And pass a message to your fellow Pawn, boy: You must not disgrace your master. A blow to you is a blow to Rias."

There was no response Shirou could think to give. He gave a light grunt of acknowledgement before Riser gathered in a magic circle with his servants.

"Rias, the next time we meet will be at the game."

And then the Phenex group departed, teleporting using the same flashy fire that had appeared when they had arrived.

It was only after making sure that they were truly gone that Shirou let out a deep breath. Then he winced.

"Ow...Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!" He whined, falling back onto the floor. "It hurts! It really hurts!" He gritted his teeth, finally succumbing to the immense pain from the injuries dealt to him by Isabela. "Damn it, it feels like I was hit by a train..." Despite this, he was grinning for some reason. "You know, if I weren't going out with Kiyome, that girl would have totally been my type...Hehehe-ow! It hurts to laugh."

"That was a reckless thing to do, Shirou." Rias said, watching as Asia began to user her powers to heal Shirou's wounds. "Was it worth it?"

"Yeah, I learned something today...Two things actually..."

"What's that?"

"The first is that my mother has a LOT to explain to me later!" It was clear from the sharp look on Shirou's face that the matter of Mikoto being revealed as the person known as "the Slash Empress" did not fade from his mind.

Mikoto rubbed the back her neck, a sheepish look on her face replacing her previously emotionless expression. "Yeeaaah, I had kind of hoped you had forgotten about that..."

"Oh no. We are SO talking about this-Ow! I am sick and tired of people hiding things from me!" Shirou said.

"Like you had tried hiding the fact you were a Devil from _me_? I mean, you failed miserably because only an idiot wouldn't have figured it out from the moment they laid eyes on all of you, but it's still not any less hypocritical."

A long awkward silence ensued.

"..."

"..."

Nobody could quite figure out how to respond to that. When they thought back to all of the efforts they had gone through to keep their secret from Shirou's mother, it all felt a little embarrassing to find out she had known the entire time.

It was clear that from the way his mouth was opening and closing that Shirou was desperately trying to find a good counterargument, but none made themselves known.

"So what was the second thing?" Kiba asked so as to break the tension, this being the first time Shirou was genuinely happy that his handsome face spoke. "You said there were to things you learned from your fight with Riser's servants."

Shirou's expression became serious, almost enough to take him seriously despite the fact he was laying flat on the ground. The pain was beginning to somewhat subside thanks to Asia's healing powers, but his body was still stiff, making it hard to move.

"It's that we're hopelessly outmatched as we are now." Shirou sighed. "I've been with you guys a while and I can say without a doubt that Riser wasn't wrong...hugh..." Shirou let out a soft groan.

"What's wrong?"

"Sorry, the thought of admitting Riser was right about something is making me a little nauseous..." He shook his head. "Anyway, as we are now, we wouldn't stand a chance. Koneko's punches are nowhere near as bad as that Isabela chick's and I get the feeling she wasn't even Riser's strongest servant nor was she his Queen. Call it a hunch, but I've seen the speed of a Knight and the speed of a non-Devil. Her speed seemed too natural to be either a Knight or a Queen while Kiba's speed and footwork are clearly out of sync."

"How so?" If Kiba wasn't paying attention before, he was then. "I've never noticed anything wrong with my abilities up to this point."

"That's because we've never had guys like this to compare you to." Shirou countered. "But I'm kind of noticing it now. You're fast. Really fast. However, it's like...how should I put this...You're like a wild wind. You don't have a solid control over your movements and you tend to slide ever-so-slightly after you stop moving. Your swordsmanship is top-notch, but against an opponent just as fast or stronger than you who also has more experience, like Isabela or Riser's other servants, you would be screwed. So it's exactly like Riser said. The only people among us who would be able to do a single damned thing would have to be Buchou and Akeno. No doubt about it..."

Mikoto tapped her chin, staring at Shirou with new-found interest. "My my, my baby boy is much better at analysis then I would have thought considering how much of a lunkhead you are."

"Hey!" Shirou snapped, wincing again as he tried sitting up. "There are two things I am completely serious about! The first is, of course, cooking and cleaning, the second and most important is fighting. I don't mess around when it comes to a good fight."

"Duly noted." Mikoto crossed her arms, turning to the rest of the Gremory group. "If even my adorably dimwitted baby is aware of this, you know it must be true."

"Wait! What do you mean if even I am aware of it?! And who are you calling a dimwit!?"

"You have let your servants' talents go to waste due to your inability to give them more thorough training, Rias Gremory," Mikoto said as though she hadn't heard Shirou's outburst, "something that puts you at an incredible disadvantage in the upcoming battle."

Rias crossed her arms, glaring at Mikoto. Shirou wasn't sure, but he saw a hint of hesitation in her eyes. Perhaps even fear. As to why, he had no idea.

"What you call "letting their talents go to waste" is what I call "letting them enjoy peaceful life"." Rias countered. "I allowed them to develop their skills at their own pace over a period of time. I had no idea nor any reason to think that it would have been necessary to put them on more severe training regimens."

"Letting them enjoy peaceful life?" Mikoto asked doubtfully. "Is that what you call letting them wind up murdered and putting in harm's way time and time again? Granted, my reckless child has the tendency to rush in head-first without thinking, but it's your duty as his so-called "master" to properly guide him, not control him nor let him run wild like you have been doing so far, letting him endanger himself and act without proper education...No offense intended towards you, Shirou."

"None taken." Shirou said from his position on the ground.

"I..."

"With the way you are now, you will never be able to defeat Riser nor will you be able to strengthen your servants to that level in time." Mikoto continued without relent.

"I..." For a moment, Rias' servants were certain that that insult would have been the final straw. It was made more plausible from the angry way in which Rias had been clenching her fists at her sides. She let out a deep breath, quickly letting her arms go limp. "I will not be dissuaded from this course of action! If you think I'm just going to sit down and let Riser have his way, especially after hurting my servants, you had best think again! I don't care if you think it's futile or if I'm not skilled enough! We're going to defeat Riser! We're not going to let him win after all that he's said and done!"

"You can count on us." Kiba chipped in.

Akeno nodded. "We're on your side, as always, Buchou."

"...Let's kick some butt."

"I-I also want to help Buchou-san however I can!"

Shirou raised his fist into the air, grinning. "You know me. If there's a fight involved, there's no way I'd let myself be left out." He jabbed a thump at the unconscious Pawn sleeping next to him. "And you know what that clown's answer's gonna be. No matter how grueling the training, we're gonna get stronger, Buchou!"

Mikoto smirked. "Just what I wanted to hear." Mikoto removed her katana from the ground, pointing the tip at Rias.

"Ka-san!" When Shirou saw the gleam of silver steel, he had immediately assumed the worst of his mother's actions.

"Rias Gremory, do you and your servants truly wish to obtain more power?" Mikoto asked with no distinguishable emotion. "Are you willing to endure even the eternal suffering of Hell itself in order to obtain the power to defeat your enemies?"

The conscious members of the Occult Research Club gave one collective answer:

[Of course!]

"That's good then~" Mikoto cheered, her previous "normal" childish energy suddenly returning. "We start tomorrow~"

Everyone paused.

[What?]

"Oh please~" Mikoto stuck out her tongue. "Like Lil Riser said, pretty speeches don't earn you jack~ You need an instructor willing to push you to the brink of death if you want any hope of beating someone more experienced~ And who better than the Slash Empress herself~?"

Shirou raised his hand. "OK, I don't mean to be "that guy", but I don't even know what "Slash Empress" even is." He hadn't even known his mother was the Slash Empress let alone what it meant.

Kiba was the person who stepped forward, looking as though he was desperately trying not to squeal like an excited fan-girl. "That Slash Empress is arguably one of the most skilled swordsman in the entire world, the title being granted to one who has mastered the many paths of the sword. It's title is passed only when the previous possessor is defeated in a duel." He looked sheepish. "Her lack of a singular identity make her so elusive that only a handful of people know the title's possessor's true name at any given time including my instructor, the one who taught me to properly wield my sword."

"Wait, if your master knew, then how come you didn't immediately recognize Ka-san as this "Slash Empress"?"

"Like I said, only a handful of people know and even fewer are able to keep up with whom the title is passed on to. I wasn't one of the people who knew, me being a Low-Class Devil and all." Kiba explained. "My teacher mentioned the current Slash Empress from time to time, but never by her actual name. He always described her as a woman whose beauty was matched only by the sharpness of her blade. Her skill and technique was on a high level, but, as a human, the amount of experience she had was limited by her lifespan. If given the lifespan of a Devil, she would have someday reached the level of power needed to singlehandedly slice the world in half if she so desired..." Kiba trailed off, looking somewhat embarrased. "He also called her "his type"..." He looked at Mikoto, appearing to be somewhat off-put by something.

"Ha! Kiba's teacher is a lolicon~" Shirou teased. That was about when Kiba smacked him in the back of the head. "Ow!"

"Oh that Souji~" Mikoto said, blushing playfully as if she hadn't smacked her child. "He always knew how to flatter a girl~!" Then she turned back to Rias and the others. "I've been retired from swordplay and slashin' things for a while, but I still have that ol' spark~ If you'll allow it, Rias Gremory, I'll gladly whip your ragtag band of heroes into shape within those fourteen days~ Just imagine Riser prostrating himself on the ground as he begs for mercy, apologizing for all that offensive and occasionally sexist shit he was sayin'~ If you guys let me train you, then, by the end of the fourteen days, you will be able to make that thought a reality~"

"We'll do it." It was scary how Rias hadn't hesitated at all...or maybe the scary part had more to do with that pleasant smile on her face, the one that held all sorts of malicious intentions.

It wasn't that she trusted Mikoto Fujimura. The events of that day only intensified this distrust. It was clear that Kiba didn't want to mention it, but there were far darker aspects and an even darker history to the title of "Slash Empress"...things that would given even a coldhearted Devil the chills. Considering the fact that Shirou was her child, Kiba likely didn't want to spoil his perceptions of her. Still, even though Rias didn't trust her, and not just because she once tried strangling Rias to death, Rias had faith that Mikoto wasn't the deceptive kind of person. Not unless it was absolutely necessary. Even when Mikoto attempted to take Rias' life not too long ago, she had done it up-close-and-personal with clear intentions. If she intended to slide a knife into any of their hearts (barring Shirou, the only person among them she cared for, of course), she would give them a strong warning beforehand.

"Then we will reconvene at the park tomorrow." Mikoto declared, looking at both Issei and Shirou. "Nun girl!"

Asia stiffened at what she assumed was her being called. "Y-Yes?"

"Make sure these two get healed up before then. I don't intend to take it easy on any of you even if you are injured."

"Y-Yes, ma'am." It was surprising to hear something so strict and cold from her considering one of the injured was her own flesh and blood, but Asia didn't object.

"Alright then..." Mikoto smirked, crossing her arms over her chest. "From hereon out, you're all my bitches!"

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** Training in the Mountains! The Desire to Be Strong!

* * *

 **Aaaaand done. We officially begin the training arc next chapter! Not sure how long I'll be extending the training for. If it's not done by next chapter, then it will be the chapter after it. I'm planning to have it be some serious training. Not that half-assed three-step bullshit the canon did and which I foolishly followed last time.**

 **This time's gonna be different.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	27. Chapter 23: Training in the Mountains!

**Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Which means I don't own shit! Try and claim copyright now, bitches! XD.**

* * *

 **Chapter 23: Training in the Mountains! The Desire to Be Strong!**

"They're late."

"I noticed."

"...Rias still hasn't had our house fixed."

"I noticed, Shirou."

"..."

"..."

If one were to question the awkward atmosphere that hung in the air, it would have been obvious that it had been centered around the pair seated on the park bench. At first glance, one would have thought they were brother and sister, Shirou being the older brother and Mikoto being the younger sister. Anyone who made that assumption would have been dead wrong. The mother of Shirou Fujimura, Mikoto Fujimura, was, in fact, an adult woman. An adult woman who also turned out to be the bearer of the title called "the Slash Empress", a person whom Shirou had been told was a master swordsman. Not only that, but she was also disturbingly well-acquainted with the world of the supernatural, a fact Shirou had not been made aware of until the day just before the present one.

He wasn't quite sure how to approach the subject. She wasn't hostile about it, but that only made it all the more awkward.

Without any hard feelings or passion to drive the conversation, it was awkward. Shirou wasn't sure what he was supposed to ask or if she even wanted to talk about herself or who she truly was and Mikoto wasn't sure what to tell him or whether or not he truly wanted to know. In the span of a single evening, their relationship had been put in a very uncomfortable position and neither were sure how to get out of it.

"...Soooo...how long have you been involved with this supernatural stuff, Ka-san?" The moment the words left Shirou's mouth, he knew they were exactly the wrong ones to say. The expression on Mikoto's face became solemn, placing a hand over her chest, as if remembering something difficult.

"Too long." Was her curt reply.

"Oh."

They quickly fell back into the same pattern silence as before, only even more uncomfortable.

Still, Mikoto appreciated Shirou's effort to at least talk to her too much to just let it go without gratitude. "Long enough that I was able to carefully keep track of your progress after you became a Devil. I admit, I didn't know until a few weeks before I came home because I got a call from an old friend of mine, and it took a little bit to learn about everything that happened to you in the past several months. To take on a Mid-Class Devil, even if it wasn't a Stray who had lost the power of her master, was an impressive feat considering how wet you were behind the ears at the time. Kalawarner told me she observed the whole thing from afar and left out no detail..."

"Oh! That's right!" Shirou realized. "This means you also know about Kalawarner, right?"

"Yep. The sad part was that the story of how we met wasn't actually a lie." Mikoto said, sighing. "While I am single-minded in my desire to protect our household, she was just so pathetic and sad that just looking at her bummed me out. When I offered to take her in in exchange for her services, both as a housekeeper and in regards to her status as a Fallen Angel, she broke down in tears while thanking me for my kindness."

"Haha...ha..." Shirou sweat-dropped, rubbing the back of his neck as he pictured his friend in such a pathetic, groveling state. "Well, she may seem weird, but she's actually a good person. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't even be here right now."

"Yeah...I know..."

Again, Shirou regretted his choice of words because Mikoto's expression only went from solemn to outright depressed. Mikoto was right. He really _didn't_ know how to speak to girls. He couldn't even speak to his own mother without upsetting her. If that wasn't a sign he needed to work on something, Shirou didn't know what was.

"Do you hate me?"

"Huh?" The question was so sudden that Shirou reacted a bit slowly.

Mikoto looked up at him, staring with saddened eyes. "I know you have a lot of questions...Just yesterday, you found out I was keeping so much from you. I honestly couldn't imagine that you weren't resentful of my secrecy and lies..." Mikoto lowered her head, trying to avoid looking at his face when he turned his eyes on her. "If you're upset with me...if you didn't want to even speak to me anymore, I would understand. After all you've suffered these years, you have every right..." Shirou looked her in the eyes, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

He sighed, looking the other way. "I'll pass."

The child-sized woman quickly wiped her eyes, looking at Shirou in surprise and uncertainty.

It only made him feel so much more awkward. "Well...I mean, you had to have had good reasons for keeping things a secret." Shirou said, taking a deep breath as he silently prayed to the Devil God that Mikoto would stop staring. "I spent a lot of time thinking last night...I admit, I was really mad about how you kept your connection to the supernatural from me-" Mikoto lowered her head, like a dog expecting to be smacked. "-but, then again, how is it any different from what I was doing?" Mikoto raised her head, cocking it to the side like a curious dog. "I mean, I eventually figured out. Your reasons for keeping your life a secret from me are the same as the reasons as I wanted to keep my Devil life secret from you. You were just trying to protect me like I wanted to protect you and the others..."

"Shi-"

"But that has to change." Shirou stared sharply in Mikoto's direction, causing her to squeak. "We can't just keep keeping secrets from one another. That's not how this is supposed to work. The cat's out of the bag and everything is out in the open now. I can't say I know the entirety of what you've done or what "Slash Empress" even means, but I know that it doesn't change the fact that I trust you. Still, that trust has to be mutual. We have to trust _each other_. OK? You're the one person I trust above all others-"

"Even Kiyome-chan?" Mikoto asked, sniffling as she stared at Shirou with her watering eyes.

"Even Kiyome." Shirou agreed. "So...can we just...act normal?" Voicing his desire aloud felt a million times more awkward than it did when he said it in his head. "I don't want either of us to have to change just because we found out this new stuff about one another. We're still family and...uh..." Shirou blushed deeply, shrinking in his seat. "I-uh.l.." He looked around, making sure nobody was in earshot. He raised his fist, becoming more nervous when Mikoto stared at him with expectant eyes. "...I l...I love you..." Being his mother hardly made it any less awkward or any less embarrassing to say those words in public.

SNIFF SNIFF

"So...can we just-What the fuck!?" When he looked back at Mikoto, her face had taken a shocking change.

Her eyes were the size of plates, tears streaming down the sides of her face and long ropes of mucus were dripping from her nose, choked sobs coming out every few seconds. Despite her normally cute appearance, this bout of tears was...unsightly.

"OH SHICCHAAAAAN!" Before Shirou could accept, reject, or react in any way, Mikoto lunged at him, wrapping her small arms as far around his torso as they could do, hugging him tightly as she buried her face into his chest. Shirou felt a chill of disgust go down his spine as she wiped her face left and right on his frontside, staining his shirt with hot, wet tears. She raised her face to look at him, a particularly large dollop of snot hanging from her left nostril. "I WUV YOU SO MUUUUUUUCH! Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

"G-Gah! K-Ka-san! OK OK! I get it!" Shirou raised his arms, trying to keep her from raining green on him. "Stop!"

"But momma needs a huuuug!"

"J-Just-Your nose! I'll hug you! I'll hug you! Just wipe your nose first!"

Mikoto sniffled slightly, before nodding. "OK..." She exhaled...then she started breathing strongly from her nose, inhaling all of the mucus that had been dripping back into her nose, an act that disgusted Shirou almost as much as the snot hanging.

 _"Grooooooss..."_ Shirou whined within the confines of his mind. If he hadn't once been swallowed and kept inside of some weird...centaur...witch demon thing's stomach, it would have been the grossest thing he'd ever seen. Mikoto stared at him, head still laying on his chest, staring expectantly. "Um...it's okay...uh...There there?" As if experimenting, he gently laid his hand on top of Mikoto's head, rubbing it gently. In response, Mikoto rubbed her head against his hand, clearly enjoying the affectionate gesture.

He was incredibly grateful nobody he knew was around to see it. He never would have been able to live it dow-

"Good to see you two have gotten over your issues."

"Ufufu~ I never thought Shirou-kun could be so fluffy beneath that rugged surface~"

Shirou choked, his face turning pale as he looked up at the group that had suddenly appeared in front of him. Both Rias and Akeno were smiling, albeit for different reasons and one taking far more amusement in Shirou's embarrassment than the other.

"Uh...We didn't really see anything. We-uh-just got here just now..."

"We were eavesdropping. Sorry."

Issei looked awkward while Kiba was at least honest about their eavesdropping. Both were carrying abnormally-sized bags on their back, Issei looking ready to crumple underneath the weight.

"...Senpai." Shirou looked to his right, noticing the second snow-haired loli he knew smirking at him while carrying a bag the same size as Issei and Kiba. "...Cute." Just that one word had been enough to piss Shirou off.

With a heavy growl, Shirou pulled Mikoto from his chest, standing up on the ground with furious eyes whose gaze were pointed in the direction of his club members. "...How much did you guys hear...?"

"Since about "Well...I mean, you had to have had good reasons for keeping things a secret"," Rias answered helpfully, covering her mouth with her hand, clearly hiding a smile. "You never cease to surprise me, Shirou." Everyone else seemed to mimic her gesture, not trying very hard to hide the fact they were snickering at him, becoming more amused the redder his face became.

"The relationship between Shirou-san and his mother is absolutely sweet!" Asia said pleasantly, her innocent comment doing the opposite of the calming effect it had usually.

Shirou tightened his fists at his side, his intent becoming murderous. "I swear to Maou, I will bury you all!" He screamed at them, sounding more like a child throwing a tantrum from embarrassment than a man with the desire to kill.

Kiba smiled pleasantly, placing a hand on Shirou's shoulder. "It's just some teasing, Shirou-kun-"

"You will be the first to go!" Shirou snapped, smacking away Kiba's hand.

While the Occult Research Club members were slowly getting their wits together, Mikoto stood at the front of the group, wagging her finger in what Shirou realized was part of a mental headcount.

"Five...six...seven-OK!" Mikoto clapped her hands together, trying to get everyone's attention. While some were slower than others, the smaller girl gradually managed to get everyone calmed down and attentive to her words. "So, we're almost all together, right? None of you Devils are missing or forgetting anything?" Nobody gave a response, but the general thought was that the answer was yet. Then Mikoto turned to Rias, her stare not being one of hostility for once. "Rias Gremory, I presume you made the proper arrangements for the location?"

That was enough for Rias' expression to become serious again, the crimson-haired girl nodding. "Yes. As I have told you before, Otou-sama and Oka-sama have consented to us using the vacation house in the mountains for our training period. I have received the proper permission."

Mikoto gave a smile of satisfaction. "That's good. In that case, we just need to wait for one more person before we leave." The members of the Occult Research Club, excluding Shirou, looked at one another, confused. They had checked their count and nobody from their group was missing. All club members were present and accounting for. Shirou was the only one of them who had an inkling of whom Mikoto was referring to.

"Are you referring to Kalawarner?" It made sense, considering how she was currently in Mikoto's employ, that Kalawarner would be present to aid them with training.

However, even Shirou was proven wrong when Mikoto shook her head.

"No." Mikoto answered, leavnig Shirou at a loss. "I sent Kalawarner ahead to make preparations for our stay so we could spend less time unpacking and more time training." Mikoto smiled. "I only mentioned it now because I got her parents' permission to bring her along only last night." Something about Mikoto's joyful smile put Shirou on edge. There were only a handful of people they knew and most of them were already there. "I thought it was fitting that she come along considering how close she and Shicchan were~"

Shirou paled.

"No...Noooo! You didn't!"

He tensed when a hand softly grabbed his shoulder, a soft whisper tickling his ear.

"She did!"

"Wah!" Shirou jumped, spinning on his heel and jumping several feet back in a defensive stance. Shirou held a stance like a dog ready to make a break for it until he caught sight of a certain blonde-haired beauty smiling at him, carrying a _normal_ _-sized_ backpack compared to the members of the Occult Research Club. He had to blink several times and rub his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating. He took another few seconds to glare at Issei and Koneko who were snickering and smirking (respectively) because he (allegedly) screamed like a little girl. "K-Kiyome!?"

"Good morning, Shirou, everyone. I'm sorry for being late. I wanted to be sure I had everything I needed for the trip." Kiyome bowed respectfully as well as apologetically to the others. She then turned to Mikoto and bowed respectfully, Mikoto giving a nod of satisfaction. "Fujimura-sa- I mean, "mother"."

Shirou found himself unable to do anything aside from staring with his jaw-dropped.

Kiyome held her hands nervously in front of her after realizing that everyone was just staring at her, managing a weak smile.

"So, shall we get going?"

* * *

Going to a mansion to train for an upcoming match against a High-Class Devil after Rias's virginity was how Shirou pictured his first time climbing a mountain...

Well, more like _walking_ up a mountain. It wasn't the rocky kind of mountain one could just climb. It had a long, long, long trail and a massive, almost endless upward slope leading to the top that the Occult Research Club had to overcome in order to reach their destination. Despite the massive load everyone (except Rias, Asia, and Mikoto) was carrying, they were all keeping a decent pace.

"Hey!" A voice panted from close to the back of the group.

Almost all of them anyway.

Issei huffed and puffed as he struggled to avoid being left behind. "Can we just...slow down a little?"

"Stop being a pussy, Hyoudou!" What shocked Shirou most of all was that he wasn't the one saying it that time, the words instead coming from the mouth of the loli riding atop the massive bundle of supplies strapped to his back. Shirou's weight was even greater because he was carrying supplies for two, but it wasn't as hard as he thought it'd be. He was keeping up his own decent pace around the middle of the group. Kiyome was up front with Kiba and Koneko, the three casually talking amongst one another. If Shirou hadn't known what his girlfriend did for a living, he would have been surprised by how easily she was keeping up with the others.

With how preoccupied everyone else was, Shirou found it as the perfect opportunity to speak with his little passenger. Issei was lagging comfortably behind, Rias and Akeno following at a casual pace more-so just to rest at the back of the ground than as a result of an inability to move quickly. Making sure nobody was within earshot, Shirou turned his gaze upward.

"Ka-san, can we talk?"

Mikoto pouted, poking her head over the top of Shirou's bag to look down at him. "I thought we agreed I would only talk about the whole "Slash Empress" thing when I was ready?"

Shirou shook his head. "No, it's not about _that_."

"Oh, never mind then." With those words, Mikoto hopped over the edge of Shirou's bag, sliding down the front and landing in Shirou's outstretched arms, cradled like a baby in his arms. "What's on your mind, sweetheart~?" Mikoto asked in her normal cheery tone.

The young man could not help but take a deep breath, trying to calm himself in preparation for whatever ridiculous comment or joke his mother came up with in response to his question. He looked down at her with narrowed eyes. "What the **_Hell_ ** were you thinking, dragging Kiyome into this?! What the actual Hell?" He resisted the urge to cover his mouth. He hadn't meant to shout and he certainly hadn't meant for Kiyome to hear, but, luckily, she appeared to not possess the same Devil hearing as they did for, while she did glance back curiously, she made no indication that she heard him.

"She's already involved, you know?" Mikoto pointed out.

"Yeah, in the supernatural world, not the affairs of Devils!" Shirou countered, annoyed by how casually Mikoto was treating such a serious matter. "You brought my girlfriend onto a mountain retreat that is meant to be dedicated to training us for a match-up against an experienced noble Devil! Seriously, what the fuck were you thinking! Where the fuck was the logic in this?"

"Language!" Mikoto smacked his head. "Besides, _she_ was the one who asked to come along with us."

"...What?"

Shirou knew from the mischievous smile on her face that her answer was going to annoy him. "Oh, I just felt the need to let her know why you were going to be disappearing for two weeks without explanation." Shirou averted his gaze, feeling awkward. "I mentioned that we just happened to have enough supplies for an additional person, how it would be a secluded area in the mountains with hot springs, and she would get to see me slap around Gremory and Cow-Udders (Akeno), but I have _no_ idea what could have spurred her to ask to come to passionately." As usual, Shirou's hunch was right. He was thoroughly pissed.

"You-!"

"And besides... knowing her field, I have a plan where she could contribute to training..." Mikoto then looked Shirou in the eye, whispering, "...as well as take this as an opportunity to strengthen your relationship!"

"Are you serious? We're doing just fine."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..." Mikoto wiggle her finger in lecturing manner. "Shirou, when we're talking about romantic relationships, especially with a woman like Kiyome-chan, you need to remember four letters: A-D-R-A."

"Adrah...?" Shirou asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Adventure, Danger, Romance, and Activities that can be shared as a couple." Mikoto clarified, smiling brightly.

"Wait, wouldn't the first three already count as broad descriptions of activities that can be shared as a couple?"

"Don't you dare poke holes in your mother's logic, young man!" Mikoto snapped, pouting again. "But surely you've noticed it, Shicchan?"

"Noticed what?"

Mikoto shook her head as if saying "I can't believe this", a gesture that would have been more shame-inducing if she hadn't also been snuggling up against his chest, looking like a satisfied puppy. "Sorry. I just keep forgetting that she's your first one." She paused, pursing her lips as if she only just heard what she had said. "Anyway, from what I've gathered from my constant watching over you and your friends without your knowledge-"

"Could you not say it like that?" Shirou asked, shivering. "It sounds so stalkerish."

"Surveillance _is_ technically stalking since you're following a target without their knowledge."

"That really doesn't make me feel any better."

"Let's get back on-track, shall we~?" Mikoto said without skipping a beat. "What I was saying is that, in most of your recent adventures or any of your club activities, you never seem to include Kiyome-chan."

"Yeah, and?" Shirou asked, raising an eyebrow. "Kiyome said she doesn't want to be involved in all that chaotic and complicated stuff."

"Yes, but the issue is that you never bother trying to include her or even ask her opinion until your in deep with your pants caught around your legs." Mikoto reasoned. "If you're not attempting to include her, then that's the same exact thing as excluding her. You can't maintain a healthy relationship if you continue excluding your partner from everything. Public dates, school activities, anything. You have those adorable lunches where you two fake a fight to get some alone time, but that's about i-"

"Ka-san, how long have you been watching us?" Shirou asked, staring blankly as his mother paused, her mouth half-way open. She didn't respond. "..."

"-but that's about it." Mikoto continued as if she hadn't just taken a huge pause.

"But, Ka-san, I came here to train." Shirou objected. "If I'm too focused trying to do things with Kiyome, I won't have enough time to get strong enough to fight in the Rating Game." It sounded awful, but they were on a time limit to train against opponents with far greater stats and experience than them. He just wouldn't be able to focus on the dating advice service Mikoto was giving.

However, Mikoto only waved off his concerns. "Don't worry, Shicchan~" She assured him. "The goal isn't about focusing on her, it's about you two just being around one another, together, as a couple. It doesn't truly matter what you're doing as long as you're at least in the same place. Eat breakfast together, have some casual talks in-between training sessions, having some nookie-nookie time late at night~"

Shirou cocked his head to the side. ""Nookie-Nookie time"?"

"With that in mind, you're not the only reason I brought Kiyome-chan here~" Mikoto continued. "I also brought her here so I could also focus on training her into the perfect bride~ While I'm mainly training her as a woman, she'll also be physically training so she can _keep up with you_ ~ Ufufufu~" From the mischievous smile Mikoto had on her face and the way she looked away from Shirou, he was certain that she had just said something implied to be perverted. However, her expression quickly became serious, looking at the front of the group to make sure Kiyome wasn't looking. "But don't tell her that. She thinks she's here for moral support."

"...Isn't she though?"

"Of course not." Mikoto said as if it were obvious. "You Devil kids aren't the only ones who need to train." Mikoto narrowed her eyes. "Kalawarner told me about the Stray."

Shirou's heart almost stopped. The look on Mikoto's face was rather terrifying, murderous. It was one of the few times Shirou had seen her outwardly and openly angry, as though she were imagining all of the horrible things she would have done if Eliade had been around.

"Anyway," Mikoto said, trying to act as though she weren't ready to kill moments before, "it's not as though you can be around to protect her 24-7 and, in the long life you're bound to live as a Devil, you're likely to make more than your fair share of enemies, Shicchan." Shirou would have objected if she weren't completely right. "And since you never know when monsters like that Stray are just going to pop up, it's for the best that Kiyome-chan also receives at least a moderate level of training, enough that she could at least escape should a threat arise."

It was sound logic, Shirou decided. Unlike the Occult Research Club, Mikoto, or Kalawarner, Kiyome was a physically normal human. She had higher-than-average strength for a human woman her age, but it still wasn't much in regards to non-humans. And as much as he wanted to say to the contrary, there was nothing he could do should a situation like what happened with Eliade or Raynare happen again. He had just been unlucky when Kiyome was taken by Eliade, but Shirou had allowed himself to let Issei and Asia out of his range which resulted in Asia's capture by the Fallen Angels. Asia would always have Issei by her side since they now lived together, walked to school together, and had the same schedule outside of contracts during which Asia would only be sent to reputable and safe clients. Kiyome had no such protection.

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot!" Mikoto suddenly swiped away Shirou's hands, gracefully dropping to the ground in a crouch. She placed her hands on her hips, smiling brightly at Shirou. "Hey, Shicchan, can you hand me my bags please?"

He was filled with an immediate sense of foreboding.

It was just a shame he was a little late in listening to it, foolishly handing Mikoto her half of the bags as instructed, setting them down on the ground next to her as Mikoto grasped the straps.

The air suddenly became awkward. "Um..." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "...so...er...It was a little heavy...what do you got in there anyway? Bowling balls? Hehehe..." He could not help but chuckle, praying to whatever deity that reigned over Devils to end the awkwardness.

"Yes."

Shirou stopped chuckling.

"...What?"

"You had better dodge."

"What?" And Shirou found himself only further confused. "I'm sorry, what? Dod-BRGFLUGH!?"

It was at that moment that a large, sky-blue, polyurethane ball of about 10-16 pounds decided to give the side of Shirou's face a passionate kiss.

With the force behind the thrown, the ball sent Shirou rocketing past all of his friends, landing face-down just a few steps in front of Kiyome, his sudden appearance causing the girl to give a squeak of surprise.

A pained groaned escaped Shirou as the bowling ball stuck to his cheek for a few seconds before rolling off casually, back down the mountain trail. Everyone could not help but look from Shirou to the bowling ball that rolled down the slope right past Mikoto Fujimura, the older woman smiling brightly while casually tossing another bowling ball into the air with her left hand and catching it repeatedly as if it were a softball.

The Occult Research Club (and Kiyome) stared in shock and confusion as Mikoto just kept smiling.

"Sorry, kiddies, but training starts now~!" Mikoto said cheerfully, a dark shadow covering her still-smiling face. "That was just a warning shot~ You all get a five second headstart~"

Rias cautiously approached Mikoto from behind, looking down at the smaller girl. "U-Um, Fujimura-san, a head-start for _what_?"

"Just a little training exercise I like to call-DODGE!"

"HOLY SHIT!"

If Akeno hadn't been quick in pulling Rias to the ground, Rias's head would have taken the place of the several trees that the bowling ball thrown through the air broke in half.

"YOU CRAZY BITCH!" Rias screamed, dropping all hints of etiquette as her life flashed before her eyes. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"

"That's just how the game goes~ The objective is to get to the top without dying~" Mikoto sang, casually juggling three more bowling balls in the air above her head. "You'd all better start running~"

She had seen countless reckless or otherwise idiotic antics from Shirou, the boy having been more of a troublemaker than an ADHD child hopped up on coffee laced with Red Bull, but Mikoto was _batshit insane_!

"Five-Four-"

"Shit! Shit shit shit!"

"Shirou?!"

"NO TIME TALK! RUN RUN RUN!"

Shirou scrambled up from the ground, grabbing Kiyome by her wrist and dragging her along as he sprinted up the mountain.

"H-Hey!"

"-Three-Two-"

"Sorry, Buchou! We'll meet you all at the top!"

"...Survival of the fittest."

Kiba and Koneko took no chances. Even a Rook and a Knight wouldn't do very well against a bowling ball launched with the power of a cannon and speed of a bullet train.

"Come on, Asia!"

"Ah, right!"

"Can we all just calm down for a second!?"

Issei immediately grabbed Asia's hand and started pulling her forward, trying to get her out of the line of sight before Mikoto got bowling ball-crazy.

Rias's attempts to calm them or even discern what was happening was met with as much as indifference as a priest's towards the bleatings of the damned.

"Rias, I really don't think this is the time for-" Akeno didn't even have time to finish speaking before the horrible announcement went out, an even darker shadow appearing on Mikoto's eyes.

"-One-DODGE!"

That time, Rias was more properly prepared. She and Akeno separated just as another bowling ball went soaring past them, impacting upon the upward slow with the explosive power of a bomb, creating a crater at least two feet wide and several inches deep. A death sentence to anyone with bones any weaker than solid steel.

Both teenage girls exchanged one look with one another...

[RUN!]

Following everyone else's examples, Rias and Akeno took off, running as fast as their legs could carry them. It took a matter of moments to catch up with the main group.

"DODGE!"

"Are you trying to kill someone, Ka-san!?"

"DODGE!"

"Wah! If you are, kill Issei! He's doomed to be a virgin forever and has less to live for!"

"Hey! Screw you!"

"DODGE!"

"Can we focus less on arguing and more on not getting our skulls caved in by bowling balls!?"

"...I refuse to have my gravestone planted on top of a hill made of bowling balls."

"Shirou, you're my friend and everything, but your mother is batshit-"

"DODGE!"

"-INSANE!"

"Just shut up and keep running!"

Thanks to the "coercive" methods by Mikoto Fujimura, the Occult Research Club (and Kiyome) had successfully cut the ETA of reaching the top of the mountain by an hour.

* * *

"Ow...Thanks, Asia."

"It's no problem, Issei-san!"

Asia removed her hands from the left side of Issei's back where he had been struck particularly fiercely by a red and white-striped bowling ball.

The rest of the group was either laying on the wooden floor of the building they had entered upon reaching the top of the mountain, exhausted from running, leaning against a wall while rubbing some form of bruise or soothing some sort of fracture or they were Mikoto, smiling brightly with hands on hips as if she were praising the others on their effort.

The reason Issei was the first to be healed was his endurance and pain tolerance was far inferior to that of the others.

Rias was leaning against a wall, Akeno standing dutifully by her side despite an uncomfortable, possibly pained, flinch here and there, likely a result of injury sustained from the run. Koneko was curled up in a ball in the corner of the room, her hazel eyes fiercely trained on Mikoto, like a cat waiting for its canine predator to jump. Kiba was the only one of them able to keep a straight face, but a faint twitch of his eye could be seen whenever he tried to put weight on his left leg. Against the wall next to the entrance, Shirou sat with his legs crossed, Kiyome trembling as she rested in his arms, hugging him tightly while staring at Mikoto with fear in her eyes.

"Good job, everybody~" Mikoto praised. "Really good hustle back there~!"

The group let out a collective groan of exhaustion in response.

"Now that we've gotten the warm-ups out of the way, you guys had better get dressed so we can start the _real_ training~" Mikoto said as if her words hadn't had hellish implications. "That goes for you too, Kiyome-chan~ You're not exempt from this~"

""Warm-ups"?"

"I thought we were done for the daaaay!"

"I'm not even a Devil, so why do I have toooo!? I'm going to have nightmares for the rest of my life, every monster in them screaming "DODGE!" at me!"

"...Too tired...too bruised."

"Surely we deserve a short rest, Fujimura-san?"

When even Kiba was complaining, then it could be fairly said that avoiding life and death at the hands of seemingly infinite high-speed bowling ball-sized projectiles was a fairly exhausting effort especially when the feeling was shared secretly among the teens that Mikoto was deliberately aiming for vital or otherwise pain-inducing areas.

"No complaining." Mikoto said, force taking the place of her cheerful tone. It was...different though. There was no smile on her face. Even though she was shorter than even Koneko, her words carried the weight of a thousand pounds of lead, silencing all dissent. "Your master, the woman who called you all back to this world as her Devil servants, Rias Gremory, has placed the planning of this training in my hands." Rias gave a nod, seeming more resigned than the rest of them to what would happen. "You have fourteen days to prepare to fight an enemy that outnumbers you 2-to-1, possessing both superior training and experience to you, whose highest challenge have come from rogue, lower-tier Fallen Angels who hadn't even obtained their second pair of wings yet."

Shirou looked at Rias who was standing a few feet away. "What's that mean?"

"Ssh! Not now!" Rias hushed him.

"You may believe that you are overestimating your foes as it was only the two newest Devils who were defeated," Mikoto said, gesturing to both Issei and Shirou, the former looking ashamed and the latter looking outright irritated, "but don't be arrogant. If any of you would have been in their place, you would have suffered the same humiliating defeat. As much as it makes me vomit a little in my own mouth, that Riser brat was right about how out-classed you all are. Not a single one of you stands a chance against his servants let alone the Phenex himself." It was that last claim that truly caught everyone's attention.

Even Rias broke out of her passive state to express her shock, "But surely at least I could-"

" _Especially_ not you, Rias Gremory." Mikoto tacked on, narrowing her eyes. There was no ill intent. Just cold-hard facts.

Rias was taken aback. "What does that mean!?" Mikoto had known exactly where to hit her pride. Rias knew that her servants were not yet trained due to their young age, but she was a noble Devil who possessed one of the strongest and renowned traits of the Devils, the Power of Destruction. To say that she could not hold her own against a fellow noble or even his servants was the highest insult one could give her.

"It means you're even worse than your servants." Mikoto stated blandly, showing no remorse for outright badmouthing the crimson-haired girl.

"Hey, I know Buchou is prideful and everything, but isn't that a little harsh, Ka-san?" Shirou asked awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, out of all of us, Buchou definitely has the highest level of demonic power, right?"

"More like I'm not being harsh enough." The response Shirou received from his mother sent chills down his spine. "This isn't some baseless insult, Shirou. That warm-up wasn't just for my own amusement..." A long silence ensued, everyone staring with doubtful eyes. "...well, not entirely for my amusement at any rate. I started with that little exercise to determine your physical endurance, reflexes, as well as your instincts among other things and, suffice to say, I was underwhelmed by what I observed both not too long ago as well as events I had seen transpiring up to this point. Among all of the Devils here, Rias Gremory, you were by far the most pathetic. You possess no physical ability and your reflexes are so pathetic that, if it weren't for your Queen pulling you out of the way, you would have suffered a cranial fracture or worse from that blow I gave you. You couldn't even sense my killing intent." Then she started to address everyone, pulling out a folded up piece of paper, slowly unfolding it into many individual squares that made up a large sheet of paper the size of a chalkboard, "By observing you, I managed to put this chart together, ranking you based on overall abilities, so it's a fair system. Take a look..."

The child-sized woman placed the large blanket of paper down on the ground, giving everyone the opportunity to get a look.

Despite being wary after the series of near-death experiences Mikoto had just put them all through, they could not help but feel curious about how strong they were through her eyes. Perhaps it was the competitive nature of a Devil resulting from their pride. Even the disgruntled Rias could not help but feel curious as to how they all ranked compared to one another. She admitted she was a bit too biased to properly rate their combat prowess when it came to those who had been her servants the longest, Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko.

Kiba looked at the paper that determined their levels, deciding to read aloud for everyone's convenience.

"Let's see..." He examined it closely. "At #1 is..."Cow-udders"...?" He frowned and, for a brief moment all but three of them were at a complete loss.

Shirou coughed into his fist, looking awkward as he tried to gather everyone's attention. "It's referring to Akeno." He jerked his head in the Queen's direction, Akeno smiling softly as she normally did, a hint of pride shining in her eyes.

"What a surprise~" She said. "I'm flattered that Fujimura-san thinks so highly of me~" Out of the corner of his eye, Shirou saw Mikoto biting the tip of her thumb, glaring at Akeno (or, more specifically, her impressive bust) as though she were biting back a venomous retort.

Rias sighed. "I suppose it's fair..." Akeno had been her servant the longest and had even greater experience than the rest of her servants together as well as more time to practice using her magic. It was just a bit wounding that the master fell below her own servant. She could only wait for the bittersweet "silver medal", is what she thought.

"At #2," Kiba continued, "is..." He blinked in surprised, looking as though he believed he was reading incorrectly. "It's...me!" He looked genuinely stunned by the fact he was being considered second only to Akeno out of all of the members of the Occult Research Club. He knew his sword skills were good compared to normal human swordsmen, but he had always thought himself about in the middle of the current group, about Koneko's level in terms of combat ability.

"What?!" Rias stared, further shocked. She wasn't displeased that Kiba's power was being rated highly, just that it was now TWO of her servants who were claimed to be stronger than her, something that was more confusing than shocking to her noble mind.

Trying to put his master's increasing displeasure at the back of his thoughts, continuing to read Mikoto's ratings, "Then there's #3..." When he trailed off that time, he remained silent for an especially large amount of time, as if afraid of the consequences of daring to open his mouth to speak ever again. He glanced at Rias, looking apologetic while showing a great deal of hesitance to speak the next words.

"Move out of the way!" Shirou growled in annoyance, shoving Kiba out of the way. "We don't have all day, Kiba!" He couldn't understand why Kiba was so hesitant to speak the next words aloud until he laid his own eyes on the paper. He stared casually at the paper, the two frayed pieces of wire in his mind taking quite a while to connect and send waves of realization traveling through his mind. "It's...#3 is Shirou Fujimura...That's me...I'm #3?" Even Rias's curiosity and confusion was nothing compared to Shirou's. The fact he was so unbelievable that he could not help but feel it was a joke. "Ka-san, I know we're family and everything, but don't you think you should be more honest about the strength of our members?"

Mikoto crossed her arms, looking indignant at her son's claim. "It's no joke nor is it an overestimation. While you are a rough, unpolished diamond, you are a diamond nonetheless, Shicchan. I behaved in an unbiased fashion while creating these rankings. In terms of overall ability, you are ranked third out of the Devils of this group. I'll explain why in a little while, so be patient."

While still clearly doubtful as to his mother's words, Shirou acquiesced. He didn't _feel_ like the third strongest, but he was willing to listen to her reasoning and reserve judgment until then.

"OK then. #4 is Asia Argento." Shirou said, his mind a bit too preoccupied to truly process what he just said. However, that time, he managed to fully realize what he just read at about the same time as the others, all of them turning in shock and surprise to stare at the golden-blonde former nun. The sudden attention was clearly a bit overwhelming for Asia, the girl shyly taking a few steps back.

"D-Did I-Did I do something wrong?"

Nobody was quite sure how to answer that. They weren't quite sure _what_ was going on anymore. The first three rankings could be understood to an extent, but the fact that Asia was considered the _fourth strongest_ of their group of seven was something that sounded like a lie no matter how you said it. She was a cute, innocent girl with a kind heart and love for all living things, but you couldn't bludgeon enemies to death using love or kind hearts, unless of course you're ripping out kind hearts and using those to bludgeon people with.

"OK, I've seen enough!" Outrage was clear on Rias's face. While she was upset with the current ratings, her servants were just a bit relieved that her anger was not directed towards them, but the passive-faced white-haired, adult loli looking at her with half-lidded eyes. Rias moved in, face-to-face with Mikoto (an effort that required Rias to bent down to be on the same eye-level. "Mikoto Fujimura, what is the meaning of this? Akeno, I can understand how you could rate her the strongest as her magical power is right on par with my own, and I can somewhat understand Kiba being rated #2 and, just barely, how Shirou is #3, but how is Asia, a girl with no combat experience or any offensive abilities whatsoever, considered stronger than me?!" Her face was flushed red, but it was hard to tell if it was anger, embarrassment, or outright humiliation. It possibly could have been all three.

In Mikoto's eyes, it was little more than a child throwing a tantrum. She didn't even flinch as Rias's anger flooded the room with an unpleasant feeling as well as increased temperatures. "You have your father's hair color and elegance, but your mother's pride and, most prevalently, her temper." Before Rias could even consider a proper response to the woman's words, Mikoto poked her in the forehead, using her index finger to push Rias's face away. "Personal space." Once Rias was again a fair amount of distance away, Mikoto turned to the group. "If any of you had paid attention in the slightest, you would have noticed that I never said this was a list ranking you based on power. If it were that, Rias Gremory would have won hands-down." Rias looked as though she was about to retort before realizing what Mikoto said, looking somewhat mollified. "I never said it was a ranking based on power, but your overall abilities as well as your utility on a battlefield at your current levels."

"What do you mean, Ka-san?" Shirou asked.

"It means that, if there were a large battle, this chart is an approximation of how the members of this group would fare." Mikoto clarified. "The remaining three ranks are as follows: #5, Rias Gremory; #6, Koneko Toujou; #7, Issei Hyoudou." While annoyed, Rias was relieved she wasn't completely underestimated by the woman whom she believed had no real insight into the power-levels of the group. Koneko and Issei said nothing and showed no shock or outrage like Rias had. For them, such a ranking was expected as they were hardly the most pronounced members of their group. "Would anyone like to know about their particular ranking and why I gave them such a rank?"

Nobody answered. They were too nervous and afraid that Mikoto was going to say something else to piss Rias off.

"Alright then, I'll start from the top." Mikoto said, deciding to disregard the Devils' desires entirely. "As to why Cow-udders-I mean-Akeno ranked first, it's because she is superior in all regards to ability. She possesses the traits of a Queen, she is highly skilled in the use of magic for a Reincarnated Devil so young, and she has far more experience than the rest of you when it comes to conflict and battle." Nobody could find a way to argue her point. They had seen first-hand how strong Akeno was and she was the strongest piece. Definitely at the top of the hierarchy next to Rias. "Any objections?"

There were none.

"Alright then. As for #2, the Knight of Rias Gremory, Yuuto Kiba," Mikoto continued, "While Cow-udders' power far surpasses the rest of yours, he possesses the greatest experience as a speed-type unlike Rias Gremory's Queen." She pointed at Shirou. "Although, as Shicchan pointed out, you lack a certain of element of control, you possess a level of technique that makes up for it. Out of everyone here barring perhaps Shirou, you are the only one here experienced in technique-based fighting styles. You have areas to work on, but not bad in terms of your group."

Kiba nodded respectfully, freely admitting his own flaws.

"And now, Shicchan~!" Mikoto's expression suddenly regained its normal good cheer. "I was honestly surprised by what I observed so far! While you're lacking in speed and strength compared to, say, a Rook or a Knight, you more than supplement this with your habit of being unorthodox as well as techniques of the same nature~!"

"Ka-san, I've been meaning to ask..." Shirou looked at the others nervously before looking back at Mikoto. "All you did was throw bowling balls at us...how exactly are you getting all of this from us running around just trying not to get our skulls crushed?"

"Oh, the warm-up was just to gauge your current physical condition. As for all of you guys' other abilities, I was following you all around without you're knowledge to gather data leading up to this."

It was so casually blunt that Shirou did a double-take.

"Stop sounding so stalkerish about it!"

"And when I wasn't following you around, I was gathering information from others who had been following you around while I followed one of the others around."

"W-WHAT!?"

"But back to the main point-"

"No-Wait-Who's been following me?!"

"Overall, your versatility and your habit of surprising your foes gives you a fair position at #3~" Despite Shirou's increasing insistence on pursuing the matter of how Mikoto had blatantly confessed to stalking both him and his friends, Mikoto continued explaining as though it didn't even matter. "It's that kind of unpredictability that could really turn the tide of a battle~!"

While uneasy about his mother's praise and the knowledge that she was always watching over him and his friends like "Big Brother", Shirou gave a nod of acknowledgement. "Yes, ma'am."

"As for why Asia-chan is rated at 4th," Mikoto said, "it's mainly a result of her Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing." Asia stared curiously at Mikoto as she moved on to healing Shirou's injuries. "She's had a great deal of time to become familiar with her Sacred Gear as I can tell, more than Shicchan and Issei at any rate, and the ability to heal in the middle of a fight is an invaluable one. Even if she's a non-fighter her ability would be especially important in a fight where you're outnumbered and have no time to properly recuperate from injuries sustained during battle. As long as she is properly protected and kept form taking unnecessary risks, her ability would give you an outstanding advantage over Riser's servants. That combined with her natural talent makes her worth far more than the last three."

"Th-Thank you, Fujimura-san!" Asia said, embarrassed. "I-I don't know if i-it's right to say I'm more valuable than Issei-san, Koneko-chan, or Buchou-san, b-but I promise to try and live up to your expectations!"

"So kawaiiiii~" Mikoto squealed as she glimpsed the pure innocence radiating from Asia's body despite her existence as a Devil. "I'll be rooting for you all the way, Asia-chaaan~" When Mikoto realized everyone's eyes were on her, she paused, coughing into her fist as she tried (in vain) to reclaim a more serious atmosphere. "Anyway, after Asia-chan, we have Rias Gremory at #5."

"Yes," Rias agreed, "and maybe you can explain why I'm considered among the weakest of this group."

"To be fair," Mikoto began, "it's not as though your group was very strong to begin with, so even in this case, it wouldn't be as though you were any further below the bar." She looked back to the others. "Sorry. Not trying to be mean, just stating the truth." Then she turned back to Rias. "Although, I think you've been misunderstanding my meaning, Rias Gremory. I don't underestimate your power, the power originating from the Bael family line. In terms of raw power, you are undoubtedly the magically strongest player in the battle to come."

Rias blinked, even more confused than she had been before. "Then why have you been saying I was the weakest all this time?"

"Did I say that? I don't think I said that." Mikoto said, somewhat snappish out of frustration. "Maybe if you children learned to listen, you would understand. You aren't weak, just useless."

Nobody else dared to say anything about that. Even if the air remained the same and neither of the older girls' expressions changed, the animosity that skyrocketed between the two petrified them.

"Unlike you, Issei Hyoudou and your Rook, at least, have potential that made me reluctant to put them so low in rank." Mikoto said. "You are the least useful person in this group. You can shout and demand things of your servants, but when it's your turn to deliver, you have and always will fall short. As a master, a fighter, and a Devil, you are the least useful and, at the moment, hold the least potential."

"What would an outsider like you know about of Devils?!" Rias snapped, growing more infuriated the more Mikoto talked down to her. Initially, Rias had convinced herself that Mikoto's criticism had been constructive, but by that point, she only thought that she was being badmouthed by an older woman half her size.

"More than _you_ ever could." Mikoto retorted coldly. Rias found herself pausing, a fearful chill going down her spine. For a brief moment, Mikoto's face changed. Not in shape or appearance, but Rias could not help but feel as though the older woman had aged several years, glimpsing at a tortured expression that came and went so fast that it could have been a mere figment of her imagination. It was...sad. Before, Rias could swear that Mikoto wanted to kill her, but, for that moment, it looked like she really needed a hug. But the moment vanished as quickly as it came. "Like many Devils, you are held back by both your pride, unable to see let alone overcome your own weakness or that of others. If you could see past your own ego, you would be able to see it. Like I told you before, as you are now, you can understand nothing."

While none of the others dared to utter a word in the middle of such a bitter discussion, Shirou turned to Akeno, mouthing the word "Before?". As far as Shirou knew, the only times Mikoto met Rias was when she was with him or following him around and he recalled nothing of Mikoto telling Rias she couldn't understand...whatever it was. Akeno shrugged, just as confused as he was.

"OK, so you tell me what one of my weaknesses are then." Rias said, confronting Mikoto. "What is keeping me from understanding?"

"If you wish for me to define one of your main weaknesses, it's your over-reliance on your innate talent." Mikoto pointed out, having calmed down somewhat. "The Power of Destruction, the Devil trait originating from the Bael clan. Definitely one of the most renown as well as one of the most powerful, capable of reducing existence to nothingness. However, you have no real control over it. While it's true that you are able to summon this power, you aren't quite capable of "using it" properly. You're merely unshackling a beast and siccing it upon your enemies rather than commanding its direction." Mikoto sighed. "I'm strong enough..."

Rias frowned. "What?"

""I'm strong enough", "My power will blow away all enemies", "As a noble Devil of the Gremory clan, I won't lose to you", I guarantee that these are the types of things you've said over the course of your life." Mikoto explained without actually answering anything. "Is it correct to say that you intend to never lose?"

Rias raised an eyebrow at the question, answering cautiously, "Yeeees..." She paused. "Is there something wrong with that? As a member of the Gremory household, I have not intention to-"

" _Everything_ is wrong with that." Mikoto said, cutting Rias off. "It's for that reason that you're as you are. Nobody ever _intends_ to lose anything, but things have a way of going against what is intended. I doubt any of your servants _intended_ to become Devils." The rest of the group (excluding Kiyome) shuffled nervously, feeling uncomfortable by how bluntly (and accurately) Mikoto brought them into the conversation. "You have no real successes to your own name, but claim you are strong simply because you have not experienced any real losses yet. You never prepare for the eventuality of defeat and that's what makes you so narrow-sighted. It's your flaw of pride that is restraining you from possessing greater potential than you do right now. Keeping you from ever having the potential of being like your brother."

Again, Shirou had no idea what Mikoto meant, but Rias' brother must have been important for the older woman to mention him like that.

Mikoto's words made Rias pause rather than retort.

"What...What do you mean?"

"What I mean is, when was the last time you considered or even entertained the idea that you're wrong about something, Rias Gremory?" Mikoto asked, speaking in a much calmer, more casual tone of voice that made Rias unable to feel anything but at ease. Even the discomfort with how quickly Mikoto made her lower her guard refused to appear as it normally would have. "As a noble Devil, you were probably brought up to believe yours is among the highest of statuses, that might makes right, that you are born with the potential to be great." Rias didn't deny it. While not expressed directly, it was certainly implied by many others around her growing up, not as hostile or arrogant-sounding as Mikoto made it out to be, but something along those lines. "It's those lines of thinking that are holding you back. It's the reason that your servants surpass you as they do."

"Because...they acknowledge defeat?"

"Exactly!" Mikoto nodded, smiling softly. She gestured to the other Devils in the room. "They have experienced trials of their own. While I can't say "what" specifically for some of them, I can see it on their faces. Some of them are _still_ facing these trials, still suffering." The rest of the Occult Research Club, excluding Issei who could not comprehend her meaning, could not help but feel that maybe they should have just left the room. When it wasn't Rias and Mikoto arguing, it was Mikoto saying things that brought them into the conversation in the most uncomfortable fashion. "They acknowledge weakness and know defeat is possible. Because of that, they strive to better themselves in order to defeat the odds set against them. Because you are too confident in the power you never took the time to hone or practice, you simply stagnate, your abysmal attitude severely limiting your potential, letting the odds stack higher and higher against you and those related to you until you are horribly overwhelmed. That's the situation you're in right now. If you were to face Riser or any of his servants on your own, you would be defeated."

"I-"

"-would suffer one-sided humiliation." Mikoto finished for her. "Riser has the exact same mind-set as you, but his starting point is at a higher level than you, a result of his greater experience. He learns from errors at least. He won't make the reckless mistakes you will." Mikoto crossed her arms across her chest, narrowing her eyes. "You entrusted me with the task of preparing you and your servants for the Rating Game, but as long as you don't acknowledge the possibility of defeat, you will always remain at the same level. You may believe that I am simply insulting you, that I view you as lower than dirt solely because you are a Devil, but that's not true. It's because your own arrogance blinds you to everything else around you. Because of your mindset, you will not be able to understand yourself or your servants and you most certainly will not be able to get strong enough to help them or yourself for that matter. You will never be able to help anyone!"

Everyone looked at Rias, awaiting her response. They expected Rias to snap again or retort in some manner, but they were surprised by silence, not even an ember of rage appearing on Rias' face.

For a moment, Rias kept her gaze on the ground.

Rias didn't feel wrong. She knew she was strong, that her power was incredible as was that of her servants, that victory was usually certain...but she didn't feel right either. Whether Mikoto knew it or not, the seed of doubt had been planted in Rias' heart. Perhaps it was Mikoto's logic or perhaps it was the way she repeated herself so many times that what she said had sounded right, but Rias couldn't see victory being as simple as she imagined it would be. Train for two weeks, get strong, and defeat Riser in the Rating Game. It felt like such a simple albeit somewhat challenging task, but she had faith. She had faith they would come out on top...but never had she considered the possibility of defeat.

Defeat was for the weak, for those who faltered. If she led her servants both strongly and proudly, they would never fall before an enemy. Nothing would be impossible.

This was what she had believed for a long time despite her...failings. The pain she had failed to heal...Those whom she could not heal no matter how much time passed.

Just the thought of the poor child who remained locked away within the clubhouse pained Rias' heart.

Rias could not help but look at her most experienced servants.

...The boy dead because of the Holy Sword's existence, the half-blood who lost her mother, and the kitten whose sister fell to madness, leaving her with nothing.

Then Rias' eyes fell upon her newer servants.

...The lecherous yet kind young man killed by the Fallens' machinations, the nun whose sole desire was friendship, and the delinquent whom she could not understand and yet who sacrificed his life in order to save her best friend despite the way the world rejected him for his behavior.

When she really thought about it, had she actually helped any of them?

She gave them new lives, that was for certain. She gave them a family, people they could trust. She, in turn, received their friendship and people who would forever be by by her side.

And yet, when it came down to it, she couldn't truly reach a single one of them. They all seemed to possess the ability to read her like an open book, but only rarely could she reach them as they could her.

It felt mutually beneficial, but when she thought about it, it seemed rather one-sided.

Time healed all wounds, is what she thought. If she didn't reopen their wounds, if she nurtured them as though they were her younger siblings, they would overcome their pain.

None of that happened.

She tried to avoid causing more pain and deal with it on a situational-basis when it came up, but she couldn't ignore it. They still held their troubles. The only thing that had changed over time was that they had gotten better at hiding it. It was harder for her to understand them the more time passed.

And she still could do nothing to help them...

"...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

"B-Buchou!?" Issei stepped forward, eyes wide in worry and surprise.

"Huh?" It was only when Rias' heard Issei's voice that she realized that her cheeks felt warm and wet, tears streaming from her burning eyes.

"Are you alright, Buchou-san?!"

"Rias?"

"Buchou?"

"Is everything alright?"

"Why are you crying?"

The moment Rias came back to full awareness, her servants as well as Kiyome were by her side, looking on with worry.

Issei looked at her, confused and afraid for her. Then his expression changed to anger as he turned to look at Mikoto. "Who the Hell do you think you are, making Buchou cry like that?!"

Mikoto didn't react to Issei's anger, staring with the same cold passiveness she had back during her conversation with Shirou. "I merely stated the truth. If she was unable to withstand it, it's her own fragility to blame."

"What'd you say?" Issei stomped towards Mikoto, grabbing by the collar while glaring at her with new-found hatred. "I don't give a damn about what you say about me, but I'm not just going to forgive you after badmouthing Buchou and making her cry! Even if you are Shirou's mom!"

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, desperately trying to avoid looking at the spectacle that was unfolding. As though he was deliberately trying to keep from getting involved any further than he already had. This gesture did not go unnoticed by Mikoto, the adult woman raising an eyebrow without changing the cold emotion her face expressed.

"Oh? Are you of the same opinion, Shicchan?"

Shirou flinched, as if Mikoto had just raised her hand to slap him. "Well..." Although it was a bit of an effort, and he only did-so reluctantly, he turned his head to face Mikoto. "...OK, look, I know Rias can be a handful sometimes, and I know that you don't normally have bad intentions, but that was going too far, Ka-san! You didn't tell her what was wrong so much as tell her she failed at everything without giving her a chance to defend herself!"

"Oh? It appears you're more easily moved by a woman's tears than I thought, Shicchan~" However, Shirou could not help but feel like it was more a taunt than a tease.

He couldn't figure out what Mikoto was thinking. She had made her distaste for Devils fairly obvious and just about anything was expected, but she was outright antagonizing Rias and it seemed too cruel for Shirou to just let it go. Not just Rias, but Mikoto seemed to be making a point of antagonizing each member of the Occult Research Club collectively with her words all the while. This wasn't like her. Even if she was suddenly this "Slash Empress" thing, it felt too strongly out-of-character for her to suddenly act so mean to everyone.

...Still, whatever her reason, like Issei, he couldn't just let Mikoto get by with making Rias cry. Even if they butted heads a lot, Rias was still his friend.

"...You didn't have to make her cry."

"B-Buchou-san is a good person!"

"We won't just stand by and let this continue."

"I believe apologies for making my best friend cry are in order, aren't they, Fujimura-san?"

"I don't have anything special to say, but I agree with the others."

One-by-one, the members of the Occult Research Club let their thoughts be known, all of them collectively showing caution and grudge against Mikoto.

The older woman's only response was a smile so small that they all could not notice it.

Rias could only stare as her servants came to her defense, opposing the only other "ally" they had in the poor situation they had winded up in. Even if it meant they lost the only person capable of giving them proper training to become strong enough to face Riser on a level playing field, they were willing to stand by her side, even Shirou who was Mikoto's own flesh and blood.

It was only then that Rias truly realized why she wanted to win the Rating Game in the first place.

Of course she didn't want to marry someone like Riser, but that was only part of it.

It wasn't her just the freedom to wed whom she desired, but her entire life that was at stake.

If she were to lose the Rating Game, she would never be able to spend time like this with her servants as she wished. She wouldn't be able to be just normal Rias Gremory, a high school student who was judged for her own merits. She would become Rias Gremory, the wife of Riser Phenex and the heiress of the Gremory family. There would be no "friend of Akeno", no "friend of Kiba", no president of the Occult Research Club. The normal relationships between her and her servants would come to an end as both her and Riser's families would force upon her the role as a wife and future-child-bearer.

Their carefree days would come to an end and everything would change.

The same stakes that were placed on the game by Rias were exactly the same as those placed on it by her servants.

The reason they were willing to fight enemies stronger than they were, the reason they were willing to live for her sake, the reason they were willing to _die_ for her sake.

She wanted to win for _them_ just as much as they did for her.

And that was when Rias made her decision.

As all of her servants bared their "fangs" at the woman who had upset her, she could not help but smile, not confident or satisfied, but happy. Happy that they were like this for her sake.

She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, walking towards Issei and Mikoto.

"Rias..." Akeno started, but paused when Rias shook her head.

"It's fine."

Without hesitation, Rias walked towards the two, placing a gentle hand on Issei's arm, softly urging him to lower the woman. Issei looked at her, worried, but Rias just smiled.

While giving Mikoto another bitter look, Issei did as asked, lowering the woman to the ground.

Mikoto brushed herself off, turning to face Rias just as Rias faced her. "Is there something else you wish to say to me, Rias Gremory?"

"As a matter of fact, yes." Everyone braced themselves, expecting something along the lines of a declaration of war or something about banishing Mikoto from Gremory territory. "You're right."

[...What?]

Everyone aside from Mikoto stared at Rias with dot-like eyes, uncertain they had heard her correctly. This was the exact opposite of the nuclear explosion they had expected to result from Mikoto's one-sided abuse.

However, Rias thought nothing of it, seeming just as calm, elegant, and proud as ever despite her eyes being slightly red from crying. "You are right about most of what you have said about me, Mikoto Fujimura." By that point, everyone else was fairly certain they were having some sort of strange, twisted dream. Rias took a deep breath, appearing to have trouble speaking what she said next, "I am...not strong," She said, clearly feeling incapable of saying the word "weak". "I am inexperienced and have let my faith in my own power cloud my eyes to the fact that there are many enemies are stronger than I out there. Because of my pride, I fail to perceive my own flaws." Mikoto nodded, agreeing with each word that Rias spoke. "However-" Everyone paused, realizing that Rias was not full-heartedly agreeing with Mikoto. "-I don't think it's wrong that I believe in victory every time. Even if it's practical to consider failure, I refuse to let thoughts of despair sway my judgment. As long as there is a glimmer of hope, I will pursue it with everything I have and I will overcome the obstacles set before me. I have a lot to learn, but it's not wrong to desire the hope of victory. That is the one thing you and I will never agree on, Mikoto Fujimura. If my disagreement is not to your liking, you are free to leave whenever you wish. Otherwise, deal with it."

Mikoto remained silent, eyeing each and every single one of the Devils with passive curiosity.

"Are you all of the same thoughts?"

Not a single one of them hesitated.

[Of course!]

Again, there was silence.

CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP!

"Bravo! Excellent! Just the answers I was hoping for~! You all make me so proud~!"

The sound of clapping suddenly rang through the air, joined by cheerful, fullhearted praise.

Everyone, even Rias, was at a loss as to what was happening.

Mikoto Fujimura smiled brightly, showing a sudden increase in joy and energy as she openly praised each and every single one of them. "I admit, I thought at least Shicchan would have hesitated to go against his dear mommy, but you guys have really impressed me!" When Mikoto noticed all of their dumbfounded expressions, she started snickering. "Oh come on, surely you've all realized it by now?"

They all shook their heads.

[Nuh uh.]

Before, they were a mix of pissed off and determined, but now they were just outright confused and unable to properly process what was going on.

"It was the final test, dummies~" Mikoto teased. "To see whether or not I would actually train you guys~" Again, only a few could understand her words and the few who could were fairly certain she was lying. "I believe I've made no secret of my distaste for most Devils, so to train a group of them was hardly in my best interest~ The only reason I bothered mentioning it was because Shicchan was part of your group, Rias Gremory~ Whether you win or lose, it doesn't particularly affect Shicchan, so I have no real stakes in the outcome of this Rating Game, so training you had no purpose for me~"

"But, you said-!"

"Let me finish!" Mikoto said, holding up her hand to silence Issei as he started to speak. "However, after Shicchan expressed such care and responsibility to you guys, I couldn't just ignore things as I had before~ At the same time, I didn't wish to train those who could become potential enemies in the future, so I devised this test to determine whether or not you were worthy of being trained~ It was a test of your resolve and your bonds with one another~ This training never would have been effective if any of you started it with halfhearted resolve~

"Uh..." Issei stepped forward awkwardly, raising his hand. "So, did we pass?"

"With flying colors~" Again, Mikoto started to praise them for a success they were not aware they were trying to obtain. "Really, I was almost moved to tears myself when you all started coming to Rias Gremory's defense like that~"

"Um...Fujimura-san...?" Kiba addressed Shirou's mother, feeling just as awkward and uncertain as Issei was in that situation. "What would you have done if we had failed this test of yours?"

"Oh, I would have left your sorry asses to experience humiliating defeat at the hands of that yakitori playboy~"

[So cold!]

The way she said something so horrible with a pleasant smile proved she was being honest with herself about her intent.

"Still, to think you would give such a beautiful answer, Rias Gremory..." Mikoto praised, surprising everyone by praising _Rias_ directly. However, her smile became different. Not cold or passive or casual...a little sad actually. Solemn with a hint of nostalgia. "It's pretty easy to slip into despair when it rears its ugly head, to acknowledge the horrible thought of failure. The fear of defeat causes many to become too cautious, paranoid even. They become too fearful and uncertain with their choices that they ultimately accomplish nothing."

"It's not that I don't see that defeat exists, Fujimura-san," Rias said, "it's that I refuse to succumb to it. No matter the odds, I will always aim for victory, for both my sake as well as those of my servants."

"If that's your desire, then I will do everything within my power to help you succeed where I have failed, Rias-chan. You have my word on that." Mikoto said coolly before turning to the others. "Playtime officially ends here, kitties. I want all of you to head to your rooms, unpack, and get ready. Today will be mild exercises, just a little breather for when the real training starts tomorrow. All of you, I want a 100 lap, 1-mile run followed by 300 sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups each! I don't want to see any of you slacking off! Go get ready!"

[Yes, ma'am!]

"Uh, K-Ka-san," Kiyome timidly said, reaching for the woman, "what about-"

"Oh, don't worry Kiyome-chan~ I know you wouldn't be able to handle something like that~" Mikoto said cheerfully, Kiyome letting out a sigh of relief. "For you, it will be 10 laps and 30 sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups~ Now run along~"

"But-"

" _Now_ ~" Mikoto said with just an extra hint of force in her voice. Kiyome didn't need any further instruction, running as fast as her legs could take her.

Rias was the last one out of the room when Mikoto walked in front of her.

"Was there something else, Fujimura-san?" Rias asked, curious as to whether Mikoto was about to test her again or if she was going to genuinely criticize everything the heiress did.

For a moment, Mikoto just stared. "Just don't forget what I said before, Rias-chan."

There were so many possible responses to that comment that Rias wasn't sure which one to say. "Which part?"

"Your pride is your greatest weakness." Mikoto answered, none of her normal hostility directed towards Rias, much to her confusion. "I've seen many great, gentle, and kind people felled as a result of their own overwhelming pride. People like you completely overlook strategy and tactics in the face of their beliefs. If you cannot overcome the pride that controls your instincts, which drives you to reckless actions, you may very well join them." Mikoto paused, looking passive but a feeling of awkwardness being detected in her movements. "...I would prefer you _didn't_ join them. Shicchan and those other children care about you, so don't do anything to make them cry, Rias-chan."

"Of course not." Rias couldn't quite understand why Mikoto was telling these things nor why the older woman was mentioning them at that time rather than back when she was speaking a large list of criticisms towards Rias. "I don't see wh-...Have you been calling me "Rias-chan"?" It had taken her a while to notice it, but Mikoto had always referred to her by her full name until just a few moments ago.

How Mikoto was going to respond, or if she was going to respond at all, was unknown, for it was that moment that a high-pitched shriek sounded from the other side of the complex-

[AIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEE!]

Mikoto's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"SHICCHAAAAN!" And then she was practically flying through the air like a bullet, crying for her child. "Don't worry! Mommy's coming!"

Rias just stared.

"What a confusing woman..."

* * *

There were three different reactions as the three men of the Gremory servants as they entered the mens' quarters to prepare for the "Basic Training".

Kiba was staring, pink tinging his cheeks. He kept turning away, but every time he did, his eyes kept dragging him back to the sight before him.

Issei showed no such restraint, staring with lustful eyes, saving multiple images to his memory. Blood began to trickle down the front of his face from his nose.

The shock had caused Shirou to lose his balance and fall back on rear, staring in shock with his jaw dropped, pointing as he struggled to turn the mangled gasps coming from his mouth into intelligible words. His face was red and steaming.

Things were too simple, so Shirou knew that they would get frustrating at some point. Even from the point before they departed for the mountains, he had seen it coming. Only a fool wouldn't have considering out incomplete the group had been. He had seen in coming, he had done everything he could to mentally prepare himself for the hormonal shock, but no matter what he did, he still found himself on the ground, flustered and stuttering like a child when it actually happened.

Kalawarner smiled lasciviously at Shirou from her position at the end of the bed. "I've been waiting soooo long for you to get here~" The woman leaned forward, her curvaceous figure hardly hidden by the white bathrobe she had left deliberately untied, generously revealing her entire mid-section. "Welcome, Master~"

"Uwaaaaah!" Shirou back-crawled as far as he could from her, only stopping when he hit his head against a wall. His only mistake was letting himself get pinned, Kalawarner straddling his waist, cupping his face in her hands while gently caressing his cheeks.

"Oh~? Is something wrong, Master~?" Kalawarner asked in a soothing voice. "How may I serve you~?" Even though her words and expression appeared to be submissive, Shirou could feel the overwhelming aura of a predator coming from her. If he didn't act fast, he would be in serious danger.

"U-Uh, d-do you think you could let me go?" Shirou asked, hoping the answer was as simple as that.

Kalawarner tilted her head, appearing confused. "Hm~? But there's no way I could do that~ Master looks so exhausted, so I must do _something_ to service him~ Is there anything you would like~? Dinner? A bath? Or maybe..." She leaned in teasingly close, smiling soothingly as the amount of distance between their lips was less than a few inches. Her breasts pressed against his torso, massaging his body as Kalawarner closed distance between them. "...me~?"

"Uwawawawawawawah!"

"Hm~?"

"I think he's short-circuiting." Kiba intoned from the background.

"Bastard..." Issei, meanwhile, was curled up in the corner, sobbing to himself as he growled out a series of unintelligible noises, praying to the Devil God for Shirou's downfall.

Shirou swallowed nervously, trying to avoid letting Kalawarner line her lips up with his own. "Hehehe...Kiba, Issei? Wanna lend me a hand here?"

Kiba opened his mouth to speak, but paused, his eyes going wide (a hint of fear showing in them) before his expression became apologetic.

"Sorry, I would, but I really don't want to get involved in what's about to happen?"

"Huh? What are you-?"

Shirou felt the ominous, murderous presences before he saw them. He guessed who they were from the terrified expression that replaced Kalawarner's previous easy-going one.

" _Kala-chaaaan~_ " Mikoto Fujimura smiled, but the malicious atmosphere around her hardly spelled out good intentions. " _Could you explain to me what exactly is going on here~?_ "

Releasing her grasp on Shirou's face, Kalawarner started trembling in fears, eyes wide and blank in terror. "Mi-Mi-Mi-Mikoto-sama!"

"Yes, _Shirou_ , I would also enjoy understanding what this is." Shirou felt like he was about to wet himself when Kiyome walked out from behind the doorframe, her eyes covered by the shadows created by her bangs. If Shirou looked closely, he could swear he saw an evil, red glow.

Shirou raised his hands in surrender. "Wa-Wai-Wait! It's not what it looks like, Kiyome!" He assured her, realizing that there was more murderous intent from her to him than there was from Mikoto to Kalawarner. "I swear! I didn't even know Kalawarner was in here! Just ask Issei and Kiba-!" He looked over to his two male friends, but paused as he saw only the absent air with two poorly-made signs in their place that said the following:

 _Went out to lunch. Be back in thirty minutes. - Kiba_

 _I don't want to die. Have fun. - Issei_

 _"You traitors!"_ Shirou screamed in his mind, trying to send telepathic messages to them so strong and violent that the two would die from the shock.

"It looks like I really need to do a better job of disciplining our pet dog~" Mikoto said cheerfully, drawing a blade from her sleeve that appeared far longer than what could have possibly fit in there.

"Kyaaaaa~!" Kalawarner screamed, burying her face in Shirou's chest. "Please protect me Masteeer!"

That was probably what sealed Shirou's fate.

"It looks like we need to have a very long talk, Shirou." The way Kiyome started cracking her knuckles, the aura around her intensifying greatly. "Just a few things that couples talk about. You know, like loyalty and honesty...and _pain_."

"H-Hold on! Wait! Please! N-GUAAAAAAAAAAUGH!"

And so began the eventful two weeks of these Devils-in-training.

* * *

 **Next Chapter** \- Overcoming One's Self! The Real Training Begins Now!

* * *

 **And...finito. I really don't have too much to say right now...Ummm...shit. I really don't have anything.**

 **Um...Has anyone played ChuSinGura 46+1? If so, are there any choices at all in the game? I've only played chapter 1 and it appears to be solely a kinetic novel. Are there any choices later on?**

 **Also, I was told I should consider mentioning or including characters and heroines from other series into this story. Thoughts?**

 **Anyway, I don't think I have anything else...Later!**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	28. Chapter 24: Overcoming One's Self!

**The number of reviews for last chapter was a bit disappointing, so I decided to post this chapter ahead of schedule to cheer myself up. Don't expect the next chapter for a while though folks.**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Which means I don't own shit! Try and claim copyright now, bitches! XD.**

* * *

 **Chapter 24: Overcoming One's Self! The Real Training Begins Now!**

"Wake up, Master~ It's another beautiful day~"

Shirou tossed and turned in his sleep, his slow ascent into consciousness causing him to acknowledge intense soreness and stiffness in most of his body. He had been through Hell and back when it came to his combat training with Kiba and Koneko, but the "Basic Training" Mikoto had put them all through had left them all close to death. Asia actually fainted from exhaustion barely two laps into the exercises and had to be taken back to her room to rest. Rias was hardly any better. She wasn't bad. She was just...average. Compared to humans at any rate. Her inexperience with physical activity was made fairly apparent by how they had all left her trailing behind the entire group next to Kiyome. Even Koneko, the Rook, and her two Pawns were faster.

Still, she didn't complain about it unlike Issei, Shirou, and Kiyome, who had to literally drag themselves back to their rooms at around midnight-ish.

"Come now, Master~" Kalawarner teased again, gently shaking Shirou's shoulder to rouse his consciousness. "Mikoto-sama would be very upset if you were late to the meeting this morning~"

Shirou groaned, pulling the covers back over his body to defend himself from the sunlight. "Just ten more minutes..."

Kalawarner placed her hands on her hips, giving a soft sight. "Then there's no other way to do this." A soft smirk appeared on her face as she crawled onto Shirou's bed, her body hovering above his, puckering her lips as the distance between their faces closed. "I'll have to give you a little good morning kiss to get your blood moving~"

Shirou's eyes slowly slid open, glancing at Kalawarner's face before sliding shut...

"Uwah!" Like that, Shirou was up and back-crawling away from the sexual predator who was his family's maid. "I'm up! I'm up! Look at me, I'm up!"

"Yes you are~" Kalawarner noted, her lecherous gaze traveling further down Shirou's body than it should have been. "But why stop now? I'm here. Don't I deserve a good morning kiss, Master Shirou~?"

Shirou crossed his arms into an X-shape as Kalawarner tried approaching him again. "Rejected! Begone!" Kalawarner pouted, but didn't try to push her luck, especially with the "grievous injury" Mikoto inflicted her the previous afternoon. She backed away, laying a set of a jersey and sweatpants at the edge of Shirou's bed.

"They were sweaty after your work-out yesterday, so I washed them after I used the scent of your body to masturbate-"

"You WHAT!?"

"Kidding~" Kalawarner teased. "I'm not that sexually depraved~" Unbeknownst to Shirou, one of those two statements was a lie.

"Ughhh..." Shirou shook his head, sighing as he quickly adjusted his eyes to the harsh morning light. Even though he was awake, the rest of his body showed clear desire to remain asleep. He rotated his left arm in its socket, trying to loosen it up before pausing and doing the other one. It was like trying to pull frozen taffy, his muscles trying to reject all movement. "Ugh...What time is it?"

"It's almost eight." Kalawarner answered helpfully. "Everyone else is in the dining area with Mikoto-sama for breakfast. They were waiting for you to wake up and get ready before Mikoto-sama discussed your training."

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward. "Geez, when you say it like that, it sounds like I'm a lazy bum." He looked around the room, finding Issei and Kiba's beds vacant, Issei's sheets tossed haphazardly onto the floor while Kiba's bed was properly made as though nobody had ever slept in it to begin with. "Why didn't anyone try waking me up earlier?"

"We did."

"What?"

"We tried several times earlier to wake you up, but you wouldn't budge. Not even when Issei stuck your hand in warm water."

There was a short pause as Shirou considered Kalawarner's words. "...What?" Finally noticing the feeling of moisture between his legs, Shirou looked down, noticing a huge dark, wet spot in the center of the crotch of his pants similar to the even larger dark spot on the bed. "Fuck!"

"I attempted to remove your pants and underwear earlier, but Kiyome and Akeno stopped me."

"You were willing to change a guy who had piss-pants?"

"...Sure. Let's go with that."

There was no point in discussing the matter any further. What was done was done and all Shirou could do was suck it up and move on. He reached for the jersey and sweat pants at the edge of his bed and stood up, desperately trying not to feel ashamed about wetting himself. "Whatever. I'll just be another ten or fifteen minutes. Just let me take a quick shower and change."

"OK."

Shirou started taking off his shirt, throwing it onto the ground before reaching for his pants, pausing when he noticed Kalawarner staring. "Alone."

"Uh huh." Kalawarner nodded, memorizing how cute Shirou's chest was with a lot less muscle definition than she had expected.

"With nobody else around."

It was cute in a way. It added more to Shirou's _lovely, undeveloped_ body. "I see."

"Go awaaaaaay!"

Realizing that her fun was at an end, Kalawarner sighed, bowing to the son of her employer. "As you wish, Master..." She did nothing to hide her disappointment as she left the room.

Finally, truly alone, Shirou let out a sigh. "I can't believe I know people like this..." He paused, frowning. "Which reminds me..." He looked between his soiled bed sheets and the crisp, clean ones that laid on Issei's bed, a demonic, malicious smile forming on his face as an idea came into his head. "Payback's a bitch!"

* * *

Bathed and fully dressed in his nice, clean jersey, Shirou made his way to the dining area, finding everyone either in the midst of breakfast or just finishing up.

It was hard to miss Issei's mischievous smile as Shirou took a seat next to him, grabbing food that had been conveniently set at the middle of the table, prepared beforehand so everyone could get their fill. It was a western-style breakfast with no real original flavor, but it was still alright.

"How was your morning, Shirou?" Issei asked, covering his mouth in a poorly-conceived attempt to hide his smile or his snickering.

"Was fine." Shirou said, taking a bite of slightly cold sausage.

Issei snickered. "You sure it wasn't _soggy_ or _warm_?"

"Not as soggy or warm as your bed is right now." Shirou said, looking passive as he cut up his egg, taking a bite.

Issei was halfway through a snicker before he processed what Shirou said. "Hah...W-What?" He looked at Shirou, the amused and mischievous smirk appearing on his face before looking in horror to the direction of their room that he had come from.

"You may want to replace those sheets and spray some air freshener on your side or the room. It smells like asparagus."

That was all it took to send Issei sprinting, knocking his plate to the ground as he twisted out of his seat.

As Shirou continued to eat, content with the meal before him, Kiba leaned over, opening his mouth to ask a question before Shirou silenced him with a wave of his hand. "Wait for it." While confused, Kiba did as asked, waiting.

.

.

.

[GOOD GOD, IT'S EVERYWHERE!]

Shirou snorted, bursting into laughter, pounding on the table as his lungs protested in pain the amount of oxygen he was exhaling.

It took a little while for everyone else to catch on and their expressions varied, Rias' mouth curling in disgust. "Shirou, that's revolting!"

"That's _classic,_ Rias!" Shirou argued. "You want to see revolting, you should see what I did to his pillow."

[Huh? What's this in my pill-OH GOD! Auuugh!]

Again, Shirou burst out into laughter, falling out of his seat and letting out only a soft "Ow" before resuming wholeheartedly, performing the first ROFL any of them had seen IRL.

[Uuuughhh! It's so slimy and gross! WHY!?]

Even after covering his mouth, Shirou's choked laughter was still fairly audible, Shirou looking as though suppressing it was physically difficult.

"That's not very funny, Shirou." Kiyome said, wagging her finger as she scolded her boyfriend. He really needed to show more maturity.

[Oh no, there's a spider on my face!-]

SLAP!

[Oh God, why did I use the slimy hand!? Why didn't I just use the other one?! Oh God!]

Kiyome covered her mouth, hunching over as she giggled. "OK, I change my mind! It's a little funny!"

"Is Issei-san going to be alright?" Asia asked, looking worriedly in the "youngest" Pawn's general direction. Shirou chuckled, patting Asia on the shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. He's just bein' a bit of a lil beeyotch~"

"What _did_ you put in his pillow?" Kiba asked, pushing his food away from him as a disgusting thought crossed his mind.

"A rotting, dead bird I found laying on the ground outside the window." Shirou answered, staring as he saw surprise and relief appear on Kiba's face. "Why? What did you think I put in there?" Before Kiba could find the ability to be rid of his embarrassment long enough to answer, Shirou felt a soft tug on his sleeve, causing him to turn and look at Koneko, the small girl looking up at him.

"Idiot-senpai?"

"Yeah?"

"...Hysterical."

"I try."

* * *

Once Issei had re-entered the room, having burned both his pillow and his bed sheets, trembling all the while with eyes filled with horror, they all gathered around the table.

Breakfast was officially over and Kalawarner had collected all of their dishes, returning to the kitchen only after blowing Shirou a kiss only to be shooed out of the room by an annoyed Mikoto.

With all distractions out of the way, Mikoto cleared her throat to gather everyone's attention. "I hope you all enjoyed your beauty sleep because we now have thirteen days to get you all in good enough shape to take on Riser brat and his servants." She declared. "Now that we've got basic exercise out of the way, we can focus on more specialized training for all of you." Mikoto reached underneath the table and pulled out seven vanilla envelopes that she spread out circularly across the table. "Each of these envelopes holds the specialized training for the person whose name is written on the front. No two are the same. It's better than just mindlessly trying to boost your basic stats, but it's not full-proof because, as a result of the drastic differences, I won't be able to oversee all of your training at once. I want all of you to take your envelopes and read the contents carefully." Mikoto pushed the envelopes to the center of the table, allowing all of the members of the Occult Research Club to pick out their own personal envelopes.

"What about me, Ka-san?" Kiyome asked.

Mikoto waved off her concerns. "I'll be giving you simple exercises, simpler than the ones before. You're not a Devil, so no specialized training is necessary." Kiyome nodded, understanding Mikoto's methods.

Some of the Occult Research Club were already opening their own envelopes, but Shirou's laid flat on the table in front of him. Every time he reached out to grab it, he felt as though he should have been cautious and retracted his hand just as quickly.

He supposed it might have been anxiety. He had no idea what he was going to get. The reactions from the other people at the table varied. Kiba, Asia, and Issei had accepting looks, as if they had no qualms with what their documents said. Rias looked somewhat pensive, but held no intention of arguing. As for Akeno and Koneko, their expressions were...difficult.

"Upset" was more like it.

At the exact moment either of them glimpsed the contents of their envelopes, what little traces of smiles vanished from their faces. Akeno looked shocked, then angry, and then indifferent as she completely hid all of her emotions while Koneko's face paled to a ghostly white as though she were terrified. They both turned and looked at Mikoto, giving viciously hostile glances. Akeno looked as though she desperately wanted to say something in contrast to Koneko's silence, but she kept looking at the other Devils at the tables, looking nervous and almost afraid. Their looks hardly went unnoticed by Mikoto.

"I tailored each training regiment specifically to the individual." Mikoto said skillfully as though she weren't saying it to anyone in particular. "Since last night, I've done some more thorough background checks on everyone and their abilities, so, for the time to come at least, these are the areas you all need to focus on improving. Are we clear?"

[Yes, ma'am!]

However, the agreement was fairly weak from Rias while Akeno and Koneko didn't even bother. Koneko just stood up from her seat and walked away without a word.

Shirou raised an eyebrow at her odd behavior, but didn't want to call attention to it. He leaned in close to Mikoto, whispering, "What was in her envelope?" He knew he should have felt nervous when Mikoto showed a serious expression, but he didn't think anything of it at the time.

"Something she seriously needs to work on...Unlike Himejima (for the time-being at least), she can't get stronger unless she works on it..." Mikoto said vaguely. "Just as you must work on the regimen described in your own envelope." Mikoto made a little "go on" gesture with her hand, motioning for Shirou to stop stalling and learn what his own training would be.

Still feeling mildly anxious considering the mixed reactions from everyone, Shirou tore the top off of his envelope, taking out the document that laid inside.

He stared with half-lidded eyes as he looked at the one sheet of paper in his envelope, bearing a bulleted list of three items:

-Get hit.

-Get Rhythm.

-Get practice.

Not only did none of the items make any sense to him, but he was also beginning to feel as though the entire thing was one big joke. It was so short and nonsensical that he was certain it came from his mother, especially considering that whatever "Get Rhythm" and "Get hit" both likely fell under the general category of "Get practice". Even if they didn't, two words hardly explained anything to him. He wanted to ask the others what theirs said, but Issei and Kiba had already left, Asia running to catch up to them. Shirou didn't even notice that Rias had been gone since before even Issei and Kiba left.

"Hey, Akeno, what about-" He didn't even have the chance to finish his question before Akeno abruptly stood from her seat, walking off to somewhere else.

Overall, the mood was shit. It felt like there should have been a determined atmosphere, but it was overwhelmed by a sense of uncertainty, anger, and fear.

He didn't like it.

"Come on, kiddo." Mikoto said, tapping Shirou on the shoulder (a gesture that was made adorable by the fact she had to stand on her tip-toes just to barely touch his shoulder). "I'm going to start your instruction first."

"That would be nice." Shirou agreed. "Where do we start?"

* * *

Shirou looked around as Mikoto led him into the depths of the forest. If it had been night time or if he hadn't been able to see the vacation home through the trees, he might have been suspicious of Mikoto's intentions. It almost felt like a scene from one of those films about the mob, where they take some poor bastard somewhere into the woods and whack him.

While certainly secretive and shady like the mob, Mikoto was hardly that malicious.

They walked for at least ten minutes before Mikoto came to a stop, examining their surroundings as if looking for something before giving a satisfied nod. "This should be good enough."

"Oh yes. So glad we walked ten minutes to get to this very special training gro-Haugh!" His smart-ass remark cut short as his legs were swept out from under him by what he suspected to be a large tree branch. His eyes caught the movement, but he couldn't react in time. He groaned as his head banged against the ground, jarring his brain inside his skull. "Ow..." He slowly started to sit up, rubbing the new knot on his head. "What was that f-" Again, he was interrupted, this time by the very much-real blade of steel that was mere centimeters from his forehead. "OK, if this is about the whole "blowing up the house" thing, I am very, very sorry!"

"You would have been dead if this was a real fight." Mikoto stated, her eyes cold. "Get up." Not wishing to piss off his sword-wielding mother any further, Shirou did as told, scrambling to his feet and standing at attention. "You could have easily have dodged that blow or, at the very least, have recovered more quickly if you hadn't hesitated."

"Huh?"

Mikoto withdrew her sword, sliding up into the magical pocket or whatever she kept up her sleeve that allowed her to fit her sword up there without it cutting through her shirt. "Back when I swung at you, you saw my attack, but you failed to react properly." She explained. "When you saw my blow heading for you, you blinked. You may not realize it, but you blinked. You hesitated, and, because of that, you would have been killed if this were a real fight." She made a gesture, drawing two fingers across her throat. "Shhhllck! Dead. Just like that."

"Uh huh..." Shirou nodded, trying to understand what Mikoto was saying. He couldn't quite remember because it happened so fast, but to say he blinked was strange. "So what exactly are you-"

BAM!

Shirou winced as the large, club-like branch smacked him right on the head, almost knocking him off-balance. "Ow!" He looked at Mikoto with questioning eyes. "What was that fo-"

BAM!

She hit him on the head again.

"Ow! Man-!"

BAM!

"Eek!"

BAM!

"Ow!" After the last blow, Shirou fell to the ground. "Hold on! Wait a minute!" Shirou made a time-out gesture with his hands, trying to shake the stars out of his eyes so he could regain his normal vision.

"I told you, closing your eyes is dangerous." Mikoto scolded, hefting the large branch over her shoulder. "You need to focus."

"I don't get it..." Shirou complained, rubbing his badly bruised head as he sat up. "What exactly is the point of this? You want me to keep my eyes open and stare at a stick? Are you going to teach me some kind of a fighting style, muscle-enhancement training, or technique so I can avoid having the floor mopped with me?"

"Fool!" Shirou leaned back as Mikoto pointed her branch-club at him, staring him right in the eyes. "Before we do any of those things, you need to learn to keep your eyes open. Ready? Again!" Mikoto raised her club to strike again before Shirou raised his arms.

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" He shook his head. "Can you just slow down? I'm not some kind of dog who knows these things by instinct. I need some kind of explanation. What exactly am I learning here?"

Mikoto sighed, again hefting the club over her shoulder. "Very well then." She stared at Shirou. "When you're in the middle of a fight, the most important thing is to get a feel for your opponent's attacks. If you can do that, you can at least manage to avoid lethal or otherwise crippling blows in the middle of a fight while also finding a gap to deal a blow of your own."

"I don't think I understand-Uwah!" Shirou flinched as Mikoto jabbed him in the forehead with her club.

"Fool! The main point is to _not_ think about it." Mikoto said, acting as though that explained everything. "The first lesson is to stop thinking so much and learn to keep your eyes open. Back during your skirmish with Riser's servant, I noticed how you consistently closed your eyes every time a blow was thrown your way. It's not a good trait on the battlefield. You're essentially blinding yourself to your opponent's attack and that could cost you your life."

While uncertain, Shirou considered her words. The whole match against Isabela was a bit of a blur, but he could vaguely remember shutting his eyes from time to time.

"That's why, the first part of your training is to practice getting hit." Mikoto stated.

 _"So that's what she meant..._ _"_ Shirou thought to himself, recalling the first item on the list that was in his envelope, "Get hit." It was only now that it made sense. The first part of his training was to practice keeping his eyes open and avoid hesitating when faced with an enemy's attack. Against Isabela, he had shut his eyes and potentially could have missed several opportunities for a counterattack or dodge. It wasn't overcoming fear of being hit so much as overcoming one's instinct to cringe and try to prepare oneself for pain. Shirou nodded, his expression becoming more determined. "OK, I think I get it now. Let's try it again."

"Very well."

BAM!

"Ow!"

BAM!

"Augh!"

BAM!

"Ouch!"

BAM!

"Damn it!"

BAM!

"Crap!"

BAM!

"Shit!"

BAM!

"Fuck!"

BAM!

"Haaauuugh..."

BAM!

"Pain..."

* * *

"Maybe we should try a different approach." Mikoto suggested, withdrawing her wooden branch-club from Shirou's face for the umpteenth time. "I'm afraid that if your face swells anymore, it will pop like a balloon." She wasn't altogether inaccurate. Although Shirou had stopped counting after fifty-six, the number of blows Mikoto had inflicted upon his face turned his head into essentially one giant bruise.

"That sounds acceptable..." Shirou said, falling back against the ground with an exhausted sigh. It's only been thirty minutes, but the pain made it feel as though it had been hours. He hadn't come close to keeping his eyes open. Every time he saw the club coming his way, he always ended up closing his eyes, unable to perceive let alone block or avoid the blow. "I don't really understand how this is supposed to work. Who wouldn't blink when a huge club is being swung at their faces?"

Mikoto scratched her cheek. "I can name several dozen people who wouldn't, many of them females, but that's beside the point, Shirou." She sighed, lowering the end of her club towards the ground. "Maybe we're not going about this the right way. You need some kind of focus when you are struck."

""Focus"?"

"Something to piss you off or make you determined enough to keep your eyes open. Like, imagine your enemy had a massive sword that could cleave you in two, but one of your friends is standing behind you." Mikoto said. "If you were to be hit, the blade would go through you and also wound the person behind you. Or if this were a blast of magic...you get what I mean? You need to imagine a reason that fights against your subconscious urge to blink or flinch so you can remain in a state of control. At least long enough to catch your opponent's strike. You need something powerful, the desire to protect something important to you-"

"Like a puppy?"

"...what?"

Shirou's response was so sudden, so... _ridiculous_ that Mikoto had a hard time figuring out what he had said at first.

However, Shirou's expression remained serious albeit with a soft, adoring smile as he pictured the image in his head. "A soft, small, adorable little puppy. What if I was holding a puppy in my hand, and if I don't keep my eye on and block the attack, the puppy will be hurt?"

"..." Mikoto's mouth hung open for a moment before she let out a sigh. "Very well then. Picture that a puppy will be hurt if you don't keep your eyes on your enemy. That might help."

"Alright! Let's go again!"

"OK, but don't forget we have fourteen days still. Don't be upset if you don't get it on the first try..."

* * *

"Wow, I literally can't believe you got it on the first try..."

Mikoto stared at Shirou wide eyes, staring as he caught her wooden club in-between his hands, his gaze unflinching as he stared at her. It was a little unnerving actually.

"Hey, I don't mess around when it comes to puppies." Shirou said in an overly-serious tone.

Mikoto raised an eyebrow. "OK, let's try it again. This time, I won't give you any warning, Shicchan." Mikoto said. "I'll strike you with-waha!" She swung her club fiercely. Even the smallest fraction of her speed would have been enough to fool a Devil's eyes if used in surprise-

There was a small _clap_ as Shirou caught the club in his hands again. Narrowing her eyes, Mikoto swung her branch again, Shirou catching it yet again.

Wishing to test Shirou a little further, she quickly swung her branch several times in rapid succession, each strike being deflected or caught by Shirou. Even though she was holding back so her speed was about the kind he would expect from an opponent his own level, she was impressed by how quickly he had picked up on it.

"Normally, I would make some kind of joke or quip about how easy it was for you to clear your mind of all thoughts," Mikoto said, hefting the club over her shoulder again, "but I got nothing. That's pretty impressive, Shicchan. I expected this part to take at least the rest of the day before you got it down. I had this whole idea to help you keep practicing for when I left involving one of those machines that launch softballs at batters, but it looks like it won't be necessary though."

"I will protect the puppyyyyy!"

"Geez, if I had known you loved animals this much, I would have gotten you a puppy a whi-"

"FOR THE PUPPIIIIIIEEESSS!"

"O...K then...Uh..."Mikoto's eye twitched as she readied her club to strike again. "You're more passionate about this than I'm comfortable with...whatever. Let's just...uh...do a thing. Hiyaaah!"

And so Shirou's training continued, his passion for all that is soft and huggable overwhelming any and all hesitation that had caused him to close his eyes in response to an attack.

* * *

"So is there a reason why we're going to go check up on Kiba, Ka-san?"

"Two reasons, actually. First: I was getting _really_ uncomfortable with how excited you were getting over animals and wanted something to calm you down."

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward as he recollected the three hours he had spent screaming and raging about protecting the imaginary puppies. He had gotten so into it that he had forgotten it was all just a trick to get him to focus on training. Mikoto had told him he was scaring away all of the wildlife.

"Second: The next stage of your own training will require a partner."

"What do you mean?" Shirou asked.

Mikoto sighed, looking at the wooden club in her hand before chucking it behind her. "Well, while I was expecting you to be less...adaptive to matters of the mind than you are with matters of the physique, there's no reason for us not to be able to move on to one of the other training methods." Mikoto explained. "No sense in continuing trying to hit you when you can already keep your eyes open, you see? Of course, we'll do it again every day so you ability to keep your eyes open isn't dulled, but only as a warm-up exercise since you've appeared to have found your strategy."

"I guess..." But Shirou really didn't. He didn't understand exactly what Mikoto's training methods were let alone what he was doing. He just tried doing as she told him and hoped for the best. Ever since training started, Shirou couldn't quite understand his mother's train of thought let alone what any of her methods meant without an explanation. "So, any idea where-"

"Get down!"

"Uwah!"

Shirou let out a squeak of surprise as Mikoto yanked him to the ground.

THUNK!

Only a second later, a medieval blade came flying through the air, embedding itself in the spot on the tree exactly where Shirou's head had been moments before.

"Oh my Maou, I am sorry about that!" Shirou let out a groan of irritation as a certain blonde-haired Knight ran up to him, crouching and offering his hand to the fallen Pawn. "You alright?"

Shirou clicked his tongue, pushing himself up from the ground and brushing the dirt from his body. "I'm fine." Shirou said, trying to avoid letting the irritation of near-decapitation get to him. "What are you doing out here anyway, Kiba?"

"It's part of my training." Kiba answered, pulling his sword free of the tree he had suddenly decided to murder. The Knight chuckled, looking somewhat sheepish as he pulled out a document from his pocket, unfolding it to show it to Shirou. "Fujimura-san has instructed me to practice using my Sacred Gear, but to not swordplay. I didn't understand it at first, but then I read the notes she left as to how I could try applying my powers and I've been doing that ever since this morning."

"Wait-what?" No matter how Shirou thought about it, something about Kiba had just said sounded incredibly unfair. "Let me read that!" Shirou snatched the document from Kiba's hand, reading over its contents. That was the first sign he got as to how it was different was his own. "What the Hell? You got instructions? All I got were three bullets with two words each! What the Hell, Ka-san?"

"Watch your language, young man!"

"Yes, mommy." Shirou averted his eyes, pouting as he was scolded like a child.

"Your training was much simpler than Rias' and the others." The loli-adult wagged her finger at her child. "You and Hyoudou, you're blank slates. It's both a blessing and a curse that you have yet to develop a proper style or technique. You can still develop a focus unlike the others who already have a path. Rias-chan and Cow-udders are both magic specialists (although I use the term loosely), Koneko-chan is..." Mikoto pursed her lips, like a child who realized they almost gave away a secret. "...Asia-chan is probably a support-type more than anything, while Yuuto-kun here is a swordsman, so their paths are pretty much set in stone. All I can do with them is help push them along. Making them change specialties at this point in time would be counterproductive. So, I have Yuuto-kun practicing how to use his Sacred Gear so he can better use it in his sword-styles."

"I'm not as imaginative as you or Issei, but I've been learning more about my Sacred Gear and its limits." Kiba said, showing a hint of excitement on his face. "It's only been a few hours, but I figured out that I can create swords in other places aside from my hands. I can't summon them through or inside organic matter like people, animals, or plant life, but I can create them through non-living mediums such as the ground or the air. I can also control the state in which they are created such as creating them as projectiles to launch through the air, as you've just seen-"

"-and decapitating passers-by." Shirou added with half-lidded eyes.

Kiba smiled apologetically. "Again, I'm very sorry about that. As it turns out, trying to control my swords in abnormal states is like trying to drive a car with inverted steering controls." He turned to Mikoto. "Are you here to give me further instruction or just to check on my progress?"

"Neither and both."

Both young men stared blankly at her.

[What?]

"For Shirou's next stage of training, I wanted him to spend it with you since the assignments I gave both of you are one and the same." When both boys continued giving her blank stares, Mikoto sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Your Sacred Gears. I want you both to practice with your Sacred Gears via sparring."

[Oh.]

"Shirou is still a novice in both combat and using his Sacred Gear," Mikoto said, "but he's still on a high enough level that I believe a spar with you wouldn't be a simple one-sided butt-whooping."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Shirou muttered sarcastically. "For your information, I've won lots of fights up to this point! I'm 100% badass!"

"Of course you are, hun~" Mikoto agreed with a bright smile before tip-toeing over to Kiba and whispering in his ear, "Go easy on him, Yuuto-kun." Kiba looked surprised, but nodded.

"I heard that!"

Mikoto stuck out her tongue, tapping her head with her knuckles, smiling. "The goal of this method isn't solely to spar or win anyway." She reasoned. "I want both of you to figure out the true powers of your Sacred Gears as well as to the extent you can exercise them. You understand?" Both boys nodded. "Good. Now, I've spent enough time with Shicchan, so I'm going to go check on Rias-chan, Cow-udders, and Asia-chan before going to check on Koneko-chan."

"What about Kiyome?"

"She's probably at the house with Kalawarner. Her training was all that difficult, so I decided to have her and Kalawarner on house-keeping duty." However, when Mikoto showed a soft smirk, Shirou knew something was up. "Kufufufu~ Who knows what "surprises" will await once you've finished your training~ Kufufufu~"

Shirou sweatdropped. "I'm not sure I want to go back now."

However, Mikoto merely waved off his concern. "Oh come on, it's a _good_ surprise~ Just you wait and see~"

"When you say it like that, I don't feel very reassured."

Rather than object to his remark, Mikoto simply smiling, giving a big wave as she started walking away. "I'll check on you kiddies later~ Have fun~"

"Wait! I-aaaand, she's gone." Shirou sighed as Mikoto quickly vanished from sight, leaving just him and Kiba. He wasn't entirely sure whether or not he was surprised. Considering her recent behavior had changed as a result of being the person to train the Occult Research Club, it just wasn't as annoying as he thought it'd be. It was something to be expected. He wasn't even sure whether or not Mikoto was just playing a joke on him. "Anyway, where do we go from here, Kiba?"

"It depends: how confident are you in using your Sacred Gear?" Kiba asked. "Do you want to wait a few moments and try to think up ideas or...?"

Shirou looked down at his left arm, looking pensive. "I don't know. I'm still figuring its powers out, but I think I might be starting to grasp its abilities." Shirou gestured to Kiba. "Look, make me a sword."

"What?"

"Just do it. I need to show you something."

Deciding to agree to Shirou's request, Kiba held out his hand, generating one of the swords created by his Sacred Gear's power. "Will this one suffice?" He wasn't sure what Shirou was planning, so he didn't know what quality to make the blade.

"It's fine. It's fine. It's just a demonstration." Shirou assured him. "It doesn't have to be perfect. Give it here." Still somewhat confused as to Shirou's intent, Kiba gave the sword a good underhanded throw. "Uwah!" Shirou leaped out of the way as the blade spun through the air, clattering across the ground as it landed. He turned and stared at Kiba with disbelief. "What the fuck!? What the fuck was _that_!?"

"You said to give it to you."

"Yeah, I meant walk up and hand to me, not throw it numbskull! Who the fuck throws a sword at a guy!?"

"...To be fair, isn't that the kind of absentminded thing you would do?"

"I-" Shirou paused before he could say anything else, considering Kiba's words. They weren't _untrue_. He wasn't well-known for thinking through his decisions. "...Whatever." Shirou bent over and picked up the sword from the ground in his right hand. "Watch this. Sacred Gear!" Canis Regalia appeared around his left arm, showing the metal fangs of its base form. "I think I've finally figured out how it works." Shirou held out the sword Kiba had created, pointing the tip towards the "mouth" of his Sacred Gear, slowly inserting it. Kiba was about to interject, believing Shirou was about to stab himself in the hand, only to realize that the sword was not, in fact, piercing through the back of Shirou's hand, but rather, it was disappearing deep into the gullet of the mysterious weapon. " _Devour!_ "

And then, his Sacred Gear started to radiate a brilliant light, blinding Kiba to the point he had to shield his eyes with his arms.

When the light faded, Shirou was wielding not a wolf-head gauntlet, but a snow-white medieval sword. One with three whitish-blue gems implanted at the top, center, and bottom of the flat of the blade. The guard of the blade had the appearance of a wolf with a mouth open at an acute angle, while different in shape, the sword possess many similarities with Gungnir in both color, feeling, and beauty. Shirou gently caressed the white flawless edge as if it were a child.

"This is the power of Canis Regalia." Shirou announced as he turned back to Kiba, extending his blade towards the Knight. "From what I can tell, the base form in itself isn't a weapon, but part of a catalyst to summon out the Sacred Gear's real power. By having it "devour" things through its mouth, it can assimilate them into its power, giving me access to alternate forms just as I had done with the sword you created while also retaining the same properties of the original object in addition to Canis Regalia's own abilities." Shirou stepped towards Kiba, allowing him to get a better look at the sword Shirou's Sacred Gear had transformed into. "Despite its beautiful appearance, it still retained the properties of the sword it originated from."

Kiba examined the blade, getting a good feel for the weapon. As a swordsman, he had taken pride in judging swords as a sort of critic. It was how he made his own blades effective. It didn't matter how good they looked or how big they were if the overall quality was poor. Shirou's sword, it was rather amazing in all regards. It didn't appear to possess any outward abilities aside from Canis Regalia's basic cold presence and power as Kiba hadn't instilled any abilities into the sword he created, but, without a doubt, it was truly a Demonic Sword even with such a beautiful appearance.

"So that's its power..."

"Not just that." Shirou withdrew his sword, letting it vanish in a bright light before a much smaller shape appeared in his hand. "Look at this." It looked as though it was made of silver, possessing gems encrusted into its form, "teeth" that could comb through any luck.

"It's...a really nice comb?"

"It's one of the experiments I attempted before." Shirou explained so as to cure Kiba of his confusion. "You see, didn't figure it out at first because I had only used its power, by accident, three times. The first time was when I used my Sacred Gear to rip off Eliade's claw-like hand, which accounts for the second form, the bladed gauntlet one." Kiba thought back to the weapon Shirou had summoned several times before, finding some similarities between it and Eliade's arm. "I was exhausted-not to mention bleeding to death-so I didn't think much of it at the time. I only started to figure out something was up when I got my third form, Canis Regalia: Rifle Mode. I received it not too long after my first confrontation with Freed when I "devoured" his gun that shot holy bullets, during my first confrontation with Viser." Just the thought of that disgusting Stray made Shirou cringe in disgust. Somehow, the fact she was less methodical made her so much more disgusting, like a dog.

"And what about your spear?" Kiba asked. "I've only seen it once or twice, but it seemed considerably more powerful than the other forms."

"Aye." Shirou agreed solemnly. "...I got it after I used Canis Regalia to devour a Fallen Angel's light spear." Thinking back to that moment was a bit uncomfortable for Shirou as well as embarrassing. He had been thoroughly duped into obtaining a Second Wind after Kalawarner fooled him by faking her death. He knew he should have been grateful for her incredible acting skills, but the thought of being deceived so easily and being made to cry like a baby grated his nerves. "Because of that, I think my spear has a pretty high affinity for damage against evil creatures like us Devils." Shirou tapped his chin. "It might. I'm not sure. I haven't had the chance to use it against a Devil. Either way, if it does, it's not a lot. It won't defeat someone like Riser if that's what you're thinking." He decided to crush Kiba's hopes and dreams the moment Shirou saw an idea pop into his head. "I can sense some of the same holy power coming from my spear, but it's certainly not a lot. Not enough to kill someone at least."

The odd thing was, in stark contrast to being disappointed, Kiba looked relieved. Shirou knew he hadn't been imagining it, but the moment he caught sight of it, Kiba's expression had returned to normal. While curious, Shirou didn't feel the need to bring it up...for the time-being at any rate. Something about Kiba's reaction, it was a bit suspicious. Still, with the present situation, there wasn't time to spend thinking on it.

"But back to the main point," Shirou said, shaking the thought out of his head, "After obtaining Gungnir, I kind of started to figure out what was going on, so I did some tests on my own. Nothing major. I started with something simple, something easily replaced, like a comb." Shirou, again, held out his transformed Sacred Gear. "And voilà! Canis Regalia Comb!"

"So, not just weapons, but normal objects, too?" Kiba asked, eyeing Shirou's Sacred Gear with renewed fascination. "So it can change form to anything it assimilates?"

"Not quite."

"What do you mean?"

"Take Eliade's arm for example." Shirou held out his Sacred Gear's comb form, letting it shine briefly before it changed into the form of a bladed gauntlet. "Even though it was flesh and blood, my Sacred Gear remains metal-like material. Even that plastic comb I assimilated becomes steel capable of deflecting a real sword. I can't seem to change the materials from which an assimilated object is made from. Even if Canis Regalia assimilated a plant, animal, or person, it would never really be the same form. I've only tested it on plants and inanimate objects, but I think I have enough evidence to support my claim. To be honest, I don't really want to test that theory." Shirou sighed. "Anyway, that's all I know about my Sacred Gear at the moment. I don't know what other influences it has on items it assimilates into itself or whether or not there are other abilities. I guess the only way I can figure it out is through experience. In other words, fighting until I get it ri-" He paused, pursing his lips as he noticed that Kiba had already drawn his sword, baring it in a ready stance. "What are you doing?"

"Fujimura-san said she wanted us to practice with our Sacred Gears." Kiba stated as though it was an actual answer. "There's no time like the present, is there?" Something about the smile on Kiba's face was different. More passionate, hungry to exchange blows. Shirou couldn't help but feel as though something about it felt disturbingly familiar. "Are you ready to begin?"

Shirou smirked, glad the Knight was finally speaking his language. He summoned out his Sacred Gear, summoning it in spear form, Gungnir. "I was born ready."

The two Sacred Gear-users' blades scattered sparks through the air as their blades met...

* * *

"I really can't believe you stabbed Shirou in the shoulder _again_ , Yuuto." Rias noted in disbelief.

"Ow! Careful, Asia!" Shirou winced as Asia nervously tugged at the broken half of a medieval sword lodged into his shoulder. "That flesh is still tender! Fuck, this is Chapter 7 all over again!"

"What?"

"What?"

"...Hmm..."

However, the odd moment was quickly forgotten as though by magic.

It was late in the evening by the time everyone decided to take a break for rest, food, and water. Rias had called them all together, but things had been completely thrown into chaos when Shirou showed up, clutching his bloody sword wound.

Asia bowed her head in apology. "I'm sorry, Shirou-san, but I won't be able to heal the wound if I don't remove it." Again, Asia tried to pull the broken blade without cutting herself on the edge, but Shirou jerked away, wincing.

"Gah! Fuck!"

"Oh stop being such a baby, Shirou." Rias said, rolling her eyes.

"FUCK YOU!"

Everyone's eyes went wide at Shirou's sudden snap. Shirou paused.

"I'm sorry, Buchou. I didn't mean that." Shirou groaned, looking somewhat woozy as he looked at the blade embedded in his shoulder. "Ugh...this really hurts..."

"I have something to disinfect the wound, Mikoto-sama." Kalawarner announced as she entered the room, bearing a bottle of peroxide and a wash cloth.

"Good work," Mikoto praised softly before turning to Shirou, "but we can't clean the wound til we get the Idiot-Prince's sword out."

It wasn't very hard for everyone to guess why Kiba was in the corner of the room in a seiza position, his arms tied behind his back, a gag in his mouth, a blindfold over his eyes, and several cinder blocks placed on his legs. Suffice to say, Mikoto was rather pissed off when she found out her son had been stabbed in the chest earlier. She had shown the Knight of Rias Gremory no mercy. Rias certainly wasn't going to oppose Mikoto while she was in such a terrifying state, so the end-result was Kiba's present punishment.

"G-Gah! Stop pulling like that!" Shirou complained, stepping away from Asia. "Look, I'll do it myself!" Shirou wrapped his arm around the broken blade, wincing as it cut into the palm of his hand as his grasp tightened. "OK, one-two-thr-OW! Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!" He pulled his hand away, gritting his teeth.

"I don't think doing the same thing over and over again is going to work." Kiyome noted, making a jerking gesture with her hand. "Just...yank it out."

"But, Kiyomeeee, that'll hurt..." Shirou whined, staring at the blade in his shoulder with teary eyes.

"Since when did you turn into such a wuss?" Issei asked, sounding genuinely confused rather than insulting. "Didn't you fight a Water Dragon with a punch-drunk-happy smile on your face before?"

"OK, Issei," Shirou said with half-lidded eyes, "how about we shove half a sword through _your_ shoulder, and then you can ride that high-horse of yours around all day?"

"No, I'm good." Issei raised his hands in surrender, not wishing to incur the rather grumpy delinquent's wrath any further.

"MMmph Mmmmnnn Mmph?" Kiba asked in a muffled voice from the corner.

Akeno pouted. "You're right, Kiba. We _did_ have someone else pull it out last time. Now who-"

SHHHLLLCK!

There was an unpleasant sound as the blade was haphazardly yanked from Shirou's shoulder, causing him to scream in pain.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGH!" Shirou looked up, glaring at Koneko with hateful eyes. "Gah! Fuck you, midget girl!"

"...Sorry."

Everyone in the room paused, tilting their heads to the side with confused looks on their face. They just knew that they had to have misheard the usually passive-aggressive or just plain aggressive Rook.

"Uh...what?" Shirou asked, blinking twice.

"Sorry if it hurt too much." Koneko's expression was passive, betraying no emotion aside from the slightest hint of sadness.

"No...uh...I..." Her apology had taken him so off-guard, that he wasn't quite sure how to respond. This was _not_ in their script. "...t-thanks for the help, I think." A nod was all Koneko gave before she took a seat in one of the chairs around the room. "...Well that was out of character." Nobody could find it within themselves to disagree as Asia moved closer and healed Shirou's injury. None of them noticed the way that Mikoto was glancing at Koneko now and then out of the corner of her eyes.

"I trust everyone's training is going well?" Mikoto asked, trying to steer the conversation in a different direction. "Is everyone handling their training alright? Asia-chan?"

"Y-Yes, ma'am!" Asia agreed. "I-I mean-I think. Buchou-san and Akeno-san have been teaching me about magic since I'm a Bishop, but I don't seem to be very good with magic used for fighting."

Mikoto nodded, as if expecting such an answer. "That's fair. You're the person with a rather high affinity with the Twilight Healing, a Sacred Gear whose existence is devoted to saving lives, not taking them." Mikoto said. "It probably makes sense that you're not someone suited to dealing damage on your own."

"Akeno and I could start teaching her how to create barriers and cast support magic if you would like, Fujimura-san." Rias offered.

"A good idea, Rias-chan." The loli-mother agreed. "And since we're already talking about you, how is your training going with Cow-Udders?"

Rias nodded. "Yes. I've started to focus on channeling my demonic power more conservatively. It's not by a very large margin yet, but I believe I've made some progress toda-"

"She's lying." Akeno chimed in, doing very little to suppress her amused smile. "She tried to do it at first, but ended up getting frustrated."

"Akeno!"

"Then she started demolishing the forest around her in a fit of rage until she fainted from overexertion~"

"Akeno!"

"Oh, come now, Buchou~ It's not wise to lie to the woman training us about our progress~"

"Are you _still_ mad about that comment I made about Shirou's mother forbidding you from doing it? It was a joke, even she's not-" Rias paused when she felt a cold chill run down her spine. She looked at Mikoto, noticing how the older woman's gaze was fixed on her. Despite the warm smile on the woman's face, Rias could feel Death close by.

"Even she's not what, Rias-chan?" Mikoto asked innocently.

Shirou was dense and outright blind to a lot of things, but he had known his mother long enough to know that things were about to get unpleasant very soon.

Clasping his hands together, he only had one idea in mind as to how to defuse the situation:

"Who's up for dinner~?"

* * *

"Shirou, I doubted it before, but you truly are a Devil."

"How-so, Kiyome?"

"Because this Devil's Food Cake is _sinfully_ delicious~"

"Aw, you're so adorable when you're trying to make a pun~"

"Coming from the guy who said he was giving Riser an _icy_ reception."

"Rias, either piss off or enjoy the food. Don't be a prick."

Despite his harsh words, the satisfaction on Shirou's face told truly how joyful he was at how much everyone was enjoying the banquet he had prepared. Even Koneko, who had been horribly uncomfortable and uncharacteristically somber before, could not resist her expression twisting into one of pleasure as she took her first bite of the Gyoza dish Shirou had prepared as part of dinner.

The tables, which had been pushed together so as to fit all of the plates carrying a variety of dishes, were filled almost entirely with a wide array of different cultural dishes. Foods that would normally never go together in one meal were set up so nobody would go to bed unsatisfied with the meal. Not just dinner dishes, but breakfasts and lunches as well. Even desserts. A banquet fit for not one king, but several.

"W-Wow!"

"T-This is amazing!"

"You're an excellent chef, Shirou-kun."

All of his friends gradually started showering Shirou with praise, flustering him greatly. It was a rare day when they all had something to genuinely praise him about.

"W-Well, it was a group effort." Shirou stated bashfully. "Issei was the one who gathered the ingredients as well as taking care of preparations like peeling vegetables while Akeno helped carry out the more detailed instructions."

"Oh please~" Akeno waved off Shirou's attempt to share the credit with a pleasant smile. "You completely took control in that kitchen~ You helped things run much more smoothly than if I had been working on my own. And the changes you made to these recipes were all good calls. I expected some good results, but every dish turned out far better than it normally would have been~"

"I give it ten stars!" Kiba praised.

"Yeah, no joke." Issei agreed.

"Aaaaaahhhhh~" Kalawarner sighed out of joy and ecstasy. "If it's Master's meals I would look forward to everyday, I wouldn't mind being housewife~"

That was when a small hand lashed out and tightly pinched the side of Kalawarner's face, yanking it hard. "Well, it's a damned shame you're his maid and _not_ his housewife, isn't it, Kala-chan~?" Even though Mikoto was smiling, everyone could swear they saw Death himself hovering over Kalawarner's shoulders.

"How did you get so good at this anyway, Shirou?" Kiyome asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from Kalawarner's pending murder. "Did you take professional classes or something?"

"Nope." Everyone stared at him, curious. "Well, Ka-san wasn't around too often and, even when she was, her cooking was a little... _deadly_."

"Oh don't exaggerate~" Mikoto chirped, still yanking on Kalawarner's face. "Oh~ I remember you screaming and throwing it out the window~ It was so adorable~ It was totally worth the take-out I always had to buy so you wouldn't go hungry~"

"Her cooking killed all of the plants outside." Shirou said with narrowed eyes. "The grass still won't grow back in that one spot." However, he quickly waved off the issue. "Anyway, she always gave me money whenever she went out of town, so I would spend it on food for myself. Then I realized I could save more by just buying ingredients and cooking the food myself. After a few dozen experiments and several trips to the hospital, I got so good that I could cook a nine-course meal with my eyes closed and still receive the compliments to the chef."

"Well, I can't very well refute that, now can I?" Rias said with a calm smile. She let out a breath of satisfaction and stood from her seat. "Anyway, since we've all had our fill, who's up for a bath~?"

"...It appears the Exhibitionist Queen is about to strike again." Shirou quipped.

"Wait, I thought we were calling her the "Exhibitionism Princess"?" Kiyome whispered to him.

"Eh, it's the same thing."

.

.

.

"Akeno, slap him."

SLAP!

"Ow!" Shirou glared at Akeno as he soothingly rubbed the red, hand-shaped mark on his face. "Anyway, why should we go take a bath now? We're just going to be training more later."

"It's not about washing ourselves," Akeno answered, "but enjoying the soothing and healing waters of outdoors bath."

Shirou raised an eyebrow. "...Isn't it the same as an ordinary bath?" He knew he said something weird the moment every head in the room turned in his direction. "I'm the Demon King of Kuoh. Every time I went anywhere near an outdoor bath or public area, they would board up all of the doors and windows."

Everyone nodded. It was understandable as to why Shirou said such a blasphemous and ignorant thing considering the beauteous wonders of the outdoor bath.

"Well, think about it like this," Kiba said, throwing an arm over Shirou's shoulder while directing his attention upward as though looking into a thought bubble, "It's like those warm baths on a cold winter day when you get the temperature just right to the point you just want to lay there until the day you die, letting the water soothe and revitalize your bruised and cold body."

Shirou paused, narrowing his eyes for several moments. Then his eyes widened in understanding.

"Oooohhhh!...That sounds nice."

"And not to mention the girls will be just on the other side of a flimsy and easy to peek through wall," Issei whispered as they suddenly became a male trio. His lecherous intentions were as obvious as...the obvious expression on his face. "Think about it! Haven't you ever imagined there soft skin, their wet hair falling across their nude bodies, not to mention their amazing tits! Haven't you ever been curious?"

Shirou wanted to say "No", but he had the feeling that telling Issei it was because he had already seen every girl in the room except Asia and Koneko naked before would have caused a very unpleasant situation, so he just kept his mouth shut.

"I'm not going to peek." Kiba said out loud with a smile.

"Idiot! D-Don't blurt it out!"

"You were hardly subtle in the first place..." Shirou stepped away from Issei, his thought on the matter being clear.

"Oh, Issei, do you want to peek at us while we are taking a bath?" Rias asked with an amused look on her face. "Then how about you bath with us? I don't mind." Issei looked like he was about to jump at the chance until Kiyome stood from her seat, slamming her hands down on the table as she glared at Rias, her cheeks turning cherry-red.

"Now hold on!" She objected. "You can't just go deciding things like that on your own, Rias!"

However, Rias simply waved off Kiyome's objection. "If you're so upset with it, I don't think Shirou would mind sharing his bath with you."

If anything, Kiyome's face turned a deeper shade of red. "W-Wha-What?"

"Yuuto, you wouldn't mind it if Shirou and Kiyome used that bath first, would you?"

Kiba shook his head, smiling politely. "Not at all."

"H-Huh?" When Shirou finally realized what was happening, his face turned as red as Kiyome's.

"Ooh~! If we're doing a mixed bath, I wouldn't mind sharing one with Master~!" Kalawarner cheered, her own lecherous intentions just as obvious as Issei's. "I would do a very _thorough_ job of cleaning his body~"

"Sorry, Kalawarner-san," Akeno butted in, somehow appearing between Shirou and the Fallen Angel with the same pleasant smile on her face, "but I believe it should be his Onee-sama's duty to wash her adorable baby brother's back~"

 _"When did I become her "baby brother"?"_ Shirou wondered to himself.

"But wouldn't it be best to let someone more experienced help the Master~? I think he would prefer a grown-up over a child~"

"Oh, that's right~ I forgot it was age before beauty~"

When Kalawarner's eyes went wide with shock, Shirou knew it was only a matter of time before an explosion with the force of an atomic bomb went off. He didn't know what the source of the sudden conflict between Akeno and Kalawarner was, but he knew that it must have been pretty bad if they were at each others' throats so suddenly. Even someone as ignorant as Issei could see how dangerous the atmosphere between them was.

"You see, Issei?" Rias said, completely ignoring the shit that was about to go down. "Is it alright with you, Asia?"

The former nun stiffened, looking from Rias to Issei, her cheeks turning pink before she gave a shy nod before quickly lowering her gaze towards the ground. "And you, Koneko?"

The lack of an immediate response from the usually blunt and easily annoyed loli warranted Rias' curiosity.

She saw Koneko sitting in her seat, picking at her half-eaten meal with her fork. She was clearly mentally preoccupied.

"Koneko?"

It was that time that Koneko seemed to snap out of her trance, turning to face her King. "Hm? I'll take a bath later, so go ahead. I think I'm going to eat some more." Her response was so halfhearted and, when Shirou took a closer look, she appeared almost sickly.

Rias moved closer to her Rook, looking her in the eye with an inquisitive look on her face. "Are you...feeling alright?" Koneko nodded.

"...I'm just tired." Koneko shook her head. "I'm really fine though. You can go on ahead."

Rias looked uncertain, but it was obvious that Koneko just wanted to be alone for the moment. With a reluctant heart, she nodded. "Alright, Issei, I guess you get to share a bath with me and Asia tonight~" Even though she was concerned, Rias didn't want to spoil her other servants' moods with her worry, so it was best to keep up appearances.

"Yes!" Issei fist-pumped, practically jumping for joy while also looking close to fainting.

Out of the corner of his eye, Shirou saw Mikoto standing up from her seat and walking off. "..." He found himself more focused in her direction when Koneko suddenly stood up from her seat, taking off after her.

The Occult Research Club and company slowly started filing out of the room towards the outdoor baths...except for Shirou.

Kiyome stopped at the exit, looking back to see Shirou frozen in place. "Shirou?" He blinked, as if he had been snapped out of a trance. "Are you coming?"

"Huh...? Uh, yeah..." He answered distractedly, still glancing back to the door he saw Mikoto and Koneko vanish through before looking back at Kiyome. "I...uh...I'll be there in a sec. There's just something I want to check on first."

For some reason, he had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Whether Kiyome understood the look on his face or simply didn't think much of it, she nodded. "OK." And then she left, leaving Shirou alone in the room.

Not for long though. The moment everyone was gone, Shirou took off through the door he saw Mikoto and Koneko disappear behind. He hadn't had much time to memorize the lay-out of the house, so, to him, it was one large labyrinth. His ability to sense the presence of others was good, but it only gave him general directions. It did nothing to help navigate through a building with a complex design. He didn't want to call out to the pair for fear of drawing the attention of those in the baths.

He only finally got a grasp as to where he was heading after heading up the stairs.

The sound of crying really helped.

"-ant to!"

"If you want to win the Rating Ga-"

"I'm not doing it!"

"-away anymore. For once, you have t-"

"No, that power is evi-!"

Shirou could hear bits and pieces of a conversation the closer he got. One voice was Mikoto's, but the other one was so emotional and laden with tears that he almost had trouble pegging it as Koneko's. Shirou slowed his pace considerably, trying to move as stealthily and as quietly as possible as he put his ear against each door he passed by, listening for any possible sound or movement within.

"But, Koneko-chan-"

"I said I'm not gonna do it!"

It was only on the last door that he finally found his mark and only because it slammed open the moment he brought his head close, allowing his face to receive one cold smack in the face by the wooden door.

With the force it was thrown open and how Shirou felt his skull creak to the point of almost cracking, he knew it was Koneko who flew past him, running as fast as her legs could take her.

"Koneko-chan, wait!" Mikoto was the one who ran out the door next, almost tripping over Shirou's prone form on the ground. "Come back!" But the primary loli of the Occult Research Club was already well out of earshot. Mikoto let out a sigh. "Oh, that girl..."

"What's the matter...?" Shirou groaned, scraping himself off of the ground. He rubbed the massive bump that had once been his face until the pain finally wore off. "OK, I'm good. What's up with Koneko?"

"Well, it's..." Mikoto opened her mouth to speak, but found herself quickly closing it. "I mean, she's just kind of..." Again, she appeared to lose the ability to speak entirely. "She's just feeling that..." If Mikoto was looking this troubled, Shirou knew it was serious, making him more worried than he had been before. Eventually, Mikoto gave up on trying to explain, shaking her head. "Look, just go talk to her and see for yourself. She's probably in her room."

"Roger." Shirou hadn't even hesitated. He immediately took off in the direction he heard Koneko's footsteps disappear in.

* * *

After twenty minutes of searching that god-forsaken mansion (both figuratively and literally) Shirou knew he had found Koneko's room from the sign with cat stickers on it that said "Perverts and Idiots Not Allowed". It was a safe bet that this was hers.

Taking a deep breath, Shirou raised his knuckles to the door, giving it a soft knock. "Shorty?" He placed his hear against the door, listening for a response. All he heard were sniffles and the sound of repressed sobs. Increasingly worried, he tried knocking again. "Short-stack, you there?" She didn't even insult him back or threaten to hit him. The sobs continued, regardless of whether or not Koneko was aware of or cared about his existence. "Koneko..." He lowered his head. Then he steeled his resolve. "Koneko, I'm coming in now. Don't-uh-be naked or anything...and-uh-please don't punch me?"

There was no consent or disapproval. Only more sobbing along with more tears.

Mustering up whatever courage he could to enter Koneko's bedroom, he turned the handle, slowly pushing inward. Shirou closed his eyes, expecting a punch to the face the moment he stuck his nose into the room.

However, nothing of the sort happened.

Instead, he found Koneko sitting on the other side of her bed, her legs curled up against her chest with her back to him. Her body was trembling and her head was lowered to a degree that Shirou was surprise she wasn't tipping over. She must have been rolling around her bed a lot or pulling her hair because there were two big tufts of her hair that were sticking up.

"Um...Short-stack?" Shirou called out, uncertain as to whether or not she was aware of his presence. "Are you alright?"

Koneko didn't jump, so Shirou assumed she either already knew he was there or simply didn't care. "Why are you here?"

"Um...Would you believe it was because Ka-san asked me to?'

"..." Koneko didn't respond for a moment. Then she turned her head, looking at Shirou with one eye. Even from where he stood on the other side of the room, he could see that her eye had become all red and puffy. "She should have just come here herself..."

 _"Shit."_ Shirou thought to himself. _"I thought she would have seen through my lie..."_ Shirou sighed, realizing he was just going to have to come out and say it. "...I was worried about you. You've been acting all weird since this morning. I'm pretty sure even Rias is worried by this point. Then there was that whole thing when you ran away from Ka-san and slammed the door in my face...the last bit wasn't necessary to mention. I'm just a little pissed about that is all."

However, Koneko just turned back towards the wall. "Just go away..." She picked up a pillow and hugged it in her arms, burying her face in it so as to further disguise her sobs.

Shirou didn't give in to her demands. Instead, he turned around and shut the door behind him. "No." He refused. "I'm not going until you look me in the eyes and tell me what's wrong." Her "tufts of hair" twitched slightly, but Shirou didn't think much of it.

"Nothing's wrong. I'm just tired..." Koneko said, her lie being as obvious as Rias' exhibitionism fetish. "So just leave me alone."

"I said not until you look me in the eyes." Shirou responded adamantly. He stared with sad eyes. "Come on, Koneko. Just talk to me. If not for me, then do it for Rias and the others because I doubt you'll be able to just turn away and ignore us when everyone notices how weird you're acting and not responding is just going to make everyone else worry more."

If nothing else, that seemed to catch Koneko's attention. Although her movement was clearly reluctant, she started moving across her bed, slowly turning around so she was facing in Shirou's direction. Her "tufts of hair" seemed to not move with her movement, something that was odd, made even more-so when they started to droop. It was only when she completely turned around that Shirou noticed a slight intend in her "tufts of hair" that made them look suspiciously like-

"E-Ears?" Shirou said almost to himself as he got a better look. Curious, he moved closer to Koneko, trying to look without invading her personal space. Still, he couldn't stop himself. When he was close enough, he reached out and softly touched the other side of her "hair tufts", his eyes going wide as what he felt was not the soft fluffy feeling of Koneko's hair, but smooth, unblemished skin. They were ears! But not just any ears. Shirou had seen enough animals to know that they were- "C-Cat ears!?" His jaw dropped in shock as he pulled his hand away, unconcerned with the sharp glare Koneko was shooting him. Before she could object, however, he quickly poked the soft flesh, the cat ear-like appendages twitching and flopping slightly as they reacted to his touch. "They _are_ cat ears!"

Koneko smacked his hand, looking more annoyed than sad as she had been before. A good sign in Shirou's eyes.

"Would you stop that?" She asked. "They're cat ears, okay. Could you stop-Ugh!" She wasn't even able to finish that thought before Shirou tackled her, wrapping his arms around her while nuzzling his face against hers.

"OMFG! That's so fuggin cuuuute~! I can't believe that Koneko-chan is a neko-girl~! Socutesocutesocutesocuuuuuuuuuuute~!" Shirou cooed, hugging Koneko like she was some kind of doll. "Who's a cute kitty witty~? You are~ Yes you are~" Shirou couldn't stop his hands from traveling upward, petting behind Koneko's ears in the spot he recalled as the "weakness" of all felines. If Koneko was the real deal, she would-

"C-Could y-you j-just stop-p?!" Koneko demanded, her face flushing red. She grasped her legs, trying to stop them from vibrating. However, she could do nothing to stop the soft purr that started to vibrate in her throat. She clasped a hand over her mouth, feeling embarrassed.

"...SO CUUUUUUUUUUUUTE~!" Shirou cheered before a fist slammed into the side of his face, sending him rocketing head-first into the opposite wall.

"I said cut it out!" Koneko demanded for the final time, trying to play off the reactive definitely non-sexual pleasure her body felt from Shirou petting her cat ears.

A cough from Shirou was the sign that he was still alive, despite the man-shaped crater he left in the wall. "...D-Damn..." He groaned, scraping himself off the ground for what felt like the umpteenth time that day. "...Even though you're such a cute kitty, you pack one helluva punch." He rubbed his head, cracking one eye open to look at Koneko. It was only after five seconds that his eyes widened on shock. "Oh my Maou, you're a Nekomata! A youkai!"

"Y-Yes." Koneko stared at him, surprised he got it right without an explanation. "H-How did you know?"

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck, staring Koneko dead in the eyes. "Well, did you guys really think I was just sitting on my ass doing nothing for the several months I've been a Devil?" He asked, continuing before Koneko could give any kind of sarcastic answer, "Once in a while, about every two weeks or so, I would borrow a book from the bookshelves in the clubhouse to take home to read. I'm still a little fuzzy when it comes to Devil letters, so I usually had Kiyome read them to me because she memorized the written language of Devils so Devil-related business transactions in writing wouldn't screw her over. One of the books I borrowed had to do with Japanese youkai, one of which was the Nekomata."

Koneko curled up into a ball again, staring sadly. "..."

"So _this_ is what got you so riled up, isn't it?" Shirou said, putting the pieces together. "Your training. Ka-san gave you something related to your Nekomata species thing?"

Rather than remain in somber silence, Koneko nodded, her ears drooping even lower than before. "The paper she gave me only said one thing: Use your power."

"Then why didn't you use..." Shirou paused, trying to think back to the book. "...whatever it was that Youkai do?"

"Because it's evil!" Koneko snapped, causing Shirou to flinch in surprise. Before Shirou could think about a response, Koneko's excitement quickly faded back to sorrow. "...I don't want to use it...the evil power known as Senjutsu..."

""Senjutsu"?" Shirou wondered. "Like Naruto?"

"It's the same principle..." Koneko explained. "...Senjutsu is a power that allows others, mainly Youkai, to draw upon or otherwise manipulate the power of life and nature, taking in everything in exchange for power..."

"Sounds pretty cool." Shirou said flippantly, unaware of how quickly Koneko's expression contorted into anger.

"Don't you dare call it that again!" She grabbed him by his collar and screamed right in his face, " _It's not cool!_ " But, Shirou felt, she didn't look angry so much as _afraid_. Bitter, lonely, and afraid.

Shirou wasn't sure how exactly, but he knew he had said exactly the wrong thing. "...Sorry."

Koneko lowered her head, close to returning to her own little "shell" again.

"There's something else, isn't there?" Shirou assumed. "A cost to using Senjutsu?"

He wasn't sure whether or not he said the right thing again because tears started to flow freely from Koneko's eyes once more.

...And then she hugged him.

Even then, Shirou could tell. Her hug wasn't one of affection or because she was sad. It was because she was afraid.

"Senjutsu...it allows someone to take in the very power of life and nature..." Koneko reiterated, "but that's not all they take in...All of the ill will, malice, and wicked feelings in the air, all of them are absorbed by the user...Nee-sama, she...she used this power a lot a-and..." Koneko buried her face into Shirou's chest, sobbing more strongly than before.

"...She lost herself, didn't she?" Shirou asked, staring at the Nekomata with pitying eyes. She didn't have to nod to tell him he was right. He could see it in her eyes. He knew it was possible. He had seen what powerful negative and evil emotions could do to a person. Kaido, whose hatred and rage had driven him to try and take Shirou's head. Eliade, whose hunger for power drove her to murder and insanity. Kalawarner, whose fatalistic feelings of hopelessness and despair had driven her to try to kill the person who called her "friend". Someone who took in all of these kinds of emotions...it wasn't hard for Shirou to imagine what would happen. It was from that that Shirou began to grasp what Koneko's fear was. "You're afraid of the same thing happening to you?"

Koneko sniffed, looking up at Shirou with tear-stained cheeks. "Senpai...I-I'm afraid...I-I don't want to lose another family..." She choked on her sobs, tightening her grasp on Shirou's shirt. "I...I don't want to hurt any of them...But they're all training so hard...Fujimura-san said I was insulting them because I refused to use it. That someone who didn't give it her all like everyone else was just dead weight..."

"Ka-san said _what_?!" Shirou couldn't believe his ears. Normally, he would have called Koneko a liar, but...he had seen Mikoto's behavior. When she slowly started to reveal herself, Shirou had taken great notice of the drastic changes in her personality. He wanted to believe the best of her, but...after the other day when she pushed Rias to the point of tears, he wasn't sure what to think about her anymore. "How did she even know you were a Nekomata?"

Koneko shook her head. "I-I don't know...When I asked, sh-she just said that she was good at what she did...She said she ran backgrounds on all of us...that she knew every last detail about who we are..."

"She did that?" He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself while making a mental note to have a long conversation with Mikoto later. She had done a lot of things, but from what Shirou could tell, she was starting to go too far more often than he cared for. He returned his attention to the poor kitten tearfully pawing at his shirt, trying to keep from completely falling apart. "...Koneko..."

He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. Even if she hated his guts, at the very least, he could give her a comforting presence, something to keep her from feeling alone.

"Issei-senpai and Shirou-senpai...you're both working so hard...but I've done nothing..." Koneko sobbed.

"Stop it..." Shirou sighed, softly petting her head. "Don't think like that. You have nothing to be ashamed of and you certainly have nothing to be afraid of. Not of being alone and not of using Senjutsu."

Koneko stared at Shirou, eyes wide. "B-But...if I use it, I might go mad...a-and then-"

"Then I'll stop you." Koneko melted in his embrace, sobbing into his shirt while feeling an oddly warming presence emanating from her usually ferocious senior. "If you're afraid that you might lose control, then count on me to belt you one." Shirou declared, raising a defiant fist. "I'm not good for many things besides cooking and fighting, but for the few things I can do, I do them very well. So, at the very least, I can knock you around until you come back to us." Shirou tightened his arms around her. "Because you're an irreplaceable member of the Gremory family. Because you're my friend who I have no intention of losing. So stop being afraid of what-if's and count on your friends to keep you on the right track and none of us intend to leave your side."

Koneko lowered her head, looking conflicted. "...I'm still afraid...The thought of becoming a monster..." She looked close to making a decision, but she needed one more push, even with Shirou's passionate words.

He sighed.

Drastic times called for drastic measures.

"Koneko, look at me." Shirou requested. "Look at my face."

While clearly confused, Koneko did as Shirou asked, his previously comforting face changing to a more solemn one. " _You are not a monster_." With gentle movements, he guided Koneko to the bed, both of them taking a seat. Shirou unwrapped his arms from Koneko's body and, for a brief moment, reluctance flashed across her face before she released him as well. Shirou lowered his head, taking a deep breath as he steeled his nerves. Just thinking about what he was going to do made him feel anxious. "Koneko, do you know why I wear these bandages around my left arm?"

Koneko tilted her head sideways, confused as to Shirou's intent. "I always thought they were some sort of fashion statement."

"Well, partially," Shirou admitted, "but that's not all there is to it." With calm and delicate movements, as if removing bandages from a recent surgery, Shirou removed the wrappings around his arm, slowly revealing a paler white shade of skin that contrasted with the more moderate shade of the rest of his body, a result of lacking sunlight for tanning. Koneko stared in curiosity and suspense as Shirou continued removing his bandages, letting them fall to the ground when he was done. Shirou turned his arm around, showing Koneko the frontside. "I use them to hide _this_."

For a moment, Koneko wasn't quite sure what she was looking at. Then her eyes widened. She gasped in surprise.

Marking the center of Shirou's left arm, like some kind of stigmata, was a large, x-shaped scar.

"It's on the front of my arm, so nobody notices it because my arm is usually covered in bandages or aren't looking closely." Shirou explained. "They wouldn't notice it unless they were deliberately looking for it."

"Was this...Did one of those delinquents do this to you? Or was this from that Stray?" Koneko asked timidly.

"Neither." Shirou's answer only further confused Koneko, the young man taking another deep breath. There was no going back now. "The person who put this scar on my arm... _was me_."

"But...why?" Koneko's question was both the best question and the hardest to answer. If Shirou had to think up the simplest answer possible, it would have had to have been-

"Guilt mostly." Shirou said, feeling a huge pit form inside him. He lowered his head, suddenly feeling a bit of nausea. "Koneko, I know I seem like a happy-go-lucky jackass who picks fights for fun, and I normally am, but I wasn't exactly as friendly in my earlier days as a delinquent..." Images flashed before Shirou's eyes. The memories of unpleasant days that he would rather forget, that he had almost completely succeeded in forgetting if not for his own reminder. "Koneko, a few years ago, I did something really bad."

Thankfully, Koneko didn't interrupt. Shirou didn't know if he could stomach starting the _real_ story after answering more questions. Rias' Rook sat attentively and quietly.

"It was raining that evening..." Shirou recollected with vague detail. The thing he remembered most was how he couldn't really remember seeing anything. "It was heavy. You could barely see two feet in front of you without a flashlight. I hadn't thought to bring an umbrella, so I was soaked to the bone and in a pretty bitter mood. Back then, I was a pretty bitter guy, more spiteful towards the world. I hadn't met Kiryuu or Kiyome yet, so I was far less sociable than I am now if you can imagine...I was jumped in an alleyway. I didn't know who they were and I barely heard a word they said over the roar of thunder and the torrent of water splashing against the ground. All I knew was what my guts told me: That a fight was about to go down. When one of them started walking towards me, I told him to fuck off and to leave me alone. Obviously, he took exception to that. I don't know how many there were or how many times I ended up punching someone I had already knocked to the ground once. Even though it was a matter of minutes, the piss-poor conditions outside made it feel considerably longer, not even the warmth of my blood-rage able to keep me from freezing my ass off." Shirou stared bitterly at the scar on his arm, sighing. "I was pretty pissed off. Didn't care who they were or why they were bugging me. They came at me, so I beat them down. At the time, I guess it was just really to vent. I picked up the guy I figured was the leader off of the ground and started punching him." Shirou started punching his fist into his open hand. "I hit him over and over and over again."

He paused, taking a moment to swallow the bile working its way up his throat. He had to stay calm.

"What...What happened next?"

"Not sure." Shirou admitted, closing his eyes pensively as he tried to properly recall. "I remember a stinging pain in my elbow. A small cut. Some guy standing behind me had drawn out a knife, but they clearly didn't know what they were doing. They looked so afraid...I remember a little voice in my head saying it over and over again: "Don't do it. Don't do it."...And not a day goes by that I don't regret not listening to it then. This person, they had no real business being there. They probably hadn't even meant to cut me. I probably cut myself on the knife when I pulled my arm back to punch the guy in my hand...Then I dropped him. I turned back to the guy with the knife, dressed in a yellow parka for the rain. I wasn't even sure whether or not they were related to the guys attacking me or was just passing by and drew a knife out of fear. I punched them in the face so hard I might have knocked out a tooth. However pissed off I was before, being cut by that piece of shit knife made it even worse." Shirou winced as he imagined what came next. "I walked over to the guy...the guy from before, the one I was bludgeoning, he started screaming at me, but I couldn't really hear him over the rain. I walked up to the guy I clocked and kicked them hard in the ribs. I heard them crack, but I don't know whether or not something actually broke. And still, I ended up kicking them again for good measure. It was fair payback after they tried to stab me, is what I thought at the time. They tried reaching for the knife, so I stomped on their arm... _That time_ , I heard their arm snap like a twig...They... _She_ started screaming..."

Koneko's eyes went wide as she realized the implications of what Shirou said.

"...I didn't even hesitate to step on her hand when I walked over." Shirou clasped his hands together, biting his lower lip. "After all that...I just walked away...I didn't call for help. I didn't say a word. I just left." Shame filled his heart. No matter how many times he played that day over in his mind, thinking about what he had done, about what he could have done differently, and the shame never fades. "It took me a few days to finally realize what I had done. That was about when I tried cutting myself." Again, Shirou found himself staring at the scar on his arm. "It was my luck that Ka-san came home at that time, saw the blood, and started screaming. She took me to a hospital and, since then, I've always wore bandages over my left arm, hiding one reminder and creating another one. Every time I look at my left arm, I will remember what I had done. The first time I lost control."

"Shirou-senpai..." Koneko stared at Shirou, nervous as his expression slowly lost all sense of purpose and hope. "...back then, when you cut yourself, were you...were you trying to kill yourself?"

Shirou let out a small laugh. There was no humor, however. Only bitterness.

"You know, I asked myself that quite often and, even now, I'm not sure." Shirou answered. It was the truth. No matter how hard Shirou thought back, all he remembered was screaming and then the pain of stabbing and cutting his own flesh. If it was to kill himself, to punish himself, or just so he could feel any sensation at all after what he had done, he couldn't remember. "Koneko, the point of this story is that it's only when you act as merciless as I was then and feel nothing at all, when you feel uncaring about something horrible you've done to another person like you or me, that's when you've become a true monster." Shirou sighed as he leaned back onto the bed, curling up his legs against his chest.

"Senpai..."

"For a long time, I felt sick about what I had done, but never once did I recall feeling anything during the act." Shirou said, staring at the door. Despite his sadness, he managed a weak smile that, while not joyful, wasn't as bitter as the one before. "That's what made me afraid. Not of others, but of myself. It was only recently that a friend told me something that helped me finally move on, at least a little bit." Shirou turned to Koneko, petting her gently on the head. "If you find yourself thinking about these things, if you feel conflicted, than that means you do care. That means it mattered to you. It's your ability to feel and fear, how far you find yourself able to go without feeling anything, that separates people from monsters."

"But how do you know? How do you know I won't end up just like Nee-sama?" Koneko asked, averting her gaze downward.

"Because, you have people just as strong as you willing to hold you back." Shirou answered. "I told you once before. If you're ever afraid of losing control, I'll be right by your side. I'll be the one to stop you from going too far, the one who will stop you if you take that forbidden step." Shirou beat a fist against his chest, giving Koneko a more reassuring smile. "That's my promise as your Senpai!"

For a moment, Koneko didn't say a word. Shirou feared the worst when he saw tears welling up in the corners of her eyes again.

"...You...You promise?"

Shirou gave an affirmative nod. "Of course. When a man makes a promise, he keeps it no matter what."

"I see..." A small smile broke across Koneko's face, replacing the bitter sadness she had been holding in for so long. "That makes me happy...Senpai." She leaned against him, laying her head on his shoulder. It was only then that her exhaustion, both physical and mental, finally began to show on her face. Yet she still never looked happier than she was at that moment. "You know, for a moment there, you were actually pretty cool."

"Heehee!" Shirou grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. He turned to Koneko, new-found determination in his eyes. "Alright then! From hereon out let's both try hard to get stronger, for Buchou and everyone!"

"Yes, Senpai!"

And so, even if just a little, Shirou had healed the pain that had been festering in Koneko's heart for many years. He returned to her her smile.

They both had a ways to go, but that night was a first step for both of them.

It was just the beginning.

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** The Rating Game Begins! Fight On, Team Gremory!

* * *

 **Yeah, I decided to go ahead and just skip to the Rating Game. I'll reveal specifics of training in flashbacks.**

 **Also, I'm trying to learn how to write jokes, so please be patient if you experience one that isn't up to par.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	29. Chapter 25: The Rating Game Begins!

**Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Which means I don't own shit! Try and claim copyright now, bitches! XD.**

* * *

 **Chapter 25: The Rating Game Begins! Fight On, Team Gremory!**

"I-am-power. I-am-strength. I-am-determined."

Shirou took a deep breath, in and out, trying to calm his nerves. He smacked himself across the face, growling as his heartbeat refused to slow even slightly.

He stared at the clock sitting on his nightstand, "10:00 PM" flashing on the screen. The Rating Game was set to start at midnight. A cliche time, perhaps, but fitting for the fact that this match had Rias' freedom on the line. There were no second chances this time. If they failed to win, Rias would be forced to marry Riser. They had returned the day before, Mikoto wanting them to have time to regain their stamina after the exhaustion they had all suffered during their training. They had all followed Mikoto's regimens to the letter, but they had yet to test how their training held up in real combat. They hadn't had a chance to figure out whether or not what they had gone through was worth it.

There were about two hours until Shirou had to leave for the Occult Research Club's building. An hour and thirty minutes specifically, but Shirou didn't think much on that.

He had spent the night in a hotel room that Mikoto had paid for. She didn't trust him (or rather the girls) to stay at the Occult Research Clubroom and she felt he might interfere with Issei's recovery from training.

They had agree they would all meet together thirty minutes before the game. Mikoto and Kalawarner had gone ahead of everyone, taking Kiyome with them, saying that they had wanted to get "good seats". Shirou wasn't quite sure what that meant, but he didn't question it. It was somewhat comforting (yet also terrifying) that they would be watching him. He had been observed during a fight before, but it was only by either his enemies or those fighting alongside him. When a third party was watching from afar, it felt much less private and much more awkward.

The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. He had never fought for a physically uninvolved audience before.

"Come on, Shirou...You've had holes ripped through your flesh." He reminded himself. "You're 100% badass with no knowledge of the meaning of "surrender". Whether someone's watching or not, you're still going to kick some ass." He took another deep breath. "Just stay calm. Buchou and the others will be counting on you to keep your head in the game. Come oooon...Just focus-no! Do the opposite. Do not focus in the slightest. Think about nothing but taking down Riser and his servants...Damn it! I'm focusing on something! Raaaaaagh!" The solitude and anxiety was beginning to get to Shirou, the boy literally pulling his hair as he tried to cope with the tension before the Rating Game. "OK, just think about nothing-No wait! Then I'll be focusing on thinking about nothing! Aaarrrgh!"

" _If you keep talking to yourself, people might start to think you're crazy-nya~_ "

"Uwah!" The sudden intrusion by the black cat sitting on the window sill caused Shirou to fall off the edge of his bed onto the ground. He tried to muster as much dignity as he possibly could as he scrambled up from the floor, turning towards his feline friend. "Kuroneko!"

" _It's been a while, hasn't it?_ " Kuroneko asked, stretching her legs. " _You seem a lot stronger than the lil bitch I knew when we first met~_ "

"Who's a bitch!?" Shirou snapped, raising his fists. "I'm warning you: I'm not afraid to throw down with a cat! You wanna fight!? Bring it on! I will bury you!"

" _Bury me_?" Kuroneko asked with an inflection that made it clear she was raising an eyebrow. " _What's that_?"

"Oh, it's a signature phrase I came up with." Shirou explained. "It felt...right somehow. I can't explain it. Like, I feel like I've been saying it for a long time even though I only started using it for a while. Even back when I first used it, it feels as though I had been using it already...like, maybe somewhere, in some parallel or alternate universe, there's a me who's _already_ using it as a signature phrase."

" _That's stupid._ " Kuroneko insulted bluntly. " _You're stupid._ " She smirked in a cat-like fashion. " _You're lucky you have such a cute face~_ "

"Uh huh..." Shirou noted, still confused as to why people kept telling him something like that. "Anyway, you come here to wish me luck?"

" _Mmmmaybe~_ " She answered honestly. " _Not really, no,_ " She added more honestly. " _I was just bored and happened to be in the neighborhood_." She casually hopped down from the window sill, retracting her claws as she walked over to Shirou and took a seat by his side, laying her head against his lap as she rested her body on his bed. " _You were gone for two weeks, so it was pretty hard for me to scrape by on all by my lonesome self~ Got any tasty treats for a cute wil putty tat~?_ "

Shirou shook his head. "Not at the moment, no." He absentmindedly placed his hand on Kuroneko's head and started to pet her affectionately, earning satisfied purrs from the tricky feline. "I need to get my head in the game, so I can't get distracted."

Kuroneko rolled around onto her back, looking up at Shirou's face with her golden eyes. " _You're only stressing yourself out by thinking about these things-nya~_ " She said in a relatively less-teasing tone. " _One thing I learned is that it doesn't help to get nervous before the game. It's nowhere near as bad as you think it is. There's always that one burst of stress, but then it turns into adrenaline as the battle begins._ "

"You sound like you speak from experience." Shirou noted, narrowing his eyes as the feline. Kuroneko paused, as if only having just realized what she had been saying. "Almost as though you've played Rating Games before..."

She didn't panic or try to take back what she said, but she descended into silence, turning away from Shirou.

" _...So what if I have_?" Shirou's eyes widened at Kuroneko's question. She didn't deny it. " _I'm not admitting nor denying anything though._ _If you believe I have, then doesn't that mean you should just pay more heed to my words?_ " And just like that, she skirted around the issue rather than denying it. If anything, it only made Shirou even more curious. If Kuroneko had, in fact, taken part in a Rating Game and _wasn't_ just using that opportunity to mess with him, then it meant many things that he couldn't process all at once at that time. " _I just don't quite understand why you're killing yourself before the game's even begun._ "

"It's because my actions actually have importance in this match." Shirou answered, staring at his open left hand. "It's different from my other fights which have usually just been me and sometimes one other person. In a group fight, if I mess up, I might end up messing things up for everyone. Not just me. I know that things should be fine as long as I make use of Ka-san's training, but I...I'm nervous. Every enemy I've fought so far has been nothing compared to these guys who have more experience. And I'm afraid that my feelings are going to make me hesitate again. Since becoming a Devil, I've always hesitated in every problem I've come across. I can't afford to do that this time around because, if I do, it may end up costing Rias both the match and her freedom. Her school life will be over. She'll have to marry Riser. The Occult Research Club will have no choice but to disband and-OW!" It was at that point that Kuroneko casually stood up from the bed, raised her claw, and scratched Shirou right across the face, cutting deep enough that she drew blood. "What was that for?!"

Kuroneko stared at Shirou, clearly looking amused. " _Tell me, Shirou-chin, have you ever considered **not** being a total pussy about it?_ "

"Hey! I am not a pussy!" He didn't bother trying to figure out whether or not Kuroneko was making a cat pun.

" _Then why are you complaining so much?_ " Kuroneko countered. " _If you don't know what to do, just do what you've always done. Jump in head-first with no forethought._ "

"...Is that another crack at me?" Shirou asked, staring passively at his feline friend.

" _No. Just saying that you're not exactly the thinking type in a fight. Your ability to fight can be boiled down to one major factor: Instinct._ "

"What do you mean?"

At that time, Kuroneko started casually walking about, as if she was already bored with sitting in one place. " _Back when we first met so long ago, you didn't think. You acted._ " Shirou remembered that day vividly. Kuroneko had been in an alleyway, some street punks harassing her with firecrackers, threatening to shove one into her mouth and duct tape it shut. They were total losers. Still, it didn't feel too good when they're surprisingly high-grade firecrackers exploded against his skin. He beat them to a pulp and saved Kuroneko and, since then, they had been close friends. He didn't really think much of it. He just saw her there and he decided to step in. " _Back when Kiyome-chin was in trouble, you didn't even consider running away or asking for help. You chased right after her. Back when Kala-chin and the nun were in trouble, you immediately threatened to charge in guns-ablaze. Things have never gone wrong for you before when you listened to your instincts, so why flip the script now?_ "

Shirou paused, considering her words.

" _So don't think. Act._ " Kuroneko concluded. " _Imagining everything bad that **could** happen will only inhibit you._ "

"...I guess you're right." Shirou turned to look out the window, the moon hanging in the night sky he had thought to be ominous now possessing an ethereal beauty. "Thanks, Kuro."

" _Don't mention it-nya~_ " Kuroneko started affectionately nuzzling her face against Shirou's side, as though marking him with her scent. " _I owe you quite a bit after all~ You went and made yourself my favorite male. I hate seeing you all depressed. It isn't a look suited for your cute face~_ " Shirou didn't ponder the deeper meaning behind his feline friend's words. They just sat there in mutual, peaceful silence.

At 10:55 PM, Shirou gathered his things and made for the Occult Research Club's building, his feline friend bidding him farewell as she looked on from the window sill.

* * *

"The battle's going to begin soon." Kiba noted, fastening some leg protection to his lower body.

"Yeah. Just forty minutes to go." Shirou agreed, leaning back in his seat while staring emptily at the ceiling. No longer was he threatened with the despairing thought of loss and failure, but with boredom instead. He had brought last-minute "presents" Mikoto had given him on the last day of training. He glanced at his school jacket draped over the back of the couch before turning back to look up at the ceiling. He had expected the atmosphere to be tense, but it was hard to maintain a serious atmosphere with only four people.

Presently, it was only Kiba, Akeno, Rias, and himself in the meeting room. Issei, Asia, and Koneko had yet to show up.

Issei and Asia were probably just steeling their nerves. Shirou wasn't as experienced as the others, but they were even greener than he was. It was only natural that they be anxious. They would arrive soon, Shirou had no doubt.

It was Koneko he was worried about.

Ever since the first day of training, Koneko had been significantly more reclusive than she had been before. She always showed up for group meetings and meals, but the moment they were done, she would just vanish off into the forest alone. It was a cycle that repeated for all fourteen days of their training.

It wasn't as though she was acting depressed. Quite the opposite in fact. Koneko had been more outspoken when the group gathered, something that surprised even Rias. She hadn't even picked any fights with Shirou during the entire two weeks, something that was more stunning than her sudden bright disposition. Nobody could quite understand how the sudden transformation came about or what was happening with her...

Nobody except Shirou and Mikoto at any rate. Shirou was sure Rias suspected something, but she kept her suspicions to herself.

Koneko had finally gotten help lifting the weight off of her chest that had been there for several years. She wasn't afraid anymore.

Shirou never got the chance to ask, but he was certain Mikoto knew why. Ever since he heard what she had told Koneko, he had wanted to have a serious conversation with her, but it was hard to maneuver in such a way where they could end up in the same room together alone so as to avoid everyone else overhearing. When Mikoto wasn't outright hiding from him, she made damned sure that one of the other members of the Occult Research Club was present in the room. She knew what she was doing and she likely knew what Shirou was going to say. Perhaps she felt there was no point to the conversation or perhaps she was afraid even though she had no reason to be.

Shirou wasn't angry with her. He couldn't be. She had told them they would be in for some merciless training and that was what she had given them. He just wanted to talk to her about whether or not his new behavior or hers would be a normal thing. She had already made Rias and Koneko cry. Shirou knew that, if she made Kiyome cry, he wouldn't be able to bite his tongue anymore. Just like how Issei had exploded when Mikoto made Rias cry, Shirou knew he wouldn't be able to forgive her.

He just wanted to talk with Mikoto, to get her to tone it down.

That was what he was resolved to do after the Rating Game was over, win or lose.

The determination to do such a thing hardly made the time pass by any faster. The usually lively meeting room was quiet and boring. Kiba was messing around with his swords. Rias was sitting on the opposite couch, reading a book or manual of some kind. Shirou couldn't see the spine to read its title and it had no distinguishing features aside from it being red and old. Akeno was simply sitting there, waiting respectfully by her King. Even though they didn't act like it, they were as anxious as he had been not too long ago. However, unlike him, they didn't focus on their anxiety. They found a way around it by preoccupying their minds with other things.

In the end, all they could do was wait until the clock struck 12.

It was about 12:34 when Koneko finally came through the open door...smiling. That was what caught everyone's attention. Kiba and Akeno put effort into hiding their surprise, but Rias was more open about it, watching Koneko as she crossed the room towards the couch upon where Shirou sat. Everyone expected her to take a seat on the end furthest from him, but...

"K-Koneko?" Shirou stared, his face timid with sweat rolling down the side. "W-What are you-?" And that was when he noticed them.

Her ears and tail, their fur the same color as her snow-white hair, out for all of the world to see. When she looked up at him, smiling softly with eyes so bright, Shirou couldn't help his face heating up.

"From hereon out, Shirou-senpai's lap is my territory." She declared for the entire room. She made a cute face with an adorable paw-like movement with her hand. "Nyan~"

And, just like that, Shirou was immediately put under the spell of her cuteness. "Awwww~ That's so adorable~" He tightly hugged Koneko in one arm, using his other hand to affectionately pet her in all of the places he knew a cat enjoyed being pet. If Koneko's satisfied purrs were anything to go by, the spots were generally the same when it came to Nekomata. "Who's my cute, furry friend~? Who's my best friend in the whole wide world~?"

"I am-nya~" Koneko responded cheerfully.

* * *

Elsewhere, the "cat" known as "Kuroneko" felt the slightest pang of annoyance.

* * *

"K-Koneko...?" Rias stared in shock and awe as her first and only Rook casually displayed such a free-spirited demeanor as well as anything other than hostility towards Shirou.

Koneko turned to Rias, still smiling with satisfaction. "Thanks to Shirou-senpai, I'm not afraid anymore, Buchou." She raised a fist, determination burning in her eyes. "I'm ready to do everything I can for you and everyone."

It was hard for Rias to process let alone comprehend Koneko's words at first, partially because of the way she was somehow purring affectionately while also speaking normally. Rias had seen Koneko more upbeat during training, but never once has she outright exposed her Nekomata heritage in front of anyone besides herself, Akeno, and Kiba. In that short, fourteen days, Koneko had gone from stoic introvert with a short-fuse to an out-going, affectionate neko-girl. It didn't take a genius to draw line between Koneko's new attitude and her sudden affection for Shirou.

Shirou had done what she could not...

And she had never felt more relieved. She should have felt ashamed at not being to help Koneko herself, but seeing her once emotionally-burdened servant smile left not a trace of bitterness.

The Occult Research Club had come closer together as a family.

It wasn't too long after Koneko showed up that the door opened again, Issei and Asia joining the others and allowing the Occult Research Club to be complete once more.

They paused when they saw Koneko on Shirou's lap, Issei staring more specifically at Koneko's previously non-existent cat ears and tail. The fact she was cuddling with Shirou like they were lovers was the next thing he processed. He pursed his lips, carefully thinking about his response. "...um...is Koneko trying to crush Shirou in her arms? I don't quite understand what she's doing."

"I'm sitting on Shirou-senpai's lap." Koneko said with a cheer that threw Issei more "off" than he had been before.

"OK...but why though?"

"Because Shirou-senpai's lap is best."

"Because my lap is best, Issei." Shirou agreed.

"O...K then." Issei turned to Rias, his look giving an impression along the line of "No seriously. What did I miss?".

"I'll explain it later...or...I guess Shirou will explain it to us." Everyone let that sink in. "Huh..." That statement felt weird on her tongue. The Pawn who preferred to solve every problem with punching and cursing singlehandedly cured Koneko of her childhood trauma. Nobody could quite get over how surprising this situation was considering that the two had, only two weeks ago, been like cats and dogs...literally in Koneko's case.

They all eventually just agreed it had to do with Shirou's affinity with animals so they could move on for the time-being.

It was at ten minutes until the game started that a magic circle appeared on the ground, radiating the crimson-like of the Gremory family's magic until Grayfia Lucifuge stepped out from it, bowing respectfully in greeting towards Rias.

"It is ten minutes until the battle commences. Has everyone finished their preparations?" Even when her words sounded as calm and proper as her expression appeared, Shirou could have sworn she was directing disapproving feelings in his direction.

Everyone stood from their seats, nodding in confirmation.

Shirou picked up his student jacket from the couch and slid the sleeves over his arms. It was a bit uncomfortable, but worth it considering the "present" Mikoto had left him.

"When it becomes the time to start the battle, you will be teleported to the battlefield through this magic-circle." Grayfia explained. "The location of the place is in a different dimension used for battles. You may fight with all your power. It's a disposable space so feel free to fight to your satisfaction."

"Sounds like a fun place." Shirou quipped, grinning. If there was no need to hold back, he could blow shit up at his own leisure. He would have been more pleased if not for the annoying reproving look he noticed directed at him (again). He didn't quite know what bias Grayfia had against him, but every time they met, Shirou suddenly felt pissed off.

"This Rating Game battle will also be viewed by members of both households from a different location through broadcast." Grayfia announced. "Please also remember that the Maou, Lucifer-sama himself, will be observing the battle."

"Onii-sama's going to be watching us, huh...?" Rias didn't appear to be particularly pleased with Grayfia's announcement.

It was only then that Shirou and Issei caught what the two were saying.

"Wait a minute..."

""Onii-sama"?"

[...the Maou Lucifer?]

Both Pawns stared at Rias, taking too long to understand what had been said before Koneko spoke up, finally ceasing her nuzzling against Shirou's chest for five seconds to explain.

"Buchou's older brother is the Maou Lucifer." With that casual explanation, Koneko went right back to enjoying her current position.

[Whaaaaaaat!?]

"B-But isn't Buchou from the Gremory household?!" Issei asked, just as confused as he was shocked.

Shirou had no words to respond with. He was too busy comparing Rias to the mental image he had been building of a Maou in his head, suddenly painfully aware of how easily Rias could call someone in who could reduce him to less than ashes.

"Let me explain." Akeno said, entering the conversation. "In the last Great War, the original Maous died. However, without the Maous, the Devils were left in a dangerous state. In the end, it was decided that Devils with great strength would take up the mantles of our former leaders and be crowned as the new Devil Kings, the Maous who obtained their titles from those who preceded them: Lucifer, Leviathan, Asmodeus, and Beelzebub."

"Geez..." Shirou crossed his arms behind his head, looking on in wonder. "If they're strong enough to replace the original Devils, Buchou's brother must be pretty strong."

"Indeed." Akeno agreed. "Sirzechs Lucifer-who is also known as the "Crimson Satan"- is the most powerful among the four Maous."

Shirou whistled, impressed. "So he's like the Maou among Maous."

"Essentially." Rias agreed, looking like she was feeling caught between annoyance and admiration towards her brother.

"And because he's the Maou who stopped carrying his family name, Buchou is the one who has to succeed the current head of the family." Issei reasoned.

"The time is near." Grayfia announced, a signal to end all current conversation. "Everyone, please head to the magic-circle. Once the battle starts, you will be transferred to the battlefield from there. Furthermore, once the battle begins, you will not be able to leave until it has come to an end."

The Occult Research Club did as commanded, quickly grouping up in the magic circle Grayfia had created on the floor. Koneko got up from her "seat", her tail flicking back and forth cheerfully in a way Shirou couldn't help but find familiar, as strange as it was. However, before Shirou stepped on the edge of the magic circle's design, he paused, a thought coming to mind. He looked over his shoulders, turning to Grayfia while trying to suppress the feeling of distaste his mind was trying to make him feel. "Hey, Grayfia-san, can you do me a favor?"

The maid raised an eyebrow, looking at Shirou with a hint of curiosity mixed into her previous disdain. "If the request is reasonable." She clearly felt the desire to say "No" out of spite, but it was her manners and reason that made her change her mind.

"Ka-san-Mikoto Fujimura-is probably going to be watching us from wherever the other guys are." Shirou said, marching into the magic circle. "Tell her that, after this match, we _are_ going to have a talk."

Although clearly trying to discern Shirou's motives, Grayfia gave a respectful nod. "As you wish."

Satisfied with her response, Shirou took a spot between Kiba and Issei inside the magic circle, all of them being consumed by a powerful bright light.

* * *

"Huh? The Club Room?" Issei looked around, looking deeply confused. "Did the transfer fail?"

"No, Issei." Shirou answered. "You saw and felt the bright light, same as us. Kuoh Academy is apparently where we're going to be fighting-a replica of Kuoh Academy at any rate."

"You serious?" Issei scanned around the room, clearly disoriented by how "the same" everything looked as it had several seconds ago. Even the stuffed toy he had once won for Asia was sitting in the exact same position. A little creepy how many details they had gotten correct. "Maybe-"

"Issei, think about it." Shirou suggested. "They can shoot lightning from their fingers, teleport to anywhere in the world, and even bring back the dead. Does building an exact replica of our school seem that impressive or impossible to you?" Issei opened his mouth as though he were going to argue, but then considered Shirou's question before closing it. "That's what I thought."

[Hello everyone. I am Grayfia, a maid from the House of Gremory and today I will be the arbiter of the Rating match between the House of Gremory and the House of Phenex.]

The members of the Occult Research Club perked up, turning in the direction of the speaker hanging on the wall. Shirou crossed his arms, leaning against a wall in the back with an expression of displeasure on his face.

[In the name of my Master, Sirzechs Lucifer, I will be keeping my eye on this match. By using both Rias-sama and Raiser-sama's opinions, we created this battlefield which is a replica of the school, Kuoh academy, which Rias-sama attends to in the human world.]

Shirou looked out the window, noticing further similarities between their Kuoh Academy and the replica. The only difference was the sky. It was neither the darkness of night nor the light of day. It was a sort of dark yet glowing green sky. Even from the ground, Shirou could feel the air laced with magic. Signs of the barrier that their battlefield had been build within. It was colorful at least.

[The location where both teams were transported will be their "base". Rias-sama's "base" would be the Occult Research Cub's clubroom located in the old school building. Raiser-sama's "base" would be the Student Council's room located in the new building. For the [Pawns] to use "promotion", please head to the enemy's base to do it.]

"So we have to make it to the Student Council room in order to promote, huh?" Shirou noted, looking out the window towards the horizon. The main school building suddenly seemed a lot further than he remembered it being.

"Everyone, will you all please put this transceiver in your ears?" Akeno requested, handing everyone a small transceiver.

"At the battlefield, we will be using this to communicate with each other." Rias explained. "

[The time has come! The battle shall continue until daybreak should either party fail to defeat the other by then. Without further ado, let the game begin!]

Taking the words to heart, Rias turned to her servants, a determined and confident smile on her face. "Alright then, everyone. Let's talk strategy."

* * *

"Are you sure it's alright for me to be accompanying you and Kalawarner, Fujimura-sa-I mean-Ka-san?"

"I already told you it was fine~"

"Yes, but, I'm only a normal human. I tame monsters, but this is an event involving noble Devil families. I'm just not sure that-"

"Oh calm down, Kiyome-chan~ If I say it's alright, it's alright~ There's no way they would deny the future waifu of my darling baby a place in the observation rooms~"

Kiyome blushed, still easily flustered by Mikoto's comments. Even though she had gotten used to them, she couldn't quite stop her face from heating up. The thought of her in a wedding dress, walking down the aisle with Shirou waiting at the end...She's had a large crush on him for the longest time. Just him realizing her feelings and becoming his boyfriend was enough of a dream. The thought of the two marrying was too overwhelming. For all of his faults, from his poor manners to his habit of violence, Shirou Fujimura was still among the kindest, most gentle souls she had ever met. Even with rough hands, his touch was soft.

"To be fair, Abe-sama, if anyone would have any reason to be afraid, it would be me." Kalawarner pointed out as their odd group of three walked down the hall. "You know, me being a Fallen Angel and all."

"Would both of you stop being such worrywarts~" Mikoto said in a playfully scolding tone of voice. "It's fiiiiiiine~ Since Shicchan is my baby boy, they can't bar us from watching this match~" Mikoto not-so-subtly reached into her sleeve, revealing the hilt of a sword. " _And those who try will suffer greatly_." Both Kalawarner and Kiyome felt chills of terror run down their spines. Ever since Mikoto started to show more of her "character", it had become increasingly difficult to discern when she was joking or not. "Just kidding~"

"Yes, but what if the person who forbids us is the Maou himself?" Kiyome asked nervously.

"Well, I..." Much to Kiyome's increased stress, Mikoto paused. "Oh look! We're here! Inside! Quickly now~!"

With the blood draining from her face at the realization of how Mikoto failed to answer her question, Kiyome did as instructed, entering a room through the door indicated by Mikoto.

The room inside was rather nice. Elegant. It had an older, more aristocratic style to it, so Kiyome knew it was built for High-Class Devils. The very same High-Class Devils she saw currently sitting within the room, looking as though they belonged there far more than Kiyome did.

"Oh? Who are these?" A brunette woman with a figure that would have put even Rias to shame asked. She spoke with a polite tone. Not formal but not too personal either. Just generally pleasant. "I don't recall us ordering any refreshments."

"Good evening, Lady Venelana." Mikoto said respectfully, bowing as much as she could with her small frame without touching the ground. However, Kiyome detected a hint of sarcasm in the gesture. "I do hope you and the Lord Gremory there may pardon us for our intrusion into your box, but we simply desired a place to observe the match. We have no desire to interfere with your own entertainment and will sit at the back of the room if you so wish."

"Wait! You mean you didn't reserve us an observation room?!" Kiyome asked, realizing just how poorly prepared Mikoto was.

"Of course not~ You have to be a noble to get one of these rooms~"

"But you said-"

"So is it alright if we stay here to observe the match~?" Mikoto asked in a cheerful yet polite fashion, curtsying in a deferring manner towards the wife of the current head of the Gremory household.

Venelana stared at Mikoto for several moments, a curious look coloring her face. "I'm sorry, but do I know you?" There was no attempt at rudeness, but genuine confusion.

Mikoto paused, frowning as though Venelana's response was unexpected. "U-Uh...what?" Mikoto blinked several times, realizing that the Lady Gremory was not joking. "Um...Venelana, it's me, Mikoto...Remember? We used to know each other? You threatened to reduce me to nothingness if I ever raised a blade to you, your children, grandchildren, or your husband ever again? I threatened to cut off those useless, gigantic gazongas of yours? Remember?"

"That kind of seems like the type of thing you _wouldn't_ want her remembering, Ka-san." Kiyome said, deadpan.

But it was too late. Venelana Gremory already had the gears in her head turning, realization slowly growing on her face as she got a good look at Mikoto. Despite the fact she was clearly beginning to remember who Mikoto was, she maintained a cordial expression. "Oh, Fujimura-san! It's _you_." No matter how Kiyome saw it, that smile on Venelana's face boded poorly. "You look so different from how you were the last time we met. Then again, I wasn't expecting you to be even _tinier_ than before." From there way Venelana crossed her arms underneath her bust in a fashion similar to Rias when she was trying to show off, Kiyome had the faint suspicion that her words had more than one meaning.

Said meaning was hardly lost upon Mikoto, the adult-loli looking down at her diminutive bust and then looking at those of Kalawarner, Kiyome, and finally resting upon Venelana's.

"Is this because you're hoping going through puberty again will give you a second chance to get stacked?" Venelana said suggestively, the venom poorly concealed in her words. "I admire your enthusiasm and your optimism."

"Kiyome-chan." Mikoto said in a frighteningly level tone, turning to stare at Kiyome with an uncharacteristically passive expression. "I'm going to need you to hold me back."

"W-Why?"

"Because, in five seconds, I'm going to cut her throat out and rip off her bra-monsters." The loli answered ominously, placing a hand on the hilt of a blade drawn from her sleeve. "Uraaagh!" Mikoto leaped from the ground and flew for only a second before Kiyome and Kalawarner reacted, quickly grabbing the woman by her arms and pulling her back despite her ferocious struggling. "Lemme go! Lemme go! Come on! Let me at'er!"

"Mikoto-sama, please control yourself!"

"Ka-san, we're going to get in trouble!"

Both of the other two women had to be careful so as to keep from being struck as Mikoto flailed her sword about violently.

"It appears as though, even if your appearance changes, your amusing disposition does not, Mikoto Fujimura."

The other figure who shared the room with the Lady of the Gremory household, a man with a handsome face and crimson-red hair, stood from his seat, walking over to greet their new arrivals. He possessed an elegant presence that Kiyome could only associate with one person.

Zeoticus Gremory gave a charming smile. "While your present form comes as a surprise, it does not lessen what a pleasure it is to see you again, Mikoto." He was so pleasant and polite that it was hard to stay in a bad mood. His words were as calm as they were disarming, causing Mikoto to slowly give up her struggling.

It was only after she was 100% certain the small woman would not go into a blood frenzy that Kiyome felt confident enough to set her on the ground.

Mikoto cleared her throat, brushing herself off while clearly trying to pretend as though she _hadn't_ just been trying to dissect the man's wife.

In a way, Kiyome could really see how Mikoto and Shirou were related.

"It has been quite a while, Zeoticus." Mikoto said. "I admit, you are probably one of the few Pure-Bloods I don't entirely dislike, so you're the only one I felt comfortable asking for this favor. I could have just taken another person's box by force, but it would have only caused more trouble for my darling Shicchan~"

"Weren't you just about to kill a noble for calling you small-chested?" Kalawarner pointed out.

"Hm?" Mikoto said, smiling as she calmly pointed the edge of her sword at Kalawarner's neck. "I'm sorry, what was that~? I didn't quite catch that~"

"N-Nothing, Mikoto-sama! Nothing at all!"

Kalawarner knew how to pick her battles. This was not one of them.

Zeoticus' smile didn't fade. If anything, it seemed even more amused by the woman's behavior. "It appears you've changed more than I had thought. You're far more approachable from what I gather." It was then that he turned his attention to Kalawarner and Kiyome, looking at them in a way as though he was admiring their figures. Both girls felt uncomfortable. It wasn't that his gaze was lecherous in nature, but rather, they were uncomfortable due to the fact neither was supposed to be there in the first place. "And you appear to be keeping such interesting company as well. A Fallen Angel and a human girl, a member of the household of the Abe Beast Tamers if I'm not mistaken."

Kiyome's eyes widened in surprise. "How did you-?" He hadn't even hesitated when addressing Kiyome's family name and she was certain they had never met before.

"You possess the same lovely face as your mother, Ms. Abe." Zeoticus answered calmly.

"This man is the head of one of the most renowned Devil clans." Mikoto pointed out. "If they're somebody worth having connections to, there's no doubt that Zeoticus knows them. This includes the members of the Abe household."

"Well said, Mikoto." Zeoticus said. "As I recall you saying, you wished a place from which to observe the match? Would you mind if I asked why you, who previously possessed no interest in the political matters of Devils, are interested in a matter between Devil families?"

Mikoto placed her hands on her hips, smiling brightly. "Well, our children are both going to be fighting alongside one another on the battlefield, so I thought it would be appropriate to see how they fare. Shirou Fujimura, your daughter's first Pawn, is my child."

"Oh! So this must be the young man my daughter spent her Mutation Piece on." The father of Rias suddenly seemed far more interested than he had been before. "So, both the Red Dragon Emperor and the son of the current Slash Empress. It appears my daughter has quite the lucky streak with her!"

For some reason, Kiyome couldn't help but notice something was off. Shirou said Grayfia was the person reporting to the family heads. _"Shouldn't they already know of Mikoto and Shirou?"_ She thought.

"But I'm especially surprised as to your child." Zeoticus said, frowning as a thought came to mind. "I hadn't even been aware you had borne a child. Congratulations! If I had known sooner, I would have sent you a congratulatory bottle of wine!" Even though most people would have thought that someone talking like this was speaking in an insulting fashion, Zeoticus' cheer was genuine.

"It _is_ strange..." Venelana agreed, sounding far less cheerful and more cautious than her husband. "I can't imagine why Grayfia didn't tell us something like this before. Even more strange that your tiny form doesn't bear any stretch marks~"

"Maybe I just conceal it better because I'm not past my expiration date like you!" Mikoto snapped caustically.

"Who's past their expiration date now?" Venelana asked, the unmistakeable twitch of her eye and the malicious aura surrounding her hardly being subtle. "Are you what's considered a "ripe fruit" at your age? If so, human women must be a physically disappointing." Then she looked at Kiyome, taking notice of her impressive figure. "Or perhaps you skipped right over the good part of puberty," Venelana smirked, "you _washboard_."

"I'mma kill you!"

Again, Kiyome and Kalawarner found themselves restraining Mikoto by force as the woman started spewing all sorts of obscenities along with several violent threats towards Venelana, Venelana not trying very hard to conceal her satisfied smile.

"M-Maybe we should take this time to reset our tempers?" Kiyome suggested.

When both older women turned their dark gazes on her, Kiyome felt the strongest desire to shrink to the size of a lowly maggot

"Now now, ladies," Zeoticus interjected before the two women could kill either Kiyome or each other, "I believe we all came here for a common purpose: To observe the showdown between our children and Riser Phenex. If that is our intent, then destroying this room in a pointless rage would prove rather counter-productive, would it not?"

Both women exchanged pointed looks at one another, but didn't disagree.

"Then let us take our seats. The game is about to begin."

Again, the two women looked at one another, considering the possibility of decapitating/obliterating the other real quick but both decided against it much to the relief of the two individuals who _wouldn't_ have survived in the crossfire between the two.

Venelana returned to her seat by her husband's side while Mikoto casually took a seat on the floor, crossing her legs like a child in elementary school. Uncertain as to whether the invitation was extended to her as well, Kiyome chose to remain standing, her eyes fixed on the large TV screens placed on the walls in front of them, affording them a generous view of a majority of the battlefield or, at the very least, the places of interest. Her eyes wanted over to the feed of the Occult Research Club's building, their members dispersing to no doubt carry out a strategy concocted by Rias. However, her eyes focused on only one face among the seven of her friends.

She clasped her hands, closing her eyes as she spoke a mental prayer to whomever would listen.

 _"Please, let Shirou win this. Let him come out of this okay."_

* * *

Shirou took a deep breath as his group of three approached the gymnasium's entrance.

Their group consisted of Issei, Koneko (in adorable kitty neko-girl mode~), and Shirou. He wasn't as nervous as he had been before. Just like Kuroneko had told him before, it didn't seem as bad as all of his pointless worrying had made it out to be. If anything, the fact that they hadn't had the slightest bit of conflict on the way to their destination actually bored him. He expected the fighting to start immediately, but he may have underestimated the distance between the enemy's base and their own. Still, he got along well enough without Promotion, so Shirou didn't see it as big of a deal as he never used it in the first place. And with the training Mikoto had subjected them to, he felt as though he could take on anything.

Rias had told them they would likely encounter within the gymnasium, but it was surprisingly quiet.

 _"Maybe the enemy knew we would come here and decided to take another route?"_ Shirou supposed, trying to ignore the nagging feeling of disappointment he felt.

"They're in there." Koneko said, as if reading Shirou's thoughts. She closed her eyes, a look of focus appearing on her face. "There's four of them."

Shirou raised an eyebrow. "You sure?" He cocked his head to the side, trying to listen as well as feel for any hostile presences. "I don't hear or sense anything."

"Yes." Koneko assured him. "They're trying to hide so they can take us by surprise. Even if they try to hide their presences, I can still sense their ki. They're all reasonably strong, but still far from being the strongest members of Riser's Peerage." There was a twitch of her cute, feline ears at that. "I'm only using a little bit of my power right now, so it's not that hard for me to sense their strength at such a close distance."

Shirou gave her a worried look, but nodded. "Alright. Just don't push yourself."

"I had two weeks to get comfortable with this." Koneko said. "If I don't try, then I won't be able to overcome my fear, right, Shirou-senpai?" Even though it sounded rhetorical, Shirou saw a small sparkle in Koneko's eye, as though asking for approval.

He managed a weak, awkward smile, rubbing the back of his neck. "R-Right." He placed a finger to the ear that held his transceiver, pushing the small button that enabled contact. "Buchou, we've reached our destination. You were right. They had some of their guys here."

[How many?]

The voice from the other end of the line came in loud and clear.

"Koneko says four."

[Is she sure?]

Shirou turned to Koneko, the girl getting the same transmission he was. She nodded, looking certain.

"100%, Cap'n."

[I suppose it's a good thing. With our strategy in mind, it's best to take down a small number of their forces at a time rather than taking on large groups at once. Don't forget the plan, Shirou.]

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I know." Shirou said, appearing as though he had heard this lecture several hundred times. "It's important they don't realize what our tactics are or how we intend to defeat Riser. Our Trump Card."

[Exactly. And no matter what, you and Issei must not be defeated in the game or it will all be for naught.]

"Roger that, Devil-1!" Shirou said, raising his leg into the air. "We are in position and ready to rain hell down on those bogeys!"

[All of you, be careful.]

[Yes, ma'am.] All of them said in unison.

[And Shirou?]

"Yes?"

[Go wild.]

"Yeeeeehaw!" With more theatrics than necessary, Shirou delivered a a powerful flying kick that knocked the gym's door right off its hinges, sending it crashing into the opposite wall. "Where them bitches at!?"

Realizing stealth was a moot point when Shirou had officially thrown the tactic straight out the window, Koneko and Issei followed him into the building. They walked up a small set of stairs that led up to the stage, granting them a generous view of the four enemies that stood in opposition to them from behind a set of curtains, one of them being the same Pawn, Mira, who had beaten Issei and been subsequently KO'd by Shirou.

"We know you're there, servants of Rias Gremory!" One of them shouted. "We saw you enter!"

"Well, uh-duh." Shirou said as though it were obvious, strolling out from behind the curtain. "I kicked a door off its hinges. You would have to be blind, deaf, and dumb to not realize we were here. In case you haven't gathered, I'm not into all that "stealth" and "retreat" shit. I prefer to barge in and pummel my enemies outright. Speaking of which," He cracked his knuckles, smirking, "who wants the first go?"

One of them, a woman wearing a blue, Chinese-style dress, snickered. "A bit high and mighty for someone who had his ass handed to him by Isabela. I trust all of your broken bones mended nicely?"

"That was then, this is now." Shirou declared casually, raising his fists. "The name's Shirou Fujimura. You'll remember it as the name of the guy who kicks your ass!" He paused, glancing over his shoulder as Koneko and Issei both awkwardly came into view. "Oh, right. That's Koneko Toujou and the clown next to her is Issei Hyoudou. Say hi, you guys."

"Hi."

"...Hello."

With no reason to give their own introductions thanks to Shirou doing it for them, neither were quite sure what else to say in that situation.

The woman in the Chinese dress smirked, clearly amused. "Well, it wouldn't reflect well upon our master if we didn't return your greeting, so let's introduce ourselves, shall we? I'm Xuelan, a [Rook]."

"Mira, a [Pawn]," Mira reintroduced herself, her hateful gaze fixed on Shirou, "and don't think I've forgotten my previous humiliation. I'll get my revenge for being made a fool of in front of Riser-sama."

"Ile-" One girl in a gym uniform said.

"-and Nel~" Another girl, almost identical to the first, finished in a cheerful fashion.

[Both Pawns~!]

Shirou stared at them with half-lidded eyes. "OK, I'll admit that was a little adorable."

That was about when the twins pulled out chainsaws.

[It's disassembling time~!]

"OK, significantly less adorable now. Scatter!" His two comrades needed no encouragement as the two chainsaw-wielding lolis leaped through the air, swinging their chainsaws with a mad (yet oddly adorable) glee. "Koneko, you take on her Rook! I can take on these three!"

"What about me?" Issei asked, putting some distance between him and one of the homicidal children that had taken an interest in what his insides would look like splattered across the ground.

"You just keep running, Issei!" Shirou ordered, summoning out his Sacred Gear in gauntlet form, using its blades to block the whirring teeth of the other loli's chainsaw.

"But-!" It was clear Issei had some reservations about leaving his two friends to fight all four of them at once.

"No matter what, we have to stick to the plan!" Shirou reminded him, deflecting the girls strike using the curve of his claws, managing to push her away and create some space form him to think. "No matter how much your conscience is screaming at you to help out, you have to bear with it!"

Issei thought about it as he narrowly avoided another strike attempted by his pursuer, managing to deliver a small kick to her side, just enough that, with her position in the air, she was knocked away further than she would have normally been. Issei sighed. "Alright." With that, Issei ran away, sticking to places in the building where he was far enough to stay out of actual combat, but close enough that Shirou and Koneko could help him should any of the four enemies present went after him.

"Touching," Mira mocked, her voice giving away her position above Shirou's head, "but pretty pathetic! You should worry more about yourself right now!"

Shirou ducked his head just in time for Mira's staff to go flying over it, hitting nothing but open air. "Take this!" He turned his gaze upon the enemy suspended in the air, pulling back his fist to strike her unprotected torso. As a result of their previous encounter, Mira knew not to underestimate the force of his punches, raising her staff just in time to block the brunt of the assault and knocking her away. Shirou spun around on his heels, swinging his clawed hand around to strike at her. The Pawn maneuvered her body in mid-air by jabbing her staff against the ground, wincing as Shirou's bladed fingers grazed her side. As a touch of revenge, she waited until her body had spun 180 degrees, lashing out with her leg only for Shirou to raise his arms to block the blow. It was weak, but was well-placed enough that it almost managed to knock him off-balance.

"Tear'em to pieces!"

"Splatter his guts!"

Shirou looked to his left and then his right, noticing either one of the twins coming from both directions.

Mira, recovering her stance, also lunged at him with her spear. "You can't defend against all three of us if we attack at once!"

Shirou smirked. "We'll see." He carefully assessed his enemies. "...That one's closer!" He swung his arm 90 degrees around, catching Ile's (or perhaps Nel's?) chainsaw on his blades, the fiercely grinding metals causing sparks to flaw alarmingly close to his face. "Nice try! Form Change!" The surprised look on his opponent's face made Shirou all the more amused as his Sacred Gear started to glow, its form changing as he retained his grasp on it. Its form became more slender, a proper handle in the form of a sword hilt appearing in his hand. "Fifth Form: Ice Devil's Fang!" Gripping the hilt of his new sword as tightly as possible, Shirou used all of his strength to oppose Ile's (or perhaps Nel's?) charge, using his footing upon the ground to slowly shift, turning the girl's own momentum against her as they spun around.

It was the girl's surprise at Shirou's sudden change in weapon that caused her to hesitate, even as he swung her body around in a half-circle and launched her through the air.

"Uwah! Ile, look out!" But the girl's warning came too late as she collided head-first with her sister's skull, both girls tumbling to the ground from the sudden shock.

Shirou only had a split-second to think, _"Oh! So THAT ONE is Ile!"_ , before he turned his attention upon the still-charging Mira, the realization of her comrade's tumble arriving too slow for her to cease her attack. "Form Change! Third Form (Revised Name): Flurry Rifle!" Again, his Sacred Gear shifted forms in a bright light, taking on the familiar form of a heavy pistol-shaped firearm. "Eat snowballs in Hell, you son of a bitch!"

"Oh shi-" was all Mira had to say as the barrel of Shirou's gun started to glow white-blue, releasing a massive beams of like-colored magical energy that consumed her entire form in a brilliant light.

Shirou watched as the light finally faded, a huge _thunk_ vibrating the gym's floor as a large Mira-cicle clattered against the ground. Even if it didn't properly defeat her, it still encased her in a block of ice, something Shirou still considered a victory.

He smirked as he looked at his Sacred Gear, letting it revert back to its basic form. "I guess you weren't wrong, Ka-san."

* * *

 **Twelve Days Ago...**

 _Shirou let out a grunt as he felt Kiba's blade strike against his gauntlet knocking him off-balance. However, he didn't have any time to rest. The moment Kiba was recovering, Shirou lunged forward, clawing at Kiba. Kiba deflected the attack, thrusting forward with great enthusiasm. Shirou only barely managed to avoid being stabbed although the blade did cut through his jersey. Shirou tried lashing out at Kiba again, but the Knight skillfully evaded each swing of the blades, remaining out of Shirou's reach no matter how ferociously the king of delinquents attacked._

 _Their little dance went something like that for about thirty minutes, Shirou quickly beginning to sweat from exertion._

 _They had been at it for several hours and Shirou hadn't so much as scratched Kiba. Kiba had gotten a nick in here and there, but nothing decisive. Kiba was far faster than Shirou, but Shirou was far more durable and quick to adapt. They were the worst match-up for one another._

 _Still, Shirou made the mistake of lunging at Kiba when he should have been circling him and trying to throw him off._

 _This resulted in a kick to the back of the leg, Shirou kneeling on the ground, and Kiba placing the tip of his sword against Shirou's neck._

 _"My point." Kiba announced, looking somewhat satisfied with himself._

 _Shirou let out a small chuckle. "Alright then. Let's go again." He said with a smirk._

 _"It won't make a difference."_

 _Both boys looked to the source of the attempted off-handed comment, staring at Mikoto, the small woman sitting on a boulder with a newspaper with no apparent origin. Shirou was half-certain it was merely a prop._

 _Shirou narrowed his eyes at his mother's comment. "How-so?"_

 _"You're not wielding your Sacred Gear." Mikoto said as though that answered everything._

 _"What are you talking about?" As usual, he couldn't understand his mother's cryptic behavior. He still tried to keep his tone level though. He didn't want to appear as upset with Mikoto as he actually was. Kiba might notice and somehow find out about what Mikoto had said to Koneko. Shirou knew what his mother had done was wrong, but he didn't want others to think poorly of her for it. "Am I not using my Sacred Gear right now? Am I not trying to hack and slash Kiba?"_

 _"It's true. He is."_

 _"Thanks, Kiba."_

 _"Don't mention it."_

 _Mikoto turned the page in her paper, not even looking at Shirou. She knew that, if she did, they would have to have some form of unpleasant conversation obviously._

 _"What I mean is that you're using it like a tool." Mikoto explained. "You're using it as an object rather than an extension of your body. That's the difference between using it and wielding it. You neglect the abilities of your Sacred Gear during a fight as well as other methods of combat. If you wish to better yourself in combat, you need to learn to properly wield your own weapon first." Mikoto snapped her fingers, motioning for the two boys to proceed. "In this next match, Shicchan, I want you to change the form of your Sacred Gear at least five times. No sticking to a single form. You're free to simply switch back and forth between two different forms, but you must change them regardless."_

 _Shirou nodded, realizing this was genuine training advice. "Yes, ma'am. I'll try."_

 _"Good boy. Start!"_

* * *

 **Back to the Present...**

She wasn't wrong, Shirou realized.

On top of all of the other things Mikoto had taught him, his ability to _wield_ his Sacred Gear had improved drastically.

"Mira-nee! He beat her up again!"

"You're gonna pay for that, you rotten thug!"

The two loli twins, enraged at the defeat of their comrade, charged at Shirou again, chainsaws vibrating rapidly...then the blades burst into flames.

"Time to show you the power of the Phenex clan!"

"The power over fire and wind given to us by Riser-sama!"

One of them swung at Shirou, intending to bisect him. Shirou somersaulted right over the strike, changing his Sacred Gear to its spear form while swinging it at the other twin's chainsaw which almost impaled him. Shirou swung his staff in mid-air, firing several icicle projectiles in their direction, but one of the twins swung her chainsaw back in response, unleashing a small wall of flame that instantaneously reduced the ice to harmless water.

"What a jackass!"

"Hasn't anyone ever taught you what happens to ice in a fire?"

Shirou smirked. "Yeah, actually. I also know what I'm supposed to do when it melts." He changed his Sacred Gear back to its bladed gauntlet form. "Just make more of it!" He stabbed his blades into the ground and, for a moment, nothing happened...so nobody noticed the odd mark that was traced in the air between the palm of Shirou's hand and the ground.

Then the ground started to shake beneath their feet.

Large spikes made of ice erupted from the ground, tearing a large crevice as the ice spires rose rapidly in a specific direction: That of the twin lolis.

Despite the incoming attack, both of them grinned arrogantly.

"Oh please!"

"Weren't you listening?!"

They both charged the flames emanating from their chainsaws, releasing a steady stream of fire in the direction of the shockwave made of ice.

"Us members of the Phenex clan won't fall to your pathetic ice attacks!"

"Yeah!"

The only problem with that was that the ice wave didn't cease its movements. It kept moving in spite of the heavy inferno that was bathing its icy form. However, with how bright it was, the two twins weren't able to notice until it was too late.

Several large spires of ice shot from the earth, impaling the two Pawns without mercy.

"Ugah!"

"Uwaaaaugh!"

The two twins looked from the ice that was currently lodged somewhere around their right lungs and/or colon-area to Shirou, eyes wide.

"How could you...?"

"You'd do this to kids...?"

"Bitch, I'm the Demon King of Kuoh!" Shirou declared, flipping them the bird. "If I want to kick someone's ass, I fuckin' do it! I'm kickin' ass and takin' names and I'm givin' those names to other people whose asses I kick!" Then he added, "Plus, we dug up info on your group's members. You're twenty years old, you fakers! You've just been using magic to keep yourselves in that state for your pedo of a master!"

"Shit..."

"He saw through us."

One of the twins (Shirou gave up on trying to tell them apart by that point) chuckled, inadvertently coughing up blood. "It doesn't matter if you beat us...Xuelan will definitely-"

"Uwaaaah!"

That was about when a blue-colored blur was sent flying past them, smashing right through the stage and onto the floor below.

Amidst the wreckage was the same woman dressed in the Chinese dress, Xuelan, groaning and wincing in pain as she struggled to extricate herself from the splintered remains of the stage.

Shirou turned back to the twins, smirking. "As you were saying?"

One of them glared. "Go fuck yourself."

Shirou flipped them the bird, giving them the biggest shit-eating grin he could give while sticking out his tongue.

The two girls were consumed by a bright light, their bodies disappearing, followed by that of Mira.

[Three of Riser-sama's Pawns have Retired.]

"Woohoo! We haven't lost anyone and they already have three down!" Issei cheered from the background, pumping his fist into the air.

Shirou paused, pursing his lips. "Wait..."three"? What happened to the-HAAUGH!" It was at that point that Shirou was kicked square in the neck by the somehow flaming foot of the recently-downed Rook of Riser, Xuelan. Before he could even realize he was on the ground, the Rook stomped her foot straight down on his neck, pinning him against the ground.

"Shirou!"

"No!"

Issei charged forward, but froze in place when Shirou shot a sharp glare in his direction: A warning. Even in such a state, he was only thinking about the plan. Issei knew it was important that he stayed out of the fighting, but seeing his friend in that position severely tempted him to intervene even if at the cost of disobeying Rias.

"To think a lowly dog like you was able to defeat three of my comrades." The woman said with narrowed eyes as she increased the pressure on Shirou's neck. "To insult the servants belonging to my master in such a way, I should end your life. Accidents like that happen in Rating Games, you know?"

"Kukaaugh!" Shirou hissed out, tightly grabbing onto Xuelan's leg, apparently struggling to push her off. "Ugah!"

Xuelan tilted her head in confusion. "What was that? Did you have some last words before I crush your throat, dog?" Deciding to show a modicum of mercy, Xuelan removed the smallest amount of pressure from Shirou's neck, allowing him enough air to speak a handful of words.

"A few." Shirou admitted, coughing and gagging as he sucked in some fresh air...Then he smirked again. "Are all of Riser's servants such over-confident bitches? Koneko! Now!" Shirou tightened his grasp on Xuelan's leg, his true intent becoming obvious only in that moment.

"Right!"

Xuelan made one of the biggest mistakes in her recklessness: She took her eyes off of her original opponent. She watched in surprise as Koneko rushed towards her, a blue-colored aura gathering into her fist. Xuelan attempted to move out of the way to evade the strike, stumbling as Shirou pulled her leg back to keep her in position.

"Unhand me!" She struggled more violently, using her other foot to stamp harshly upon Shirou's chest, knocking the wind out of him but not loosening his grasp. "I said to unhand me, you dog!"

"Hey!" Xuelan turned in shock and horror as Koneko was practically right on top of her, a notable expression of annoyance on her face. "I'm the only person allowed to insult Shirou-senpai."

With that said, Koneko drove her fist hard into Xuelan's chest, driving her several feet back, the girl hunching over with the type of pain one would expect from having an organ or two knocked clean out through their mouths. Xuelan fell to her knees, hugging her stomach as she vomited saliva onto the ground. When she raised her head, a clear expression of displeasure on her face. That was Shirou's moment to push himself up off of the ground and back onto his feed, brandishing his Sacred Gear, ready to fight again.

"It's over."

Shirou blinked, staring at Koneko in confusion. "It's over? She's still not unconscious. She'll get back up to fight us."

Koneko nodded. "Yeah. She untensed her body at the last second, so she rolled with the punch."

"Then how is it over?"

It was then that Xuelan started to vomit blood.

"BLEEEAARGH!" Xuelan fell to the ground, more and more blood flowing freely from her mouth. The veins in her face started to show, pulsing violently as the Rook writhed on the ground in pain. It was only with tremendous will power that she managed to push herself up enough to shoot a murderous look at the trio of Rias' servants. "What did...What did you do to me!?"

The two Gremory Pawns looked at Koneko, wondering that same question.

"I infused my punch with Senjutsu to damage your blood vessels and interfere with your circulatory system." Koneko explained.

"Jesus Christ, Koneko..." Shirou noted, wincing at the thought of whatever brutality Koneko must have inflicted.

"It looks bad, but it's just a few popped blood vessels among other things. Maybe a ruptured organ or two. No major damage that should affect her outside this battle." Koneko said casually. "She'll be right as rain after a few days with the proper treatment." She looked back at Xuelan, the Rook not exactly relieved by the news as she vomited another round of blood onto the copied-gym's floor. "Was that what you were worried about, Senpai?"

"No no no!" Shirou shook his head, raising his hands. "It's just that...that's pretty hardcore."

"Told you Senjutsu was dangerous." Although, her words sounded slightly more playful than the last time she had said it. Less fearful.

"Yeah, well, it's all good as long as its directed at our enemies. Your power is pretty much the shizznit." Shirou said, impressed as he crossed his arms behind his neck. "Damn, I knew we'd win, but I didn't think we'd do it so easily."

"Yeah!" Issei agreed. "You guys didn't even need my help!..." He pouted, suddenly looking depressed. "Although I'm kind of disappointed I didn't get the chance to unleash my super awesome sexy technique..."

"Issei, for the last time, spontaneously stripping girls of their clothes isn't magic." Shirou complained, rolling his eyes as he remembered Issei's proposed "signature move". "If it was, rich and handsome guys would be considered master-level Magicians."

"Oh you can go to Hell!" Issei snapped. "If Buchou had let me fight, I could have totally used my power to dominate all of the babes on the enemy team!"

"...I'm going to go ahead and assume you mean in battle." Shirou decided, giving Issei a look of disgust while turning away.

"Bah! Who cares what you think, right, Koneko?" Issei turned to their team's Rook, hoping for some support against the person he had thought was the person she hated most.

"...Touch me and I puke." Koneko threatened, staring at Issei with the same cold look at Shirou.

"Heheheheheh..."

All three Gremory servants pause, noticing the pained laughter coming from their incapacitated enemy. Even though blood was trailing from the corners of her mouth and her face was clearly contorted in pain from the damage Koneko dealt to her internal organs with that one punch, Xuelan still found the motivation to smile and laugh.

"You can't defeat our master, Riser Phenex..." Xuelan claimed, using what little strength she had left to avoid coughing up more blood. "He has the power of the bird of legend...Nothing you do will leave so much as a scratch on him...I doubt you newbies will even make it to him. We were only the vanguard, his weakest servants. Everyone else is way stronger than us to the point we don't even compare..."

Shirou chuckled. "Then that will just making fighting them so much more fun, won't it?" He supposed, taking the opportunity to stroll towards the exit right past the bleeding girl.

"By the way, you dog..." Xuelan said, addressing Shirou directly. "If you're moving on, don't think Isabela has forgotten your challenge. She was quite interested in seeing whether or not you got as strong as you promised. As she's my senior as a Rook, I would be pretty annoyed if you disappointed her..." And then she disappeared in the same light as her comrades.

[Riser-sama's Rook has Retired.]

"Hmph. There's nothing to worry about." Shirou assured the Rook as light began to gather around her body as the signal for her Retirement. Koneko and Issei took this as the sign to follow after their friend towards the exit. Shirou didn't let them see his annoyed expression. "I'm going to do what I promised: I'm going to crush her!"

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** Assault on the Enemy's Territory! The Rating Game's End Approaches!

* * *

 **Been a week since my last update, so I decided I may as well. This is part 1 of the 3-part finale.**

 **Part 2 is TECHNICALLY done, but not quite. I have the plot bits all ready to go, but I can't write a fight scene for shit. If anyone wants to enlist as my fight scene writer, I'm open to it. Part 3 is halfway done.**

 **Seriously, I need someone to help me out with that shit. I can't write fights for shit.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	30. Chapter 26: The End Approaches!

**Yeah, I ended up deciding to split the finale into three separate chapters! Saved me a LOT of time trying to tactfully transition between scenes!**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Which means I don't own shit! Try and claim copyright now, bitches! XD**

* * *

 **Chapter 26: Assault on the Enemy's Territory! The Rating Game's End Approaches!**

Within an observation room of his own, Sirzechs Lucifer, formerly Sirzechs Gremory, watched the match between his younger sister, Rias Gremory, and the son of the Phenex clan, Riser Phenex, unravel.

"It appears as though there is some hope left after all." Considering how his sister's usual tactic relied generally on brute force, he found himself surprised when one of the two interesting individuals he had wanted to observe, the Red Dragon Emperor, Issei Hyoudou, did not take part in the first skirmish. Even as he watched from the other side of a TV screen, Sirzechs had experienced enough battles in his life to notice deliberate avoidance of confrontation which wasn't the style with which Rias normally had her servants fight. That was the first sign he noticed that something was off. "What do you think Rias' strategy is, Grayfia?"

His Queen and wife, Grayfia Lucifuge, did not respond for several moments, a pensive expression fixed upon her face. "I cannot say, Sirzechs-sama. To keep a powerful piece such as the Red Dragon Emperor out of play, with it being so early in the game, I can't conclude anything yet."

"To be fair, it didn't appear as though Koneko or her senior Pawn required any assistance." Sirzechs noted, smiling softly. "So many factors had disrupted my initial prediction of the game's outcome and just the first battle has already made a few things even more unclear."

"They _were_ trained by the current Slash Empress for the past fourteen days," Grayfia said, her eyes refusing to leave the screen, "so it is only natural that things turn out unexpectedly."

"Ah yes, Mikoto Fujimura," Sirzechs closed his eyes, recalling the last time he had met the woman. Especially for a human, she was an interesting individual. If it weren't for her dislike for Pure-Blooded Devils, she would have made an excellent addition to his Peerage. Souji hid it well, but Sirzechs could tell he was disappointed when Mikoto refused his offer. "One of Rias' servants, the Pawn, Shirou Fujimura, he is her son, correct?"

The hesitation Grayfia had before answering didn't go unnoticed. "Yes." Sirzechs raised an eyebrow. "He's an unruly child. Reckless and immature with no respect even towards your sister, Rias-sama."

"I see..." Sirzechs started stroking his chin, observing as Rias' three servants exited the replica of Kuoh Academy's gymnasium. He couldn't help but focus on the young man with snow-white hair. "He seems oddly familiar, doesn't he, Grayfia?"

"It would make sense, considering he is Mikoto Fujimura's child." Grayfia responded as though the question wasn't rhetorical.

"Are you sure?" Sirzechs asked, his gaze turning from the TV screen to his wife. "He looks nothing like the Mikoto Fujimura I recall. If anything, he looks more like someone else I remember. Do _you_ think his face rings any other bells? I could swear he looks like someone we know."

"Sirzechs-sama, with all due respect, any passing resemblance they have is coincidence." It wasn't hard to detect the growing coldness in his Queen's voice.

"I'm sure _that_ is why you've been so hesitant to discuss him." Sirzechs said offhandedly. He paused as something on the screen caught his eye. "...Well, that or the fact he's currently flipping the bird towards the cameras." Sirzechs casually turned down the volume to 0, but there wasn't anything he could do about censoring the obscene gesture itself from Grayfia's eyes. He never could figure out all of the functions to TV remotes. "Wow, he seems pretty steamed about something...Wait, I thought our cameras had camouflage magic embedded in them so the chances of cheaters getting around our surveillance were lessened?"

"They do. He's probably just guessing or perhaps he detected differences in the-"

"-Oh look, now I believe he's mentioning you-or rather-a certain "silver-haired maid chick"." Sirzechs pursed his lips as he read subtitles that appeared on the screen. "It appears you've also made an impression on him, Grayfia."

"It appears so, Sirzechs-sama." Grayfia said albeit a bit more rigidly. "Truly a waste of Rias-sama's Pawn."

She was clearly focused on skirting around the issue. It was a mere guess based on assumptions, but there was something that made the boy seem so familiar that it was hard not to take it seriously. "Grayfia, you can't just pretend that the similarities don't exist." He said, knowing full-well that argument was futile. "If you hadn't at least considered the possibility, you wouldn't have hidden the fact from me that not only was Mikoto Fujimura still active but also the fact she obtained a child. You knew the Slash Empress as well as I did all those years ago. She never would have done something like this of her own volition...The woman who slew countless foes, taking their heads with her blade. The fact she possesses the title of Slash Empress proves how powerful and merciless she is-how merciless she _was_."

"Having a child changes a woman." Grayfia explained in a fashion too cold for anyone to actually believe that was what she thought. "She gave birth to that child and turned over a new leaf."

"Grayfia-"

"Sirzechs-sama, I refuse to speak any more on this matter." Grayfia said flatly, her increasing anger towards the subject being properly concealed as befitting a Queen of a Maou. "You are mistaken in your assumptions and that will be the end of this conversation. I must focus more on my duties as announcer for the Rating Game." With that, she turned her back on Sirzechs, determined to ignore any further discussion.

"OK then, Grayfia, then tell me this: What if I'm right? If it's not a coincidence?"

For once, Grayfia didn't have an answer.

They descended into a long, cold silence...

* * *

"You done flipping off Grayfia-san and the other nobles yet, Shirou?" Issei asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable as Shirou continued sticking up both of his middle fingers.

"Not yet." Shirou said, raising his middle fingers in the air for all to see. "I want them to know exactly what I think of them."

Koneko shook her head, sighing. "I'm pretty sure they got the message within the first five minutes of you flipping the bird." Koneko said. "Seriously, I'm surprise you haven't pulled a muscle in your hands."

"Hey, with all of the shit those nobles sitting in their hoity-toity thrones in their hoity-toity rooms with fancy bubbly waters and golden toilets and shit are putting us through, I have the right to flip them off." Shirou said.

"I thought you were enjoying the thought of fighting total bitches?" Koneko pointed out, feeling more and more confused as to her comrade's reasoning. "Aren't the nobles the ones who gave you this chance to kick ass?"

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, but it's only for their own convenience. Just like that Rook, they're all expecting us to lose even now and it pisses me off." Shirou shoved his hands into his pockets. He bit his lower lip, glaring up at the sky as if it had eyes. "I hate being looked down upon." Pausing for a moment, he took one of his hands out and flipped the bird at the sky again. "Just like Riser, they're people who have probably never raised a finger to help themselves are watching and judging us as though they were our betters. They can suck my dic-"

"Shirou!"

"-tionary," Shirou finished as if that was what he was actually going to say. "People who have never experienced hardship shouldn't have any right to judge us."

"...Well, why were you flipping Grayfia-san off though?" Issei asked, feeling as though that was a major hole in his suddenly dramatic reasoning.

"Oh, I just think she's a total bitch." Shirou answered casually.

"You better hope Buchou doesn't hear you say that." Koneko warned. "She might take it personally."

Something about Koneko's warning struck Shirou as odd. "Huh? What do you mean she'd take it personally?" No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't quite find an answer.

Before Koneko could answer, she paused. Everyone felt it at the exact same moment, Koneko's twitching ears being the sign of what was to come.

"Look out!"

They weren't quite sure who said it. Whether it was Shirou, Koneko, or Issei, it didn't matter. The only thing they registered was the sudden blinding flash of light that lit up the artificial sky. Shirou and Issei were blown away by the sudden explosion that shook the air itself, Issei being blown flat onto his ass with Shirou only barely able to remain on his feet. When the dust cleared, the two Pawns realized that they were not, in fact, the ones who had been struck by the explosion. A few scratches, but no actual damage.

That only left-

"Koneko!"

"Koneko-chan!"

Laying in the middle of a smoking crater, most of her clothing burnt to ashes with many burns across her previously flawless skin, was the Rook of Rias Gremory.

Shirou was the first to snap out of his shock, immediately rushing to her side. He lifted her up in his arms, trying to get a good grasp on the severity of the wounds the explosive power had dealt her. It certainly didn't look good, but it wasn't as severe as Shirou had thought it would have been. Even with a Rook's defense, Shirou had expected at least a few broken bones, but the damage done to Koneko was superficial at best. When he really examined her, he couldn't discern anything that was broken or damaged aside from her flesh.

"It...It's fine..." Koneko said weakly, her eyes snapping open so fast that Shirou jumped. She winced as she struggled into a sitting position, aided by Shirou. "Damaging an opponent's insides isn't the only use Senjutsu has." She smirked, as if she was giving a major spoiler. "There is a second ability derived from it known as Touki, which allows the user to increase their power by controlling their own life energy. Even though I'm still nowhere near a master's level, I can manage to at least defend against a spell like that." However, she was still clearly in pain despite her strong words. "I'm fine...really."

"No good." Shirou shook his head. "We need to get you back to Asia."

"Really, I would be less concerned with her and more concerned with how fucked you are right now." The woman flying in the air above them taunted arrogantly.

"Oh my God!" Shirou stood up so suddenly that he almost dropped Koneko, pointing in shock at the woman floating in the air.

"That's right." The woman agreed. "I am the Queen of Riser Phe-"

"Another exhibitionist!"

"-nex..." The violet-haired woman finished, losing her previous air of amusement. "...What?"

[What?]

Nobody was quite sure at first what Shirou had said.

"Rias has a new friend!" Shirou tapped the receiver in his ear. "Rias, good news! You have a new friend"

[Shirou, what _are_ you talking about?] Rias asked through his ear piece.

"Just look at her!" Shirou said, gesturing to the floating woman. "Look at her outfit! Her breasts are practically falling out of her dress and you can even see her panties from down he-Oh, she's not wearing underwear."

"Wait-what?" It was only then that Issei really started paying attention, suddenly taking an interest in edging towards the Queen with his eyes directed straight up.

[Shirou, I can't see what you see nor do I care it is. How's the situation?]

"Well, Koneko got blown up (she's fine by the way) and Riser's Queen showed up, soooo..." He smirked. "Things are going just as predicted more or less."

It was that sentence that caught the attention of Riser's Queen. "What was that?" However, she quickly regained her confidence. "Are you trying to bluff? You're not very good at it. I've already downed one of your group's members. Considering you only have seven, that makes it a much more grievous loss to your group, doesn't it?"

"Well, it's not like she was defeated," Shirou said, looking at Koneko who stared right back. Then he turned back to Yubelluna, "and we _do_ have a healer on our team. Oh, by the way-KIBA, GET HER!"

Riser's Queen suddenly turned around, her staff raised to block against an unforeseen sneak attack, magic circle in front of her. However, her smile of a predator about to kill its prey quickly faded as she realized there was nothing but empty air. There was not a blade, spell, or enemy to be seen aside from those on the ground. "What are you talking about?" She turned and glared at the snickering snow-haired boy on the ground. "Stop trying to stall your defeat and accept it with a little more grace!"

Shirou set Koneko gently on the ground, smiling as he raised his hands in surrender. "OK, you're right. I was just messin' around a li-RIAS, GET HER!"

Riser's Queen hesitated slightly that time, but Shirou's shout was so convincing that she found herself turning around again, ready to blast her enemy to pieces.

Again, her hostility met only empty space.

She tightly gripped her staff, gritting her teeth as she turned back to Shirou with an unmistakable hate. "Brat, you better stop fucking with me!" She aimed the tip of her staff at the Gremory servants on the ground, all of them becoming increasingly alarmed as a large magic circle appeared. "Know what? Screw it! The sooner I'm rid of you, the sooner I can return to Riser-sama's side!"

"Alright, alright." Shirou said, sighing. "You win. We can't beat yo-AKENO, GET HER!"

"I'm not falling for that again!" The woman shouted, deciding to increase the amount of magical power she was pouring into her spell.

"NO, SERIOUSLY, AKENO! NOW'S YOUR CHANCE! HER GUARD'S DOWN!"

"I told you I'm not falling for that! Just shut up and explode!"

"COME ON! YOU CAN TAKE HER OUT IN ONE SHOT! DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE!"

"Knock it off!" Riser's Queen growled, becoming more and more pissed off the more Shirou spoke. "I'm not that stupid! Do you really underestimate your betters so arrogantly!? Get it through your thick skull that I won't fall for the same trick three times, you STUPID, IN-BRED, HUMAN SHI-"

BANG!

The huge blast of lightning struck the Queen's side with the force of a cannon, causing her to become just another part of the charred earth.

"No one talks to my future man-slave like that~" Akeno said in a teasing voice although she was not smiling.

"Nice shot, Akeno!" Shirou praised, giving her a thumbs up. He paused, frowning as he processed what she had said. "Wha-Man-slave?...What?"

"Glad to see I didn't miss the party~" Akeno said playfully. She watched as Riser's Queen, still not-yet-defeated, struggled to push herself from the ground. "You got to love the overconfident ones~ They talk a big game, but they always end up screaming like little school girls. Good job on those feints by the way, Shirou. She lowered her guard so much that she didn't even notice me."

Shirou grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. "Nah, I just thought it'd be fun to troll her a little." He tapped the ear piece again to contact Rias. "Buchou, the plan worked."

[Excellent. Good job everyone.]

"To create an alternative plan in case Koneko and I managed to defeat Riser's servants in the gym on our own." Shirou said, "Impressive."

[Fujimura-san to focus as much on strengthening my mind as I would my power. You know she carries around an alarmingly large number of books on warfare tactics?]

"Weird." Although, considering how little he realized he knew about her, he couldn't really believe his own comment.

[Regardless, since you and Koneko were able to deal with the four in the gym without Issei, Akeno was able to save up her power for her surprise attack.]

"Grrr! Don't think you've won!" Yubelluna growled out, taking long, deep breaths as she glared at the four of them. "I still have more than enough magic power to wipe you all off the face of this world if I so desired!"

"Is that a challenge?" Akeno asked, amused.

"Listen, chick," Shirou said, scratching his head, "I'm not a teacher and I have at best a B/C-average in math, but I'm pretty sure 4-to-1 isn't exactly in your favor." He looked at Koneko, now-standing but leaning heavily on Shirou. "OK, make it 3-and-a-half-to-1." Then he looked at Issei, the young man looking awkward as Shirou suddenly remembered what their victory plan was. "...2-and-a-half-to-1 is still better."

"No, it's just going to be 1-to-1." Akeno stated as if there were no argument. Rias' Queen came to a rest on the ground next to them, placing a hand on Shirou's shoulder. "You and Issei need to move on to the next objective and Koneko needs you two to protect her while she recovers."

"Then Issei can take her on his own." Shirou argued. "If it's you and me, we can take down Riser's Queen no problem. She's already wounded!"

"Ufufufu...How cute." Riser's Queen chuckled as if her skin wasn't smoking from Akeno's attack. When she started reaching into her cleavage, Shirou knew she was either touching herself out of some exhibitionist pleasure or pulling the ace from her sleeve (breasts in this case). Despite deeply considering the former, Shirou knew they weren't going to be that lucky. "Did you fools truly think we didn't have any contingency plans if you were to, say, wound me?" When Riser's Queen showed her hand again, it was firmly grasping a small, fancy-looking vial. "Tell me, do you know what this is?"

"Very fancy perfume?" Shirou guessed, finding the enemy's words ominous. "Super duper fancy perfume Riser bought for you?"

Again, the enemy Queen laughed at Shirou's words. "Sorry, but this is _far_ more valuable than that."

"Senpai, we have to go." Koneko warned, suddenly seeming alarmed.

"She's right, Shirou." Akeno agreed, suddenly looking serious. "Those are Phoenix Tears."

"...They're like healing potions, aren't they?" Shirou was able to get a good idea as to what they could do just from the name. "Probably like the Phenex regeneration thing?"

"Ding ding ding! Give the brat a prize." Riser's Queen taunted, using her thumb to screw off the cap of the vial, sprinkling it over her body. "Observe." And Shirou did just that. He watched in awe, annoyance, and horror as all of the burnt skin on her body slowly started to revitalize, becoming just as pure, white, and flawless as it had been before Akeno barbecued her. Every last cut and bruise from the blow and the subsequent impact on the ground close and faded. By the time the process had finished, the only sign she had been wounded at all was the damage done to her clothing. She let a sigh of content, affectionately rubbing her newly healed arm. "I feel like a new woman."

"OK, so for the record, I would like to go back and revise a previous statement." Shirou said, rubbing the back of his neck. "She _was_ already wounded."

"And while we're on that subject," Riser's Queen extended a hand, a magic circle appearing on the ground beneath Shirou's feet, " _Die_!"

"Shit! Move!"

GOOOOON!

If any one of them had been a split-second slower, they would have winded up in the hospital with possibly every bone broken. The crater created during the attack on Koneko looked like some hole a kid dug in the sandbox compared to the massive pit created by the enemy's spell.

"Shirou, you and Issei have to take Koneko-chan and get out of here." Akeno ordered with a more forceful tone, tightly gripping his collar. Shortly before the explosion, Akeno had needed to literally _drag_ his ass out of the fire. She gave Shirou a gentle push, making him stand on his own two feet, but frowned when Shirou stood adamantly in place. "This isn't up for debate. You and Issei have the most important roles. Do you want all of this training, all of this planning to be for nothing?"

"No." Shirou grumbled, clenching his fists at his side. "But I don't want you to get hurt either!" For a moment, Akeno paused, staring in surprise at Shirou.

Shirou was almost jerked off his feet when Issei roughly grabbed his arm. "Did you already forget what you told me before?" Issei asked, clearly just as uncomfortable with the situation as Shirou was. "No matter what your conscience tells you, you have to stick to the plan. Just like Akeno-san said. If we fail, then all of this would be for nothing, so let's go!"

Shirou looked from Issei who was tugging at his sleeve, Koneko clinging to his side as she struggled to sand, to Akeno, the girl giving him a nod.

"Fine." Shirou sighed. He walked over to Koneko and lifted her onto his back, turning to Issei. "Let's go." His fellow Pawn needed no further instruction. As they fled the area, Shirou paid one last look over his shoulder. "Kick her exhibitionist ass, Akeno!"

Rather than respond verbally, Akeno smiled, raising her hand as electricity crackled from her fingertips.

Now, the real battle begins...

* * *

"I can't believe she didn't try attacking us while our backs were turned." Issei said, running to keep up with Shirou, his senior Pawn able to keep a decent pace even while carrying Koneko on his back.

They could still hear the explosions resulting from the two Queens' duel in the distance.

"With Akeno in front of her, she couldn't afford to." Shirou reasoned, focused solely upon reaching the sports court where they were set to meet up with Kiba. "She had already been forced to use her trump card, the Phoenix Tears, prematurely thanks to the attack Akeno saved all that energy for. With the current state of things, Akeno wasn't someone she could take her eyes off of for even a second. The one second that she spent attacking us is a second Akeno could use to strike her viciously while her defenses were down. It's one thing to attack or defend against two enemies at once, but it's quite another thing to attack one foe and defend against another. I guess it was a good call for us to leave at that time because it kept Riser's Queen from attacking either Akeno or us due to a lack of focus. She knew the dangers and the stakes. The enemy's Queen is Riser's strongest servant and, if she's taken out of the game, the rest of the defenses and morale of the opposing side drop considerably which would cause their fighting power to deteriorate just as greatly, so she couldn't afford to risk what could have been a dangerous move."

Both Koneko and Issei stared at him.

"That was..." Issei trailed off, trying to process everything that just happened. "...surprisingly well-thought-out."

Shirou shrugged, a gesture that was made to look abnormal while carrying Koneko on his back. "I told you before. I take fighting seriously." He looked as though he was going to add something, but then he paused, his ears perking up.

[Three of Riser-sama's Pawns have Retired.]

"Bitchin!" Shirou cheered, pumping his fist into the air. "It looks like Kiba's taken care of things on his end. Now we only have the last two Pawns to worry about and we still haven't run into them."

"...Yet." Koneko added.

"Oh don't be a Negative Nancy, Koneko." Shirou said, waving off her pessimism. "Even if they got past us, they would still need to run all the way to our base to Promote and then run all the way back to their base where we'll already be done cleaning up by the time they get there. Odds are, Riser's going to be keeping them back for defense anyway. His Queen was probably the main offensive power of the enemies who were making for our base."

"You know, I'm surprised _you_ weren't part of the strategy-planning." Issei said.

"I'm not a real strategist. These are just conclusions I make based on what I've observed and the rest is presumptions and educated (sometimes optimistic) guesswork from all of my time spent as a rookie fighter among delinquents." Shirou countered. "In case you haven't been keeping an eye on my track-record, I'm not exactly the best when it comes to planning _ahead_ of a crises."

His friends let that thought sink in.

"...Yeah, you're right."

"In the end, Shirou-senpai is the same idiot we know and love."

"Damn skippy..." It was only a few seconds after that that Shirou actually thought about it. "Hey!"

"Am I interrupting?" Shirou almost dropped Koneko, preparing to drop-kick whoever it had been that had grabbed his arm and dragged him into a nearby shed for sports equipment. However, he _did_ almost bring his sword across the "attacker's" throat before he recognized the mop of blonde hair resting upon the boy's head. Kiba raised his hands in surrender. "OK, I guess I deserved that for stabbing you in the shoulder-"

" _Twice_." Shirou added.

"Twice." Kiba agreed. "Glad to see you're all still in one piece."

Shirou withdrew his sword, returning his Sacred Gear to its inactive state. "For the most part." He jerked his head in a way so as to gesture to Koneko who was still clinging to his back. "Koneko got hit pretty bad by Riser's Queen."

"I'll live though. You guys don't need to worry about it." Koneko said, somewhat annoyed at being treated as a helpless damsel. She pushed off of Shirou's back, stumbling slightly as her feet hit the ground. She smacked away Kiba's hand when he reached out to steady her. "I'm-I'm fine. I'm not that good at it yet, but I can use my Senjutsu to increase my recovery rate. I can stand on my own."

"Maybe we should stall a little before we go out to fight then." Shirou offered after some thought. "Wait a little longer until Koneko's in tip-top fighting shape."

"I said I'm fine." Koneko reiterated, looking increasingly annoyed. Shirou could tell by the way her tail tensed if his experience with cats is anything to go by. "Just because I was afraid, it doesn't mean I'm some fragile child everyone needs to worry over."

"Koneko-"

Kiba was faster than him though, placing a gentle, reassuring hand on Koneko's shoulder. "Nobody's saying anything like that, Koneko." He assured. "But there's a difference between needlessly worrying and making sure you don't get needlessly hurt." He saw Koneko wavering beneath his argument and added, "Besides, we should go over what information we have by this point. I did some scoping out, and things are going to get even more tense the closer we get to Riser's base."

"I figured that was a given." Shirou pointed out with a deadpan.

"OK, maybe I deserved that." Kiba admitted, continuing regardless. "I surveyed the enemy and they have three people posted at the sports court, directly between us and their base."

"Which pieces?"

"From what I can tell from observation alone, it's a Knight, a Rook, and a Bishop."

"Ooh, that's a pretty tough line-up." Issei noted.

"Then doesn't this work out perfectly for us?" Shirou asked, leaning his back against a nearby wall. "Excluding Issei, we have a Knight, a Pawn, and a Rook. Koneko's not at full-strength, but if their Bishop isn't as strong as their Queen, she should have no trouble taking her down. You can take on their Knight and I can take down their Rook. It's basic compatibility."

"True," Kiba admitted, being oddly passive about the whole matter. "Our numbers on the current field match theirs even without Issei's strength, but don't you think your own strength would be better suited to take out their Bishop while Koneko defeats their Rook...Or are you more preoccupied with avenging yourself against Isabela?"

"What are you insinuating?" Despite the scowl on Shirou's face, he didn't deny it.

"I just want to make sure you have your priorities in order, Shirou." Kiba said, speaking calmly so as to disarm Shirou. "You yourself said Rias' plan is more important than anything. If you get taken out before the time comes to put it in motion, all because you wanted to settle some kind of grudge, then we're in trouble."

[It's fine, Kiba.]

They all paused when they heard Rias speaking through their earpieces.

[I trust Shirou to earn us a victory against their Rook. Have a little faith.]

Shirou blinked, feeling as though he may have misheard her. "O-Oh...Thanks, Rias."

[What's important is keeping Issei out of harm's way. Their Rook will be more occupied both physically and mentally if she's beating up someone who swore to crush her.]

Shirou's smile immediately fell as his friends tried (not very hard) to suppress their snickers. "Oh you can all go right on home to Hell."

[It's called a joke, Shirou. You really need to develop a sense of humor.]

"That's rich coming from you...Anyway, what's the plan from hereon out?"

[I'll be taking Asia with me and launching a sneak attack on Riser's base.]

"What about Riser's Queen?"

[Akeno's facing her now. I have faith in her abilities, not to mention you forced her to use her Phoenix Tears prematurely, but should Akeno fail, I'll be counting on Kiba and Koneko to hold her off long enough for you and Issei to fulfill your roles in the plan.]

[Yes, ma'am.]

"Are you sure that's wise, Buchou?" Shirou asked, being the only one among her servants to voice uncertainty. "I mean, the plan was to wait until we have the way cleared so there was no risk of you-"

[You forget, Shirou, that we can't afford to have this turn into a war of attrition. I know it's a risky move to go in now, but with our numbers half that of Riser's, our only choice is to strike fast and strike hard if we want to stand any chance of winning.]

"But what if you're caught?"

[If you hear explosions coming from the direction of Riser's base, assume that's my SOS. Until then, I need you to make as much noise as possible to draw attention off of us.]

"Noise of the utter-destruction-of-our-enemies-variety?"

[Do you ever make any other? Feel free to fight to your heart's content.]

"Heehee!" Shirou smirked, cracking his knuckles. "Bring it on." He turned to the others, doing his best to not appear worried when he looked at Koneko's weakened state. "I'm ready any time you guys are."

"Why wait?" Koneko asked, giving a soft smile. "I'm ready to take on that birdbrain, Ravel Phenex."

Kiba raised his eyebrow. "How did you know Ravel Phenex was the Bishop I was talking about?"

Still smiling, Koneko pinched her nose, shaking her head. "My nose could pick up the smell of burning chicken from close by and it's ten times more spoiled than Riser." It took the rest of them a few moments to realize that Koneko was trash-talking. With the way she was smiling, her ears twitching slightly, and her tail flicking back and forth, Shirou's willpower completely crumbled.

Whether or not Koneko foresaw the epic glomping by Shirou Fujimura, she did not fight him, his arms wrapping around her as he rubbed his face up against hers.

"OMFG~! You're so adowable when you twash tawk powmpous bitches!" He cooed as if Koneko were his own baby, petting her on the head as if she were some kind of housepet. "Who's my most adorable furry buddy~?"

"I am." Koneko admitted sheepishly, a soft purr vibrating her throat, leaving Issei and Kiba to stare in shock. "Nya~"

* * *

Elsewhere, the black cat, "Kuroneko", again feeling the slightest and most unusual pang of annoyance.

* * *

It was only after two minutes of awkward silence that Shirou realized both Kiba and Issei were staring at him. "What?"

"N-Nothing..." Kiba averted his gaze.

"Geez, I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing you two acting so chummy..." Issei scratched his cheek, uncertain how else to respond. "It's so weird. Koneko never acted that friendly with me."

Koneko's expression immediately changed back to her original harsh stoicism. "Maybe you should try harder to be less of a pervert." After that harsh comment that felt like an arrow ripping through Issei's chest, Koneko returned to her previous expression of delight as Shirou petted just the right spot behind her ears.

"If we're all ready, then we should get going." Kiba said, smiling politely. "It's rude to keep the ladies waiting."

[Right!]

As it turned out, however, there was no need to bring the fight to their enemies...

"I'm the Knight of Riser Phenex-sama, Karlamine!"

Their enemies had already come to them.

"I've become bored of trying to sniff through each other's strategy! Rias Gremory's Knight! I challenge you to a duel!"

For a brief moment, panic filled the hearts of the Gremory servants. The announcement had come so suddenly that none of them quite knew how to process it properly. Shirou and Issei hid on either side of the door, preparing for any sudden head-on assault on their hiding space. Koneko, still not at full strength, raised her fists, gathering a her blue aura into her hands again. Shirou pitied whoever winded up on the receiving end of that punch.

"What do you guys think?" Shirou asked. "It could be a trap."

"Maybe." Kiba agreed. "However, if she's being truthful about her desire for a direct confrontation, then this would eliminate any unknown factors and it would come down to our own personal strengths."

"We could always do a sneak attack." Issei suggested, feeling incredibly uncomfortable as everyone's eyes suddenly fell on him. "I mean, she's expecting an open confrontation, so she won't see a shot to the back."

"For shame, Issei-kun."

"I seriously misjudged you."

"..." Koneko didn't even have an insult that suited him.

With Issei's idea of a dishonest reaction to what they agreed sounded like a genuinely honest challenge thoroughly crushed, the other three came to a unanimous agreement. Koneko was more passive, but Shirou and Kiba found the idea of attacking someone who behaved so honestly insulted both of their prides as brawler and Knight. If they had to face an enemy, they would prefer to take them head-on in a clean fight.

Kiba smiled as he pushed open the door, stepping out into the dark of the artificial night. "Well, we can't keep on hiding once you've issued a challenge, now can we?" He prepared to draw his sword from his sheathe as he approached the woman in armor reminiscent of a knight. "I am a Knight after all." The others stepped out after him, followed by a reluctant and nervous Issei. "I am the Knight of Rias Gremory, Yuuto Kiba."

"I'm the Rook of Rias Gremory, Koneko Toujou." Koneko greeted, her piercing eyes darting left and right, as if looking for something.

"I'm the Pawn of Rias Gremory, Issei Hyoudou." Issei declared with much less confidence.

"And I'm the _significantly cooler_ Pawn of Rias Gremory, Shirou Fujimura." It was hard to tell whether or not the taunt towards Issei was deliberate or not, but it still irritated Issei enough that he tried to punch Shirou when he wasn't looking only to miss humiliatingly.

"To come directly to the front without hesitation," Karlamine said with a pleased smile, "I'm glad that warriors like you exist." She gave a small laugh. "I like idiots like you."

"Coming from the nutjob sword fanatic..." Shirou muttered under his breath.

Karlamine rubbed her chin, staring at Shirou, Issei, and Koneko with examining eyes, as if uncertain about their intentions.

"They won't interfere." Kiba stated, easily deducing Karlamine's thoughts as he pointed his sword at her. "Even if we outnumber you, I wish to duel you in a battle between Knights. It isn't a normal fight. Crossing swords is like fate itself!"

"Well said, Rias Gremory's Knight!" With that, Karlamine charged at Kiba, the repeated meeting of their swords appearing as some sort of exotic, intimate dance.

Even while uninvolved, Shirou could feel their passion as fighters. Bloodlust, passion, the burning desire that comes with engaging in a battle with a worthy opponent. Even though he disliked unnecessary violence, a real, honest fight got Shirou's blood boiling with excitement.

"So you made it, huh?" Shirou was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of a familiar voice. "For someone so close to their goal, you seem a little bored."

Shirou smirked as he turned to face the masked woman who addressed him. "Been a while, hasn't it, Izzy?" He crossed his arms, unable to keep his cocky smirk from turning into a widespread grin. "Son of a bitch, I can't believe you actually waited up! I thought you were going to blow me off!"

"It's not everyday that someone swears to crush you in a fight." Isabela said, shrugging with a small smile on her face. "I was interested in seeing whether or not you'll live up to your promise."

"Oh, I'll live up to my promise and more." Shirou said, raising his fists. "I've gotten a lot stronger since our last fight. All the training I've gone through for the past two weeks has been leading up to the moment I could face you again, this time as an equal."

Isabela took her own fighting stance, smirking. "You have a better stance than when we last fought. You're subtle about it, but you also don't appear to show any signs of wasted movement."

"Oh, really? I'm so happy you noticed! I was worried this would turn into something where you would keep underestimating me until I defeated you or something!"

"It would be remiss of me not to notice things like this when it comes to other fighters. I'm something of a battle-maniac among Riser's Peerage. A lot of them call my enjoyment of fighting annoying and vulgar. I don't get why though."

"You too!? I go through the _same thing_ with Rias and the others and I just don't always understand what they're so upset about. I liking fighting strong guys. So what?"

"I'm glad to see there are some people who agree there's nothing wrong with having a good, violent fight."

"No kidding!"

Issei and Koneko were not quite sure what they were watching. One moment, both fighters had been ready to kill one another, and the next, they were talking so casually. One would have thought they were old friends rather than enemies on the battlefield. Koneko felt a twinge of annoyance that somebody else was getting so chummy with her new best friend and felt an equally irritating twinge of annoyance at Shirou for good measure.

"Isabela, could you hurry and move this fight along." A blonde-haired girl who looked vaguely familiar commanded. When she laid her eyes on Shirou, she scowled, as if he had just evolved from a weird liquid pooling up at the bottom of a garbage can. "And be sure to break his arms _and_ his legs this time."

 _"What did I do to her?!"_ Shirou questioned mentally, surprised by the rather violent order she issued. Then he turned to Isabela and asked his question more eloquently, "What bug crawled up her ass and died?" Again, he earned an especially hateful look from the girl.

Isabela waved off the younger girl's commands. "Don't mind her. Ravel-sama is still nursing a grudge against you for calling her unattractive."

Shirou paused, rubbing the back of his neck. "Did I do that?" He looked back to Issei and Koneko. "Did I do that?" They both shrugged, uncertain as to what to tell him.

"You really don't remember?" Isabela asked, raising an eyebrow. "Allow me to refresh your memory."

"What do you mea-"

* * *

 **Flashback - 14 Days Ago...**

 _"...No way..."_

 _Shirou's thoughts were disrupted by the sound of sobs beside him. He turned and stared at Issei, tears streaming from his eyes._

 _"I-Issei? What's wrong?" To see his friend crying so much all of a sudden was strange._

 _"I'm so jealous..."_

 _"Huh?" Shirou stared with half-lidded eyes, his brain quickly putting the pieces together, connecting Issei's tears to the 15 beauties who apparently served Riser. "...Oh yeah, you were doing that whole Harem King shtick..."_

 _"H-Hey…" Riser raised an eyebrow, unsettled at Issei's odd behavior. "Rias, why is your servant looking at me like that?"_

 _Rias placed a hand on her forehead, sighing. "This boy's dream is to have a harem. I think he was moved after looking at your servants."_

 _"I don't see what the big deal is." Shirou muttered offhandedly. "Girls in kinky cosplay aren't that rare and it's not like they're that good-looking. I don't see what you're so impressed about, Issei. I actually think it's embarrassing that Riser has pride in this." Shirou paused when he heard a sigh from behind him, turning to see Mikoto, the small woman pinching the bridge of her nose._

 _"I really need to teach you about the do's and don't's when it comes to women, Shirou." Before Shirou could comprehend her meaning, there was a loud, collective scream from the members of Riser's Peerage._

 _[What did he say!?]_

 _"Huh?"_

 _As if he had lit a barrel of gunpowder, Shirou felt himself almost being blown away by the level of killing intent directed at him. Excluding Isabela, a girl in a kimono, and Karlamine, all of the members of Riser's Peerage were giving him a glare so murderous that, if looks could kill, Shirou would have been writhing in scattered, broken glass on the ground with knives sticking out of his chest shortly before an bulldozer came and ran him over...then back-up right over his face for good measure_...

* * *

 **Back to Present Day...**

Shirou clapped his hands, applauding Isabela with wonder on his face. "That was a pretty well-told and accurate flashback!"

Even though she tried to hide it, Isabela looked pleased. "I _am_ regarded as the best story-teller in Riser-sama's Peerage."

"But wait..." Shirou frowned, scratching his head. "Why is she pissed off at me?"

Isabela stared, perhaps wondering whether or not Shirou was actually this stupid or a master warrior/strategist under the guise of an idiot.

"Because Ravel-sama's a member of Riser-sama's Peerage."

"And?"

"...Because she is among those you referred to."

"And?"

"Because you referred to all of us as unattractive."

"What?" Shirou raised an eyebrow at Isabela, pursing his lips for a few moments before his eyes widened in realization. "Oh-OH! I get why you're mad now!"

[Finally.]

It was almost painful for the others to watch as Shirou tried to put it together.

Shirou shook his head. "No no no! You misunderstood me, little...uh..." He snapped his fingers, thinking for a moment. "Ravel! Lil' Ravel!" The young lady, Ravel, clearly looked affronted by Shirou's manner of addressing her, but said nothing. "I never said you girls were unattractive. Maou, no. You girls completely misunderstood what I had said."

"Oh?" Shirou had never heard a one-syllable question come out sounding like an insult before, but Ravel somehow managed it.

"Yes," Shirou continued. "I never said you girls were unattractive! You girls are all incredibly beautiful! Sexy, but in a refined and pure way rather than in a slutty way..." Shirou paused before adding, "'Cept for Riser's Queen of course. She looks totally slutty."

Isabela shrugged. "Well, she _is_ an exhibitionist."

"Then why call us unattractive?" Ravel asked, sounding more cautious-neutral than aggressive-hostile.

Perhaps he wasn't a _total_ unsophisticated dog after all...

"Again, you misunderstood my words." Shirou reiterated. "I never said you girls were unattractive. Only that you were unimpressive."

Ravel quickly changed her mind, her hate for the white-haired boy renewed with increased hostility. "Isabela, crush that miserable dog's throat so he can't talk anymore."

"Hey, don't take it personally." Shirou said, growing tired with the current conversation. "I'm surrounded by total bombshells on a daily basis. Physical attractiveness kind of loses its novelty after a while and I just stop really caring."

"So you're saying that, even if Kiyome was like..." Issei paused, staring at the sky as if it might have had eyes and ears. "...if Kiyome-senpai was like-I dunno-a big chick weight wise, that wouldn't bother you."

Shirou didn't even hesitate.

"Of course not. I love her regardless of her appearance."

* * *

"Awwwwwww~" Kiyome cooed from the observation room from which she watched the match, blushing deeply while ignoring the on-going attempts by Mikoto to stab Venelana Gremory.

* * *

"Wow...that's...that's pretty open-minded of you, man." Issei praised, clapping his hands. Shirou was a better man than he.

"Anyway, there just wasn't anything about any of you that really jumped out at me." Shirou finished, shrugging, completely unaware of Ravel's increasing anger. "I mean, it's not like I won't react to the female body, but unless it's an embarrassing or misleading position, I'm just underwhelmed by another woman flaunting her generous good looks. I don't really-WHOA!" Shirou immediately steered to the left just in time to avoid the vicious left jab by Isabela. He dropped to the ground, dodge-rolling until he gained a fair distance from his attacker. "Look, if I pissed you off about calling Riser's girls unimpressive, I'm sorry, but-!"

Isabela shook her head. "No, it's not that." She said much to Shirou's confusion. "It's just that if I don't get to beating you up now, I'm pretty sure Ravel-sama is going to tell Riser-sama I'm being disobedient and I'll be punished."

"If she has such a problem with me, why doesn't she just attack me herself?" Shirou asked.

"Ravel-sama is only ever an observer in her brother's Rating Games." Isabela explained, letting Shirou pick up on where she was going. "Her brother, as in, Riser Phenex."

Shirou tapped his chin, looking between Isabela and Ravel. "Well, that's really interestin-KONEKO, GET HER!"

"MREEOW!" Koneko leaped through the air, tackling Ravel Phenex against the ground, the two engaging in an impromptu wrestling match in the dirt.

"G-Get off me, you filthy feline!" Ravel screamed, struggling beneath Koneko's superior strength. "You're making me get my dress dirty!"

"Get over it, you useless grilled chicken princess!"

"W-What did you just call me?!"

"You do nothing during all the fighting..." Koneko said, the two's wrestling match on the ground looking more adorable and cute than "dangerous". "...and you still insult or order around those older than you!"

 _"Isn't that usually what you do to me, Koneko?"_ Shirou thought to himself, deadpan. However, he put that thought on the back-burner, turning back to Isabela, the Rook clearly conflicted about whether or not to intervene to save her master's younger sister. "Hey!" Shirou threw a rock in her direction, forcing her to move left to avoid it. "You're fight's with me! I didn't want to risk someone with the Phenex's regeneration factor getting involved in the battle at any point. Even if she is a non-combatant, a person shouldn't step onto a battlefield unless they're prepared to put their safety and even their life at stake." Shirou took a stance like that of a boxer, his feet spread apart. "Put'em up! No grudges this time! We're just going to fight til one of us drops!"

Isabela, again, looked from Ravel to Shirou, deciding to make the decision most important to her. "Very well then." She got into her own stance once again, smiling expectantly. "Come at me!"

And Shirou did.

He sped towards Isabela at impressive speed, delivering three punches in rapid succession which Isabela dodged, blocked, and dodged respectively.

The Rook brought her leg around, kicking at Shirou's head. Shirou ducked back to avoid it, letting out a breath as Isabela's foot missed by mere centimeters. She continued with several punches of her own, she and Shirou engaging in their own "dance". While vulgar compared to the art-like duel between the two Knights, their method of fighting still held a sort of charm to it.

Punch for punch. Kick for kick. Shirou and Isabela's attacks seemed to mirror one another every time they had an exchange.

Neither could attack nor defend for very long because it presented too much of an opening. They were slowly wearing one another down, but even Isabela was surprised that Shirou was waning at the same rate as her despite not being a Rook.

"You really _have_ improved since the last time we fought!" Isabela noted with a grunt, following up her previous combo with a well-placed kick to Shirou's guarded torso.

Shirou winced, rubbing the bruises that had already begun to form over the areas where Isabela had struck. "I told you!" Shirou defended. "I'm not going to lose this time! I have my own pride to consider after all! Like Riser said, and I nearly vomit when I admit he was right about anything, a blow to us is a blow to Rias!" He raised his fist. "I can't very well lose again after hearing something like that! Hraagh!" He rushed forward, head lowered with his arms raised. "I'll show you just how much I've changed since last time!"

He continued delivering punches, but something was different about his movements, Isabela could tell. Even his stance was different from the simple brawler style he had been showing seconds ago.

As she evaded or blocked his strikes, Isabela could notice the subtle changes in attack method. Unlike before where it was basic-level punches and kicks, Shirou was utilizing the back of his hand as well as the heel of his foot, two types of strikes that generated much greater damage than normal attacks. She didn't quite understand what was different until she moved in to strike.

Shirou raised his leg to block her punch while also swinging like a kick, this time using his shin and knee to strike her. Isabela let out a groan as the kick knocked all of the wind out of her. When she saw Shirou raise his leg high into the air, her instincts started screaming at her to run away.

She hopped back several feet just as Shirou smashed the back of his heel against the ground, breaking a crater the size of three soccer balls in the spot where Isabela had been standing moments before.

"I see it now..." Isabela said, eyes narrowing. "Not just strength and stamina, but you learned a new fighting style. Muay Thai if I'm not mistaken."

"You are not." Shirou admitted freely, smiling as he regained his previous stance.

"To have learned an entire style in a matter of two weeks is impressive..." Isabela admitted. However, her tone sounded somewhat condescending, "but it means nothing if your opponent can read your moves. I've fought enough martial artists that I know how to detect someone's rhythm."

"That so?"

"The rhythm unique to martial arts-users. No matter how subtle the movement, no matter what style they use," Isabela explained, "all but those without a mind possess some sort of rhythm to their technique. A sort of flow that they follow in order to use their techniques without rigidity in their moves. For a novice like you, it's announced loud and clear. You strike me using your punches and kicks and lure me closer only to stun me with your kick and try to finish it with the axe kick. You're still too obvious."

"Maybe so." Shirou said ambiguously. He smirked. "Why don't we test that theory?"

While somewhat suspicious as to her opponent's confidence, Isabela still decided to charge, swinging her fists rapidly to prevent the boy any chance of blocking or dodging to set up for any of his Muay Thai techniques.

However, she found her strikes easily blocked and deflected by sharp counter punches to her wrists. Even though he had been previously delivering blow after blow, he was suddenly put on the defensive albeit with no real damage. Each and every movement he made looked as though it was devoted to...

"Defense!" Isabela realized, putting distance between the two. "You switched to Karate."

"Damn," Shirou sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, "was it that obvious?"

"Overwhelmingly so!" Isabela exclaimed, running up to him and delivering a heavy round-house to his side. Shirou let out a growl of pain as his body was flung away by the force of the attack, quickly scrambling back to his feet. Isabela rushed him again, keeping her eyes incredibly focused on his movements as they started trading blows again. "You didn't learn just the one fighting style, did you?! How much did learn during those two weeks?!"

"Hehe! Not much, honestly!" Shirou said, wincing as he took another punch to his left side. "Ka-san didn't actually teach me any styles at all really!" He narrowed his eyes at the next punch Isabela threw, using a slap of his hand to knock the blow off-course and Isabela off-balance. "My only real skill is my ability to surprise the Hell out of everybody, so instead of learning a single style, I learned techniques of several! _Like this one_!" Shirou quickly grasped Isabela's wrist with the hand he had struck her with, hooking his other arm around hers and grabbing his own. He used his own arm as a fulcrum, using all of his strength to flip Isabela backwards high into the air before hitting the ground head-first.

If she had been any other Evil Piece, Shirou would have felt that as a good fight-ending move.

However, he knew that was too much to expect, especially when Isabela started to get up. She looked a little dizzy, but quickly shook it off, placing a hand to her forehead.

When she brought it back down before her eyes, she saw the thick, crimson liquid that stained them. "You made me bleed again..." Isabela stated, blinking as more blood started to trail down the center of her forehead and around her nose. "I really can't keep holding back, can I?"

"Huh?"

Sighing, Isabela reached for her wrists. "I had hoped I wouldn't need to, but it wouldn't be very fair towards you, who is giving it your all, for me to hold back like this anymore." It was then that Shirou noticed that she was unhooking metal braces from around her wrists and her ankles. "I'm willing to go all out now." She held out the braces out for Shirou to see before letting them drop to the ground.

They generated a significantly louder _thud_ than one would have expected when they hit the ground.

"Those were training weights." Isabela explained, experimentally punching the air several times. Even from just that, Shirou saw an increase in speed. "I was told that my strength was brutish, so I wore those braces to stunt the amount of strength I could use in normal fights. Since I'm going all out, I've decided to remove them."

Shirou grinned. "It's about damned time!" Shirou reached for his shoulder, tightly gripping his jacket and ripping it off in one fell swoop. Much like Isabela's braces, it hit the ground with a significantly less expected _thud_ considering it was made of fabric rather than metal. "I was hoping we'd take the kids' gloves off at some point before this fight was over!"

"Your jacket was magically weighted?!"

"Ever since about halfway through my training!" Shirou exclaimed. "Ka-san inscribed special runes into the fabric so as to increase both its durability and its weight. It wouldn't do much against something sharp like a sword, but in a hand-to-hand showdown, it would hold up just fine. Though, at the same time, it limited my own fighting ability. I promised I wouldn't take it off for the entire Rating Game, but this occasion is more than worth breaking that promise. It's not everyday I get to fight someone this strong!"

"Runes, huh?" Isabela examined Shirou's body much more carefully than before. "Is that your secret?"

"Yeah." Shirou showed his wrists and his torso, white-gray marks appearing as though carved into his flesh. "Ka-san taught me how to use a few runes. Unfortunately, I only managed to learn three of them before training ended, but this one is a kicker! _Ehwaz_ , the rune of hardening! Not as strong as a Rook trait, but it protects me well enough fro most weak attacks!" He paused. "'Course, now that we're going all out, I doubt they'll be very useful." He took his stance.

"Hmph!" Isabela smirked, regaining her own stance. "You just keep surprising me more and more with each passing second, kid! Let's finish this!"

"Let's!"

They both charged at one another, moving with far greater speed than they had individually possessed before. Every time they clashed, what looked like one blow was actually several. The two showed no more restraint as they had been before. Only one of them would be walking out of their fight and both were determined to make sure that it was him/herself respectively.

It was no holds-barred in a sense. Anywhere they could get in a punch or kick, they punched and kicked with all of their might. Face, chest, arms, legs, neck, anywhere.

Neither was certain how long they had been fighting for.

They only knew when the last punch had been thrown.

Knowing it to be the end, both fighters struck each other with all of their might.

Isabela's fist connected with the right side of Shirou's shoulder while Shirou's fist connected with Isabela's abdomen, both fighters' respective attacks knocking the other backward several feet.

For a few moments, both of them laid motionless, face-down on the ground with no sign of movement.

Then Shirou groaned, followed by a wheeze from Isabela...

Both fighters clawed at the dirt beneath them, returning to their feet after a great deal of struggling. They both stood there, Shirou clutching his dislocated arm tightly, wincing as his unsteady hands allowed it to hover around. Isabela, bruised, battered, and bloody, broke into a fit of coughing, falling to one knee as she spat out a glob of blood. She used her only intact sleeve to wipe the traces of blood that were dripping out from the corners of her mouth.

As if testing something, she traced her fingers down along her chest, wincing as her finger brushed up against a sensitive spot. It was likely one or two of her ribs were cracked if not broken. If they started to constrict her lungs, she would have been in serious danger. Even while in such a state, she put forth her best effort into standing back up, determined not to fall in defeat to her enemy.

Even though her defiance meant that the battle would be prolonged, Shirou could not help but feel excited, his grin returning to his face. He paused as he stared at his dislocated arm.

Knowing what had to be done, he grit his teeth, growling as he tightened his grasp around his upper arm. While positioning it in a straight direction from his side, he took a deep breath.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGHHHH!" He let out a hellish scream as he pushed as hard as he could with all of his might, resisting the welling of tears in the corners of his eyes as he forced his arm back into its socket.

There was an anti-climactic _click_ until Shirou finally took a breath, his knees buckling, Shirou almost falling to the ground.

Shirou and Isabela stared at one another with narrowed eyes, breathing heavily.

"Snrrk!" Shirou snorted, his mouth trembling as he suppressed a throaty cackle.

After he broke the silence first, Isabela couldn't stop her smile from returning. "Pffft!"

The two broke out into laughter, unable to retain a serious atmosphere any longer with how many injuries they've suffered. It was like the surprising calm that came after a severe storm, nothing but blue skies and sunshine despite the Hell that had just ensued. Isabela lightly clutched the area where her ribs had been broken, losing her balance and falling back against the ground, still laughing despite her pain.

"I'm impressed, Fujimura Shirou!" She praised, looking thoroughly exhausted by satisfied. "That was the first real fist fight I've had in a long time!"

"Same here!" Shirou hunched over, quickly straightening back as he took a deep breath. "For the past several months, everyone's either used magic or some kind of blade to try and kill me, so I almost forgot the rush of a real one-on-one fisticuffs that I used to enjoy! That was by far the best fight I ever had!"

"Yeah..." With all of the adrenaline that had been running through her body and how little energy she had to so much as get up. "I concede this fight. You have bested me."

"Like Hell!" Shirou refused, shaking his head. "We...We gotta do that _again_! That was fuckin' awesome!" Stumbling slightly, he walked over to Isabela laying on the ground, smiling brightly as he offered her his hand. "I really like you, ya know! You totally rock!"

It was so sudden and oddly worded that Isabela could not helped the tinge of pink that colored her cheeks. "R-Right. I...I enjoy fighting you too!" It was so rare for her to receive a genuine compliment or praise that wasn't related to her figure that it left her mentally unprepared. She couldn't comprehend why she was suddenly so flustered as she grabbed his hand, helping herself into a sitting position.

Shirou paused, his eyes clearly caught on something. "Hm..." He leaned forward, examining something.

"W-What is it?" She backed away, suddenly uncomfortable with how close the man who had defeated her was with his face.

Shirou pointed at the right side of her face. "Ah. Your mask broke off."

Sure enough, when Isabela reached for the right side of her face, her fingers touched nothing but her smooth-feeling skin. "Oh...It appears it has." She raised an eyebrow when she saw the disappointed look on Shirou's face. "What?"

"I dunno." Shirou shrugged, kicking the dirt like a child who had just lost his favorite ball over the cranky old neighbor's fence. "I was kind of hoping you were hiding something underneath your mask like a Dragon's eye or a magic beauty mark or some wicked scars or maybe some kind of curse marks or enchantments of some sort. Something cool or terrifying."

"I only wear that mask because Riser-sama told me to." Isabela explained, wiping off the sweat that had accumulated from the right side of her face finally being free of that suffocating mask. "He said I had a a "mysterious beauty vibe" to me and asked me to wear it at all times because it "adds to my appeal"." She resisted the urge to slap herself. When she said it aloud, it sounded so rude and ungrateful.

"Well, I think Riser's stupid as he is with everything else." Shirou said, being so much more casual about insulting Riser than his servant. "I think you look much cuter without your mask on."

"C-Cute?" It was as surprising as it was confusing. Again, she never had such casual and genuine praises and compliments. She had spent many years as a servant of the Phenex family and, while not unpleasant time spent, she couldn't recall a single one of them relating to anything aside from her generous figure. It just felt so...weird. Something that was normal to human women and most average Devils was completely alien to a servant of a noble family. "O-Oh...thanks."

Shirou paused, misinterpreting her awkward silence as discomfort. "O-Oh! That wasn't rude or anything, was it?" He asked, raising his hands. "I heard some girls get offended by that and I didn't know you were the type."

Watching from afar, largely forgotten, Issei couldn't help but marvel at how casually Shirou was talking with someone who had been trying to beat his brains in. Even Kiba's sword fight on the other side of the court suddenly seemed so mundane with the atmosphere surrounding the two. "Geez, that guy is always so casual with babes. Even though his social level's lower, he's always...always..." Issei trailed off, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. He immediately looked up, his eyes widening in shock. "SHIROU!"

"Huh?" Shirou didn't hesitate. It was as if his body was reacting to what his eyes and mind did not know. Perhaps it had been the shadow that had somehow appeared over Isabela. A seemingly unimportant thing at first caused his body to react. "Get down!" Even though his first priority should have been to himself, he found himself instead kicking his foot forward, hitting Isabela square in the chest with enough force to send her back several feet.

The shadow suddenly became smaller.

Shirou didn't fully realize what was going on even as cold metal carved through his ribs and abdomen as if they were made of paper.

The shadow was suddenly hovering over him, the shadow's owner smiling maliciously as her massive zweihander cut through his chest. "Game over, brat."

After that taunt, gravity suddenly seemed to grasp Shirou much more viciously than it had before, forcibly yanking him down to the ground after the shadow's owner removed her blade from his body. The world seemed to turn sideways.

"U...ughhh..." He was too deep in shock to even process the pain yet.

"Shirou!"

"Keep your eyes on me, Knight of Gremory!"

Darkness slowly started to shade Shirou's vision. He could hear voices calling his name, but he couldn't talk let alone respond.

[Riser-sama's Queen has Retired.]

That was...good. Shirou didn't know why, but it was. He felt the ground tremble...things were still going on...

"How pathetic for you to lose against such a lowly... _dog_." An unfamiliar voice taunted, delivering a sharp kick, the tip of their shoe digging deep into his wound. "To be honest, I think it was cruel to let a bunch of pathetic weaklings like you even stand in Riser-sama's presence let alone challenge him." A pause. "Shouldn't you be ashamed for losing to someone like that, Isabela? For accepting pity from the enemy of your master?"

[Rias-sama's Rook and Queen have Retired.]

"Siris-Wait! Stop!" Then there was a blood-curdling scream of agony followed by silence.

[Riser-sama's Rook has Retired.]

There was more screaming...

"Issei! You have to get out of here!"

Shirou struggled to stay conscious even with his vision so blurry and dark. Everything was going numb. The ground beneath him was so warm...inviting him to rest for just a little while longer

Every time his eyes slid closed, the amount of time passing before they opened again increased.

"How pathetic~"

"He's no better than a mindless beast if all he can do is punch things...A dog who can only carry out the simplest acts of violence."

"No wonder Isabela-nee got along so well with him!"

He knew he had to stay awake...but the reasoning was slipping further and further away from him.

People were fighting...He knew that...but it became harder to remember...

"Siris, could you go ahead and finish that dog off? I think he's looking at me with those unsightly eyes of his."

"Yes, Ravel-sama." He heard another voice, this one whispering into his ear, "Let this pain and humiliation teach you a lesson of not opposing your betters."

This was followed by another severe kick to his open wound followed by another shock of pain.

It was about to be over...he knew...

He was just an attack dog. He lost, so his purpose was done...

No matter what, that's what it always amounted to. He was no good as a human. The best he could do was live as Rias' dog, being a sword and shield for her and their "family".

And he failed...

It was over...

"Maybe you should remember your place next time, _you dog_."

[SHUT UP, YOU WORTHLESS COWS! DON'T YOU DARE MOCK MY BOYFRIIIIIEEEND!]

That was when something stirred in Shirou's fading consciousness. A familiar spark...Something was...

[SHIROOOOOOOOU!]

Her voice...he knew...

[What are you doing laying on the ground so pathetically, Shirou!? Get up already!]

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** Defeat the Phoenix! Rating Game's Conclusion!

* * *

 **And so we near the epic conclusion of the Riser Arc! I will be posting the next chapter...Right now!**

 **Thanks for the Reads and Reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	31. Chapter 27: Defeat the Phoenix!

**And now, the conclusion to the Riser arc.**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Which means I don't own shit! Try and claim copyright now, bitches! XD**

* * *

 **Chapter 27: Defeat the Phoenix! Rating Game's Conclusion!**

 **Earlier...**

It was a major upset that Kiyome could not believe with her eyes.

The Rating Game had started off so well in Rias' favor. Riser's tactics were weak and relied on sacrificing his own servants pointless, an act which not only wore down their numbers but left much of the enemy territory vulnerable to infiltration. Shirou and the others had cleared out the gym with no trouble and Akeno had gotten the first blow in against Riser's Queen, Yubelluna. While Akeno occupied Riser's Queen, the other three had advanced, their only "casualty" being the injuries Koneko sustained during Yubelluna's ambush.

Shirou, Issei, and Koneko met up with Kiba after the latter had successfully defeated three of Riser's Pawns, resulting in almost half of their fighting force being completely decimated already. All in all, Kiyome had had her foolish hope that that was the peak of the match's difficulty, that there was no reason getting worried or worked up.

Shirou was going to be alright. That was what she believed.

It was hard to take the match completely seriously, what with Mikoto practically screaming in her ear every five minutes at the slightest hint of aggravation by Venelana Gremory. Kiyome made a mental note to figure out the whole story as to why the two came to hate each other so badly, but decided that the present situation was hardly the best time. All Kiyome wanted to focus on was the Rating Game.

Things had started to heat up after the four servants-in-hiding were challenged directly by Riser's Knight, Karlamine.

And, for a brief moment of empty-headedness, Kiyome believed that Shirou wasn't stupid enough to charge out ahead of everyone else to accept the challenge.

Surprisingly, she was right. Shirou was the _second_ of them out of their hiding place, looking unconcerned with the fact that they had completely blown their hiding spot.

There was no shortage of enemies to go around. For whatever reason, they kept Issei out of the fighting (something that made no sense considering how he was the Red Dragon Emperor), leaving Shirou and Koneko the only two capable of fighting the approaching enemies. The two enemies identified as Ravel Phenex and Isabela...no last name.

For whatever reason, almost none of Riser's servants had surnames. While an oddity, Kiyome felt it was awkward to point it out. She didn't know if it was a Devil thing or if they were orphans or anything. She just let it slide to avoid suffering any frustration.

Koneko got into a sort of weird, mildly erotic wrestling match with Ravel Phenex, the two rolling around on the ground as Ravel tried scratching at Koneko's face and Koneko tried strangling Ravel.

Meanwhile, Shirou fought Isabela. When Isabela started bludgeoning Shirou with her fists, Kiyome had to cover her eyes. It was so... _ugly_. Compared to Kiba's fight which was noble and elegant and Koneko's adorably childish fight, Shirou's was just brutal. It was painful to watch. She couldn't understand why Shirou didn't just summon out his Sacred Gear to strike her, impale her, or do _something_ to stop her from hurting him. Even when they started essentially trying to beat each other to death, Kiyome couldn't quite understand the smile on his face.

Kiyome just kept covering her eyes, praying to God that it would be over soon. She would have kept her eyes covered the entire time if it hadn't been for Mikoto smacking her on the back of her head with the flat of a blade.

"Don't be selfish." Was Mikoto's scathing criticism of three words. When Kiyome looked up at Mikoto's sharp eyes, she felt a chill go down her spine. It was a scary expression Kiyome had seen before, but had never quite had directed at her specifically. She had seen Mikoto take that type of expression with the others, but never with her. It was a sign that Mikoto was either in the process of testing you or was ticked off. Considering the situation, Kiyome rightly assumed it was the latter in this case. "Shirou is giving it his all to win this fight for his friends."

"But...But he's going to get killed!" Kiyome screamed, immediately covering her mouth as she realized her outburst also drew the attentions of both Lord and Lady Gremory. "How-How can you just expect me to watch something like that?"

"Will not watching him change anything?" Mikoto pointed out, not taking her eyes off the screen for even a second. "This is something you've had two weeks to prepare yourself for."

"Yes, but how is he alright with being hurt like this? He-"

"No "but's"." Koneko narrowed her eyes even though the only thing she was watching was the battle taking place before them, Shirou managing to get some serious blows in after removing his jacket with weight infused into it by the runes Mikoto had drawn. "You're free to leave any time you want, but don't try to dirty the meaning of his resolve. For someone to fight with everything they have, to stake everything to win a fight, it means that they are prepared to...stake everything on it..."

Kiyome stared blankly as Mikoto trailed off.

Mikoto made several grunt and hiss noises as if she was trying to remember how to speak. After several attempts, she clicked her tongue, glaring.

"Look, I don't have anything to sound meaningful and wise this time." Mikoto admitted, throwing up her hands in defeat. "Deal with it! Just stop...wussing out and watch Shicchan kick their butts!"

"I believe what Mikoto _means_ to say, young lady," Venelana suddenly interjected, smiling softly as she turned to face the pair, "is that it's important for you to say and observe your lover's resolve. Even if he cannot see you, just the thought of you watching over him, praying for his victory, will make all of the difference." She not-so-subtly grasp her husband's hand in her own, blushing ever-so-slightly. "The reason you watch is not for yourself, but for him, to let him know you want to see him return to you safely."

Kiyome looked down, starting to go deep into thought about Venelana's words.

"Y-Yeah!" Mikoto added, suddenly on her feet (as though it made much of a difference). "That's exactly what I was sayin' earlier! That was exactly what I was talking about, supporting Shicchan and stuff! Hehehe!"

"Sure it was~" Venelana said without even bothering to lower her voice to a mutter.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Mikoto leaped at Venelana like a frog hopping through the air, but Kalawarner was slightly faster than an enraged-Mikoto, plucking her out of the air and restraining her in an impressive bear hug. "Screw you, gazonga girl!"

"Now, ladies," Zeoticus said soothingly, motioning for the two women to calm down, "don't you remember what we discussed? This is about our children, not personal feuds."

Mikoto glared daggers at Venelana while Venelana simply averted her eyes from Mikoto.

 _"It's not that I don't support Shirou..."_ Kiyome thought to herself, having come to feel indifferent to the repetitive attempts at violence by Mikoto. _"I just don't like seeing him get hurt...But the only reason he gets hurt is because he's either trying to protect me, Issei, Rias, or any of his friends and_ _family._ " She winced, reflexively shutting her eyes as one of Shirou's own blows caused his arm to become dislocated. Even while screaming in agony, Shirou didn't show any sign of slowing. _"It's not fair. Why do I have to see him get hurt to support him!? Why can't he just..."_ Kiyome buried her face into her hands.

If she had acted sooner, maybe she could have done something...If she hadn't let Shirou ever become a Devil in the first place, he wouldn't have been forced into such a dangerous battle. That day, she should have done something different. She should have had him do some odd jobs for money, she should have argued with him for hours, she...she should have just confessed to him then and there. It was a feeling like her heart was about to break, seeing Shirou hit and kicked repeatedly.

For a long time, she just couldn't understand it.

To stake everything on victory...

The match continued as normal. Even though Kiba, Akeno, and Koneko were all fighting on their own ends, the only face Kiyome could focus on was Shirou's, watching in horror as it became bloody and bruises.

When the fighting finally ended, she couldn't stop a sigh of relief from escaping her.

"It's over..." She said. Not quite, though. She knew there were still many fights to come, but Shirou had come so far and, despite being injured, he was alright...

Then the second enemy Knight came down from the air and carved through Shirou's torso with her blade.

It happened in an instant, too fast for her eyes to follow.

Even after her mind processed what had happened, she could do nothing but gape, her screams of horror caught in her throat.

The thing that intensified her horror was the fact that none of the other rooms' occupants reacted in the slightest. She expected it from the Lord and Lady Gremory, both of them having a stake in either side, Rias' side out of parental love and support for their daughter and Riser's side due to their approval of the arranged marriage they held between the two. Them, she expected it front. High-Class Devils tended to have different values from most people, but the fact Mikoto didn't so much as flinch as she watched her own flesh and blood cut down was too shocking for mere words to describe. At first, she thought Mikoto was just surprised or stunned, but even after a short time passed, Mikoto's expression showed no change.

"S-Shirou..." Kiyome said quietly. Then she stood up abruptly, repeating it with more of the terror she felt in her heart, "Shirou!" She ran over to the screen, dread filling her heart as she watched a disturbingly large amount of blood pooling up around her boyfriend's body. She placed a hand against the screen. "What are you doing?! That-" Kiyome turned to face Zeoticus and Venelana, the two appearing unconcerned about what had just transpired. "That was a cheap shot! A sneak attack! Isn't there some kind of rule against that or something?!"

Venelana waved off Kiyome's question. "In a Rating Game, the rules are the same as though it were an actual war. In battle, there is no fairness, no "cheap shots". In a Rating Game, there is only victory and defeat." Her matter-of-fact-ly tone was beginning to irritate Kiyome. "You may have objections as to the methods used during a game, but there is frankly nothing you can do about it. And with Rias' servants slowly beginning to dwindle in morale and numbers, it appears Riser will come out of this victorious and the wedding will continue as the Gremory and Phenex families agreed. I guess, in a way, this game was pointless."

Kiyome tightened her hands into fists, biting back the urge to snap back before turning to Mikoto. "What about you!? Aren't you concerned about this in the slightest?!"

"Not particularly." Mikoto's blunt response made Kiyome almost choke on her words as she processed the response.

"Shirou's being hurt!"

"A risk he knew he was taking." Mikoto reminded her with narrowed eyes. "Besides, I've said it dozens of times now. I don't particularly care about the outcome of this game. The politics of Devils don't concern me. Since Shirou will be treated by highly-skilled medical professionals and made good as new after he Retires, I have nothing to be upset about in that regard either."

Kiyome couldn't believe what she was hearing. Zeoticus, Venelana, and Mikoto. Their children were fighting their hardest out there, risking life and limb for what they believe in, and all they had to say was that it didn't matter!?

She couldn't even look at them. Truly, the world of adults was hard and cruel.

Just because they didn't care, it didn't mean she couldn't.

"Fine then!" Without any form of explanation or justification for her outburst, Kiyome sprinted out of the room, sliding slightly on the turn as she ran down the hall.

The adults in the room kept staring at the doorway until they heard the sound of her footsteps grow faint to the point of being inaudible.

"Ufufu~" Venelana covered her mouth, trying to hide her smile and suppress her giggles as she faced her husband. "It appears our daughter and her servants have quite passionate friends."

"I'll be frank," Kalawarner interjected, feeling it appropriate to break her silence at that moment, "I wasn't quite sure what you were all doing. I had thought you had either lost your hearts or gone insane."

"Teehee~" Mikoto smiled mischievously. "Well, Kiyome-chan was looking so down in the dumps and it was such a good opportunity to get her blood pumping~" Her smile became softer, almost solemn. "To watch someone you love suffer for what they believe in is hard. It's not the first time I've seen a sad look like hers on a person's face, so I think I can understand it a little. I wanted to give her a little push, something to help her persevere and support Shirou with all of her passion even if it meant she would also have to watch him in pain."

"Where do you suppose she went?" Zeoticus asked, trying to retain a professional appearance despite his clear amusement.

"Probably to go cheer on her man~" Mikoto said, chuckling.

Truly, the world of adults was filled with mischief.

* * *

Kiyome had reached her destination before she had even figured out where she was going.

Even as she ran, she could still hear the sound of announcements echoing in the hallway. Things were going poorly for Rias' side by that point.

She had passed door after door, most of them indistinguishable from the others, but she had the distinct feeling that the massive double-doors at the end of the hall was likely where her objective laid. Without a shred of hesitation, Kiyome tackled the door, breaking its surprisingly fragile lock before marching into the room, similar to that belonging to Zeoticus and Venelana only bigger and a bit more technological. There were even more screens, showing every last inch of the battlefield so not a detail would be missed. There were a bunch of weird machines and items one would expect to see inside an open computer cluttering the wall behind them.

Looking in from her position, Kiyome could only see the arm belonging to what she did not doubt was a very important Devil figure as well as Grayfia Lucifuge, the woman standing in front of the throne and looking back at the open door with the slightest hint of surprise in her eyes. Even though she was the woman feared as "the Strongest Queen", Kiyome found herself surprisingly unintimidated when she narrowed her eyes as if her interruption was the rudest thing possible she could have done.

"Listen, Grayfia-san, I need to borrow your microphone for a second."

"What? I-" The demand was so forceful and sudden that Grayfia had allowed herself to hesitate in answering, giving Kiyome room to to get a few more words in.

"I really need to say something and it needs to be heard!"

Grayfia shook her head, snapping out of her stunned stupor. "I don't believe we are familiar with one another, but I request that you leave this area immediately." She said coldly. "The only ones permitted to be here are the announcer, this being me, and my master."

"Well, listen, lady! I don't giving a flying flip who your master is! I need that-" Kiyome stopped cold in her tracks after she processed what Grayfia had said. She could not help but squeak, ""Master"?"

Grayfia Lucifuge is strong in her own right, but one of the reasons she's among the most famous of Devil servants had more to do with who her master, her King, was...

"Oh? Is there something wrong?" The man sitting in the throne-like seat stood at full-height, turning his elegant figure a perfect 180 degrees to face the "intruder". Even though he was technically the most powerful and most dangerous (to enemies) Devil in all of the Underworld, a more "womanly" part of Kiyome's mind couldn't help but notice that the Maou, Sirzechs Lucifer, was pretty damned attractive. "I apologize for Grayfia's harsh attitude, but this _is_ a restricted young lady." All of this was said with the most pleasant, elegant, and polite of tones that made Kiyome feel compelled to do exactly as asked.

"Hubablaugh..." It was amazing she hadn't melted onto the ground. Kiyome had met fairly attractive guys before, but Sirzechs was possibly the literal physical incarnation of Adonis. Kiyome had to slap herself to get her mind back on track. _"Get your head together, Kiyome! Don't forget you're here to support_ ** _your boyfriend_** _whom you love very, very much! I mean, just imagine it's Rias you're talking to...only she's male...and her attractiveness as a woman translated to her attractiveness as a man-GOD DAMMIT!"_

"Are you alright?" The Maou who could turn her into a mixture resembling butter with a single blast of energy asked.

"Uh-" Kiyome smacked herself again, finally managing to regain her focus albeit while slowly losing her nerve. "U-Um, forgive me for t-the interruption, y-your-uh-unholiness! I-I just REALLY need to see that microphone your Queen has! Just for a second!" Kiyome desperately reached for the microphone in Grayfia's hand, the woman holding out her hand to halt her as though they were playing a game of keepaway. "I know-that-it's an inconven-ience!" Kiyome grunted each time she made a grab for the mic, but Grayfia almost felt it was sad how impossible it was for Kiyome to succeed. "But-I need-to tell my boyfriend something!"

On the last lunge, Grayfia held her hand on Kiyome's face, holding her back with an almost pitying look on her face. "I am sorry, but such a request would go against all procedure and-"

"Who is the boy you're referring to?" Sirzechs asked, looking curious in a way a child would look, ignoring his Queen's warning look.

"S-Shirou Fujimura, your-erm-excellency." Kiyome said, making sure to keep a tone of the utmost politeness. There was no point in lying.

"I see." For a moment, a curious look appeared on Sirzechs' face before interest and amusement. "Why not?"

Hope filled Kiyome's heart (which was simultaneously melting from the man's warm smile), the girl bowing many times to the crimson-haired Maou. "Thank you! Thank you very much, your grace!" However, when Kiyome reached for the microphone, Grayfia snatched it away, shooting her master a look of disapproval.

"Sirzechs-sama, such an action is highly unorthodox." Grayfia said. "To interrupt the match for an announcement from an unrelated party is-"

"She's hardly unrelated, Grayfia." Sirzechs said with a smile that reminded Kiyome of the one Shirou wore whenever he was about to do something sneaky or mischievous. "She's his girlfriend."

"But-"

"Besides, I don't recall there being any rule against it as long as it is not an effort to aid either side." Even though she desperately wanted to, Grayfia couldn't argue. The rules for Rating Games stated that participants weren't allowed to receive any outside assistance or information. It never said anything about personal messages. A hole in the rules that could be easily exploited. "Besides, can you understand her even if but a little? You and I have broken far more rules in our youth when we-"

He was immediately silenced when Grayfia lashed out with her hand, fiercely pinching his cheek with a reproving look. "It's inappropriate to discuss things during formal events such as this, Sirzechs-sama."

"Ow ow ow! I'm sowwy, Gwayfia!" The Maou apologized like a thoroughly whipped dog. "I won't say anymow, I pwomise!"

While those two were busy having what was clearly a lovers' spat, Kiyome decided it was as good a time as any to "borrow" the microphone from Grayfia's hand.

While they were occupied, Kiyome returned her attention to the screen...then she froze.

She almost dropped the mic when she saw what was transpiring.

Shirou was unresponsive on the ground, not even reacting as Riser's second Knight started viciously assaulting him with kicks and stomps, deliberately targeting the open wound. Even though it was unlikely he was still conscious, she still continued to inflict as much pain as possible over and over again, Shirou's ability to scream clearly inhibited by what was no doubt damage to his lungs.

With Kiba too occupied with his own opponent, Koneko and Akeno defeated, and Issei refusing to fight for whatever selfish reason, there was nobody to stop the one-sided abuse. And it only got more severe as the rest of Riser's servants started to show up, leaving Rias' team horribly outmatched.

[How pathetic~]

Even though these events were actually happening a great distance away, Kiyome could hear their voices clearly as though they were right next to her.

[He's no better than a mindless beast if all he can do is punch things...A dog who can only carry out the simplest acts of violence.]

[No wonder Isabela-nee got along so well with him!]

Those women, those wicked harpies who looked down on Shirou even though none of them raised a hand to help fight. When not a single one of them aided their comrades who were in danger.

[Let this pain and humiliation teach you a lesson of not opposing your betters.]

People who had given up on trying were looking down upon the man she loved...

[Maybe you should remember your place next time, _you dog_.]

That was when Kiyome finally snapped, holding the microphone tightly in her grasp, screaming at the top of her lungs:

"SHUT UP, YOU WORTHLESS COWS! DON'T YOU DARE MOCK MY BOYFRIIIIIEEEND!"

In the long, drawn-out silence that ensued, Kiyome could swear she felt every single eye observing or participating in the game turned in her direction. Grayfia narrowed her eyes while Sirzechs rested on his throne, leaning on his arm with an interested look on his face. Together, the attention was a bit overwhelming. However, Kiyome's anger steeled her resolve too much for her to be intimidated by that point.

She took a deep breath, focusing on the white-haired young man laying on the ground.

"SHIROOOOOOOOU!"

The confusion was evident on all of the players' faces, the fighters ceasing their actions to stare up at the sky.

"What are you doing laying on the ground so pathetically, Shirou!? Get up already!"

* * *

[Shirou! Why are you almost giving up!?]

Shirou's vision was completely clouded in darkness. If it wasn't for the near-unbearable sensation of pain in his torso, he would have mistaken himself for dead.

Still, even within that darkness, he could hear her voice.

[I like you when you're looking up! Even when others knock you around, you never give up! It was one of your best traits! It's part of the reason I fell in love with you!]

The more he tried to force himself back into consciousness, the more intense the pain became.

[But here you are, laying around with such a defeated look on your face! Are you going to let someone like Riser win!? Are you just going to let everything you've all worked for be for nothing!?]

Their faces passed before his eyes...Issei. Rias. Akeno. Koneko. Kiba. Asia. They all trained so hard for this day...This important day...Their trials, their pain, they took it all in preparation for this day, so they may protect their master...

[I need you to keep being the real you, the cool guy who keeps standing up for his friends no matter what!]

Even as his eyes slid open, all he could see was a dark haze.

[You need to stay cool in front of me at all times, you idiooooot!]

"Ki...yo...me..."

Even breathing was an agony in itself. Shirou's muscles twisted and tightened, but the rest of his body refused to obey his command. Even if it was hard for his mind to make sense of her words, he knew that they were right. Any real effort or push only served to increase the rate at which his blood flowed out from his body, staining the ground red.

 _"Damn it..._ _"_ Shirou groaned mentally, trying desperately to rid himself of the heavy pressure in his head. _"I have to...I have to get up...I...I can't, damn it...!"_

[Please! Keep fighting, Shirou! You have to keep fighting!]

 _"But...Kiyome..."_ The more he heard her voice, the more revitalized he had started to feel.

[She's a noisy hume-pup, isn't she, Devil-pup?]

That time, Shirou knew it wasn't Kiyome's voice. The main evidence being the fact that he had heard it with the utmost clarity and it sounded more like a gravelly, growl-y sort of voice that was disturbingly familiar.

[It's been quite a great deal of time since we last spoke, pup. I daresay you've become much stronger than when we last spoke. I daresay that, if I still possessed my body, your flesh would have actually been worth eating.]

 _"Uh...thanks?"_ Shirou asked within the dark mental void inside his head. _"What do you want?"_

[It appears that you are in a situation where the power you require is beyond that which you currently possess.]

 _"Astute observation..."_ Shirou muttered sarcastically.

[However, if you so desire, I could gladly grant you the power you require to attain victory.]

Shirou's mental form raised an eyebrow. _"What are you talking about?"_

[It is your physical form, not your magical power, that has been damaged of this moment. If it weren't for the wound you sustained, you would still be capable of partaking in many more battles.]

 _"I still don't see your point."_ Mental-Shirou said impatiently. _"Are you just here to rub it in, you ego-maniacal insanity voice?"_

There was a sudden clap of thunder, lightning flashing in the darkness as the temperature fell drastically. Shirou presumed either he was dying or something was taking place outside his body in the real world. If he peered deeper into the darkness, he found himself able to make out a barely-distinguishable shape, a beast with glowing, golden-yellow eyes, staring right back at him.

[Still your tongue, pup! For all of your disrespect and insolence, I could have very well devoured your soul from inside you, rendering you a lifeless husk of your former self!]

Shirou detected a deep anger from the silhouette in the darkness...the owner of the voice.

[If you wish for my assistance in this fight, then I shall gladly grant it...]

 _"Buuuuut?"_ Shirou asked. It was so one-sided and good that there had to be some kind of catch.

[As I said before, your body is currently in no shape to partake in battle. The power I grant you will remove all physical limitations caused by your wounds. However, it does come at a price.]

Lightning flashed again, allowing Shirou to make out much more of the silhouette's shape. A wolf-like figure...Horn-like protrusions and fur of a gray color.

[Even if I remove your pain and your physical inhibitions, the damage to your body will remain. If you push yourself too far, your wounds will worsen and you may cause irreparable damage to your body.]

 _"That's all there is to it?"_ Shirou asked.

[Yes. As I said, you will be able to keep fighting, but afterwards, you may not fully recover. You may never fight properly again.]

 _"Geez..."_ Mental-Shirou said, rubbing the back of his mentally-projected neck. He turned back to the wolf, smirking. _"And here I was thinking the consequences were going to suck."_ He stared at the silhouette, his resolve unwavering. _"What are you waiting for? Let's do this!"_

Surprisingly, it was the wolf who hesitated this time around.

[Are you sure, pup? There will be no time for regrets later.]

 _"Just the way I like it."_ Shirou said. _"If you're going to have regrets, then there would be no point in doing something in the first place. I'm resolved to see this through."_

[Hmph...what an odd pup you are. During my many years of life, the thing people like you have always craved has been power and wealth, always living for oneself. Tell me, what is it that drives you?]

 _"My convictions."_ Shirou answered. _"I'm determined to see this path through to the very end."_

[Is that all?]

 _"Of course."_ Shirou confirmed. _"Having convictions means always doing what you believe in. In the end, your convictions, your reason to fight, your reason to live, are what drive you. Even if everyone thinks you're stupid, as long as you don't falter, that's all that matters."_

For a moment, it looked like the wolf was stumped.

[It appears you are truly an interesting partner...]

* * *

The remaining participants on the field of battle took a great deal of time to comprehend the odd announcement that had just played over the speaker, although it appeared to have come as more of a confusing event towards Riser's remaining servants. Kiyome Abe's voice was one that was unfamiliar to them, so they had trouble understanding the purpose behind the message at first.

Kiba, who had paused in his duel against Karlamine, could not help but smile sadly. It was a noble and beautiful gesture, but a futile one regardless of how bitter that thought was. He had seen or endured many injuries, both during his training with his master as well as during his service under Rias. There was no way someone could continue fighting after coming so close to being cleaved in two.

If Shirou had been but two steps closer, Siris' sword would have completely cut down the center of his body, severing arm, shoulder, and all. With the amount of blood on the ground around him, the odds of him getting back up decreased even more. It was a miracle he hadn't Retired yet...but mainly worrying. Even though Shirou was critically injured and clearly unconscious, the Retirement system hadn't activated yet. It was nerve-wrecking to those who were aware of the rare but not unheard of history of the Rating Games. More than once, the Retirement system had failed or glitched during the Retirement process, causing the deaths of several players.

With Shirou's injuries, the thought of something like that occurring scared Kiba.

Either way, with Shirou out of commission, their plan was in jeopardy. They couldn't take anymore chances.

"Issei, you have to get going!" Kiba was the first to snap out of the confusion, addressing his remaining conscious comrade. "You're Rias' only hope now!"

Issei blinked several times before nodding. "R-Right!" Taking advantage of the confusion, Issei pushed past Riser's remaining Knight, rushing to the enemy's base. Even with the rest of Riser's servants, two Pawns, one Bishop, and his second Knight, they weren't able to get over their confusion fast enough to stop Issei's advance.

"Huh?! O-Oh no you don't!" Siris only seemed to understand what was going on, causing Issei to freeze in his tracks like a deer caught in the headlights. She stepped forward only to almost stumble and trip as her leg was caught on something. "What the Hell!?"

"Gotcha, bitch!"

Her eyes widened as she looked down in shock at the smirking, bloody young man laying on the ground, his arm casually extended upward while tightly grasping her ankle. Even as he pathetically pushed himself up from the ground onto all-fours, blood seeping from the massive wound on his torso, he looked as though he was the person in charge of that scenario.

Siris' nostrils flared in annoyance and anger. "What does it take to kill you, damn it!?" With speed one would have expected of a Knight, Siris spun on her heels, swinging her massive sword with every last of strength, determined to take the boy's life if that was what it took.

Shirou chuckled. "Bitch says "what"."

"What?"

"Too easy!" Shirou summoned his Sacred Gear in its Gungnir form in a split-second, sweeping Siris' feet out from underneath her. The sudden loss of balance was overwhelming for Siris, but she still maintained enough of a sense of direction (or perhaps blind luck) to swing her sword in Shirou's direction. "Didn't mommy teach you not to play with knives?" Shirou swung his fist to meet her strike. Rather than his arm being cut right down the middle, Shirou twisted his fist at the last second, causing the massive sword to curve slightly and allowing Shirou to strike the flat.

There was an audible _crack_ as her sword fractured before exploding into pieces right before everyone's shocked eyes.

"He broke Siris' sword...?!" Ravel exclaimed in surprise.

"With his bare hand?!" Siris was by far the most shocked before she came into a sudden and unwanted relationship with the ground. She groaned as she pushed herself upright, rubbing her bruised temple. "Damn it..." She reached for the broken half of her sword with the hilt attached. At the very least, she could guard and cut close range with the broken, jagged end.

"Yeah, no." With a casual kick, Shirou knocked the broken blade far out of Siris' reach.

Sweat trailed down the sides of Siris' face as she turned to face Shirou, the young man cracking his knuckles as they found their roles suddenly reversed.

In that situation, Siris only had one idea as to how to potentially save herself.

She smiled awkwardly. "Um...Mercy?"

"No." Shirou then delivered the world's nastiest uppercut to the bottom of Siris' chin. "Shoryuken!" Siris let out a grunt of shock and pain before tumbling across the ground, unconscious. "K.O.! I win!" With that, Siris was covered in an aura of bright light similar to that of Riser's previously defeated servants before disappearing.

[Riser Phenex-sama's Knight as Retired.]

"Yata!" Shirou called out, grinning as he raised a victorious fist into the air. He turned to the rest of the stunned crowd that had gathered, flipping them the bird. "Who's next?"

Issei opened and closed his mouth several times before he remembered the language necessary to speak.

"You alright, Issei?" Shirou asked as if he wasn't losing an amount of blood whose volume was greater than or equal to the mass of a baby cow.

Issei took a deep breath. "Yeah, crazy question-slipped my mind for a bit-but HOW ARE YOU EVEN ALIVE RIGHT NOW?!"

Shirou crossed his arms, staring at Issei as if _he_ were being the strange person in that situation. "Listen, Issei, do we really have time to talk about this right now?" He pointed over Issei's shoulder towards the rooftop of the enemy base. "I think _that_ should concern us more at this point in time."

"What are you-" Issei paused as he observed where Shirou was pointing, his eyes going wide. "Oh my God!" He winced as a sudden sharp pain went through his skull. "Buchou!"

Standing atop the roof of the building, black wings outstretched was Rias. Standing on the opposite side, an aura of flames surrounding him was Riser. Even from a distance, one could swear he was wearing his signature cocky smile.

"She's going to need your help if she's going to have any hope of beating Riser, Issei." Shirou pointed out, subtly stepping between Issei and the five of Riser's remaining servants who were after all of their heads. "Things haven't gone according to plan and now would be a really good time to fix that."

"Alright, then come with me." Issei offered, looking back to the rooftop as explosions resulted from the two Pure-Bloods' clash. "You were part of that plan, remember? I can't carry out the plan on my own."

"Well, you're going to have to try." Shirou said, turning to face their enemies. By that point in time, Kiba and Karlamine had unfrozen, continuing their duel from earlier with a renewed ferocity. He raised his fists as Riser's two Pawns and remaining Bishop began to advance on them. "Someone's gotta hold these guys off. If you so much as raise a fist, our plan is done for, Issei." He sighed. "I'm not an important factor in this plan. _You_ are. If you don't make it to Rias, we're as good as done for. So GO!"

Issei grit his teeth, tightening his gauntlet-covered fist before glancing at Shirou and then back to Rias. She was in danger...and that took precedent over everything.

"Fine..." He finally relented. He was worried for his friend, but he had to save the club president. With that, he ran towards the building, preparing to climb his way up. "Just try and come to the party after you're done mopping up here!"

And then he was gone, leaving just Shirou and-

GOOON!

"Aaaauuugh!" Kiba let out a scream of pain as a large fireball slammed into his back, knocking him off-balance.

Karlamine didn't even realize what was going on when her sword skewered through Kiba's chest, much to both of their shock.

Before Kiba was covered by a glowing aura, both he and Karlamine looked on in shock at the second Bishop, the girl in a kimono, who had her hand outstretched and smoking. Despite what was clearly a dirty trick, the girl showed no cocky smirk or arrogance that Shirou had come to expect of most of Riser's servants. If anything, she looked apologetic.

[Rias Gremory-sama's Knight Retires.]

"Mihae! What is the meaning of this!?" For once, outrage and the desire to cut someone other than her _enemy_ appeared on Karlamine's face, the Knight gripping her sword tightly. "I understand that the methods I have greatly differ from what Riser-sama would demand of us, but you have defiled the sanctity of my duel!"

The other Bishop, Mihae, bowed respectfully. "I'm sorry, Karlamine, but that boy is the Red Dragon Emperor." The Bishop said in a meek and deferring tone. "Even if he's weak, he's still a holder of a Longinus and I don't wish for him to join with his master to face Riser-sama. Even if I must incur your hatred by interfering with your battles, Riser-sama's safety is of the utmost importance to me."

Karlamine's feet stomped against the ground as she approached the Bishop, the Knight holding her sword tightly that Shirou thought she was going to break it off inside of Mihae's body. Just as it looked as though Karlamine was going to skewer her, the girl's grasp on her sword loosened. She sighed, suddenly calming down.

"When you give me reasoning such as that, I cannot justify venting my anger." In all honesty, Shirou was hoping for a fight to break out amidst the group so as to save him the trouble.

To be fair, even Shirou couldn't hate her after she gave such reasoning...and she was his enemy.

Karlamine then aimed her sword at Shirou. "I do truly loathe this manner of combat, but, if it's for Riser-sama's sake, I will forsake my honor this time. I hope you may forgive me, but I must slay you here and now."

"Oh don't worry." Shirou said, waving off her concern. "You're not the first person to try and murder me with sharp things." He winced, clutching his still-open chest wound.

"Don't try to act tough." Ravel Phenex taunted, smirking in a condescending fashion. Shirou coughed into his fist, trying to hide the blood in his hand. "Even I can tell just by looking at you that you're on your last legs, you dog. You should save yourself the misery and just give up now." She laughed. "The Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess, Priestess of Thunder, Sword Birth, and Boosted Gear..." Her lip curled in disgust as she looked at Shirou. "And one worthless dog. Such grand-sounding names when they're all together, but we're Phenex's, immortal birds. And you cannot defeat us! You can barely stand."

Shirou broke into another fit of coughing, the damage to his body only exacerbating his difficulty to breathe. "You may be right..." Shirou managed a weak smile, summoning his spear in hand. He took a stance, brandishing it in a threatening manner. "...I probably won't last for much longer, but that doesn't mean I can't kick your asses first." His body was suddenly cloaked in a whitish-blue aura, radiating a power far greater than what the surrounding enemies had been prepared for. "Bring it oooon!"

* * *

Issei promoted to Queen the moment he stepped inside the building without thinking much of it.

Even as every part of his body wanted to throw up from the overwhelming sensation in his body, he knew he would have to stomach it for just a little while longer. He hadn't been anticipating that he would need to hold on for so long back when he had told Rias it was alright for him to carry out his part of their plan. If it was for the sake of the woman he admired most, Rias Gremory, than any form of discomfort or pain was more than worth it. Especially if it meant helping her take Riser down a peg.

It felt like someone had dropped several cinder blocks on his back and made him carry them for several miles...

Considering the fact that that had actually been part of Mikoto's training for him, he knew what he was talking about.

Still, by the end, what was important was the end result. It was all for the sake of Rias' victory.

He just had to make it to the rooftop...

* * *

Shirou panted, pointing his spear at Karlamine, the other three combat-ready servants standing scattered.

It was an intense atmosphere. None of them had actually expected the mortally wounded Pawn to put up much of a fight. Their surprise had given him the upper hand for the first part of the fight.

"Uugh..." Shirou fell to one knee, leaning heavily on his spear to support himself. Blood trailing from the corners of his mouth, he sighed. "Is that...Is that the best you got?"

"It's amazing he's still breathing let alone standing." Mihae said in a way that Shirou couldn't help but feel was genuine awe rather than condescension (something that made him even more reluctant to cut someone so nice). "I could swear Siris cut through his lungs-"

"Bleh..." Shirou spat up more blood.

"There it is."

Using his spear, Shirou pushed himself upright, glaring at his enemies. "Come on...I can still fight!" He brandished his spear to attack again. "It'd make me look bad if I took a nap while Issei and Rias are still fighting."

Ravel scoffed in mock-amusement. "I don't see why you'd bother." She said condescendingly so much so that Shirou wanted to hit her despite her Koneko-type cute appearance. "Even if you bleed yourself dry, Rias Gremory and that Pawn of hers will be defeated by Onii-sama all the same. Just like the rest of the pathetic lot Rias called her servants. You don't stand a chance, you lowly dog."

Shirou narrowed his eyes. "Hmph. That's probably true...We may not stand a chance..." He admitted. "I may just be wasting my time here..." Ravel nodded with each word he spoke, glad that the lower-class Devil was finally starting to make sense. "However," That single word caused Ravel and Riser's other servants to pause, noting Shirou's renewed look of fury, "I won't forgive anyone who badmouths my friends!" He pointed his spear, disregarding Riser's other servants, at Ravel, his rage directed solely at her. "Even if I end up killing myself, I'll mess up anyone who talks shit about the people I care about! I'm taking you down!"

"U-Uh-" Ravel stepped back, stunned by the sudden aura surrounding the beaten Pawn. It was the first time she felt genuine fear for, even if she was "immortal", pain was not something Ravel Phenex enjoyed. "Ni! Li! Get him!"

The two girls in cat cosplay, Riser's Pawns, ran at Shirou. One of them swung their leg around at Shirou's head, but he raised his arm to block the strike.

"Down below!"

Shirou swung his spear around in reaction to the voice, but failed to realize that his target had already ducked. He looked down just in time to see the other girl deliver two sharp jabs into his open wound, the force and the force causing him to cough up more blood. No sooner had he recoiled from the sharp blows that he felt a harsh kick against his back, propelling him forward. He stumbled, using his spear to balance himself.

He clutched his open wound. "Damn it..."

One of the girls leaped at him, her fist pulled back to strike. "Take this!"

"I don't think so!" Shirou's finger lit up a whitish-blue color, tracing his finger through the air with surprising speed, tracing an "I" shaped rune. Then he spoke the word of power, " _Isa!_ " The cat-girl was too slow to pull her fist back, allowing her to take the full brunt of a beam of electricity that effectively froze the right arm she had been using to attack with.

"Nya?" She hadn't attacked while taking into account any potential added weight, something she only now realized as she fell through the air, landing flat against the ground a few inches in front of Shirou. Before she could even take into account what was going on, Shirou's finger lit up red, a tiny fire at the tip, quickly tracing a shape similar to a upward-diagonally slanted "A".

" _Sowilo!_ "

"Oh shi-" was about as far as the cat girl got before she got blasted right in the face by a massive fireball.

[Riser Phenex-sama's Pawn has Retired.]

"Li!" The other cat girl cried out, tears in her eyes that somehow made Shirou feel like the bad guy. Then her expression changed to anger as she looked at the perpetrator behind her sister's misfortune. "You're gonna pay for that!"

Shirou gave a taunting "Bring it on" gesture, causing the cat girl to shriek in rage. She launched punch after punch, but Shirou either dodged with unrefined movements or parried each punch with his spear. Unlike the other one, this girl didn't let down her guard so easily. He traced another rune onto the shaft of his spear, " _Ehwaz!_ "

Twisting his spear around in a sideways arc, Shirou slammed the blunt end of the shaft against the girl's side, knocking her off-balance. However, before he could follow-up, his instincts moved his body to swing his blade in the other direction. Shirou considered it a good call on account of the fact that he had moved just in time to catch the unpleasant, sharp end of Karlamine's sword.

"Impressive!" Karlamine praised. "Even against a greater number of opponents, even while gravely wounded, you persevere for your King's sake!" She withdrew her sword, following up with a variety of slash, thrusts, and parries that Shirou would never have seen coming if it hadn't been for his sparring sessions with Kiba. "If we were both in peak condition, I truly would have cherished a duel between us warriors!"

Shirou snorted as he blocked Karlamine's slash on the curve of his spear's blade. "Actually, I think you got one thing wrong...I'm not some Knight like you or Kiba..." Karlamine raised an eyebrow, uncertain as to the reason why Shirou was allowing himself to be easily pushed into a crouching position. She had assumed he was just weakening, but failed to react when he dug his into the dirt, " _I'm a delinquent!_ " Grabbing a huge clump of wet dirt, Shirou flung it with all of his might right into the face and open mouth of the Knight Karlamine.

"Augh! Ptt! Ptooie!" Karlamine looked as though she was about to gag, desperately spitting out the insect-ridden dirt she had been forced to taste while trying to wipe the rest out of her eyes (something made considerably difficult wearing metal armbands).

"Sorry, toots," Shirou said without real feeling, smirking, "but a fight with a brawler and a delinquent is far different from a fight with a Knight!" Shirou prepared to swing his spear, but was forced to dodge to the side as Ni threw a punch in his direction.

She was a good fist-fighter. Shirou could see bits and pieces of Isabela's fighting style in her movements, but Riser's Pawn was nowhere near as well-trained. Without her sister, her punches were fierce, but more predictable to block and avoid. It would have been much easier if his own movements weren't so sluggish. If it hadn't been for his wound, it would have been a much easier opponent, but with the fact that he would soon fall as a result of Siris' blade, his movements were much slower and required for him to exert himself far more.

"You'll pay for that dishonorable trick, you fiend!" That was about when Karlamine rejoined the fight, forcing Shirou in-between his two enemies. Defending suddenly became far more difficult, between parrying Karlamine's sword strikes and trying not to get hit by Ni's punches.

"Hold him still!" Mihae held her outstretched hand, a magic circle appearing. "For Riser-sama!"

A large barrage of various elemental spells shot out of her magic circle, both Ni and Karlamine accurately evading them while still focusing on getting a hit in on Shirou when they could. Shirou, on the other hand, was horribly out-matched. His movements were getting slower, he could tell. Aside from various cuts and bruises inflicted by Ni and Karlamine, many of Mihae's spells were burning, grazing, or stunning him. Even without pain, he was getting light-headed and his balance was becoming worse, likely as a result of his blood loss.

 _"I can't win..."_ Shirou decided, tracing more runes onto his spear. He didn't even try to avoid the attacks anymore. Even though he knew he had lost, he couldn't help but smile. "This truly was...a fun experience..."

And then Karlamine shoved her sword through his chest.

"It's over." The Knight said.

There was no satisfaction or relief on Karlamine's face. Only cold acceptance.

Ravel heaved a sigh of relief, secretly grateful that the spear-wielding maniac that had sworn to kill her was no longer in fighting condition. "That's good." She said. "Make sure to finish him off. I would hate it if he turned out to still be conscious. I don't want him to inconvenience Onii-sama in any way."

Karlamine nodded. "Yes, Ravel-sama." She slowly started to draw her sword from Shirou's body, her heart jumping as his hand suddenly reached out, tightly grasping her wrist. "W-Wha-?!" She was stunned not only by the fact that the boy was still conscious, but also that he was smiling in spite of the tremendous pain his injuries should have been causing him.

"I guess I wasn't the top-shit like I thought I was..." The boy said, his voice cracking from what could have been pain, sorrow, or exhaustion. "...in the end, I lost to Riser."

"That...That's right!" Ravel said, suddenly regaining her air of confidence at Shirou's words at defeat. She raised her hand to her mouth, stifling exaggerated laughter. "Did you really think you were going to be able to defeat the noble house of Phenex? Every last one of you have reached your limits."

"True," Shirou agreed, "but that hardly matters by this point." He outstretched his hand to the ground, recalling his spear to his hand, a movement that caused the remaining members of Riser's servants to tense, preparing for another fight.

"Hey! Are you serious, right now?!" Ravel exclaimed, shocked that the boy was ready to continue the fight long after he should have succumbed to his injuries. "You know you'll seriously die if you keep this up, right? It's over!"

"You were right about one thing, Lil' Ravel..." Shirou said, using the confused and unwilling Karlamine to hold himself upright. "At our current levels, we probably never would have defeated Riser on our own...but that's why we've been able to come so far." The remaining enemies narrowed their eyes at Shirou, preparing for any potential move he could have made. "We know we were out-classed by him, and that's why we've become so strong as a group. We knew that fighting him alone would have been fruitless...so we...came up with a plan. A plan to defeat the immortal bird..."

"Y-Yeah?" Ravel said, trying to recall the conversations spoken between Rias' servants that she had overheard. "You were talking to the Red Dragon Emperor about that...b-but it's over! Everyone else is defeated including you!"

"I think I already said it before..." Shirou said, closing his eyes as if thinking. His train of thought was periodically interrupted by an involuntary spasm or coughing up of blood. "...Y-Yeah...I said it before. I was never important in this plan. Without me, it's possible it could still work, but, now that I'm at this stage, I won't be able to fight Riser...but I can still help Issei in one more way...You see, you made a big error in letting Issei go on ahead...and now you're group's gonna pay for it..." Shirou gave a big, bright grin, raising his spear as high up into the air as he could. "Me and my bro are gonna kick your brother's ass!"

And then he threw his spear as hard as he could towards the nearby rooftop.

The same one which held Rias and the ego-maniac, Riser Phenex.

* * *

Issei didn't bother with the door handle. He just raised his leg and kicked forward as hard as he could, knocking the door right off its hinges.

"Buchoooooooou! Hyoudou Issei, at your seeeeeervice!"

The gazes of everyone immediately turned on him. He wasn't the most impressive sight, panting like a dog as he finished sprinting the rest of the way.

There were _a lot_ of stairs.

"Issei!"

"Issei-san!"

Both Rias and Asia cried out on relief in joy as the user of the Longinus appeared before their very eyes. Issei looked at Rias, frowning as she knelt on the ground, wincing as Asia's healing power helped her burnt harm to heal. Riser had done that to her...

And that was when Issei turned to glare at Riser.

"The Dragon-brat, huh? To think my adorable servants let you through..." He frowned, looking down at the sports court from his position, noting how only four of his servants remained. He sighed, brushing his hair back with his hand. "I admit, your servants proved far more formidable than I had anticipated. The Slash Empress did not fail to live up to her word of an interesting battle, but I'm afraid your own performance was a bit underwhelming, Rias."

Rias grit her teeth, glaring daggers at the "immortal bird" in front of her. "Don't mess around, Riser!" With that, Rias unleashed a blast of demonic energy that would have killed any other opponent (especially since it destroyed a large portion of Riser's head), but proved worthless against a man with regenerative abilities. While he was distracted, Rias turned back to Issei, looking as though she was waiting for more. "Where Shirou? I heard that he was still fighting..."

Isse lowered his gaze. "He...He and Kiba were down there. If Kiba got taken down, then..."

Rias bit the tip of her thumb, displeased with the news. "We accounted for that possibility, but it would have been better if he were here with us."

"Rias, resign." Riser said with a weary tone. "You will make your father and brother look bad. You have no more choices. Everyone already has foreseen the outcome -It's checkmate, Rias."

"No, it's not, Riser." Rias declared proudly. "In case you haven't noticed, I, the King, am still standing." She smiled proudly. "Tell me, Riser. Did you really think I came here to fight you without a plan?"

The words spoken by someone he had believed was in checkmate gave Riser pause. "What are you talking about?" His expression looked more bemused than cautious or frightened.

"It was something I learned from Mikoto Fujimura...no. It was something you had told me even before my training..." Rias said, stepping forward. "Pretty speeches won't win a battle like this for me. If I wished to attain victory, I would have to take it. And so, with Fujimura-san's guidance, I created a certain plan. One with the power to slay even you in battle, Riser."

"Is that so?" Riser asked rhetorically.

"Everything hinged on whether or not Issei was able to get here without fighting," Rias explained, "something that all of my beloved servants fought so hard to bring about. If not for all of their sacrifices, something like this would not be possible. Unlike you, who sacrifice your servants without real purpose, I ensured that every last move had a reason, even if I was forced to take into account the possibility of my servants' defeat. All of their training, all of their hard work, it was all for this moment! The moment when we bring the might Phenex to his knees!"

Riser snorted, conjuring a large flame in his hands. "That's all well and good, Rias, but they are empty words." Riser casually walked forward, preparing to end the fight once and for all. "You all performed well, but this is the en-Is that a spea-Gaugh!" Riser's words were cut short as a pure white spear suddenly pierced straight through his side. "Augh!" Even if he could regenerate, even with his high pain tolerance, a blow like that was too much of a shock to ignore. "What the...What the Hell?!"

[HEY, RISER!]

Even from a distance, Riser could see him.

The white-haired boy, sword pierced through his chest, flipping him the bird with the world's most infuriating shit-eating grin on his face.

[TAKE IT LIKE A BITCH!]

Riser let out a roar of anger, furiously ripping the spear from his side, his wound instantly healing, before tossing it forward. The metal weapon clattered against the ground in front of Rias.

[ISSEI! RIAS! THAT SPEAR CARRIES MY POWER WITH IT!]

Issei scratched his cheek nervously. "Uh, Shirou! We appreciate the sentiment and all, but I don't think that sentiment works in a situation like this!"

[NO! I MEAN I DREW A SHIT TON OF RUNES ON IT WHEN NOBODY WAS LOOKING!]

"Oh..." Issei said quietly. Still, he was certain that Shirou could still sense his realization. He stepped forward, awkwardly picking up the spear off of the ground. He looked at it in wonder, appreciating its still-mesmerizing beauty. Trying to hold it as if it were a sword, Issei pointed it at the enemy in front of him. "Alright, Riser! It all ends here!"

Riser's expression didn't change, but Issei noticed his eye twitch. "You have refused my gracious offer for you to surrender with your pride intact, but if you wish to be crushed thoroughly, I will oblige!" Flames started to gather around Riser's body, his patience completely used up.

"Issei!" Rias appeared by the Pawn's side, smiling as she rested her hand along the shaft of their friend's weapon. "Let's do this together."

Issei's cheeks pinked slightly before nodding. "Y-Yes, Buchou!"

Rias closed her eyes, as if focusing.

The edge of the spear started to glow a dark-red color, slowly being coated in an aura that Issei recognized as that of Rias' Power of Destruction. He looked in both awe and wonder before turning to Rias, his master smiling knowingly.

"This was the true training Fujimura-san gave me: Focusing my power into a single point." Then she turned to Riser, her expression determined. "Now add your own power to it as well, Issei."

"Right!" Issei looked at his Sacred Gear, focusing all of his energy. "All of the power I've been storing up, ever since the start of this game, I'll be pouring into this last attack!"

[Transfer!]

If the light had been bright before, it became incredibly blinding with Issei's power.

He let out a sigh of exhaustion as all of the weights were lifted off of him, but he didn't waver.

[This is the end, Riser!]

With two voices and one heart, Issei and Rias called out with all of their determination.

* * *

"What-What is that?!" Ravel called out, covering her eyes as the light began to burn itself into her memory.

"It's...too bright!" Karlamine shielded her vision with her hand, squinting her eyes in a similar fashion to her comrades as a miraculous event occurred on the rooftop of the building.

"Hehehe...So it actually worked..." Shirou said, his chuckles regaining Ravel Phenex's attention. "My spear...combined with the runes I traced onto it...it can cut through even Riser's attacks...Combined with my Sacred Gear's special trait...it's the end for Riser!"

Ravel's eyes widened in realization. "Y-You-!" She quickly turned to Karlamine. "Quickly! Dispatch him! His Sacred Gear should fade after its master is rendered unconscious!"

Eager to obey the order, Karlamine tried to wrench her arm free of Shirou's grasp, trying to use her sword to end the fight once and for all, but it was no use. Even as she started desperately punching Shirou in the face, Ni assaulting him from behind, the boy's grip didn't loosen in the slightest. Even if it was a sorry display, every part of their instincts was telling them the raw power on that rooftop was dangerous even to their master. If they didn't act, even he would suffer grievous injury. The thought of protecting him was worth sacrificing every last shred of their pride.

Still, even as blood started flowing from his cracked skull, Shirou didn't release his grip nor did he stop smiling.

"You may as well...just enjoy the show..." He wheezed out, the light fading from his eyes. "I'm not going to fall here...For Koneko, Kiba, Akeno, Issei, Asia, and Buchou...I'm going to see this through to the end! You want to take me down...you may as well just kill me if you're so desperate..."

"Do you really think we won't?" Ravel asked, hints of uncertainty showing in her voice. He said it so casually that it was hard to discern whether or not he actually felt any fear.

"Nah...Pretty sure you actually might." Shirou said, sighing. "Still, even if you kill me...I won't fall until my master seizes victory...until my friends are given the victory they've fought so hard for...It'd be selfish of me to just ruin it by dying..."

* * *

"Feel the wrath of a member of the house of Phenex!"

Even as Riser unleashed the massive flame of his rage upon the two, the King and her Pawn, they showed no fear. No hesitation.

Issei winced as the large sphere engulfed them, the flames of the Phenex clan proving to be no joke. The flames licked at his face, the edges of his clothing, but they did not burn him. The whitish-blue aura flowing from marks on the spear's blade was shielding them. Shirou's runes. His last gift to both Rias and Issei. No matter how severe Riser's attacks were, the combined power of Shirou's Sacred Gear, his runes, Rias' Power of Destruction, and the power of the Red Dragon Emperor would not be overwhelmed.

"Damn it!" Perhaps it was the fact they were closing in on his position or perhaps it was out of frustration of his strongest attack failing, but Riser was growing increasingly furious. "You brats don't understand anything! This is for the future of all Devils!"

"We don't care!" Issei declared. "Rias, the reason why we're all fighting so hard, is all we care about! All _I_ care about! And the fact you'd force her to be with you, even though she obviously hates you, that's more than enough of a reason for me to take you down!"

"Issei..." Rias stared, stunned into silence before her mouth curved upward into a soft smile. "Let's finish this!"

"Right..." Issei paused, smirking as they pierced through the last field of magical protection surrounding Riser. "You know, an attack this special deserves to be named...That seems like something Shirou'd do in a situation like this, right?" Rias nodded, amused by the thought. "Alright then...Together!"

[Combined Technique: Boosted Ice Hound's Spear of Destruction!]

With a final triumphant roar, the two lunged forward, plunging the spear deep into the center of Riser's chest.

GOOOOOON!

And a massive whole was blown straight through his heart and a large chunk of his internal organs on top of that, causing him to vomit blood. Realizing his fatal error as pain overcame his entire nervous system, Riser desperately clutched the shaft of the spear, trying to wrest it away from the two Devils who had struck him.

In the end, it was the result of his over-confidence. He never experienced such a shock before. Never once in his life had he ever considered preparing his mind for such a heavy shock. That was why, even though his physical strength in his weakened state exceeded that of even Rias and Issei combined, he failed to so much as budge the spear. His inability to do so sealed his fate.

"Gaaughk!" He started choking on blood, genuine fear overcoming him as his regeneration factor. He looked down and, much to his horror, the open hole in his chest refused to close. The freezing aura of the spear was delivering continuous damage. It was the one flaw in the Phenex regenerative properties. As long as something was continuously obstructing a wound such as a rock being thrown into his regenerating heart, it would prevent the healing from being complete. With both the spear embedded in his chest along with the severe demonic power it was radiating, regenerating was impossible as he was. If he had even once paid attention during the lessons his teacher gave him, such an event could have been prevented. He could do nothing but scream as Rias and Issei continued pushing upward, driving the spear's blade further up his torso.

With a final, fearsome push, it was done.

The spear, combined with their power, bisected Riser Phenex.

Riser let out a final, terrified scream before his entire body was reduced to ashes by the sheer magnitude of the gathered power that pierced him.

Then all was quiet...

Exhaustion finally dawning upon the two, Issei and Rias fell to the ground, panting heavily. That attack took everything they had.

They could only wait in tense silence.

Even if the power was incredible, this was someone from the house of Phenex...

One second passed.

Then two.

By the third second, dread slowly started to seep into their hearts.

It was only during the fourth second that they heard the sound of a surprised-sounding announcement was made.

[I-It is over. King, Riser Phenex-sama, has Retired! The winner is Rias Gremory-sama!]

* * *

Shirou let a sigh of relief as he looked wearily to the rooftop, able to make out the figure of his master embracing his fellow Pawn in excitement.

"Onii-sama!" Ravel called out in shock and disbelief. Her brother, the strongest person as far as she was concerned, had been defeated...

"They did it..." Shirou said in a weak voice. "Thank goodness..." Satisfied, he released his grip on Karlamine's wrist.

While shocked, Riser's Knight did nothing to stop the Pawn of Rias Gremory from removing himself from her blade nor did she make any further attempts to attack him. Just like her comrades, she was shocked.

They had...lost. Rias Gremory had defeated Riser Phenex.

Shirou coughed and gagged on his own blood, stumbling as he clutched his wound.

His body was soon engulfed by the same aura of light that had taken each of his friends barring Rias, Issei, and Asia. "There it is..." He said with a sense of finality. "I've hit my limit..."

Ravel stared at Shirou, narrowing her eyes. "You really could have died. You should have just let yourself retire before." She said, unsure what to feel about anything anymore. Defeat was something she wasn't familiar with.

"Yeah, but that wouldn't have been very heroic of me, wouldn't it?" Shirou answered with a smile, falling back against the ground.

"You're a hero?" If it hadn't been for the much harsher punishment Shirou had endured over the course of the Rating Game, that doubting comment might have hurt.

"Maybe..." Shirou trailed off, his eyes sliding shut. "Normally, a hero is the guy who comes in at the last second to save the day...The guy who saves the damsel in distress...the one who deals the final blow to the evil villain and lives happily ever after...who is loved by everyone. That was the kind of person I used to envy." He coughed, his body slowly starting to fade from sight. "But after spending some time with my friends, I kind of figured something out...Sometimes, the true hero is the guy who is seen on the sidelines...the guy who is never quite in the spotlight...The guy doing whatever it takes to help others succeed where they've failed. Even if I'm not acknowledged as the guy who defeats the villain and saves the day...I'll be satisfied with something like that."

"You're satisfied with the Red Dragon Emperor being the one known for defeating Onii-sama?" Ravel asked, looking as though it's something she couldn't comprehend.

"Yeah..." Shirou answered, his vision growing blurry once again. "...Tell your brother...if he wants a rematch against Issei or Rias, he has to get past me first...Hehehe...I'll wear that chicken out long before he fights them..."

And so Shirou let the light take him, finally succumbing to pain and exhaustion.

* * *

Kiyome ran as fast her legs could carry her. In the span of several hours, she had a near-heart attack at least twelve times.

It had been three hours after the Rating Game ended that she was finally being permitted to visit those who had been wounded during the Rating Game.

"Slow dowwwwn, Kiyo- _hic_ -me-chan~" Mikoto said in a whimsical voice, the smell of alcohol pungent as the woman breathed down from her position on Kiyome's shoulders. "Ya wald think zhat thrr fact zhat da Rating Game issh over zhat ya would be a lil' bit excshited!" Kiyome deeply regretted the fact that this was a strictly Devil facility, preventing Kalawarner from being allowed to join them and, more importantly, carry Mikoto herself.

Mikoto raised her bottle of sake high into air, laughing merrily. "Mah baby won hish very firsht Rating Game! Kick thoshe smug bitchesh right where it hurtzzz!"

That comment was what finally stuck in Kiyome's craw. With an incredible level of tension in her body, she reached over her shoulders and picked Mikoto up, holding her in front of her face so that she could look the small woman in the eye.

"My boyfriend, your _son_ , is in critical condition after being bludgeoned, stabbed, bludgeoned, burnt, and stabbed again!" Kiyome exclaimed, unable to comprehend Mikoto's lax demeanor. ""Excited" is not the word that comes to mind!"

"Well all worryin' doesh is shorten yrrr lifeshpan..." Mikoto said in a slurred voice that Kiyome was beginning to think was fake. "Lighten up~" She looked down the opening of her bottle, offering the end to Kiyome. "How 'bout a ship?"

Kiyome instinctively slapped the bottle out of Mikoto's hand, flinging it across the hall, against the wall where it subsequently cracked and broke into pieces. "Cut that out!" Kiyome snapped. "Stop that whole "masking your emotions with cheer" garbage! Shirou could be crippled or comatose or WORSE and I don't know! So if you could take the situation seriously for five seconds, I would be VERY appreciative!" It felt like her heart was about to burst right through her ribs.

"OK then." Mikoto said, her expression immediately sobering. "Tell me something: Is a gloomy expression filled with tears and sorrow the first thing you want Shicchan to see the moment you go to greet him?" Her tone was as sharp as the hidden blades she carried. "I know you must be feeling so conflicted and afraid, but the thing you want to show Shirou is not those things." Mikoto pulled at the end of her face, curving her mouth upward. "It's a big ol' smile and a congratulations! He risked bigger than anyone ever could have asked of him! I admit, it's reckless and something I'm going to need to keep an eye on...but you shouldn't punish his efforts with grief. You understand?"

Looking solemn, Kiyome nodded, calmly setting Mikoto back onto the ground.

Mikoto smiled brightly, offering her hand to Kiyome. "Shall we?"

The girlfriend of Shirou had to take a few deep breaths to still her beating heart before nodding. Her smile wasn't big, but it was meaningful. "Y-Yes."

Together, they approached the door to the room that housed the wounded members of the Gremory household.

Determined to act before her nerve could give out, Kiyome pushed open the door, stepping inside. Even if she was nervous, she wanted to show Shirou her smile.

It was a calm atmosphere. One never would have thought that the seven of them had just been through a major battle. There was laughter, tears, and joy with not a hint of a care in the world.

Over half of them, the ones who were wounded, were all clothed in white hospital gowns. They were all gathered around a single bed, chatting amongst one another.

Laying in the bed, heavily bandaged with a blanket draped over his lower body, was a familiar white-haired boy, grinning as though a majority of his body _hadn't_ been put through Hell. Every now and then, his hand would trace down his chest and Kiyome saw and unpleasant darkening of skin around that area. When he finally noticed her out of the corner, he paused, staring in surprise before grinning again.

"Hey there, babe! Come to kiss the triumphant hero?"

His stupid comment was what finally snapped her out of her stupor. She lunged forward, ignoring the soft "ow" or the creaking of his recently-healed ribs while tackling him back against his bed while wrapping her arms around his body.

"I'm so happy..." She sobbed out, smiling with relief tears in her eyes as she looked at Shirou's beaten face. "I'm so happy you're alright!"

"Oh come on, you act like this is the first time I've been stabbed in the chest." Shirou teased, chuckling. "I mean, Hell, maybe I should start getting a nickel every time this happens! I might be as rich as Rias someday! Hahaha!"

Kiyome paused, her smile faltering as she finally got a better look at the dark mark on his chest. It was...painful-looking. Even though the wound inflicted by Siris' sword had been healed by Devil magic, there still remained a horribly unpleasant scar diagonal across Shirou's chest.

"The doctors said they couldn't do anything about the scar tissue." Shirou said, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked as though he had expected it...Kiyome felt there was more to the story than he was telling, but she was too deep in shock at the sight to question it. Still, Shirou's grin didn't falter. "But hey, look on the bright side: Chicks dig battle scars!"

Kiyome couldn't help but regain her smile, his comments being as stupid as always. "Oh just kiss me, you idiot!" Kiyome wrapped her arms around Shirou's neck, pressing her lips against his as they shared perhaps the most passionate kiss of their entire relationship thus far.

It was only after about thirty seconds that Kiyome finally remembered their audience, turning to face the others. She didn't feel as ashamed as she felt she should have.

"So...what now?" Kiba asked, everyone standing around as if expecting something.

"What now?" Shirou parroted, snickering. "What else? We just beat a Devil who is supposed to be immortal on our first try. We fuckin' party, broseph!"

[Yeah!]

All eight of them threw their fists into the air in agreement, determined to have what would be the greatest party of their lives!

Outside the door, peeking in, Mikoto smiled. She crossed her arms behind her back before walking off.

"They're really good kids...I just wish that this wasn't only the beginning of the trials to come..."

* * *

 **One Week Later...**

"Raaaaaauuuuugh!" Shirou yanked at his hair, staring at the large pile of papers on his desk in despair. "What the Hell is thiiiiis!?"

It was after class that Kalawarner had sought him.

"The homework you missed over the past three weeks." Kalawarner answered, setting yet another overwhelming stack of paper on his school desk. She bowed respectfully. "Mikoto-sama had taken the liberty of sending me to get them during your week spent recovering from the Rating Game!" She stared blankly at Shirou's expression of shock and horror. "What? Did you think your group could just be absent from school for three weeks without consequences?"

"Y-Yes!" Shirou exclaimed as if it should have been obvious. "We beat Riser and stopped Rias' engagement and I'm pretty sure she and Issei are going to shack up soon! What kind of happy ending has mountains of homework to be done!?"

"This one, apparently."

Shirou groaned as he let his head slam down on the desk in front of him. This situation was twenty times more painful than any wound he had sustained in the Rating Game.

"I'll be a hundred years old by the time I manage to catch up on the lessons I missed!" Shirou cried, covering his eyes as he suppressed the urge to start crying.

"That's still pretty young." Kalawarner pointed out.

"You're missing the point!" Shirou snapped, rubbing his temples. "Can't Rias or somebody just hypnotize the teachers into giving me passing grades?!"

"Actually, Mikoto-sama was very adamant that you catch up on your school work." To emphasize this, Kalawarner handcuffed Shirou's right hand to his seat, smiling innocently. "Of course, if you don't want to study, Mikoto-sama said you and I could," Shirou recognized where this was going both from the change in atmosphere and the fact Kalawarner was not-so-subtly unbuttoning her trench coat, "have a _different type_ _of lesson_."

"No no no!" Shirou shook his head quickly, picking up the pencil off of his desk. "I'm doing the work! I'm doing the work!...Damn it!" Tears started flowing freely from his eyes as he started to jot down answers.

"Are you sure?" Kalawarner asked, disappointed. "I'm a very good teacher~" Whatever she was going to follow up with was interrupted when a book was thrown at the back of her head, courtesy of the blonde-haired girl standing in the doorway with half-lidded eyes.

"I think I'm good enough to teach Shirou anything he needs to know." Kiyome said, deadpan. "I've already caught up on my lessons and I've already gone over the material since I'm a third year. It's nothing new to me." When Kalawarner looked as though she was about to object, Kiyome gave her a calm smile that seemed disturbingly familiar. "Of course, if you wish to object, I may be forced to tell Ka-san about your irresponsible behavior."

Kalawarner looked as though she was about to object, but something about Kiyome's smile terrified her. Instead, she made a simple declaration:

"That ass will be mine."

And she left before Shirou could even consider a response to that.

Kiyome took a seat next to Shirou, leaning over his shoulder to peer at his worksheets. "OK, let's try and do this in order so you can understand better..."

"Thanks, Kiyome." Shirou said, smiling.

Kiyome returned the smile. "It's okay."

[Guys, run!]

Both Shirou and Kiyome perked up at the sound of Issei's voice, peering outside the window to see the infamous pervert being chased by a ridiculously large mob of girls dressed in the kendo club's uniform, all of them bearing shinai.

[Get back here, you creeps!]

[We'll fix you real good!]

[This will teach you to spy on innocent girls!]

Not too far away, Shirou could see Kiba surrounded by his own personal mob of girls whose sentiments were the exact opposite of hate. Koneko sat next to a nearby tree, calmly eating a snack as she observed the entire event. In the distance, he could see the Occult Research Club's building, where Akeno and Rias waited, preparing activities for the night to come.

A normal day at Kuoh Academy.

Shirou couldn't help but smile.

"Shirou?"

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing. Let's get back to work."

Their peaceful days, he wanted to protect them forever...

* * *

 **?**

He couldn't even remember how long it had been since he last ate let alone slept...

Home was at least four weeks behind him. He couldn't stand being in that place, all of those bitter memories...

Pain...anguish...hatred...

The memories...The memories...

They screamed, pleaded for help. They wanted mercy. They got none.

Torn apart. Bone and sinews remained.

Every time he closed his eyes, he could still see their faces. Every day was a horror-induced Hell and every night was spent trying not to succumb to sleep for fear of the nightmares returning.

He had done so well for a long while, but then the nightmares started. He just couldn't forget...It was impossible...

All he could do was leave, finding a place to sleep without disturbing others every night, but even that didn't help.

All that remained was pain, fear, exhaustion, and anger. He cried, prayed, even begged for the visions to stop, but they played before his eyes over and over again like a broken record, cursing and haunting him like his own personal ghost.

When he crawled into the alleyway that night, all he wanted to do was die...he closed his eyes, begging to die in his sleep.

He wanted the pain to end...

And then he met _him_.

The one who outstretched his hand, the first speck of hope that lit up the darkness in a long time.

The young man in front of him was only slightly older, wearing a mix between Japanese and Chinese attire. He held out his hand to him...

"I see you possess a great deal of potential." He said with a smile that disarmed all caution or hesitation. "Why don't you come along with me?"

"Who...Who are you...?" He hadn't used his own voice in so long that it had become raspy and hoarse.

"I'm a friend who understands your pain and your hate. If you come with me, I'm certain we could be of great use to one another."

It was a great deal of time before the strange young man's words could be understood...

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** Tale as Old as Time With a Twist! Theater and Cross-Dressing!

* * *

 **And so we have brought a final end to the Riser Arc! Many more stories lay ahead for our heroes and...ah fuck it. It's late and I am tired.**

 **I hope you all enjoyed the story so far. Please stay tuned for more Devil Reborn Redux!**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	32. Chapter 28: Theater and Cross-Dressing!

**Happy 400+ reviews!**

 **In celebration, I have started the original plot DxD fic, DxD:Neo, featuring the hero, Ken Ichijou! It's going to be great, so you should all go read the first chapter now.**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Which means I don't own shit! Try and claim copyright now, bitches! XD**

* * *

 **Chapter 28: Tale as Old as Time With a Twist! Theater and Cross-Dressing!**

It had been over a week since the Occult Research Club defeated Riser Phenex in a Rating Game, but it felt as though it had been months, years even, the events fading from their minds like a distant memory...

Of course, that's not to say that the everyday life of the Devils became any simpler...

"Absolutely not!"

"Yes, Shirou!"

"Rias, I've said it several dozen times before, so I'll say it again: _I'm not doing it_!"

"I vote that you do it."

"Thank you, Kiryuu-san."

"Screw both of you! My life is _not_ a democracy!"

"Quite right, Shirou. Considering that I literally _own_ your life, it's actually a dictatorship."

"Oh, you did not just go there!"

"What is she talking about, Shirou?"

It was an...interesting combination of people gathered in Shirou's classroom that afternoon. After he managed to stay awake through the teacher's lessons, Shirou had been about shove off for home when Rias suddenly came into the room and gave Shirou one of the most unfair, most ridiculous and unbelievably infuriating orders she had ever given him ever since they met each other.

"Oh, I'm sorry. _Who_ went through all of the trouble of having your house rebuilt?"

Despite his concerns and doubt, Rias had finally followed through on her word. With the whole mess concerning the Fallen Angels and Riser finished, Rias had gotten around to using her family's wealth and influence to have his house rebuilt...albeit with a few "additions". Rias had missed the part where he had asked for his house to be rebuilt exactly how it was before and instead heard "Please build me a massive mansion where only a total of two people will be living". When he saw his new house, he had been certain he had taken a wrong turn and ended up in some wealthy neighborhood by mistake The only reason he hadn't gotten upset with Rias then was because Mikoto had been so happy she started kissing the crimson-haired girl several times on the cheek, especially when Rias told her that the Gremory family would pay for all of the upkeep and appliance bills.

Mikoto Fujimura disliked most noble Devils, but that didn't mean she disliked the nice things they gave her apparently.

It was just a shame that she didn't show as much energy towards speaking with Shirou ever since the end of the Rating Game.

It appeared she was avoiding being alone with him even more deliberately than she had been before, something made much easier thanks to Rias' generous gift of a house with rooms that even the people who built it aren't entirely aware of...

It was a very, very big house and it was hard for Shirou to find anything to complain about it...

"...OK, that's a fair point." Shirou admitted with half-lidded eyes. "Although, I still won't do it on account of me not wanting to."

"Shirou, you owe it to not only me, but also Sona." Rias pointed out, scolding her servant. "Did you honestly think Sona and I don't talk? I _know_ you never actually apologized to her for all of the rude things you said back when you were first starting out."

"Oh come on! Surely Ms. Broomstick-up-her-ass can get over a few mean-spirited remarks, right?" Shirou said, waving off Rias' point. "It's not like I called her mother fat or anything...to her face."

"That doesn't make up for the continued disrespect you treat her with." Rias responded coolly. "Regardless of how you feel about her, she's still my friend and you insulted her quite a few times that I know of."

Shirou rolled his eyes, deeply disliking the current subject. "OK, so if this bugged you so much, why not just drag me before her grace, the Student Council President, and make me apologize before?"

"Two reasons." Rias answered. "Reason #1: There wasn't a good time before now."

"And reason #2?"

"I didn't have a good opportunity to use it to coerce you before now." Even though she said such a mischievous and outright malicious thing, Rias wore her normal polite smile.

Shirou pursed his lips, sitting in his desk with a Gendo Ikari-type pose. "Well then...it's just a damned shame I don't give two shits about your relationship with the Student Council President, now isn't it?"

"Oh come now, I don't see what reason you have to carry a grudge against Sona!" Rias complained, shaking her head. "She's a great person!"

"That is an opinion you are having."

"What have you got against her?"

"Other than the fact that she's a part of the system and therefore a dirty, corrupt bastard whose only job is to make my life Hell?" Shirou asked rhetorically, crossing his arms and turning away.

Out of the three, it was Kiryuu whose eyes widened in realization. "OOOHHHH! I get what this is about now!" Kiryuu poked Shirou in the side of the face, much to the annoyance of the delinquent. "You don't want to do it because you think Kaichou's out to get you?"

"No." Shirou answered a little too quickly. "...Sort of. I just don't trust people who run the schools. They've always have it out for me." When Shirou's expression fell and he lowered his eyes.

"O-Oh!" Kiryuu's teasing smile faded as she examined Shirou's somber face. She realized it wasn't a joking matter. "Do you...Do you want to talk about it?"

Shirou shot her a dirty look. "As a matter of fact, I don't." The was a sharp edge in his voice. He turned back to Rias. "Anyway, even disregarding the fact that Sona Sitri is likely a slimy, dirty Shirou-hating politician, I STILL wouldn't do it because your request is so bloody retarded!"

"It's not nice to say "retarded"." Kiryuu piped up only to earn a silencing glare from Shirou.

"Do I have to punch you?"

"Only if you want everyone aside from Kiyome to know the size of your di-Mmph!" Shirou clamped his hand over Kiryuu's mouth, sighing.

"Anyway, Buchou, for the last time, I'm not doing this!" Shirou said.

"Shirou, what's so bad about helping out with the Drama Club's performance as a favor to Sona?" Rias asked. "One of their leads broke their leg and can't come in. The Student Council had no choice but to step in in order to support the school's clubs."

"When did _I_ enter this equation? And since when is something like that a responsibility of the Student Council anyway!?" Shirou snapped, utterly perplexed by the request. "I thought their only jobs were to look snobbish while telling people what they can or can't do!"

"Not Sona's Student Council." Rias stated. "Her Student Council is devoted to helping everyone and allowing them to live a peaceful, fulfilling school life, especially us." When she said "us", Shirou could tell Rias had meant "Devils". Rias smiled. "And as for why you were asked for, it's because-"

"I suggested it." Kiryuu said, smirking mischievously.

"What!? _WHY!?_ "

"I thought it'd be hilarious." Kiryuu said, shrugging. She showed no reaction to Shirou's incredulous look. "It kind of was."

"You wicked, evil-!"

"I'm _kidding_ , Shirou." Kiryuu rolled her eyes as Shirou came close to blowing a gasket. "Kiyome was worried about how your social circle consisted solely of me, her, and the Occult Research Club, so I figured this was a good way to get you more into trying new things. After one of the leads in the performance tripped down a flight of stairs, stumbled a few feet before falling down another flight of stairs, sliding on a wet floor, and falling head-first into a garbage can which then proceeded to roll all the way to the school swimming pool where they then proceeded to take a dunk, I suggested to Rias that she suggest to Kaichou that she suggest Shirou to for a replacement...It's amazing they only came out of it with a broken leg."

Shirou sweat-dropped.. _"No. No matter how you say it, that definitely sounds suspicious."_ He turned his suspicious gaze on Rias. "You wouldn't have happened to have had anything to do with this would you?"

"Of course not." Rias denied, showing her hands. Even if she did, Shirou knew she was a skilled liar when she wanted to be. He wasn't getting anything out of her.

He shook his head. "What about understudies?"

"They all suddenly came down with a severe cold. All five of them."

 _"Now I'm calling bullshit!"_ Shirou screamed mentally. He pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a sigh of discontent. "Literally _anyone_ else could be doing this, Buchou. Why not Kiba or Issei?"

"Because they needed someone with skills I believe you have, Shirou." Rias' praises was as unexpected as they were pleasant. "Kiba isn't really much of an actor and Issei just isn't suited to this kind of role. You're the only one I know with the capability to do this."

Shirou blinked several times before he realized what Rias had said. "M-Me?" His tone was significantly different from before. "W-Well, I...I don't know. I'm not exactly the acting type." He was much more bashful and shy, his cheeks pinking slightly.

"It's a good way to show everyone a new side to you." Rias continued, smiling brightly. "Let everyone see that you're not just the Demon King of Kuoh. Show them a different side like the one you show to Kiyome or us."

Even though he had previously been viciously opposed to even the thought of agreeing to Rias' request, it was quite obvious that he was being convinced by the shy way he twiddled his fingers and how he shifted nervously in his seat. "I dunno..."

"I think you should really do it." Kiryuu said, patting Shirou on the back. However, something about the way she was snickering put Shirou on edge. "It'll be fun."

Shirou stared at Rias, narrowing his eyes. "It will only be this one time?"

"Of course. It's only for the sake of solving this one inconvenience."

It took a few minutes of contemplation before Shirou finally let out a sigh of defeat. "Alright. I'll do it."

"Glad to hear it!" Rias said, checking her watch. "They're expecting you in ten minutes."

"..." Shirou could only stare with half-lidded eyes. "You planned this."

"A little." Rias admitted with an impish smirk of victory. She made a "shooing" gesture with her hands. "Now go on. You need to get going now if you want to show up on time for practice. Punctuality is a great tool for making a good first impression...or second impression in your case since everyone already-Oh just go already."

Groaning as he stood from his seat, Shirou nodded. "Yeah, let's just get this over with." She shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'll try to get done with this and be back in time for club activities. Later, Buchou, Kiryuu." With an enthusiastic sprint that did not match his defeated tone, Shirou left the room, leaving only Rias and Kiryuu as they waved goodbye until Shirou was well out of earshot.

Rias cautiously leaned over and whispered, "How long do you think it will be before he figures it out?"

"Not long." Kiryuu answered with a mischievous smile. "You'll know when you hear his screams from across campus."

"Ah..." A troubled expression appeared on Rias' face. "...I don't know. I kind of feel bad for teasing him like this."

"Trust me. He'll get over it after a little screaming and shouting. You know, Shirou."

"I guess..."

"It's going to be totally hilarious though."

"Oh, no doubt."

* * *

It took Shirou ten minutes to reach the auditorium where the Drama Club was set to put on their performance. He felt a little more awkward than normal with everyone's cautious and fearful gaze on him as he walked by. He didn't want any of them seeing him go inside for reasons he didn't really understand himself. Just the thought of someone seeing him enter would appear as a bad thing.

After he entered, he noticed that the whole room was very dimly lit excluding a spotlight shining on a stage prop like a window with a night sky background at the back of the stage.

He scratched his cheek, looking around for any form of life with none to be found. "Uh...Hello?" He called out. He checked the time on his watch. It certainly had only been about ten minutes since he left Rias. There was no way they could have cleared out...Although, they _were_ aware that he was coming...but it seemed like a cruel joke if Rias sent him there knowing full-well that everyone would abandon the place. That just wasn't Rias' style no matter how upset she was with him. It was so dim that it was almost eerie, like a scene from a horror movie. "Is there...Is there anyone here?"

"Welcome!"

"Holy shit!" Shirou strongly resisted the urge to slash the owner of the voice that had addressed him. It was a young man with short, black hair, wearing the proper male student uniform of Kuoh Academy except for a special armband with the drama mask insignia for the Drama Club on it. "Are you a fucking ninja?"

"No, I'm Todoh!" The young man, Todoh, greeted cheerfully, leaving Shirou uncertain whether or not he was making a joke. "I take it you're the guy that Sona-kaichou sent to replace Jim?"

"Well, I guess-Wait..." Shirou paused, raising an eyebrow. "You have an actor name "Jim"?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Nothing. Nothing." Shirou said, rubbing the back of his neck. "It just his name sounds so generic...sounds weird that you have-Know what? Never mind. I'm the guy who's supposed to help you out with the play or whatever, so just point me in whatever direction and I'll do my best to scrape through the performance."

"Glad to hear it!" Todoh cheered in a chipper tone.

His words gave Shirou reason to pause, staring at Todoh. "You're not..."off" in the head, are you?"

"Nope! Just as sane as the average student!"

"Uh huh..." Shirou rubbed his chin, examining Todoh for any form of mental defect or blindness. "You...uh...You do know who I am, right?"

"Yeah! You're Shirou Fujimura-kun!" Todoh said, his smile not even wavering as he spoke Shirou's name. "Sona-kaichou said that you were suggested to her by Rias-senpai to be a replacement for our lead role!"

The more Todoh spoke, the less ease Shirou was having understanding what was going on."And you're not even the least-bit nervous?"

"Noooooo," Todoh said, staring at Shirou as if _he_ were the odd one, "why would I be? I'm a little anxious about the upcoming date of our performance, but, other than that, I'm fine."

There wasn't even a shred of fear in his face nor was there any kind of terrified squeakiness in his voice or any desire to avoid eye-contact.

"Oh geez..." Shirou said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean...I don't normally shoot myself in the foot like this, but you _do_ know my reputation, right?" It was hard to tell what Todoh's dysfunction was, but Shirou knew he had one. No sane normal human in Kuoh Town could spend so much as a minute conversing with him without so much as flinching. Todoh's behavior didn't make any sense.

"Of course." Todoh said, staring blankly. "You're Shirou Fujimura, the Demon King of Kuoh, King of Delinquents, supposed criminal, a guy who does things to women supposedly, blah blah blah."

"Uh..." It was hard to tell if Todoh was mocking him or just didn't care. "And you're not uncertain in the slightest about coming within even a few inches of me?"

"Not at all." Todoh said casually. "You never bothered none of us any, so it seems kind of stupid to hate you based on rumors with no real tangible evidence."

"...A-Are you for real?"

"Yep! It's not like us Drama geeks can really judge anyone considering we're near the bottom of the social ladder." Todoh said, making things much clearer than they were before. "Besides, even if we were afraid of you, we're a little short on options if we want this performance to be a success." Todoh clicked his tongue. "You would not believe how self-conscious and insecure people are about their sexuality."

It was around that comment that Shirou started to figure out something was up, but he didn't put the pieces together for a while.

"Uh huh." Shirou looked around, noticing the distinct lack of people around. "So where are all of these other actors?"

"Oh, they're right back stage." It was trippy because none of the "normal" people in Kuoh Town wouldn't have been so helpful. "Now that you've arrived, we have all the necessary players to rehearse. Come on, now, Fujimura-kun!" With a zesty attitude, Todoh led Shirou towards the front of the building, up the stairs next to the stage, and behind the big curtain behind which Shirou found a surprising amount of life and energy.

Several of them appeared to be various sorts of vocal exercises, making sure they are able to obtain the right tone, speaking habits, and volume necessary for their roles while others were reading their lines with great gusto, as though they were truly the characters whose roles they were filling. The small handful who weren't practicing before rehearsals were in the back, whistling some sort of tune as they worked on stage props. Overall, they were completely indifferent to him, a feeling Shirou was incredibly unprepared for and astonished by.

"Everyone, if I may have your attention!" Todoh started clapping his hands together as he spoke until every last voice died down and every eye was focused on him. He gestured to Shirou. "This is Shirou Fujimura! He'll be replacing Jim-chan as our lead! If you would all try and help him grow accustomed to his role and help him learn his character and their lines-btw, we need to check the measurements on his costume-it would be very much appreciated!" When Shirou noticed everyone's stares shift from Todoh to him, he started feeling self-conscious again, like he didn't belong. Todoh quickly ended the ensuing the silence by clapping his hands together again, shouting, "That's enough now! Everyone not helping out Fujimura-kun, back to work! We have a lot of ground to cover before the big night!"

As if some sort of spell was broken, most of the group went back to completely disregarding Shirou and doing whatever task had been previously occupying their attention.

"So you'll be replacing Jim-kun, huh?" Shirou turned, still perplexed by his current situation as he laid his eyes upon a young...woman.

He had no choice but to pause to get a good look at her due to her face. Even though she wore the girls' school uniform, she had a rather tomboyish appearance about her and a bishounen-looking face to match. It wasn't unattractive though. She was handsome but also beautiful as a woman, the type of girl that would appeal to both genders. She was perhaps an inch or two taller than Shirou with shoulder-length blue hair and eyes of the same color. It was only after a few seconds that Shirou realized his curiosity had been fairly obvious.

"Did you think I was a man at first?"

Shirou's heart immediately constricted in his chest, dreading whatever answer Shirou was foolish enough to utter to the girl who was clearly a girl.

"It's fine." The girl said, chuckling as she noted Shirou's expression. "You're not the first to think something like that and it doesn't bother me anyway." Shirou looked away, trying to figure out if anyone else was involved in a conversation with him, the only way a girl could justify "risking their lives" by speaking with him. "Oh, I almost forgot!" The girl extended her hand towards Shirou. "I'm Tsubasa Yura, the one playing the lead role opposite of yours." It was such an alien gesture from anyone other than his friends that Shirou almost failed to realize it was a handshake. His mind was shaken more and more the longer he spent in that upside-down place. "I've heard a lot about you, Shirou Fujimura."

"You and a lot of other people." Shirou muttered offhandedly, believing he knew full-well where this conversation was going.

"For the record, I just thought you should know not everyone believes in the rumors." Tsubasa said. "To those of us who know what real demons are, the rumors are actually more amusing than scary. Humans have such amusing misconceptions."

"Uh...huh." Shirou squinted his eyes at her. "...Do I...Do I know you?"

"Not exactly." Tsubasa said, giving Shirou the impression she was hiding something. "We've met, but not formally. I have to say, I've been a bit of a fan of yours for a long time. Your performance in the Rating Game was especially impressive."

"Yeah, well-" It was only that that Shirou actually _heard_ what Tsubasa had said. "...huh?"

"I'm a Devil, too." Tsubasa said in a lower voice, a knowing smile on her face as she put Shirou's concerns to rest. "I'm the Rook of Sona Sitri." Shirou let a sigh of relief.

"So you're our president's servant, huh?" He knew there were other Devils at Kuoh Academy, but he never expected to meet or know any of them by name aside from Sona Sitri. For a second, he was worried he was going to have another enemy reveal themselves in a dramatic fashion...at least, Shirou was hopeful she wasn't his enemy even if she _was_ the Student Council President's servant. "Did she stick you here, too?"

"No, I was asked for directly by Todoh." Tsubasa answered. "They didn't have enough actors willing to take part in this production, and they said I was the perfect candidate, so I agreed. I was more surprised to see the so-called "Demon King of Kuoh" here. I would have thought something like this wouldn't have been to your more masculine tastes."

On a subconscious level, Shirou was picking up far more than his consciousness did, but he didn't even pause.

"To be honest, I got talked into it by Buchou-Rias Gremory, I mean." Shirou explained, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked around. "I figured it wouldn't be too much of a drag since I was told that even I could do the lead role effectively, so I figured "Why not?" and came right down." He tapped his foot against the ground, furrowing his brows as his mind slowly came to realize something. "That reminds me. Nobody told me what we were even performing. It's not a musical, is it? Coz I _really, really_ hate musicals. One time, Ka-san brought back this DVD of this movie called "High School Musical"." Shirou pursed his lips, a look of disgust crossing his face. "I didn't understand a single word they said...All I know is that I hate them all. Especially that Zac Efron."

Tsubasa covered her mouth, stifling laughter. "Don't worry then. It's just a Kuoh Academy production of an old classic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet." She said.

"Wait..." Shirou frowned, looking pensive. "Romeo and Juliet?

"Yes."

"...In the play, Romeo and Juliet kiss, don't they?"

"That's right."

"...and you and I are the lead roles, which are-"

"Romeo and Juliet." Tsubasa finished, gesturing to herself and then Shirou, something he didn't delve too much into.

Shirou's face turned a bright-red color. "B-But we don't _actually_ have to kiss, r-right?" He asked nervously, suddenly feeling as though Tsubasa was much closer than she should be. "I mean, they can insert some kind of alteration to the scene or something where-"

"No." Tsubasa declined immediately, a little too strongly for his tastes. "The romantic intimacy between Romeo and Juliet was an integral part of the story. Their love for which both were willing to defy their families for, even die for, is literally the primary focus of the story. If you remove that, then the story has no real impact. It's just two children in a platonic relationship who got way in over their heads." She shook her head much to Shirou's increasing discomfort. "I know you're uncomfortable about this, Fujimura-kun, but we don't have anyone else to play the other lead. Without you, the show cannot go on. Please, just consider bearing with it for a while. It's not like you have to go all the way. Just a five second peck on the lips is all it will take. The rest is just remembering your lines."

Shirou shifted, uncomfortable. "But I have a girlfriend-"

"Again, it's not like we'll be making love." Tsubasa pointed out. "If it's for a play, I doubt she'll mind too much."

"You don't know Kiyome." Shirou pointed out. "When it comes to me, she can be a little-"

* * *

Elsewhere, Kiyome Abe was reading a book and she perked up, scowling as a cold feeling went down her spine.

"He's talking to another girl right now...He'd better have an explanation for that later."

* * *

"-possessive."

"What was with that weird pause?"

"What weird pause?"

"You just-you just stopped talking for a minute before you finished your sentence."

"I did that? No, no. I don't think I did."

"Well, you sort of did."

"Never you mind that."

"Well if things get tough, then I'll personally take the brunt of her anger." Tsubasa offered. "As long as you just let me initiate and don't do anything suggestive, you shouldn't get into any real trouble."

"I dunno..."

"Please, Fujimura-kun?" Tsubasa asked, a pleading look in her eye. "I know it's a lot to ask, but we literally can't do this show without the two of us together."

Shirou groaned, his conscience making sure to use sharp needles on his stomach to make him feel as pained as possible during the few seconds he dared to protest doing the "right thing". "Alright, alright." He sighed, extending his hand. "Just hand me a script so we can get this over with." No sooner than he asked had a small book held together by three staples appeared in his hand.

"All of the lines you will be practicing today are highlighted in blue." Tsubasa said, opening Shirou's script book and turning about ten pages before coming to a stop. "It's just a scene between Romeo and Juliet today, so you and I can get do a little back and forth before we go to the stage and practice."

"Alright..." Shirou said, putting a finger next to his first line. "Ahem!...O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy-Huh?" It was only then that Shirou realized something was definitely amiss with the line he just read. He hadn't actually bothered to read the name highlighted in blue, but even he knew one of the most famous lines in the Shakespearean play and even he knew that it was not spoken by a man. He read the name highlighted: _Juliet_. He frowned.

"Something wrong?"

"Yeah. They gave me the wrong script."

"Really? Let me see." Shirou handed Tsubasa the script, the girl examining it for several seconds before handing it back. "Oh, there's nothing wrong with it. They got you the right lines. Continue."

"Oh. OK then." Shirou said, continuing to read, "Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or, if thou-wait a fucking second!" Shirou slammed the script book shut again and threw the book to the ground, staring at Tsubasa with wide eyes. "What do you mean they got me the right lines!? These are all Juliet's lines!"

"Yes." Tsubasa replied, confused as to what the obvious issue for Shirou was.

"Juliet is a chick!"

"Uh huh..."

"And, last time I checked between my legs, I was a man!" Shirou exclaimed.

"I can clearly see that."

"Are you sure? Because you just gave me a chick's script book. What do you want me to confirm things with you all right here?"

"Shirou, please you don't have to go that far!"

"I will flash you the proof!" Shirou started to unbuckle his belt.

"You're not going to be playing a male in this performance." Tsubasa said, smiling while gesturing for Shirou to stop. "This is a special idea put together by the Drama Club's president, Todoh. In this version of the Shakespearean masterpiece, all of the roles will be played by the opposite gender! Todoh called it "Romeo and Juliet...with a Twist!". I found it to be rather interesting, so I agreed when Todoh asked me. Honestly, I could have played either role, but Todoh thought it was more fitting for me to play Romeo."

"Say what...?" Shirou stared, eyes wide. "So, what you're telling me is-This is a play where the actors will be playing the opposite gender?"

"Yes."

"Including the leads, Romeo and Juliet?"

"That's right."

"Which means _you_ are playing Romeo and _I'm_ playing-"

"Juliet. That's correct." Tsubasa clarified.

"Well ain't this some bullshit! Why the hell would this be a change in the story with _me_ being the Juliet?"

"Wait…you didn't know?"

"Know what?"

It was only when she noticed the confused expression on Shirou's face. "Did...Didn't Rias-buchou or Kiryuu-san tell you about this? Kaichou was adamant they tell you before you agreed to anything."

Shirou paused, his face going blank. He stared at Tsubasa. "You might want to cover your ears for a sec..." He took a few steps past Tsubasa, turning his gaze up towards the ceiling as he took a breath so deep that his chest inflated. "Oh that, tea sipping, crimson-haired, manipulative MotherFUCKEEEEER!"

* * *

Rias' lips curled up into a smile.

Back at the Occult Research Club's building, Rias raised her gaze from the open book in her lap, tilting her head as the sound of rage-filled screams were heard from the main auditorium even from the ORC's base.

"It appears they told him of your deception, Buchou~" Akeno said in a teasing voice. "I don't think he's as appreciative of this as you thought he'd be."

Rias smirked. "He'll get over. Regardless of what he thinks, this will be a good experience for him." She said. "Kiryuu's idea is a bit rough around the edges, but I think this will be good for him if he ever wants things to change."

* * *

"Kiryuu and Rias, I am going to kick your asses!" Shirou screamed before finally taking a deep breath, ignoring all of the curious and confused stares by the other occupants of the area behind the stage.

"Are you..." Tsubasa looked around, perhaps wondering if it was a safe place for non-Devils to be. "Are you alright...?"

"No..." Shirou said in-between his panting. "I'm just...going to leave now."

"What?"

"I don't want to do this anymore, so I'm leaving."

"But the play can't go on without you!" Tsubasa exclaimed, again trying to appeal to Shirou's conscience. "We have no other candidates because none of them are secure enough about their masculinity to where a dress! Please, Shirou!"

Shirou casually pushed her away. "You're going to need a guilt trip a thousand times more powerful than that before I ever even _consider_ putting on a dress and heels." He crossed his arms, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, but you can blame Buchou and Kaichou for doing this to you without asking for my consent. It's not about being secure with my masculinity, it's about the fact that I would look absolutely ridiculous dressed as a girl!"

"I think you would look gorgeous as a woman!" Todoh said, inserting him into the conversation. "Drop-dead gorgeous! When I look at you, I can tell you would be a beauty among beauties!"

"Huh?" Immediately after all of the things Todoh had been talking about started to make sense, Todoh went and said something that was strange no matter how you considered it. "You're making it even weirder, man. How do you even say a thing like that to a guy with a straight face?"

"Todoh's bi." Tsubasa said, giving a surprisingly good explanation. Todoh raised his hand, smiling brightly.

"Yep! I prefer girls, but I wouldn't mind guys with beautiful looks like yours."

"O-Oh!" Shirou unconsciously backed away, suddenly feeling awkward. "So...uh...oh wow! Was that..." Shirou blinked, trying to process the sudden rush of information. "Wait, are you flirting with me?"

"Hm?" Todoh appeared confused about the question, sending Shirou into a state of panic

"I-I mean, I'm not saying you were flirting with me just because you liked guys too or anything, just that it sounded a little flirtatious, what you were saying before!" Shirou said, trying to correct himself. "I wasn't sure whether or not that was teasing or flirting or what, but I don't want to presume anything like you flirt with another guy casually just because you're into guys like all bi or homosexual guys immediately flirt with other guys. I'm not saying you do things like that. I'm don't mind guys who like guys at all, but like-"

"Oh, no, I _was_ flirting." Todoh admitted with the same peppy smile. "I was just distracted by your hair. It's absolutely stunning! Pure-white, like snow!"

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the awkward level in the room increase drastically. "Oh...uh...thanks." Shirou immediately shot Tsubasa a look that just _screamed_ "SOS".

It was uncomfortable and dangerous enough when Kiba made jokes with homosexual undertones that made Shirou question his sexuality, but it was even more uncomfortable when the person Shirou was talking with was genuinely into men and complimenting Shirou for his looks. It was something that had never happened to Shirou, so he wasn't even sure where to start responding. He wasn't even sure whether Todoh was just teasing him or trying to make a move of some kind and guessing, Shirou believed, would only land him in even hotter, more uncomfortable water.

"You don't have to worry about me making any kind of moves or anything." Todoh assured him, leaving Shirou wondering if people in the Drama Club could read his thoughts. "I'm just the kind of guy who appreciates those with innate beauty that make them worthy of the stage. And you, my socially-awkward friend, have more than enough beauty for everyone! If you dressed as a woman-"

"I'm not doing it!" Shirou snapped, grateful for the change in topic.

"But you'd make an absolutely gorgeous woman!" Todoh complained.

"Yeah, Fujimura-kun!" Tsubasa agreed.

"Well, I-"

Todoh grinned. "I bet you would look even more beautiful than Rias-buchou! I mean it, you could be more beautiful than every other man or woman at our school, even the Two Great Ladies!"

"Look, Todoh, I appreciate the offer, but-" It was then that a lightbulb went off in Shirou's head. "Wait...so what you're suggesting is that, not only would I be helping you guys with your play, but I would also be way better-looking than Rias while doing it?"

Tsubasa and Todoh exchanged looks with one another, smiling before turning back to Shirou, nodding.

"And nobody in the audience has to know it's me in the dress unless I were to, say, totally pull it off and then have a reason to rub it in a certain back-stabbing friend's face?"

[Right!]

Shirou went totally straight-faced. "Well, what are you waiting for? Make me beautiful."

* * *

Shirou let out a loud yawn as he took a seat on the couch opposite of Rias, letting his arms hang over the back.

He hardly missed the interested looks on the faces of his club members and Kiyome, the latter leaning her head on Shirou's shoulder as club activities began. He didn't dare to react to their obvious optical provocations. He just leaned his head back, eyes closed as he took a rest following the surprisingly grueling rehearsal with the Drama Club. Issei was perhaps the weakest-willed out of everyone, his cheeks puffing up with his smile poorly-concealed by his fist as he tried to prevent himself from laughing.

They all knew what everyone was thinking. All they had to do was wait for someone else to bring up the subject.

"So, Shirou-san, is it true you're going to be in a play?" Asia asked in a bright tone that made it even harder to start poking fun.

"That's right." Shirou answered casually. "Romeo & Juliet. All of the other actors are pretty swell guys. Didn't even react to me bein' me and everything."

"Are you sure there wasn't anything _interesting_ about it?" Rias asked with a sly smile.

"Yeah," Shirou said, his friends leaning on while eager for his response, "I'm looking forward to the play actually. Seems like a fun time. Why?"

"They're trying to get you to talk about the fact all of the actors are going to be cross-dressing. There, like a band-aid." Koneko said, eyeing Kiyome with a hint of jealousy before leaning over and placing her head in Shirou's lap, much to his embarrassment. Kiyome narrowed her eyes at Koneko as the cat-girl affectionately rubbed her head against Shirou's legs. In response to Koneko's encroachment on her "property", Kiyome hugged Shirou tighter, as if trying to make it a contest of who could give Shirou the most affection.

Ever since Kiyome learned of the new, closer bond between the Pawn and the Rook, it appeared as though she and Koneko had gotten into some sort of power struggle.

The first time Kiyome caught Koneko sitting on Shirou's lap, Shirou was certain fists were going to fly. Koneko's strength, speed, and overwhelmingly superior fighting ability were all that kept Kiyome from lashing out at Koneko's "offense".

In all honesty, Shirou had to completely void his mind of thoughts to avoid the added stress from being in between two women who could unwittingly kill him.

"I...I don't see anything wrong with it." Shirou said, rubbing the back of his neck as he lied through his teeth. "I mean, it's not like I'll be the only person up there in a dress...I mean, not the only person with something hanging between their legs while wearing a dress. And girls have just as much to be nervous of considering the fact they have to dress as guys."

"Yeah, but it's completely different." Kiba said. "For clothes that are usually defined as male such as normal shirts and pants, women already frequently wear them, so it's not as big of a transition as it would be with a man changing from male clothing to a dress because dresses are defined as a feminine article of clothing. And you're playing one of the lead roles, so you're bound to get far more attention for your cross-dressing than others-"

" _Thank you_ , Kiba." Shirou said through gritted teeth, deeply wishing the Knight would shut up. He shot a glare at Issei when he started snickering. "You can't make me any more feel nervous about this than I already do." Shirou averted his gaze, _"Mostly because I already am! What was I thinking, letting myself agree to something like this!? First Rias and Kiryuu, then Todoh and Yura! Am I just that big of a fuckin' idiot!?...Don't answer that, Shirou."_

Kiyome raised her head from Shirou's shoulder, smiling brightly. "I think what you're doing is a great thing, Shirou." She praised. "Kiryuu told me she convinced you, but I'm happy you're taking it so seriously. I even heard you actually participated in practice."

"Yeah, well..." Shirou mumbled sheepishly.

"I'm really happy you're being so out-going about this." Kiyome said. "I bet Ka-san is going to love your performance!"

"Yeah, I-" Shirou paused, his face freezing. "...what?"

"After Kiryuu told me that you agreed to take part in the production," Kiyome said, pulling out her cellphone, "I called Ka-san and told her. She sounded really excited to see you on the stage-Hold on. I think I might have the voicemail she left me...Hold on..." Kiyome looked through her voicemails, Shirou turning paler with each passing second. "I know it's in here somewhere...she really wants to see the play."

"It does sound like an enjoyable time." Rias agreed, Shirou hardly missing the mischievous look on her face. She clapped her hands together, looking as though she just conveniently had an idea. "Hey! Why don't we all go watch? It's not exactly Devil work, but it would be a good opportunity for us to cheer on and support our fellow club member!"

It took all of Shirou's willpower to just scream "What did I do to piss you off so badly, Rias!? WHYYYY!?" at the top of his lungs. Instead, he settled with just letting his sinking confidence show on his face in response to the amused smiles of his club members. "Uh...A-Alright then..." Shirou said, doing his best to force an accepting smile (with no believable results). "S-Sure...lookin' forward to it...hehehehe..."

"That's not a problem, is it, Shirou?" Kiyome asked, completely missing the true reasoning behind everyone's smile. "I was really looking forward to watching it."

Her potential disappointment only put weight ten times greater than the last on Shirou's shoulders, giving an almost crushing sensation.

"N-No! It...It's fine..." Shirou said, deeply resisting the urge to start sobbing out of frustration. He turned to the others, glaring daggers at them. "Uh...yeah...I'm not feelin' well...Tired from practice and shit, so I'm just gonna...go home now..." With an almost nauseous look on his face, Shirou removed Koneko's head from his lap and Kiyome's arms from around his body before standing from his seat. He turned towards the door and walked out at a pace somewhere between a walking and jogging pace.

An already terrible situation had just been made a thousand times worse...

* * *

As it turned out, the nauseous feeling did not fade over the course of several days. By the end of the week, Shirou was certain that the feeling was never going to fade.

He had continued going to Drama Club practice as instructed, preparing for his role, but whenever anyone came by with a dress, he started getting distracted. He managed to awkwardly stumble through his lines, but he managed to convince Todoh and Tsubasa to chalk it up to being an awkward reader. They were convinced easily enough, buying his horrible attempt at lying.

The day of the performance was fast approaching and Shirou found himself feeling more and more anxious. It peaked only two days before the big performance.

The Drama Club was especially busy, the actors rehearsing their lines with increased gusto, the people painting and/or building the backgrounds and props, and the club officers producing the performance, even Todoh, were never seen NOT sweating like a big from anxiety. Only difference between Todoh and the others was that he was at least doing a good job hiding his stress with an impressive smile. Perhaps it was because the fact finally hit him that, if things went wrong, he, as president, would be blamed.

Still, none of their stress could even begin to compare to Shirou's.

"Just relax, Shirou..." He told himself, looking in the mirror at the back of the storage room. "It's just going to be like talking...in front of everyone who knows you...I mean, you were able to shrug it off when people hated you. Why you getting so troubled over this? It's just you...in a dress...in front of people...for a few hours." He was really bad at giving himself a pep talk. "Look, you're such a pessimist! Nobody will even notice you...!" Shirou banged his head on the edge of the mirror. "Who are you kidding!? You're Juliet! Even if people don't want to look, they will!"

"People might think you're crazy if they see you talking to yourself like that."

"Jesus-fucking-Christ!" Shirou flinched, twisting on his heel and backpedaling towards the mirror, heart racing as he stared at Tsubasa, the blue-haired girl smiling in amusement. "Oh..." He let out a small breath. "It's just you, Yura."

"Just me." Tsubasa agreed. "I just came in here because Todoh was asking for you." She raised an eyebrow, noticing the dark rings under Shirou's eyes as well as his abnormally stressed appearance. "You alright back here?"

"Oh yeah, I'm fine." Shirou assured her, trying to get his heart to slow its pace for even a second. "Just...uh..." He turned, awkwardly tapping the mirror. "Making sure this isn't broken...People could get cut on broken glass and stuff. I mean, a shard in the foot and a guy couldn't take part..." For a brief second, his eyes went wide, considering the idea. Then disappointment colored his face. _"No, Asia would insist on using Twilight Healing to fix any injury I give myself...Curse that beautifully kind girl and her pure intentions!"_

"I see..." Tsubasa said, unconvinced. "...You know, it's alright to be a little nervous about the show. You're not the only person taking part."

"What? Me?! Nervous?!" Shirou said nervously, laughing while rubbing the back of his neck. "Pfft! Please! I'm the definition of confidence! In two days' time, I'm going to knock them dead!"

"Well, you know you can talk to me or the others if something's bothering you, right?" Shirou liked Tsubasa. Not necessarily sexually (although she was an attractive woman), but she was just so polite and helpful that it was hard not to like her. According to Motohama, she had quite a cult following consisting of men and women alike. She wasn't as popular as Rias or Akeno, but just about everyone who met her couldn't help but fawn over her and Shirou could honestly see why. He wasn't even the type to fawn over somebody, but Tsubasa was just so likable. So level-headed and calm compared to the girls Shirou knew who beat him up or punished him on a regular basis if not both. "Just let us know if you need any help with your lines or rehearsal. I'm free to help you any time. I'll need a heads-up first because I may be busy with Student Council activities, but I can help you during any time besides that."

And she was just so considerate!

If not for his totally-not-scary girlfriend who wouldn't punish him for getting friendly with another girl, he would have made Tsubasa his new best friend right there, Issei be damned.

Shirou sighed, rubbing his temples. "Does it really not bother you?" Shirou asked, wondering how everyone was so much more about the whole event. "I mean, cross-dressing in front of everyone, trying to keep a straight-face as they all go "What the fuck is that guy wearing?!" and generally judging you?"

"I don't know what you mean." Tsubasa replied, blinking in confusion to Shirou's question. However, there was a slight tension in her voice. "Why are you-"

" _There you are_!" Todoh exclaimed cheerfully as he appeared behind a a curtain. "I've been looking everywhere for you, Shirou-kun! Why didn't you tell me you found him, Tsubasa-chan?!" Even though he was smiling, everyone could tell that Todoh wasn't as cheerful as he made himself out to be. He was running on happiness fumes the closer they got to the performance date. His question, while well-meaning, was unnecessarily loud and aggressive.

"Sorry," Tsubasa apologize," Fujimura-kun and I were just having a talk about-"

"Nothing." Shirou said quickly. It was bad enough he was going to be cross-dressed for a huge crowd, but he didn't want people to know he was being a crybaby about it. "What was it you wanted, Todoh?"

Todoh swallowed, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Oh-uh-I...They got your costume done! We need you to come try it on and make sure it fits!" He said quickly. "If it doesn't, then we'll need to resize it before the performance." A hint of dread could be detected in that last thought."

"My...costume?" Shirou asked, his own dread far-surpassing Todoh's. He meant his _dress_.

"Yeah!" Todoh suddenly appeared behind Shirou, shoving him forward. "Let's go! Let's go! We don't have time to dawdle, you slowpokes!" Despite Shirou's various attempts at objecting, Todoh didn't listen.

After conceding defeat, Shirou shoved his hands into his pockets, allowing Todoh to lead the way to a small group of three students, one girl and two guys.

"This is what we got." The girl said, one of the two boys helping her pick up the shoulders of a large, red dress with elegant designs. If it had had brighter colors and a few more frills, it would have looked like something Ravel Phenex would wear. Something fit for a princess. The girl noticed Shirou's uneasy expression and sighed. "We tried to pick the most masculine color we could without having the dress appear out of place, so we decided with scarlet-red colors." It was clearly meant as a gesture to lessen the blow, but Shirou could not help but stare. "We need you to try it on to make sure it fits correctly. We can make adjustments as needed if it's too big or too small."

With care as though the outfit were a baby, the two students handed it to Shirou, the white-haired boy grabbing it with the utmost reluctance.

Looking at it up close hardly helped his discomfort. This was the dress that the entire school would be seeing him in two days from now.

...

No matter how he thought about it-rather, the more he thought about it- upstaging Rias in terms of beauty was not worth being ousted as some kind of cross-dresser to everyone in the school would hardly help his reputation. For the others, they were part of the club are already attractive. Shirou was the Demon King of Kuoh who was feared and hated by everyone. He would still be hated, but the fear would be gone and he would be looked down upon by even normal human delinquents as "The Demon Drag Queen". He would prefer to be seen as a monster than a freak because, at least then, people wouldn't be laughing at him.

That was when he made his decision.

"You guys have a bathroom or something where I can change into this?"

"Sure!" Todoh said cheerfully. "It's down the hall to the left there!"

"Alright. Be back in a jiff!" Shirou said before running off.

It was only ten minutes later that everyone realized he had left the dress behind.

* * *

 **Two Days Later...**

"No, I still haven't seen him." Kiryuu said, shrugging her shoulders. "Hasn't showed up here in two days."

It was the day of the "Romeo & Juliet...With a Twist!" performance. Kiryuu had been sitting in the almost-empty classroom after class had ended for the evening until Tsubasa Yura walked in, asking whether or not she had seen Shirou...just as Tsubasa had the previous day. And the one before that. And, unfortunately, Kiryuu was given no choice but to give Tsubasa bad news.

A shame. Kiryuu wasn't normally so emotionally involved in the matters of other students, but Tsubasa was so kind and polite that it was a little sad to give her bad news.

"Oh..." Tsubasa said, hanging her head in disappointment. "...well, if you see him, do you think you could ask him to come by the Drama Club. I _really_ need to talk to him before the play tonight. Not to mention Todoh is freaking out big time since we have nobody to replace him."

"Well, if I see him, I'll pass along the message." Kiryuuu said, averting her gaze upward.

"I...see?" Tsubasa raised an eyebrow at the odd change in Kiryuu, but didn't question it. "If you could, could you call him at home when you get the chance? It's very important we talk."

"I'll try, but he's been like a ghost for the past two days." Kiryuu said, still not looking down. "If I see him, you'll be the first to know."

Tsubasa bowed respectfully to Kiryuu. "Thank you very much." Having said what she intended to say, the Rook of Sona Sitri left the room. Kiryuu stared at the empty doorway for ten seconds before looking back at the ceiling.

"You can come down now." Kiryuu called out to the young man clinging to the ceiling like a cat would cling onto a tree for dear life. "She's gone."

Shirou dropped down on the desktop in front of Kiryuu in a graceful crouch, the young man heaving a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness! I was about to lose my grip there." He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously, turning and shooting a sharp glare at the stunned students who stared with wide eyes as the sudden appearance. "Don't you have somewhere better to be? And don't let me catch you snitching on me, got it?"

The room couldn't clear out fast enough, the only two remaining in the room being Shirou and Kiryuu.

Again, Shirou sighed, crossing his legs as he faced Kiryuu.

"You totally wussed out."

"Shut up!" Shirou said, his expression hardly humorous.

"It kind of seems like a dick move just to abandon them." Kiryuu pointed out, laying her head on her arms as she stared at Shirou's equally unimpressed face.

"Hey, it's not abandoning!" Shirou defended. "It's just...uh...a conflict created by creative differences."

"Such as?"

"Such as me not wanting to dress like a chick!" Shirou snapped. "It was all fun until Rias and the others decided to come watch the play! All I wanted was to show up at the clubhouse in a dress and then show off to Rias, but I didn't want them to come see me! It would have been average-to-bad if it had just been them, but my MOTHER is coming too!"

"So is Kiyome."

"Not really helping your case." Shirou pointed out. "I'll look totally ridiculous! I'm not exactly a girly-girl like Juliet!" Shirou pointed to his face. "Does this look like a face suited to be a woman's to you!?"

As if taking the question seriously, Kiryuu leaned forward, squinting her eyes as she examined every detail of Shirou's face. "I don't know. It just feels you're seriously back-stabbing everyone..." She shrugged. "But if you want an honest answer, you have a cute boy face, but it could probably work out if you added some blush and put on a wig, then-"

"Rhetorical question!" Shirou snapped again. "That was a rhetorical question!"

Kiryuu raised her hands in surrender, rolling her eyes. "Alright, alright! No need to get your panties in a bunch!" Shirou stared at her half-smirk with half-lidded eyes.

"Did you just make a joke at my expense?"

"No." Kiryuu denied. "I made it at the expense of your dic-Oh no wait, it's still there, girly."

"Would you screw off with that!?" Shirou screamed, feeling far more temperamental than he had been the past two days. He assumed it had to do with the added stress of dodging Tsubasa and the rest of the Drama Club for the past two days. "I'm not doing the play, so you have no reason to make cross-dress jokes about me now! So knock it off!"

A soft sigh passed between Kiryuu's lips, the girl's expression becoming unusually passive. "I think you're misunderstanding something." She said, furthering Shirou's confusion. "I'm calling you a "girl", not a cross-dresser. You see, even if you were a cross-dresser, you still would have been a man, one confident enough in their own sexuality to where women's clothes. A "boy" is a man who has yet to mature with no sense of responsibility, while a "girl" is a young cowardly young woman with no sense of responsibility. You, Shirou Fujimura, are a little girl." Kiryuu adjusted her glasses. "They were all counting on you and you dashed their hopes and dreams. You don't have the courage to do this, I guess..."

As if that was some sort of final note, Kiryuu stood from her seat and walked out of the classroom, leaving Shirou completely and utterly alone.

His left eye twitched.

 _"Did I just get scolded...by KIRYUU!?"_

That thought followed him the entire walk home.

* * *

"So glad...I realized it..."

Shirou was panting when he arrived home.

He had been so deep in his own thoughts that he had completely walked by the building...

No, perhaps that was the wrong way to see it. He recognized the neighborhood, but thought nothing of the large, five-story house that had been occupying the place where the old, thoroughly wrecked Fujimura Residence had once stood prior to its razing by Fallen Angels.

Shirou had only realized he passed it after he had already absentmindedly walked a dozen or so blocks. By that point, he ended up sprinting home, working up a fair sweat as he stopped in front of the massive building.

"I still can't believe Rias did all this..." He was caught between gratitude and annoyance. It was a very generous gift (albeit a significantly less difficult one for a noble Devil to grant), but Shirou felt it was a bit too much for only two people. The Occult Research Club usually only met on-campus while they spent nights working. There was quite literally no need for a house this large for any reason other than for Shirou to make the mistake of always missing it out of an absentminded belief it belonged to someone with far more money than he had. "...Oh well. I asked Rias to rebuilt my house and she rebuilt my house. I guess I can't complain about its shape..."

Making sure nobody was around to mistake him for some kind of burglar, Shirou slipped a key out of his pocket and inserted it into the lock of the double doors that served as the house's entrance.

"I'm home!" Shirou called out, his voice echoing throughout the seemingly empty house "- _ooome-Hoome-Hooome-_ ". "...Bah. It's just not fun after two weeks." If anything, Shirou felt it was a little depressing to see his house that empty and underused.

"Welcome baaaack~!" A cheery, high-pitched squealed sang from an adjacent room. It was hard to discern where it had come from due to the size of the entrance of the house. An elegant staircase leading to the second floor with many doors and halls lying about on both the ground and first floor. "I'm in the kitchen, Shicchan~!"

It was then that Shirou identified the voice as Mikoto, sighing as he shoved his hands into his pockets again.

He followed the sound to its source, observing Mikoto sitting on a stool next to the kitchen counter, calmly sipping from a cup of tea in a fashion that did not match her tone.

She smiled excitedly when Shirou entered the room. "Shicchaaaan~!" She lunged at Shirou, wrapping her arms around his neck in a tight hug. It was a little cute, her feet kicking back and forth as her small body swung left and right like a pendulum. "I'm so excited you came to see your momma on your big night~! You're my good boy~! To think! My baby boy is going to be in a play~! OMG! OMG! OMG! I'm so excited! I-"

"Why are you still doing that?" Shirou asked, eyebrow raised.

"Hm~?" Mikoto looked Shirou in the eye with an innocent look on her face.

"That whole "cute and cheery" routine you do." Shirou clarified. "You don't have to do that anymore. I already know who you are now. There's no point."

Mikoto tilted her head to the side, like a confused puppy. "Do you not like it when I do this?"

"Well...no," Shirou answered honestly, feeling as though the situation had been turned back on him with that one question, "but you shouldn't have to trouble yourself to do stuff like that if you don't want to since I already know you're more than my adorably childish mom."

"But I _want_ to do this~!" Mikoto cheered, swinging back and forth on Shirou with much more energy.

"OK..." Shirou paused. "...but can I ask _why_?"

Mikoto stopped swinging for a moment, her expression curious as if she had never considered the question before. After facing Shirou again, she shrugged (an odd gesture with her arms wrapped around him). "I dunno." It was such a nonchalant answer that made Shirou even more confused. "I guess I just got used to bein' like this~! It's pretty fun being an adorable woman-child~!"

Her response was so carefree and without any real reason that Shirou couldn't help but feel suspicious. "Why?"

"Whoa!" Mikoto lost her grip on Shirou, flinging herself through the air before landing on the floor in a roll, winding up flat on her back. She sat up, rubbing her butt to soothe the pain before turning back to Shirou. ""Why"?"

"Yeah...I mean, it's kind of ridiculous and immature when everyone knows what you really are."

"...Are you upset?" Mikoto asked out of the blue with unblinking eyes.

The question was so sudden that Shirou was taken aback. "Huh?"

"You make it sound like it doesn't suit me!" Mikoto gasped, cupping her face in her hands with a loud _slap_. "Does this mean nobody ever saw me as the irresistible adorable and charming cute and cuddly support character!?"

It took a few moments for Shirou to adjust his mind back onto the track of Mikoto's thinking. He had been around serious girls so long that he had almost completely forgotten how to talk to the "old" Mikoto.

"No," He answered, "but that's beside the point. I'm just...what point is there pretending to be what you're not?"

"Because it's fun." Mikoto answered, again in the same nonchalant manner as before.

"Whatever..." It was then that something occurred to Shirou. "...Where's Kalawarner?" The lack of a sense of "danger" told Shirou that one of two things was currently taking place. It was either:

A) Kalawarner had somehow found a better way to mask her presence and was hiding somewhere, biding her time for the perfect chance to pounce on her "prey".

B) Shirou and Mikoto were completely and utterly alone...for the first time in at least a month.

It was then that, on top of everything else going on in his life, Shirou realized it was a perfect opportunity. Mikoto had no one to focus everyone's attention on. Nothing to use to divert Shirou from the main subject. He could finally talk to Mikoto about the subject that had been troubling him for quite a while.

"I'm so excited about the performance tonight, Shicchan~!" Mikoto cheered, immediately throwing Shirou off his original train of thought. She ran around the room, bouncing up and down like a child. She reached into her pocket (which Shirou didn't even know she had) and pulled out a camera. "I want to take as many photos as possible so I can remember tonight forever! One of the highest points in my baby boy's life! Look for me in the audience! I'll be the one cheering my head off!"

 _"If this is a high point, I'd hate to see a low point..."_ Shirou muttered in his mind. He sighed, shaking his head. "Ka-san, you really shouldn't bother. As far as I'm concerned, there's not even going to _be_ a play tonight."

All at once, Mikoto's smile dropped from her face. "What?"

Shirou shrugged. "I'm not doing it." He wasn't quite sure how else to answer the question. Facts were facts. "It's no big deal."

"B-But...what about all of the hard work you put into practicing for it?" Mikoto asked, tilting her head to the side. "You told me that you were practicing real hard with that Yura girl and that one guy who wants to claim ownership over your ass."

"What?"

"What's with the sudden change of heart?" Mikoto asked without skipping a beat.

"Well..." Again, Shirou couldn't help but find it incredibly unfair how the simplest questions were the hardest to answer. "The fact that the few people I know and care about are coming just to watch me look stupid is kind of a big part of it."

"Oh they're just busting your chops~" Mikoto said, waving off his concerns. "You always think people are there to judge you~! Even if they are, who cares? You're you and not the you they think you are while you are you."

"...what?"

"I mean, I think you would actually look pretty as a girl~!"

"Why does everyone keeps saying that!?" Shirou whined, scratching his head. "What? Is it the white hair? It's probably the white hair isn't it? I knew I should have dyed it while I had the chance!"

"No, its not the hair…also I gave you that hair color, so you're sticking with it until the day you die."

Shirou groaned and rolled his eyes.

Mikoto leaned in and started pulling Shirou's cheeks while cooing, "And besides, people may think that way because you just have that cute face of yours."

As always, Shirou just had no idea what was going through people's heads when they said that. Shaking Mikoto's hands off of him Shirou waves his hands in front of him.

"Anyway, I can't do it." Shirou shook his head. "If I go, everyone's gonna go from thinking I'm a total thug to thinking I'm a total loser!"

"A thug to a loser? I don't see the difference aren't those two the same thing except a thug is even worse than-"

"I'm not going!" Shirou asserted.

"Okay, but before you really do then think about the Drama Club? Aren't they your friends?"

"-!" Shirou was about to open his mouth.

"And don't use the bisexual director as an excuse, I want to hear the real truth." Mikoto shook her head.

Shirou paused, pursing his lips. "Well...I mean...define "friends"." He coughed into his fist, trying to fight the sudden rush of awkwardness that had overtaken him. "I mean...I don't _dislike_ them...Look! The only reason I did this in the first place was because I wanted to be anonymous to everyone in the audience and later, after rocking the shit out of the show, talk to Rias in private and show how much prettier I was than her, not cross-dress in front of everyone I know and love!"

"Shicchan, they've been practicing and working hard for this far longer than you have." Mikoto pointed out. "If you don't do this, you'll be letting them down big time."

"But if I _do_ do this, I'll be forced to walk out in a dress in front of everyone and they'll know it's me!" Shirou cried. "I'll be humiliated! I'll look like a loser!"

For a moment, Mikoto didn't say anything. She just stared at Shirou with blank eyes. If anything, it was more troubling than if she would have tried to reassure or scold him.

After about ten awkward minutes of silence, Mikoto spoke.

"...Shicchan, I love you, but real friends don't let their friends down. You _are_ a loser."

"O...Oh..." Shirou didn't quite have a response to that.

"Yeah…"

Mikoto took that opportunity to leave, allowing Shirou to wallow in his stunned silence, followed by a sharp pain in his heart, alone.

Shirou sighed, an expression of disappointment and annoyance on his face.

"I'm going to have to do the right thing here, aren't I?"

[Either that or I'll have to replace all of your clothes with dresses and frilly pink princess gowns as your wardrobe for school!]

He cringed at the sound of Mikoto's voice from the other room.

"God damn it...Ka-san! Damn it. Having a conscience freaking sucks…" Shirou groaned the inhaled sharply, "Alright, its time…for me to show the world how beautiful a girl I can be!"

[Haha! GAY~!] Mikoto exclaimation echoed throughout the house.

"Ka-san!" Shirou cried.

"I love you." Mikoto responded in a cheery/apologetic manner.

* * *

"I wonder why Shirou called us here." Issei wondered as the Occult Research Club found themselves gathering back stage.

It was twenty minutes before the performance started when they had all received a text message from Shirou to meet him privately.

"I don't know." Rias answered, looking around at the numerous stage hands and actors ran about, carrying out whatever last minute arrangements they needed. She looked around, seeing no sign of their white-haired friend.

"You _were_ being pretty mean to him yesterday." Koneko pointed out, sniffing the air as if trying to detect their friend's scent. "Maybe he lost his nerve."

"It was just a bit of teasing." Rias defended, averting her gaze.

"That doesn't really seem to describe Shirou." Kiyome noted, looking around for any sign of her boyfriend. "Besides, I don't get why he would call _me_ then hide. I was the only person here to actually support him the other day."

"I defended him too." Koneko stated, narrowing her eyes at Kiyome.

Kiyome scoffed. "Oh right, defending him was what you were doing." The sarcasm wasn't lost on any of them. "Maybe you should leave the job of supporting him to his GIRLFRIEND."

Off to the side, a girl cleared her throat. "Ahem."

[What?]

Both Koneko and Kiyome turned their spiteful gazes from each other to the white-haired girl who dared to interrupt their conversation.

The girl, a young woman dressed in a vibrant red dress with a disturbing number of frills, raised her hands in surrender. "Uh...sorry..." Her voice was so pure and clear that it almost seemed unnatural. "I...just...erm...I was hoping that I could..." Her innocent face was rather cute...Her overall appearance was "perfect". Not a single flaw or deformity of any kind. If Rias didn't know any better, she would have thought that the girl might have been a Devil for how impossibly perfect her appearance was. Even her breasts were nothing to scoff at, being only about at most a size smaller than Rias'.

Rias pushed her arms in-between Koneko and Kiyome, separating the two while giving the young girl an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry for that. We're just waiting for our friend and these two got into a little argument." Rias paused, realizing that the girl was probably part of the stage hands. "Um, would you happen to know where we could find Shirou Fujimura?"

"..." The girl paused, looking left, then right. Then she nodded awkwardly.

"Can you tell us _where_?"

The girl lowered her head, her gaze direct towards the ground.

"Oh my Maou, it's you, isn't it?"

The girl sighed, raising her hand. "Yeah..." "She" coughed twice into "her" fist. "...H-Hey guys..."

Everyone stared, almost failing to comprehend the sudden change in the "girl's" voice. The longer they stared at "her", the deeper the shade of red "her" face became.

"She" who was actually "he" grudgingly raised his head, staring at everyone with his blue eyes. "Y-Yeah...it's me..."

None of them were able to say anything for the first second.

"Holy shit." was what Kiyome said in the second second.

"Oh God why! I'm going to need to gouge my eyes out for what I was just thinking!" was what a horrified Issei said in the third second. He looked on the brink of emptying the entirety of his stomach contents into a nearby prop. "I'm going to need a serious brain-bleaching when I get home! My eyes are bleeding! I don't even know what God is anymore!"

"It's what you get for being a total pervert." Shirou pointed out, deadpan. "Every time you try doing something out-of-control like that stupid-as-fuck Dress Break shit you created, think of my package." That being said, Shirou turned back to face the rest of his friends. "So...?"

None of them responded.

Shirou threw his arms up. "Come on! I know you guys are just dying to get in a jab or two." He make a "bring it on" gesture with his hands. "The reason I called you guys was just so we could get this over with. Come on. Bring it. I can take it. Best to just get it over with so I don't have to worry about it while on stage."

Everyone kept staring.

"I mean it! Anything you have to say, say it right now." Shirou said, increasingly unsettled by his friends' continued silence. "I mean it! I won't be able to bear it if you don't go ahead and vent this stuff now! Just take your best shot! BRING OOOON!" It was hard for him to seem intimidating or furious when he was in a dress.

Rias was the first among them to break the silence.

"Son of a bitch, he's prettier than me."

"Wha?"

"I was hoping this was going to be funny..." Rias said, her eyes traveling up and down Shirou's cross-dressed body with shock, confusion, disbelief, and envy on her face. "...but I can't find any kind of tease or jab to make in response to this. You are prettier and...to be honest, I think I hate you now, Shirou."

"...Really?" Shirou asked, eyes wide. He looked down at his clothes. "All I did was put on a dress and a wig." He scratched his cheek. "I tried using make-up, but it didn't turn out very well, so I removed it. Ended up going au naturale."

"Liar. That's impossible" Kiyome stated, deadpan.

"Nope. I had Ka-san help me out with my wig, but, other than that, I just tried to look natural."

Kiyome frowned. Even she had to use a pinch of make-up to keep her skin looking beautiful.

Her eyes wandered down to Shirou's chest which had somehow become a size impossible for a physically fit male like Shirou. "How did you do the boobs?"

"A grape fruit and three bras." Shirou answered, squirming uncomfortably as he crossed his arm underneath his fake breasts. "I probably should have worn a towel or something underneath because now I have grape fruit juice trickling down my front side."

"And what about that girly voice?"

"I told you I was good at mimicking voices, no?"

The Occult Research Club searched through their memories, trying to recall that specific tidbit of information.

"Well, I'm also good at making up new voices." Shirou coughed into his fist, clearing his throat. "I created this one through a combination of Asia pitch and Rias' tone." Completely different from his normal way of speaking, Shirou's voice spoke with a surprising amount of innocence and elegance. "I figured that, if I spoke like this during the performance, nobody would be able to tell that "Juliet" is actually Shirou Fujimura since his name wasn't actually on the cast list."

"But if you aren't on the list, then what will people call you?" Kiba asked. "I mean, if you don't give some kind of name, won't they think you're not an actual student?"

"Oh, I'll give them a name." Shirou answered smugly. He gave one grand twirl before striking a cutesy pose. "Everyone, meet the super duper high school bombshell, Shiroko Fujinuma~!" He gave a sparkly smile. There was a mixed response of shock, disgust, and awe from his friends. "I figured, if I did this well enough, nobody would recognize me in any way. And I figured, if I was doing this thoroughly, I may as well look good doing it. Different name and a drastically altered appearance means nobody aside from you guys ever have to know it's me, you see? Ergo, the alter ego of Shirou Fujimura is the adorbs, sexy cutie, Shiroko Fujinuma~!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"How original…"

"Shut up, Issei!"

"I think you look adorable, Shirou-kun." Akeno said, giggling as she pet Shiro-"Shiroko" on the head. She seemed to be the only person among them completely unfazed if not impressed. "If you did this more casually, you would definitely be a good friend for-"

"Akeno!" Rias snapped, shaking her head while making a universal gesture for "Don't say anything!". "Also, don't encourage him. This _isn't_ normal."

"Relax, Rias, it was just a suggestion." Akeno said submissively. "Not to mention you're just jealous he's cuter than you~"

Rias scowled, but she didn't deny it. She was not normally an envious person. She had come to watch the performance just so she could tease her more rough servant about cross-dressing both for laughs and teaching him a lesson in how to be more out-going. But _this_...it just wasn't fair!

Shirou's frame was neither particularly feminine nor was it necessarily masculine or muscular. He had the perfect figure that could have him pass as androgynous even without magic.

"Am I...Am I really that pretty?" "Shiroko" asked, blushing deeply while twiddling "her" fingers. "She" tensed when "she" realized everyone was staring at "her". She stiffened and turned her head away. "I-I mean it's not like I care about something stupid like that!"

Everyone stared, pink tinging their cheeks.

 _[Too cute.]_ was the general thought they shared. Shirou's tsundere was ten times more powerful when he was dressed as a girl.

"Gyaaaaaah! No! Hell no! Stop it!" Issei was clawing his eyes out after he realized what he thought.

"Then stop looking, pervert!"

Their admiration and/or disgust for the newly-born "Shiroko" was quickly knocked to the side as Todoh came running up to them, severely winded.

"H-Hey! You-You-!" He bent over, panting as he struggled to catch his breath. After a few seconds, he straightened up, pointing at Rias. "You-!"

"Me?" Rias asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, you, Little Miss Perfect!" Todoh exclaimed, irritation showing on his normally upbeat face. His cheerful smile was nowhere to be seen and the life that had previously been shown in the week leading up to the performance was completely gone, leaving paleness and sunken eyes as if it had been several months rather than a week since he last slept without an ounce of stress. "Where the Hell is Fujimura!? He bailed on us two days in a row! TWO DAYS BEFORE THE PERFORMANCE! What the Hell!? The agreement was that he would participate! Shouldn't you do a better job keeping your dog on a short leash!? He was literally our LAST option to play Juliet! Where the Hell is he!?"

Everyone was taken aback by the sudden rudeness combined with the severe tone in Todoh's voice. Surprisingly, Kiyome, Akeno, and Koneko were able to look more affronted by the remark than even Rias, who had been the one he was speaking rudely to.

Shirou's eye twitched. He grabbed Todoh by the shoulder and twisted him around to face him. "Hey, buddy..."

Todoh squinted his eyes, as if trying to figure out who this "girl" was. "And who are _you_?!"

"The bastard-turned-bitch who's going to rip your dick off if you don't lower your fucking voice when talking to my friends." Shirou said coolly and calmly as he returned to his normal pitch and tone.

Todoh's eyes widened in realization. He mouthed something halfway before suddenly lunging, wrapping his arms around Shirou's body.

"OH THANK GOD-" The Devils in the room squirmed anxiously. "-Shirou, words cannot describe how relieved I am to see you now!" After a few seconds, Todoh took a deep breath, the notable tension that had been in his body slowly draining out. He turned to the others, still taking deep breaths. "Look, I'm _really_ sorry for snapping at you guys-I mean-" He turned back to Shirou. "-everything is-pardon my language-TURNING TO SHIT! It was bad enough when we thought you bailed on us, but we're in deeper shit now!" After a few seconds, the normal light in Todoh's eyes returned. "I-I just...OK, I can't even! I'm SORRY, man! I don't mean to be a total dick right now. Not to you, not to them, not to every last person I yelled at coming in tonight, but I-I just..." His breathing became even faster. Before he looked ready to to break something in half, but now he looked sad, guilty, depressed, upset, and ready to pass out.

Deciding to give Todoh a second chance, Shirou placed a hand on his shoulder, giving him reassuring support. "It's fine, man. "Dog" is hardly the worst I've been insulted by." Todoh looked mixed as to whether or not he should have been relieved by that. "Anyway, what's got you so frazzled?"

"It's Tsubasa-chan!" Todoh exclaimed, his eyes widening as if he just remembered the reason as to why he was on the brink of passing out. "She's gone missing! We've lost our Romeo!"

"What?!" Shirou stared, trying to discern whether or not this was some weird joke and Todoh was going to wait after Shirou came back from searching just to say "Just kidding~". "What do you mean?"

Todoh shook his head. "I don't know! Thirty minutes ago, she left the room to get some air, but she hasn't come back and we have ten minutes before the show starts! I sent some of my stage hands to go looking for her, but-"

"Todoh, calm down."

"But! But! But! But! But! But!" Todoh was freaking out.

"Todoh, calm the fuck down!"

 ***SMACK!***

Everyone jumped once Shirou slapped Todoh across the face.

Shirou said. "Look, I'll go find her and try to be back before the show starts. Do you think you can stall the audience until I get back?"

Todoh twitched anxiously, looking left and right. "I..." He bit his lower lip, pulling away the curtains at his left, peering nervously at the large audience that laid beyond. He pulled away before turning back to Shirou. "I can give you ten extra minutes, but you have to go now! The clock's ticking!"

"Roger!" Shirou gave a thumbs up. He turned back to his friends. "Buchou, do you think you could get into contact with the Student Council and see what they know?" Rias nodded. "The rest of you guys think you can help me look?"

The members of the Occult Research Club exchanged looks before turning back to him, giving a collective nod.

"Bitchin! We'll keep in contact via cellphone! Call if you find her!" He clapped his hands furiously. "Let's go go go! We're on a time limit!"

None of them needed any further instruction than that. They scrambled out of the room, determined to cover as much ground as possible.

But…

"Hey, Issei, come over here." Shirou said.

"W-What is it?" Issei asked as his eyes began to trail down.

 ***SMACK!***

"What the hell?" Issei rubbed his cheek in pain.

"I caught you staring at me while I was slapping Todoh, you jackass! Get it through your head: I'm not one of those blind-as-fuck kendo girls you idiots peep on! I'm a dude! Now get back to your search…" Shirou now intimately understood why the girls were disgusted while they were peeped at.

"Tch! Rather than a thug you can grow up to be a bitchy housewife…" Issei muttered to himself.

"What was that?" Shirou raised his backhand.

"I said…if you ever need a hug call on me because we're friends for life…"

"Really?"

"Really!" Issei nodded and ran as fast his feet could carry him.

"Yeah…yeah that's what I thought…" Shirou nodded.

Shirou turned to Todoh. "OK, Todoh, I need you to think for a moment. Is there anywhere in particular you can think of that Yura might go?"

Todoh shook his head. "No! If I did, I would have looked there! But Tsubasa-chan is normally so reserved and introverted! We were completely surprised when she volunteered for this!"

"Introverted..." Shirou pursed his lips, thinking back to his previous conversations with his blue-haired friend. "Huh..." It was then that a light bulb lit up in the darkest corners of his mind.

No sooner had the idea popped into his head had he burst into a sprint out of the room.

* * *

Shirou sprinted through the halls, rushing into the nearest classroom he could find without being spotted by anyone.

He ran over to the window, opened it, and stepped outside onto the sill. It was just a matter of a single leap for Shirou to lunge all the way to the rooftop, desperately trying to ignore the embarrassing thought of a situation where someone had seen up his dress...

No matter how he worded it, it sounded very wrong.

Shirou pulled himself onto the rooftop, brushing his dress off as he got to his feet. When he glimpsed the figure standing at the edge, his eyes widened. "Oh shit."

Tsubasa Yura stared, wide-eyed as she stumbled from her surprise, almost slipping off the roof. "F-Fujimura-kun?!"

"Wait, Yura! It's not worth it!"

Shirou was only able to take a single step before catching his foot on the hem of his dress, his face kissing the tiled rooftop with a painful passion. He raised his head.

"Let's pretend that didn't happen!"

After once again struggling to his feet with as much dignity as he could muster, Shirou looked at Tsubasa. The girl was certainly prepared to play Romeo. If not for the subtle curve around her chest area, Shirou would have thought she was a bonafide male. Not to say she wasn't attractive. Only that she suited the role of Romeo very well.

"I know you're feeling trapped, that you feel like it's the only way out, but I'm telling you: It's not worth it! You just have to-"

"What are you talking about?"

"..." The confused expression on Tsubasa's face let Shirou know just how far off the mark he had been. "...so...you weren't...uh...just about to kill yourself out of stress or something?"

"Noooo...why would you think that?"

"Todoh said you were normally an introvert...that you had been acting weird and stuff," Shirou said, rubbing the back of his neck, "so I just thought that maybe you were overwhelmed by pressure when I left and...you were standing on the edge of a rooftop! What was I supposed to think!?"

Tsubasa raised an eyebrow. "So you think I intended to kill myself?" Tsubasa chuckled at Shirou's embarrassed expression. "I mean, not that that isn't a little spine-chilling, but really? _Really_? No disrespect intended, but you do realize that, even if I were to throw myself off a skyscraper, I probably wouldn't sustain more than a few broken bones, especially if you take my Rook trait into consideration."

"O-Oh..."

"Not to mention I distinctly recall that you yourself have fallen from this rooftop and survived more than once."

"Who told you that?" Shirou snapped, eyes narrowed. "Was it Issei? If it was, I'm going to smack the BITCH out of him next time I see him."

"A teen screaming curses all the way to the ground isn't exactly subtle."

"Ah." Shirou tapped his foot against what qualified as the ground for them. "So...want to talk about why you bailed on the whole production less than an hour before go-time?"

"Didn't you do essentially the same thing?" Tsubasa countered.

"Yes, but the difference between you and I is that people expect that shit from me." Shirou said, countering her counter. "I mean, you seemed so confident and sure that I was honestly a little intimidated. What happened?"

"You left." Tsubasa said. "You were the only reason why I decided to take part and you up and left with not a single word!"

"...What?" Shirou stared as Tsubasa's eyes widened, her cheeks flushing red. "Wait, _I_ was the reason you joined this production?" He was so shocked he didn't consider the conflicting fact she had been active in the play long before he had been conscripted into its efforts.

Tsubasa averted her eyes, showing a sudden shy disposition. "Well...I...sort of-I mean...um..." She went from confident sister-figure to shy school girl in a matter of seconds. "Look, it's really complicated..."

"I got time..." Shirou checked the time on his phone. "...well, more like twenty minutes, so we should probably make this fast. Care to start from the beginning?"

Tsubasa sighed, nodding her head. She began to tell her story:

It began as a fateful encounter in a dark alleyway.

A certain girl, exhausted from a day of school, wandered down the path less traveled, being confronted by a group of three delinquents.

The girl had been in a hopeless situation. It was lessened by the arrival of a young man from her school, but he refused to continue his defense as a result of one reason:

All three of the delinquents were girls.

It was some cheesy cliche "I can't hit a girl" reason, so he left her to face what would have been a brutal assault.

And, just as the three were about to lay their hands upon the innocent girl, that was when an unlikely hero arrived.

The white-haired "beast" feared by all of the Kuoh Town's human populace, the King of Delinquents, the Demon King of Kuoh, Shirou Fujimura.

One who was already feared as a ruthless beast had no need to fear the repercussions of striking a woman unlike a gentleman.

With not a shred of hesitation, he beat all three girls into the dirt.

"Man or woman, it doesn't matter. They're both on the same level, so I'll pummel any one of them who annoys me." is what he had said.

In truth, Tsubasa suspected he was saying it just to sound cool, but, to be fair, it worked.

She had become completely and utterly fascinated by the Demon King of Kuoh. A man who protected the girl even when he had no reason to.

"...Ever since that day, I..." Tsubasa scratched her cheek. "...well...I wouldn't quite call it a "crush", but I've had a great admiration for you, both before _and_ after you became a Devil."

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck, trying to remember the event Tsubasa described. "I think I kind of remember it..." There were a few like it, so it was hard to pinpoint the exact memory. He frowned as he looked back up at Tsubasa. "I think you ran away from me. That seems like the opposite of admiration."

"I only ran because I got nervous..." Tsubasa admitted, blushing slightly. Her eyes lit up in a way that one could only describe as "fanatical". "You were so cool back then. I was too nervous to approach you." She placed a hand above her breast. "And the way you took on so many of Riser Phenex's servants at once, my admiration for you only swelled further."

"Wait, so the reason you never spoke to me before-"

"You were always way too cool."

It was Shirou's turn to blush. It wasn't too often that someone praised his old self along with his new self...well, never actually.

Never once in his life had someone had a genuine praise for the person he used to be. He had always done things with good intentions (at least, not purposely bad intentions), but everyone treated him like a monster all the same.

To hear Tsubasa praise that person made it impossible for Shirou to keep a straight face.

"O-Oh..." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck, feeling awkward. "T-Thanks...so...uh..." Nervous, he glanced back at the time on his cellphone. "Look, uh...so the reason you signed on as Romeo was in the hopes of being able to talk to me, but, right now, the others need us. I get you got anxious about doing the play without me or whatever, but, right now, the people who put actual stock into the hard work they've done are counting on both of us to play our parts. I'm sorry for bailing on you guys, but it's important that we get down there now."

"I don't know..." Tsubasa said, scatching her cheek. "I'm not exactly the face of the Student Council, so I've never really gone out in front of big crowds before. This is my first time going before a crowd."

"Mine too."

"But I've never actually been in any organized performance before."

"Me neither."

"But I've only barely memorized my lines!"

"Ditto!"

"But-"

Shirou let out a loud groan. "Look, do I have to piss you off or something so you'll chase me down there?"

"Piss me off how?"

"I...I dunno! It's hard to deliberately piss someone off when I'm not angry! I'll grab your boob, pants you, kiss you, whatever!"

"...Piss me off how? Are these some kind of insult?"

Her meaning that time was not lost on Shirou, causing his blush to renew. He bit his lower lip, suddenly feeling frustrated.

"...You know this is sexual harassment, right?"

"I don't mind."

"...Uh...huh...You know I have a girlfriend, right? I'm kind of exclusive...as annoying as it is sometimes..."

"Who says you have to be?" Tsubasa asked as though her question didn't sound ridiculous to Shirou. She suddenly came uncomfortably close. "We _are_ Devils, you know. A polygamous or otherwise harem-style relationship is hardly uncommon."

 _"Holy shit, is she coming on to me?!"_ Shirou thought in his head. Then he said aloud, "Holy shit, are you coming on to me?!"

"No." Tsubasa said so bluntly that Shirou honestly felt a little disappointed. Then she leaned closer. "I just feel an admiration towards you that I wish to express in a way only a woman can."

Shirou stared blankly, unable to fully consider a proper response to Tsubasa's answer. "I can't tell if you're being serious right now or if you're fucking with me."

"Well, I _am_ a virgin, so I think it would have to be former."

"...That's not funny."

"What isn't?

There was a loud _slap_ as Shirou face-palmed. "Look, this conversation has spiraled further out of my control than I had planned. I...I'm really flattered, Yura, I really am, but I'm not...I mean...It's just that-mmph!" Tsubasa took that moment to put her index finger to Shirou's lips.

"It doesn't matter how you feel. My admiration for you is unending and that shall never change."

"...OK then." Shirou took a few safe steps back, coughing into his fist. "So will you come back with me before Todoh dies of a panic attack?"

"...I'm still a little nervous." Tsubasa admitted, rubbing her arm.

Shirou groaned, rolling his eyes. "Tsubasa, look at me-Eh! Look at me!" Shirou reiterated it twice before Tsubasa turned her gaze on Shirou. "I'm in a dress. Let's marvel at that for a moment because-I mean-Damn, I look good! I mean, I stopped by a mirror and looked at myself and, when I thought about it, I looked pretty damned sexy for a he-male...But more to the point: If I can work up the balls-er-vagina...uh...whatever-part-gives-girls-courage to do this, I'm pretty sure a handsome woman like you can stand being on a stage for two hours and speaking lines from a script."

For a few moments, Tsubasa remained silent, avoiding Shirou's gaze. Then she sighed.

"I guess..." She turned back to Shirou. "I think I can-Uwaah!" Before Tsubasa could react, Shirou grabbed her by the wrist and started dragging her along.

"Good! Now let's go go go!" Shirou snapped. "We have to-Uraaaaaaaaaaaaaaugh!" He failed to remember that he had been on the rooftop.

It was a long way before he hit the ground, but luckily, his everything softened the fall for Tsubasa.

They had to stop by the school cafeteria on the way back so Shirou could replace the grape fruits he squashed...

* * *

[We're going to tell you a sad love story now.]

Shirou sighed, prepared to take his place as Todoh's voice announced the start of the performance.

[Blood washes blood. Romeo and Juliet are born into two families who continue to fight and fall into what would become a tragic love.]

 _"That's my cue."_ Shirou said, taking one final breath. "Show time."

With as much majesty as he could muster, Shirou stepped out from behind the curtain, standing in front of the stage prop castle that had been built by members of the Drama Club. It was all or nothing. Go-time. Time to nut up or shut up. Time to walk the walk to match the talk. Shirou just had to go out on-stage and speak his lines. That was what he told himself over and over again. If he just stuck to the script, everything would turn out fine and there would be nothing to worry about.

...but the moment he turned his gaze upon the ground, every word he knew ended up caught in his throat.

If anyone had once considered Shirou's personal feelings before, they would have realized that putting a socially-shunned and hated young man on-stage in front of the very people he had been afraid of rejecting him was probably not a good idea.

Shirou was paralyzed. If he had been any more afraid, he might have lost control of his bladder.

Before, Shirou's only fear had been ghosts...

Now he was afraid of being on a stage.

The audience all stared at him. He stared right back.

If he squinted, he could see the members of the Occult Research Club sitting near the back row. Rias still looked a little miffed and, aside from the general curious stares, Kiba was the only person to really act, motioning for Shirou to continue.

But no matter how hard he tried, the lines he had spent a week memorizing failed to come to mind.

He could hear the audiences whisper with his superior Devil ears.

[Why is she just standing there?]

[Who is that chick?]

[Never seen her around before...]

[...but aren't all of the roles gender-flipped?]

[Then that chick's a dude!?]

[Guy or girl, she's hot!]

[She is pretty cute.]

[I wonder if they're single. I'd go both ways for a cute face like that.]

 _"Well, this is how I die."_ Shirou decided, a cloud of despair hanging over him. _"I wonder if going to Hell for suicide is a punishment for Devils..."_

[Ah! It appears that dear, sweet Juliet, stricken by the grief of her plight, is rendered unable to speak! What a painful spell that has grasped her pure heart!]

It was obvious that Todoh was attempting to help Shirou move the scene along, but no matter how hard he tried to think, not a single part of his body seemed to work.

"Oh dear Juliet!" Shirou stiffened as a familiar voice rang in his ears. He turned in shock. "What pain is it that has taken away your voice?"

Her hair drills were all tied together by one big hair band and she was dressed in an outfit that looked like a mix between a wizard and a butler, but it was hard for Shirou _not_ to recognize his own girlfriend. She gave him a small wink.

"O-Oh!" Shirou called out, coughing as he quickly changed to the female voice he had prepared for the occasion. "I-I apologize, good sir! 'Twas not my intention to disturb another with my presence! I have simply come to this garden to think as I resist the tears that sting my eyes! I did not expect to see you...um..." Shirou trailed off, staring at Kiyome expectantly.

"Oh come now, young Juliet," Kiyome said in a theatrical voice, "surely you recognize your own tutor...um..." Kiyome trailed off as well, tapping her chin. "...Sir Bob Cratchit?"

"Really?" Shirou asked, deadpan. "Bob Cratchit? Should we expecting Mr. Scrooge to drop by?"

"Shut up! It was the only name I could think of at a moment's notice!"

"Humbug!"

The audience burst into laughter, perhaps believing that their act was part of the play or perhaps knowing it wasn't and finding it more hilarious. A few of them seemed to recognize Kiyome-

[You rock, Kiyome!]

[You go, girl!]

-especially the members of the Tennis Club.

Shirou took this opportunity to edge closer to Kiyome, leaning over and whispering in her ear, "How did you know I was in trouble?"

Kiyome snorted, whispering back, "Shirou, you're on a stage in the middle of the whole school. Did you really think before asking that question?"

"Not really, but thanks for bailing me out there."

Kiyome smiled. "No problem. That's what girlfriends are for."

It was Todoh who seemed to realize that the situation was being improvised first, deciding to roll with it.

[Ah! A fateful encounter with her teacher as well as older brother-figure from childhood, Sir Cratchit! A great deal of time has passed since they last met! What a shock for the beautiful man to see little Juliet blossoming into a gorgeous young woman!]

"Uh..." Shirou coughed, switching back to his character's voice. "Truly a good deal of time has passed, but the years have been very kind to you, Sir Cratchit! Since the days when we would walk these gardens together, I have missed you dearly."

"And I you, Juliet!"

Shirou grasped Kiyome's hand in his own, smiling softly. He wasn't quite sure if it was for the scene or because he was relieved to have the only (mostly) sane person in his life there with him, but it was relieving all the same.

[To reunite after so many years, truly a blessing...but also a shame. This is when the sparks truly fly! For Sir Cratchit has been in love with Juliet since their first meeting!]

Both Shirou and Kiyome's faces turned beet-red, both turning in the direction from which Todoh's voice originated.

[WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?]

[Cratchit was no fool! He knew the love that was to blossom between dear Romeo and his darling Juliet!]

"What the Hell are you doing, Todoh...?" Shirou hissed between grit teeth. It was bad enough that he and Kiyome were adlibbing through the performance, but Todoh setting up random scenes like that one was not helpful.

[He had no desire for his affections to impede Juliet's path in life, but he could not restrain himself! This is his final chance to reveal his feelings! Go get'em, Cratchit!]

"I don't know who that guy is..." Kiyome said, eyes half-lidded, "but I hate him."

"Just go with it." Shirou said, sighing in defeat. He had had the strangest, most frustrating night and he was just fed up with it. Things literally could not get more complicated for him.

Kiyome pursed her lips, her eyes dotting back and forth between Shirou and the audience. "Everyone's staring!" She whined.

"Oh come on! It's not like it's something you haven't told me a thousand times before!" Shirou froze when he realized how much he had raised his voice. He turned to the audience, all of them gaping in shock. "Uh...hehe!...Hi there..."

[SAY WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?]

[Is this Juliet saying it to Sir Cratchit or the new girl saying that to Kiyome-senpai!?]

[No way! Kiyome-senpai is in love with that actor guy!?]

[I wonder who it could be!]

[Oh darn. Kiyome-senpai's straight. There goes my fantasies.]

It was after a brief pause that Todoh's voice sounded on the speakers again.

[What's this!? Could it be love is not one-sided!? What could Juliet possibly mean by those words!? Is she aware of Sir Cratchit's feelings!? Does she reciprocate!?]

"H-Hold on!" Shirou said, desperately trying to salvage the situation. "You-You're all taking that way out of context!" There had to be some way out of the ridiculous situation he had found himself in...

"Juliet! What is the meaning of this?" Tsubasa picked the worst possible time to appear. She was dressed in her costume, her expression making it uncertain whether or not she was serious. "I thought your love was for me and me only!"

"I-It is, Romeo!" Shirou said quickly, running from Kiyome over to Tsubasa. He grasped Tsubasa's hand, trying to appear as genuine as possible. It may not be too late... "I have no clue how this sort of misunderstanding could have come about! It's true I love Sir Cratchit in a way, but my love for you is absolute!"

Tsubasa examined Shirou's face (or did a good job of trying to look as though she were) before her expression softened. She wrapped her arm around him, pulling him into an embrace.

"I believe you, my dove." She said. "You are my one and only love and I believe you view me with the same affection. I shall let no scoundrel such as he drive a wedge between us nor shall he lessen my affection for you."

Shirou felt himself blushing, which he felt was totally lame of him considering that Tsubasa was merely playing her part as best as she could.

"Ever since that day, when I first glimpsed that spirit of a warrior hiding beneath that kitten-like appearance, I have always adored you from afar." Tsubasa said in a disturbingly affectionate tone that Shirou could swear sounded real. "Now, holding you within my arms, it's almost like a dream, one from which I wish to never wake."

It was when Shirou felt a heated glare on the back of his skull that he dared to look behind him, finding Kiyome none-too-pleased with the close proximity between him and Tsubasa. It didn't help that Tsubasa appeared to have noticed, purposely hugging Shirou even closer to the point he could feel her breast more intimately than before.

"Is that all you have to say, _Juliet_!?" Kiyome snapped, glaring daggers so sharp that Shirou felt they could actually kill him. "You would tarnish my love for you, since youth, for a man you have deigned to meet only once!? Seriously! Does nobody question how to teenagers who've met only once somehow suddenly fall in love! I get love at first site, but there should at least be a little more time before they suddenly decide to elope, you know!?"

[And so a love triangle is formed! Poor Juliet caught between the undying love of Sir Cratchit and the young Romeo! Will her heart be able to withstand the tug between these two gentleman!?]

Shirou eye twitched before he screamed, still using his female voice, "Todoh, if you don't shut up, I will shove that mic straight up your ass!"

[Juliet screamed as the heavens for their cruelty, cursing God Himself for placing her amidst two who love her dearly!]

"I WILL BURY YOOOOOOOOU!" Shirou was beet-red. The situation was spiraling even further out of his control than he could comprehend.

"So who will it be, _Juliet_?" Kiyome intoned, eyes narrowed. "Will you choose me or _Romeo_?"

"Uh..." Shirou looked between Kiyome and Tsubasa. "...do you mean you and Romeo or you and Tsubasa?"

"What do you think?!"

"I don't know anymore! Uuuu..."

"A-Are you _crying_?"

"Yes! I've lost control of my life and I just don't know what to do anymore!"

[Poor, sweet Juliet, unable to decide between her two loves! Forced to experience an intense pain in her heart that-]

"Uraaaaugh!" Shirou turned around and picked up his "castle" before subsequently throwing it in Todoh's direction, shattering against the wall with a satisfying _crack_. "...Now I feel better." He turned back to Kiyome and Tsubasa. "Oh...right. The question...well, um...I pick Kiyo-I mean- _Sir Cratchit_."

"What?" Tsubasa looked shocked, although it was hard to tell whether she was serious or just acting. "Oh dear Juliet, why have you forsaken me and my love for you!?"

Shirou, deciding his path has been cleared, broke away from Romeo, feigning a pained look. "For I have realized a terrible truth, my Romeo! We may not be together because we..." He faltered, searching his brain for some way out of this mess. "...we...We're related by blood, my half-brother! My mother had had an affair with your father and I had been the result! And, even though I had looked upon Sir Cratchit as family, I cannot deny the spark of romance that has been born between us! I'm afraid, brother, that our shared blood will keep us apart!"

Trying to look as tactful as possible, Shirou edged his way back towards Kiyome, trying to avoid the stunned stares of the audience.

However, just as he was a few feet away, Tsubasa grabbed his arm, forcing him to turn to her.

"Sweet yet foolish, Juliet! Blood matters not when we love each other!" Tsubasa said excitedly, her face turning an almost painful-looking shade of red. "Let's get married right away, my dear little sister!"

[Ah! It appears that Romeo is a total Siscon!]

"WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO KILL YOU, TODOH!?" Shirou screeched as Tsubasa's fierce grip tightened around his arm.

She wasn't acting anymore. She was serious!

"And who are you to lay your hands on _my_ darling?!" Kiyome snapped, grabbing Shirou's other arm and pulling him towards her. "After all, she's always belonged to me, you know!"

"And since when is my lovely sister a piece of property?" Tsubasa retorted, both women glaring daggers at one another. "Who are you to try and control her?! She deserves to be happy without fearing being crushed in the palm of your controlling hand!"

"T-Tsubasa..." Shirou wasn't sure how to respond to something like that.

"And if she belongs to anyone, she belongs to me!" Tsubasa let out an awed sigh. "Back then, when we first met, the hand she used to strike me was so soft and lovely that I was immediately put under her spell! That was the day I claimed her as my own!"

"Wait...strike you..."" Shirou pursed his lips, falling deep into thought as he remembered the scene Tsubasa had once described to him. His eyes widened in shock. "YOU WEREN'T THE VICTIM GIRL! YOU WERE ONE OF THOSE THUG CHICKS!"

"Yes, and the day we met was one I will never forget~" Tsubasa said with an admiring smile.

 _"Aaaand sweet moment over."_ Shirou noted with a deadpan. He now had a fairly good idea as to what happened to the original "Juliet" and his understudies.

[Actually, you're both wrong. Juliet has always belonged to me.]

A new voice sounded, throwing silence over the three "actors" on the stage.

"Oh what now!?" Shirou snapped.

The room suddenly went dark, screams being heard from the audience, and Shirou felt an odd sensation of weightlessness.

When the room was lit up once more, Shirou realized he was no long on the stage, but on the catwalk above the stage, lower so as to be in view of the audience.

When he looked up, he saw a familiar older sister-type girl with raven-colored hair tied back. Only difference between her normal self and how she was there would probably have to be her attire which had had the added apparel of a long, black cape and a white mask covering the upper half of her face.

"I have always watched her from afar since the day we first met," Akeno said in a theatrical voice, "since she first saved my life."

There was a gasp from the audience.

"Ake-" Shirou paused, sighing. "Know what? I quit. I'm done trying. I'm just going to just go with it until this ends or I die." He sighed again. "Who are you, masked stranger?"

Akeno knelt before Shirou, helping him sit up from the ground. "I understand you would not recognize a common face as mine, sweet Juliet-"

"Common, my ass!"

"-but I am one who has admired you greatly since the day we first met. I have long since thrown away my true name, but many have called me "The Phantom"."

"Oh my God." Shirou said, thinking she was just doing this to stir up more chaos. "You're serious?"

"How could I not be for a girl with such a cute face?"

"WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP SAYING THAT!?" Shirou screamed, standing up on his own, placing his hands on his hips. ""Your face", "Your face"! Why is it always about my goddamned face!? Shiro-Sh-Shiroko Fujinuma is much more than just a face you know!"

[Shiroko Fujinuma?]

[Wait! So it really is a girl?!]

[Her name sounds pretty cute!]

"Of course~" Akeno said, purring in a way Shirou expected from Koneko. "I'm so sorry for daring to judge you on that trait alone, my love~ You have so many other admirable traits I would be more than willing to talk about-" She licked her lips. "- _in private_."

"Akeno-senpai, what's the meaning of this!?"

"Stay out of this, thunder-boobs!"

[What's this!? It appears that the masked Phantom is making moves on Juliet! What will be her response!?]

"C-Cut it out!" Shirou backed up away from Akeno. "I-I mean, I get you're into teasing me and stuff, but I j-ju-uwaah!" Shirou stumbled as he backed away from Akeno, falling right over the railing towards the ground below. "Umph!"

...And that was about when he was caught in Koneko's arms, the white-haired girl staring passively. "Hey."

"Uh...hi?"

Koneko turned to the other girls, a completely serious expression on her face. "...Senpai's lap is mine."

"Not you too!" Shirou cried, quickly leaping from Koneko's arms. "I am without allies on this stage!"

"It's a simple, matter, really, _Shiroko_?" Kiyome said, grabbing Shirou's shoulder with a misleadingly calm smile. "Just tell the others to piss off and we can go elope together."

"Not so fast!" Tsubasa smacked Kiyome's hand away. "If anyone will be eloping with Juliet, it will be me!"

"You're both wrong!" Akeno declared cheerfully, leaping down from the catwalk above, unconcerned with how her skirt fluttered in a way that revealed her silk panties. "It is I who will claim our lovely maiden's hand~"

The looks on the girls' faces when they turned to Shirou were like those of birds of prey. Any moment, they would swoop down and _devour_ him.

He felt a soft poke in the small of his back. He turned to see Koneko, still staring seriously.

"I'll protect you, Senpai."

"YOU'RE NOT HELPING!"

[You're all wrong!]

Everyone looked around, trying to discern the source of the voice, but Shirou already had a pretty good idea who it was.

[Down here!]

A small hand was raised from the front of the stage, grasping onto the edge so the hand's owner could pull themselves up.

Mikoto Fujimura stood proudly on the stage, dusting off her normal skirt. "I'll never let any of you have my adorable Shicchan!"

"And here I was foolishly thinking this couldn't _possibly_ get any worse." Shirou muttered to himself.

The audience was, once again, in as much confusion as the actors when the small woman took to the stage.

[What's this!? Who is the the small child who has wandered into the fray?! Perhaps the secret love child between Juliet and-Bugaahk!]

Mikoto took that opportunity to take off one of her shoes and throw it at Todoh, hitting him dead center in his forehead. "That was annoying." She said, deadpan. She sighed, turning to the audience while striking a cute pose, holding up her hand with a sign for peace. "If any of these bitches think they're going to lay a hand on my beautiful baby girl, they've got another thing coming~! The name's Mikoto and I'm the real star of this story~ The sworn protester of my child's virginity~"

[Eh!? Shiroko-chan's mom?! Or Juliet's!?]

[The final barrier to obtaining Juliet's heart is the most obvious obstacle!]

[What's going to happen next!?]

"NOTHING!" Shirou snapped at the audience in his feminine voice. "Nothing is going to happen because this play is over!" He pointed at the audience. "This is terrible! A real catastrophe of a performance! How can you all just go along with this!?" Then he turned and pointed at the five "actors". "And why are you all just so nuts!?"

[...Huh?]

The girls exchanged looks, smiling at one another before turning back to Shirou.

[Because I love you!]

They all spoke the same exact words.

"Stop iiiiit!" Shirou cried, tears pouring from his eyes. "I can't take this teasing anymore! I'm running away foreveeeeeeer!" Shirou turned on his heels and started sprinting away. "Uwaaaaah!"

"Wait, _Shiroko_! Come back!"

" _Shiroko-chan_ , don't be like that~"

"Senpai!"

"Shicchan, I'm sorryyyyyyyy!"

"Wait! Please don't be scared by my admiration, Shiroko-chan!"

"Stop calling me thaaaat!"

And so _Juliet_ sprinted right off the stage and through the exit doors, followed by Romeo, Sir Cratchit, the Phantom, Juliet's mother, and Koneko Toujou.

For a brief moment, there was silence.

[Ahem!]

Todoh cleared his throat to gather everyone's attention.

[For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo...Thanks for coming everybody! Good night!]

The room was quickly drowned in applause, only a handful in the room realizing how unscripted the entire performance had been...

And none of them noticed the shady figure in the trench coat hanging out at the back of the room...

They adjusted their hat to cover their eyes.

"...He's perfect. Just the kind of person I need..."

With that, they left, completely unnoticed by the general audience.

The person who would, unbeknownst to our heroes, bring a whole new flavor of chaos...

'Course, that's a story for another time.

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** Sports Day Fallout! The Nightmare Begins Anew!

* * *

 **This has actually been done for a while, but I've just been...ugh. Anyway, it's been over two weeks, so I decided to go ahead and update.**

 **Nearing the point of no return...Let's hope I don't fail this up again.**

 **Again, read my new story, DxD:Neo. O_O Do iiiiit.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	33. Chapter 29: Sports Day Fallout!

**Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Which means I don't own shit! Try and claim copyright now, bitches! XD**

* * *

 **Chapter 29: Sports Day Fallout! The Nightmare Begins Anew!**

 _"You did nothing wrong..."_

 _Crying...Crying...Crying..._

 _It was ringing in his ears. Static before his eyes._

 _"You did nothing wrong...You did nothing wrong..."_

 _Tears of salt, tears of blood._

 _Blood-bleeding-death..._

 _Death. So much death._

 _So lonely. So much pain. So much pain and death._

 _The cycle repeats. Empty._

 _"You did nothing wrong..."_

 _The others around him weren't moving._

 _Motionless. No moving. Dead_

 _So many dead. So much death. Pain and death. Cycle repeats._

 _More fall. More fall. Less live. Pain. Death. Repeat._

 _"You did nothing wrong...You did nothing wrong...You did nothing wrong...You did nothing wrong...You did nothing wrong...You did nothing wrong...You did nothing wrong..."_

 _The words kept repeating like a broken record..._

 _Broken. Twisted. Dead. Blood. Hopeless. Despair. Carnage. Pain._

 _Knife in hand._

 _Trembling hand._

 _Betrayal._

 _Pain._

 _Blood._

 _Death._

 _He smiled, tears streaming from his eyes._

 _"Shirou, you did nothing wrong...OK?"_

 _"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-"_

* * *

"-UGH!"

It took him several minutes of panicked breathing before Shirou realized he was back at home, sitting upright in his own bed with his arm outstretched as if he were trying to grab something non-existent.

His heart was beating so furiously against his rib cage that he was certain one of them was going to snap. It actually _physically_ hurt, how fast his heart was beating. Even with how many heavy breaths he had been taking, it was as if someone had been smothering him and he had only just broken free with how close he was to suffocating.

His sheets were literally soaked in sweat and his clothes were drenched.

He buried his face into his hands, taking a deep breath. "Damn it..." He cringed as he felt the tears dripping from his eyes. "Not again..."

They had been repeating over and over ever since the Rating Game with Riser (and the embarrassing "event" he was deceived into taking part in, the horrible name that shalt not be named!).

The nightmares.

Just when Shirou thought he was finally rid of them, just as life was finally improving for him, they came back with an even greater emotional pain. Before, it had been simple fear, the terror of the horrific demons that he always saw lurking in the shadows. After a few years, he had learned to feel nothing about them because he would always wake up and the monsters would cease to be anything more than simple nightmares.

However, these nightmares were different. Much more...broken. Everything was unclear but always from a first person point of view. He could see, he could feel, he could hear, but he couldn't do anything to change the events that were occurring.

Hell, he didn't even KNOW what events were taking place.

"It's pathetic..." He told himself, just as he had many times before. "What the Hell is wrong with me?"

Sometimes he would just spend the entire night sitting there, awake and trembling. Sometimes, he woke up mumbling to himself before he even realized what he was doing. Every single time, he woke up with tears dripping from his eyes.

It had been near impossible to get to sleep after each cycle.

When he wasn't cursing at himself for getting worked up over stupid nightmares, he was cursing at himself for having the nightmares in the first place.

And just like many nights before, Shirou found himself sitting there, wide awake, his only friend being the vivid moonlight shining through his window.

Sleep wouldn't be coming for a long time.

* * *

Even into the next morning, he was still thinking about his dream. He didn't have as much gusto as he normally did while cleaning up after breakfast for him and Mikoto.

Just as before, communication between the two was hard to manage. Shirou had all but given up on trying to talk to her about Koneko, settling for just trying to get her to talk to him at all. However, ever since the training camp, she had been abnormally distant. They could sit right next to one another at the same table and it would feel as though they were miles away. It was more worrying than anything. At first, he had thought she was just trying to avoid the issue, but by that point, he wasn't sure anymore.

The confusion and stress from that issue was hardly helping the heavy exhaustion Shirou found himself suffering.

"You seem troubled today, Shicchan." He almost dropped the dishes in his hands from the sudden surprise. He looked at Mikoto, blinking to make sure he wasn't mistaken about her eyes being on him. "Is something bothering you?"

After what had been hours of silence, she just suddenly started talking to him...with Kalawarner too occupied with washing dishes to give her an excuse to bail out.

"Shicchan?"

"O-Oh! Right!" He tightened his grasp on the dishes in his hands. He sighed. "Well, it's a long story. To sum it up, for a long while now...I've started having these recurring nightmares...They've been getting worse ever since I started talking with the spirit of my Sacred Gear."

"Spirit of your Sacred Gear?"

Shirou blinked. "Oh right, I never told anyone about that." He paused. "Long story short, there's a giant wolf living in my Sacred Gear who talks to me in my head. He's kind of an asshole."

Mikoto stared. "...OK then."

"And, ever since then, these nightmares of mine have gotten worse."

"What are these nightmares about?" Mikoto asked, interested. "I've been hearing you crying in the night sometimes. Is it because of these nightmares?"

Sighing, Shirou set the dishes back down on the table, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's hard to put it in one sentence..." He said. "It's like...I'm usually in a big room of some kind."

"A big room?" Mikoto asked, curious.

"Yeah..." Shirou paused. "...I mean, it's not always the same big room. It's usually different rooms, but a lot of them look similar...and some of them don't. Sometimes, I'm just in this one big white room, just sitting there. There's a girl in my arms...I'm...crying. She's bleeding...I remember...I remember being scared. Really scared, because of these sets of glowing red eyes looking in at me. I couldn't see what they looked like, but I could see their outlines...monstrous figures. Like Eliade and Viser somehow had evil, less human-looking babies together."

"Haunting image."

"The two Strays or the monsters?"

"Yes."

Realizing that was the only response he was getting from his mother, Shirou continued, "I got used to that nightmare, so it stopped fazing me, but lately, ever since I became a Devil, they've been changing."

"Changing...how?" Something about the way Mikoto asked the question make Shirou feel curious, but he didn't act on his curiosity. Almost...alarmed.

"I end up in other places." Shirou said. "Sometimes, I'm running, but not from the monsters this time. Someone's dragging me along. I think...I think he was trying to save me..." He turned his gaze towards the ceiling, frowning. "I dunno. This nightmare isn't as clear. All I remember is running, but then it gets all blurry, like static. It always ended the same way though. I remember a lot of pain and blood. There were..." He scowled, trying to fight the bile working its way up his throat, wiping sweat from his forehead. "There were bodies laying on the ground. Children...Little kids. They were just laying there...Dead. Finally, there's more pain and I remember a knife. The only thing I ever hear is the same phrase repeated over and over again, "You did nothing wrong"...Was it me or the other boy? I don't know. I've tried focusing, I've tried ignoring it altogether, I've tried everything I could think of, but the images don't get any clearer nor do they go away. It's like someone put a broken horror movie into the DVD player and broke off the stop button."

"Sounds troublesome." Mikoto agreed, avoiding meeting Shirou's gaze.

"And, you know, I never put much stock into it before, but, maybe..."

"Maybe?"

"...It may have something to do with seven years ago." Shirou said, deep in thought.

If Mikoto's tension hadn't been obvious before, it was then. "I think you might be reading too much into it."

"What else could it be?!" Shirou snapped. "It's the only thing I've had from seven years ago. No matter how hard I try, the only thing I had since before you gave me my name was these nightmares..."

"Shirou, you're being ridiculous." Mikoto's cold words came as a surprise, causing Shirou to stare at her in confusion. "I'll make an appointment with a psychiatrist or something, but nightmares are just nightmares."

"..." Shirou frowned. "Do you...Do you know something?"

"Hm?" If there was one thing Shirou knew, it was that Mikoto had _the worst_ poker face when she was stressed.

"These nightmares..." Shirou said, rubbing the back of his neck. "...if they have something to do with seven years ago, don't you think I have a right to know?"

"Do you think you even _want_ to know?"

Shirou knew it the moment her voice became cold.

"It _does_ have something to do with it, doesn't it!?" Mikoto only used that cold voice of hers when she was being serious or trying to avoid something. "Come on! Admit it!"

Mikoto looked left and right, pursing her lips as she tried to think of the most legitimate answer that could have turned Shirou completely off the subject.

"No," was her clever response.

There was a puff of smoke, and then she was gone.

"Damn it!" Shirou cursed. "She got away again! I gotta stop letting her do that!"

* * *

Shirou shoved his hands into his pockets, unable to get his mind off of the situation which had unfolded only ten minutes prior.

"She can't just keep treating me like a little kid!" He snapped at no one in particular. "Why can't she ever just be straight with me? Would that really kill her?"

" _If she loves you enough, it just might-nyan~_ "

Shirou sighed. "Hey there, Kuro." The black-furred feline walking atop the brick wall beside him let out a whine of disappointment.

" _What's with the casual greeting?_ " Kuroneko complained. " _You're usually a lot more stunned or surprised to see me appearing out of the blue._ "

"I've seen snake-demons, psychotic necrophilic priests, evil Angels, and, most shockingly, that I look good in a dress." Shirou said, deadpan. "There is literally nothing you can do now that can surprise me."

" _We'll see-nya~_ "

"That's not a challenge, Kuro!" Shirou crossed his arms behind his head, turning his gaze towards the sky. "So, what do you want?"

" _Oh come on~ Can't a cool cat like me just pop in to say "Hi"~?_ "

"No." Shirou answered bluntly. "You only usually pop up nowadays, talkin' and stuff, when something big is about to happen or something bad is about to or has already happened...usually both."

" _You make me sound like some kind of harbinger of death._ " Kuroneko let out a mew of feigned hurt. " _I'm just here because I noticed the only interesting human in this town mopin' like a bitch again and decided to come cheer him up~_ "

"Well you're off to a spectacular start." Shirou quipped. "Anyway, why are you so quick to defend my dear mother? Don't tell me she already knew about you before I did?"

" _I didn't TELL HER if that's what you're asking._ " Kuroneko said. " _'Course, considering what a perceptive woman she is, I don't think even my magic could fool her completely. If she knew, then she did a pretty good job at keeping it to herself._ "

"Which brings me back to my main point!" Shirou pointed out. "I love her and everything, but she's always keeping secrets from me, never actually talking to me about anything so much as talking _at_ me! She promised we would be more truthful with me but SHE'S STILL LYING!" He let out a growl of frustration, yanking his hair. "You know, that's not even the real issue right now! It's the fact that she knows more than she's been telling me! I wouldn't be surprised if she knew everything about what happened to me and has been keeping quiet for SEVEN YEARS!"

" _What's this about seven years ago_?" Kuroneko asked, poking her head curiously off the edge of the wall.

"Well..." Shirou scratched his head, looking anxious. "It's...uh...It's a complicated situation. Essentially, something bad happened seven years ago and I've been trying to put the pieces together ever since then with no luck."

" _I can't help but feel like that's too intentionally vague._ "

"I figured that these recurring nightmares I've been having could have held clues, but Ka-san completely blew me off the moment I mentioned them," Shirou said, "which means that I'm not too far off. She's hiding something from me."

" _You ever consider she's doing it for your own good?_ " Kuroneko chimed in, stretching her legs, ignoring Shirou's half-lidded gaze. " _Oh don't look at me like that~ Sometimes the older family members take it upon themselves to do seemingly nonsensical things for the sake of their beloved younger sister._ "

"You mean "son"?" Shirou corrected.

" _Huh? Oh, right._ " Kuroneko continued as if she hadn't made such an awkward pause. " _That. Point is, maybe she's just trying to protect you...Maybe it's something you'd be better off not knowing?_ "

However, the dark, melancholy look on Shirou's face was enough to send chills down even the black cat's spine. "Kuro, you don't even know..." He tightened his fists at his side. "This is something I've been wondering for seven years. Since I first came to Kuoh Town, it's something that's been bugging me and the thought of Ka-san deliberately making sure I don't find out...This thing...it's basically who I am. My whole existence. If I don't figure it out, my nightmares will just get worse and they'll drive me insane. I've put it on the back-burner for long enough. Ka-san knows something and I'm going to find out what it is!"

"Fine out what _what_ is, Senpai?"

"Jesus!" Shirou suddenly flew into a fighting stance after jumping in shock to the sudden voice behind him.

"No, actually, it's Koneko." The loli said, raising a hand as she smiled at her own joke.

"Need to put a bell on you..." Shirou sighed out, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Kuro! Why didn't you tell me she was-" However, when he looked back to the wall, his black-furred friend was nowhere to be seen. "Why can everyone but me move like fuckin' ninjas!?" Then he pointed a finger in Koneko's direction. "And why didn't I notice you until just now?!"

Koneko smiled. "I've been practicing with my Senjutsu to mask my presence."

"Mask your presence?"

"Yeah. It's one of the abilities we Youkai have." Koneko explained. "I'm still pretty novice at it thought. I can only do basic things like damage enemies. Masking my presence at my current level only hides me from people who are already preoccupied. If you hadn't been distracted by your self-monologue, you probably would have realized I was behind you."

"I see..."

"What _were_ you talking about?" Koneko asked, flicking her cat tail back and forth.

Shirou's cheeks pinked as his hand instinctively reached for Koneko's head, petting her affectionately. "I was talkin' about how cute you are~!" He cooed, quickly changing the subject. Koneko let out an affectionate purr, unable to help but let her ears out as well. "You probably shouldn't show those in public though." He snickered as Koneko's face turned beet-red, the girl's tail immediately sliding back under her skirt as she patted her ears back down. "Any particular reason you're stalking me this fine morning, Koneko?"

"Buchou tried reaching you earlier, but you weren't picking up any of her calls." Koneko said, pointing at Shirou's pocket. "After you didn't pick up, she tried texts."

Shirou pulled his cellphone out of his pocket, squinting his eyes as he examined it closely. "OH! _Here's_ the problem!" He pushed a button, grinning. "It was off the whole time~!"

Koneko sweatdropped. "You know, with how rarely you use it, I question why you keep accepting new phones for any reason other than to see them broken later on."

Shirou chuckled, which gave Koneko cause for concern. "Anyway, let's see what our dear club president has sent me~" He slid his finger across the screen (Rias had gotten him a touch screen this time around). "Ahem..."

 _From Rias:_

 _We're waiting for Ichiei Ishibumi's new light novel volume. Oppai!_

Shirou furrowed his brows. "Who dafuq is Ichiei Ishibumi? Must be a pretty good writer if even Rias likes him..." Then he looked down. "Oh!"

 _From Rias (2):_

 _Please disregard the first text. I dropped my phone and the case came loose, so the touch screen was acting funny._

 _We're holding today's club meeting at Issei's house today. Come as soon as you can so we can begin._

"Well, that makes a lot more sense." Shirou scratched his cheek. "You came all this way just to tell me to check my text messages?"

"That or tell you in person on the off-chance you broke your phone again."

"That's fair. I don't have a very good track-record with technology."

And so they left for Issei's house, carrying on in their casual conversation...

* * *

Shirou saw the ominous cloud of despair hanging over Issei's house before he had even reached the front door.

Somewhere inside, for whatever reason, someone wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and die of embarrassment.

Before Shirou could so much as knock, the door flew open, revealing a disgruntled and horrified Issei. "Shirou! It's horrible!" He screamed. "I-It's Oka-san!"

Shirou tensed, alarmed. "What? What happened?!" Even if it was only a result of Rias' hypnosis, they had taken him in for a time prior to the nasty business with Riser. They were nice to him and Shirou didn't like the thought of something bad afflicting them.

"Hurry! Come on in!" Without waiting, Issei grabbed Shirou by the arm and dragged him all the way into the living room. Koneko, equally alarmed, sprinted in after them, ready to fight.

"Issei! What-" The moment Shirou saw, he understood. The moment he understood, he stared in disbelief. "-the fuck?"

"And this is a picture of Lil Ise at the beach!"

Truth be told, Shirou wasn't quite sure _what_ he was looking at. There was Issei's mother, surrounded by the other members of the Occult Research Club as she pointed out certain pictures in the photo album she held. There were Rias and Asia, both blushing deeply and Rias practically drooling when she glimpsed Child-Issei.

If he listened carefully enough, he could swear they were muttering under their breath. Like some kind of demonic chant. The way their eyes glowed red with ill intentions upon glimpsing normal-Issei certainly did not help the chilling feeling Shirou had.

His left eye twitched. "Oh what the flying fuck did I just walk into?"

"Oh, it's good to see you again, Shirou-kun." Mrs. Hyoudou said. "You're friends have all been waiting for you." She was so kind and polite that Shirou felt even worse about how Rias had put a hypnosis spell on her.

"I see that." Shirou said, eyes half-lidded.

Mrs. Hyoudou smiled pleasantly. "Well I was just exposing-I mean-showing Ise's childhood pictures to the girls here." Shirou turned and stared at Issei.

"You have to stop them, Shirou!" Issei shouted, gesturing frantically. "They've already seen the time at the beach I made breasts out of sand and me in the bathtub!" He looked so embarrassed and ready to die.

Shirou smiled, placing a reassuring hand on Issei's shoulder.

"Not my problem~"

The way Issei's hope shattered into pieces was so hysterical that Shirou felt he may have gained a taste for sadism.

"You know, maybe we should hold the next meeting at Shirou-kun's house~" Akeno suggested, giggling at Issei's misfortune in the same way Shirou had.

"Ah! That's an excellent idea!" Issei agreed, smirking evilly at Shirou as if he had obtained some kind of victory. "Why don't we have Fujimura-san give us a glimpse of Shirou's embarrassing past?"

Shirou snickered, leaning against a wall. "Joke's on you, suckers." Akeno and Issei stared at him, as if expecting some sort of follow-up retort or remark only to find surprising silence. It was only made even more chilling by the distinct lack of humor in his voice. Instead, he just walked away towards Kiba, the only other person in the room who didn't seem to be doing anything in particular. "Yo, Kiba!"

When the Knight of Rias Gremory hesitated in so much glancing in Shirou's direction, he paused. "..."

It was only when Issei noticed the surprise on Kiba's face that he came to join him. "Something up?"

"Hey, Issei?" Something about Issei's voice sent chills down Shirou's spine. Almost as bad as Akeno did when she went S&M crazy. "This picture..."

Both of the other Gremory males leaned in, examining the photo Kiba was staring at.

It was a young Issei sitting next to a young boy-no-wait! It was a girl. Perspective threw Shirou off for a second.

...It could have been either, really, but Shirou presumed it was a girl. It was just a gut instinct.

"Do you remember this?" Kiba asked, his expression dead-serious.

"Hmm," Issei considered it for a second before shaking his head. "No. To be fair, I was like five back then.

"Things like this happen, huh. To find it in an unexpected place..." Something about Kiba's expression, Shirou found it familiar somehow. Like an odd sense of deja vu.

"Find what?"

Kiba pointed to the ornamental blade sitting between the two children. "This is a Holy Sword." It was then that Shirou realized what it was on Kiba's face...The expression Shirou had found directed at himself almost everyday before meeting Kiyome and the others.

Hatred.

"A what?"

However, before Shirou could even attempt to call Kiba out on his abnormal behavior, he quickly replaced it with his normal, pretty boy smile. "It's nothing~ Never mind! Great pictures!" He handed the album back to Issei before the brown-haired young man could even think to object.

* * *

BANG

The dull clanging of metal reverberated through the azure sky.

"All right. I've got this one."

"Bitch please!" Before Issei could even touch the soaring baseball with his glove, Shirou swooped in, slammed his shoulder into Issei, and snatched it like a hawk, grinning as he landed in a roll against the ground. He raised his victorious hand into the air.

"What the Hell, Shirou?!"

"Suck it!"

Rather than praise the snow-haired Devil on the catch, Rias sighed, shaking her head. "Shirou, I've told you several times before: This is a team event." She said, having all but rehearsed it the countless other times she reminded him. "It's good you're catching the ball, but please stop trying to steal it from your own teammates. You gave Koneko several bruises while you were practicing for football earlier." Koneko rubbed her arm, narrowing her eyes at Shirou.

"So? Isn't that the point?"

" _She was on your team_!"

"Hehe~" Shirou blushed slightly, smiling like a child who got the best Christmas present ever. "Sorry, Buchou! I'm just a little excited! I didn't get to take part in the ball tournament last year because everyone was scared I was going to murder or assault them! I keep getting too pumped up and act without thinking!...well, I think less than usual anyway! Hehe!"

It was an event held annually during the spring season at Kuoh Academy. It was a tournament consisting of a variety of sports which various clubs, not necessarily just sports clubs, competed in. However, as with every extracurricular activity, Shirou was excluded out of fear he would A) Do poorly as a result of "attacking his own teammates" or B) Do too well and accidentally kill all opposing teams.

Rias placed her hands on her hips, wagging her fingers at Shirou. "That's no excuse, Shirou. I want everyone to give it 100% effort so that we may uphold the Occult Research Club's reputation." She caught the ball only to throw it up in the air again, narrowing her eyes before she hit the ball dead-center with her aluminum baseball bat.

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, the thing about that is, Rias, that the club's reputation kind of went out the window the moment you invited two of the least popular boys in school to join." He turned towards Asia, whistling to get her attention. "Blondie! Heads up!"

"I-I got it!" Asia raised her hands, desperately trying to catch the ball. However, she moved around too much. "Haaan! Aaau-aaau-aaau… Aah!" The ball went right between Asia's legs. Needless to say, Asia's sports' sense was below exceptional. At times, she'd even trip over nothing.

"Asia! If you fail to catch it, go fetch it!"

"Y-yes!" Asia went to obey the order, desperately running after the ball with far more exertion than it would have taken a physically fit or even normal person.. In all honesty, it would probably be for the best to take her out of any game that relied on any kind of physical coordination (that was to say, _everything_ ). After a few minutes, which the rest of the club spent trying to pretend they didn't see how much the poor girl was struggling, Asia picked up the ball and threw it at Rias. Although it hit the ground immediately and Rias had to walk halfway to get it, the rest of the club members acknowledged her efforts.

"Next is Yuuto! Here!"

Then Kiba, having not been paying the least bit of attention, got hit smack-dab in the head by an incoming ball. There was a solid smack, but, aside from blinking in surprise, it only appeared to have slightly fazed the Knight. After recovering, Kiba picked the ball up and threw it back to Rias, the latter letting out a small sigh.

"Yuuto, what's wrong?" Rias asked, looking more worried than upset. "You've been acting rather strange lately. It's not like you."

"I'm sorry." Kiba apologized, and he genuinely meant it. He looked like a poor puppy who had been chasing his tail only to just realize his master had told him to fetch a _stick_ instead.

He had been like this ever since he saw that picture of the Holy Sword in Issei's photo album. Ever since then, he always seemed preoccupied with something in his thoughts. During ORC activities, regular classes, and especially during sports practices, Kiba would just zone out entirely. Shirou had his suspicions that his out-of-the-ordinary behavior had to do with the Holy Sword from Issei's picture, but as to why it was causing him to behave in such a manner, Shirou could only speculate.

Realizing Kiba's distracted behavior would only further hinder their efforts, Rias let out a sigh of defeat. "Alright, we'll have a five minutes break and then back to work!" Everyone gave a nod of agreement.

Shirou wiped the sweat beading up on his forehead, taking a sip from the water bottle he had left on the side as he took a seat on the bench.

"Mind if I sit here?" Akeno asked.

Shirou waved off her concern. "Be my guest." And then there were two. Issei was busy talking with Asia, Rias was busy formulating some kind of strategy, Koneko was eating some snacks, and Kiba was being the same zombie he had been moments before.

"So, where's Kiyome?" Akeno asked, breaking the ice. "I'm surprised she hasn't joined us or started supporting you from the sidelines."

"Well, this is a sports festival for all clubs, and she is the captain of the Tennis Club." Shirou explained. "Not to mention, even if she weren't, we're still on school property. If people saw the two of us together, they would start to get the wrong ideas...or...well, technically the _right_ ideas, but not with the _right_ intent if that makes any sense."

"It...sort of does." Akeno admitted, staring curiously.

"Well, if someone caught us, they would figure out we were together." Shirou leaned back in his seat, enjoying the shade the building behind him provided. "That would ruin our plan to survive high school."

Akeno appeared pensive for a moment. "But isn't that a little restricting?" She asked. Shirou thought nothing of it when she scooted a little closer to him, to the point their shoulders were brushing up against one another's. "She's scared to be seen in public with you because she's afraid for her reputation? Doesn't that kind of sound like she's ashamed of you?"

Shirou shook his head. "It's for both of our reputations." He countered. "If people found out she was dating me, they would start thinking she was a slut or some kind of bad girl and her reputation would tank. Meanwhile, if people found out I was dating her, they would see it as some kind of evidence to the many outrageous claims they made about me being a womanizing beast."

"Must be annoying." Akeno noted. "Still, if you had each other, I don't see why it would matter. Isn't it only high school?"

For a moment, that gave Shirou pause, but he shrugged. "It hardly matters in a town which collectively sees me as some kind of beast..." He paused again before adding, "present company excluded of course. I would have to move to a new town and change my name if I ever wanted to escape this label of mine."

"Then I fail to see how keeping your relationship a secret benefits anyone aside from Kiyome." Akeno said. "I like her, but it sounds more like a master and secret slave relationship."

"You know, it's funny." Shirou said. "I think Tsubasa said something like that during the botched play we did...I mean, without the master and slave comparison but close enough...but, I love Kiyome and that's what matters most. If we have to, if the rumors don't fade and everyone's stupid then as they are now, we'll just think of something then."

"But does she feel the same way is the question?" Before Shirou could even consider a response, Akeno stood up. She smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry. I said something awful just now. Please forget I said anything."

And then she left.

"First Kiba, and now Akeno's acting weird...Weird _er_..." Shirou noted, scratching his head. "What is going on with my friends lately?"

* * *

 **The NEXT Day...**

"Don't fuck around! Spreading rumors about me,You guys?! Do you really want to die, seriously!?"

Shirou chuckled as he walked up to the Perverted Trio. "Good to see you guys are just as energetic as ever." He said before sipping orange juice from a can...through a straw. It was the only way he could get a decent amount of Vitamin C now that sun could burn his flesh off if he was reckless about it. "What's goin' on?"

Issei turned to Shirou, outrage on his face. "These guys are spreading rumors about me doing erotic things to Buchou, Akeno-san, Koneko-chan, and Asia!"

"You usually are in your head." Shirou pointed out, taking another sip from his juice. "So, I think it's fair."

"Whatever happened to "innocent until proven guilty"!?"

"Whatever happened to "intent" being a crime?"

"Screw you!"

"Sorry, but I don't swing that way." Shirou said, casually waving off Issei's comment.

Issei growled, pointing a finger at Shirou. "Well, Shirou spends just as much time around girls as I do!" He pointed out. "How come you guys never start rumors about him!?"

"Issei," Motohama said, adjusting his glasses, "there is literally nothing we can say about him that hasn't already been said."

"I mean, we could spread rumors about you being a cross-dresser or something..." Matsuda supposed, scratching his head. "But, man, we all know you couldn't be _paid_ to be seen in a dress-"

It was at that point that Shirou grabbed both of their throats, lifting them up several feet into the air. " _Utter one more word and you both die_." His glowing-red eyes and the ominous dark aura radiating off of his body.

"Oh cool, are we threatening nerds today?" Kiryuu said, strolling over to their motley group, Asia smiling cheerfully as she joined. "And me without my nerd-swatter." "The Nerd-Swatter" was what Kiryuu called the thick magazine she used to smack the Perverted Trio when they were being idiots.

"Hey, Asia," Issei greeted. "You finish lunch?"

"O-Oh! Yes!" Asia said shyly.

Both Shirou and Kiryuu stared in disappointment as the sudden silence that had ensued. While Shirou had immediately disapproved of his second most perverted friend befriending the pure former nun, they had come into an agreement that Issei and Asia totally needed a hook-up. That was how Kiryuu managed to convince Shirou to let her "teach" Asia on "boy-girl relationships". Issei was always going to be a dunderhead, but, while pure, Asia wasn't a moron like he was. If anyone had to make a move, it would have had to be Asia.

"What do you think we should try next?" Kiryuu asked.

"I dunno, maybe stick Issei in a dress and have Asia play Romeo this time."

"Oh are you _still_ butt-hurt over that?"

"Yes, my rear is practically on fire over your tom-fuckery. In fact, if it weren't for our shared interest in getting Issei and Asia to just fuck already, I would be riding your ass so hard about what you did."

"Sounds hot~" Kiryuu said, a lecherous expression on her face. "I didn't know you liked doing it in the backdoor."

Shirou opened his mouth to retort in outrage before sighing. "Yeah, I walked myself right into that one..." He pinched the bridge of his nose. It was then that something occurred to him. "Hey, Kiryuu?"

"Yeah?"

"Where's Kiyome?" Shirou asked, noticing a distinct lack of yelling. "She's not here for our usual "fight" so we can walk home together."

Kiryuu blinked, as if having just realized something. "Oh, that's right." She turned to Shirou. "Kiyome wanted me to tell you that she's busy practicing with her club for the tournament and they'll be walking home with her. Since she can't risk blowing you two's little lover's secret, she had no choice but to agree."

"Oh..." Shirou said. "I mean, couldn't she just...Never mind."

However, it was hard for Kiryuu not to notice the troubled expression on his face. "Something up, champ?"

Shirou scratched the back of his head. "No...It's nothing..." He turned to his..."friend". "Kiryuu...do you think that I should just...I dunno...maybe come out with the truth?"

"I don't see why not."

"...For the record, you know I mean about me and Kiyome, right?"

"Yeeaaaah." Kiryuu raised an eyebrow. "What else would I be talking about?"

"Oh good..." Shirou let a sigh of relief. "For a second, I thought you were trying to let me hang myself with some kind unintentionally "in the closet" like homosexual or bisexual kind of innuendo."

Kiryuu feigned hurt. "I'll have you know that I'm always 100% serious with my best friend."

Asia gasped. "But I thought _I_ was your best friend!"

"You are, Asia," Kiryuu said, sighing, "Just-Just go back to talking with your boyfriend~"

It only took that one comment for Asia's face to light up red, covering her face in embarrassment.

Both Shirou and Kiryuu sighed.

Their plans had a _long_ way to go.

* * *

"OK, Buchou, what the fuck is she doing here?" Shirou asked, pointing at the girl sitting on the couch across from Rias, Souna Shitori, also known as Sona Sitri, also known as the Student Council President, also known as the heiress of the Sitri clan, all of these in no particular order. "If you still want me to apologize, the answer is "Fuck no!"."

Rias sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You couldn't have saved that questions for _after_ the meeting?"

"No." Shirou answered bluntly. His eyes turned toward the group standing on Sona's side of the room. "I take it these are her servants from the Student Council?"

"Wait! Servants?" Issei asked, confused. "W-What do you mean Kaichou's "servants"?"

"You mean you _still_ don't know something like that?" Shirou asked incredulously, turning to Rias. "Buchou, the fuck!?"

"I was easing into it!"

"You're easing into it with the speed of a mile-long dick!" Nobody was quite sure what to say in response to that, so they decided to pretend it was never spoken. Shirou sighed, pointing to Sona. "Long story: Devil." He pointed to her servants. "Devil servants. End of story. We good? We good. When are they leaving?"

"Don't you talk to Kaichou so rudely, jerk!" The sole male of the Student Council snapped. "I can kind of see why Rias-buchou didn't see to keeping you in the loop. You guys are getting peaceful school life because those of us on the Student Council are keeping the peace during the day, right? It won't be bad for you to remember that, you know?" He pointed to himself. "By the way, my name is Saji Genshirou. I'm in second year, and I am Kaichou's [Pawn]."

Shirou leaned in, examining the boy "OK, what's _your_ malfunction?"

"Come again?" Saji blinked, confused.

"Your quirk." Shirou clarified. "Every Devil I've met so far has had one. There's Kiba, the sword-nut; Koneko, the kuudere with an outrageous sweet-tooth; Issei, the king of perverts; Asia, the overly innocent and naive one; Akeno, the S&M Queen; Rias, the otaku-"

"Now hold o-"

"You know what you are!" Shirou cleared his throat. "And the King of Delinquents, me. Don't even get me _started_ on Riser and his merry band of fuck-buddies. And then, there's _your_ former delinquent, Tsubasa. By the way: Hi, Tsubasa!"

"Good evening, Shirou-san!"

Shirou crossed his arms, eyeing Saji curiously. "So, tell me, buddy, what's your quirk?"

Saji scoffed. "Not everyone has to be a total freak like _you_ , Demon King of Kuoh."

Shirou stared with half-lidded eyes. "You see, sir, _that_ is how you end up on my shit-list."

The Sitri Pawn rolled his eyes. "As if I'd want to be buddy-buddy with trash that's always littering campus."

"And that, sir," Shirou said, cracking his knuckles, "is how you get your arms broken. Issei, hold'em down."

The second Gremory Pawn quickly intervened, unwisely stepping into the murderous line of sight of Shirou. "OK, let's just chill out for a second, Shirou." He said, trying to prevent a bloodbath. He turned to Saji, extending the hand of friendship. "The name's Issei Hyoudou. It's really nice to meet a fellow Pawn."

"I'm actually pretty embarrassed for one of the Perverted Trio to be a fellow Pawn, so please don't touch me."

"I'll break his kneecaps, you go for his throat."

Sona's Pawn smirked. "You two want to fight?" He gestured for them to come forth. "Just so you know, you two wouldn't stand a chance. I took four Pawn pieces."

"Issei took seven and I took a Mutation Piece." Shirou said, smirking as he watched Saji's own ego quickly deflate.

"...What?"

"Yeah, you should probably check your facts before you get into a biggest dick competition with two guys three sizes larger than you." Shirou said, flipping Saji the bird. "What now, bitch?"

"Vulgar metaphors aside," Sona said, adjusting her glasses, "he's not wrong, Saji. You do realize that Issei Hyoudou and Shirou Fujimura were both the key players involved in defeating the third son of the House of Phenex? Hyoudou himself was the one who struck the finishing blow. Even if you fought one of them alone, their fighting experience and raw power surpass your own."

It was hard to fight the urge to chuckle at how flat Saji's ego became.

"I am sorry Hyoudou Issei-kun, Asia Argento-san, Fujimura Shirou-kun." Sona apologized. Shirou grunted, crossing his arms and turning away. "My servant hasn't experienced as much battles as you three, so his attitude has been left wanting. If it's possible, I would like it if you could all get along with one another." A sharp glint in her eye was enough to make her bitch-erm-"Pawn" tense. "Saji."

Saji let out a groan, but bowed his head respectfully. "R-Right...Nice to meet you..."

[Tch!]

Both of Rias' Pawns clicked their tongues, just as dissatisfied as Saji was. For better or for worse, this douche was to be one of their comrades.

"Yes! Same here!" Asia agreed with far more cheer. "Nice to meet you!"

"If it's Asia-san, then I am very happy!" Saji grabbed Asia's hand, showing far greater cheer than he had shown Issei and Shirou. It was hard to miss Issei's look of displeasure as took Saji's hands off Asia's, crushing it under the guise of a handshake.

"Hahaha! Saji-kun! Please look after me as well! More like, if you lay a finger on her, I'll fucking kill you!"

"Yeah, nice to meet you too, Hyoudou-kun!" Saji replied, trying just as hard to kill Issei. "You trying to keep her to yourself!? You really are a perverted bastard! Face the wrath of God and die!"

Shirou stared at them condescendingly. "Grow up, you two." He shook his head. "You seriously make us all look bad."

"Weren't you the one who threatened to break Saji-senpai's arms just a few seconds ago?" Koneko pointed out.

"Touche, Koneko. Touche."

Off to the side, the Pawns' masters sighed, exchanging sympathetic looks.

"You must have a hard time."

"You too."

"I love this school and the Student Council's work. That's why I will not forgive those that ruin the peaceful life of this school." Her intent was not lost upon the two Pawns in conflict, stopping them cold in their tracks. "Whether they are human or Devils. That applies to you, the people in here, and also Rias."

With that, the conflict between the servants was resolved. Sona stood up to leave. "Kaichou-No-Sona Sitri-san…..sama. I will be in your care from now."

"Y…yes! Please take care of us!"

"Hmph."

The only one among Rias' three newer servants to not bow was, obviously enough, Shirou.

"Yeah, same here." Sona said, either disregarding or just not noticing Shirou's blatant disrespect. "Rias, I will be looking forward to the "Ball Tournament"."

Kaichou said to Buchou with a smile, before she left the room.

"Yes, me as well."

Buchou smiled back at her. Oh. I understood immediately that these two are really close. Then she could have helped us in the quarrel between the old houses from the previous incident. But then I thought that it's not that simple to put your head inside the problems between High-class Devils. Or did she believe that Buchou would be able to clear the problem herself? Kaichou left the room after saying that.

"Issei, Asia, Shirou-especially _you_ , Shirou-" Shiro rolled his eyes at Rias' remark. "Get along with Saji-kun. We all need to learn to get along with our fellow Devils in the Student Council since we are all spending our school life at the same school. Okay?"

"Yes!"

"Right!"

"...I guess."

* * *

It was the day of the ball tournament...

"Buchouuuuuu! You can do it!"

And Shirou felt his eardrums being blasted out on a minutely basis.

"Kaichoooou! Please win!"

Of course, the two most annoying Pawns he knew were screaming at the top of their lungs for their respective masters. Shirou was, as expected, staying as far at the back of the crowds as possible. It was hard to enjoy the event when everyone kept giving him terrified looks whenever he tried getting close to observe. Those who weren't terrified looks ready to bludgeon him with crowbars in the event he neared too close to Rias or Sona.

It was rather boring...

"Hey!" Shirou perked up at the familiar voice. He looked up, a bright smile on his face. "Hey! Over here!" It was Kiyome. She was smiling brightly, waving. "Come on, I've been looking for you everywhere!"

Shirou grinned back. "Sorry, babe! I didn't-" He had only taken a few steps when a third year girl brushed past him, laughing as she walked up to Kiyome.

"Sorry! I was busy trying to find spare tennis rackets." The girl apologized. "We should really talk about who's going to be playing in the club matches, Kiyome!"

"Yeah, I was thinking the same thing."

Then the pair walked off, Kiyome giving no indication that she had even noticed Shirou's existence.

"...well, if that wasn't ego-crushing." Shirou said to himself. "I wonder what's going on with Rias and So-"

And that was when the tennis field exploded.

Shirou later learned, after helping carry away those injured by the explosion, that it had somehow ended in Rias' victory...

* * *

"Bloo-bloomers."

"Damn, Issei," Shirou said, rubbing the back of his neck, "you act like you saw the second coming or something. Chill."

"How can I feel nothing when seeing that, man?!" Issei said, leaning in close to whisper in Shirou's ear while pointing at Asia's PE uniform. "I mean, seriously! Here I am, trying to protect Asia's chastity, but it's hard when I'm feeling such impure thoughts, you know!?"

The entire Occult Research Club was dressed in their PE outfits, preparing for the ball tournament ahead.

Shirou snorted, nudging Issei with his elbow. "I dunno, man. Why don't you just go for it?" He wasn't sure about his joke anymore when Issei flashed him murderous eyes.

"Don't even joke about that." He said harshly. "Don't even think something like that. Asia's purity is a treasure that must be protected at all costs, even if I must commit seppuku."

"Geez, a little dark there, Issei."

"…Ummm…I heard from Kiryuu-san. That the proper uniform for dodge ball is bloomers...and also that Ise-san will be happy if I wore this..." Asia said shyly, causing Issei to blush more deeply. Shirou gave a nod in respect to Kiryuu. In regards to deepening the bonds between Asia and Issei, the bloomers was a nice touch. "You don't like it?"

Issei suddenly grasped Asia's hands. "No, no. It's great, Asia. Thank you very much. Thank you very much!"

"Raise your spirit up, you two!" Rias said with an energetic smile. "We still have a long day of sports ahead of us!"

"Yes!" Issei said, super pumped. "I'm getting fired up with Asia's bloomers! There's no way I can lose!"

"Good reply, Issei! I will give you a reward if you work hard!" The suggestive wink to her Pawn was hardly vague.

With the aura surrounding Issei, one would have thought he was about to go Super Saiyan. "Uooooooo! Oppai!" That was the kind of one-track mind he had...Then Asia stomped on his foot. "Gyaaa!"

"Wow, you scream like a total bitch, Issei." Shirou snickered. Issei responded by kicking Shirou in the shin. "Oh, you're dead now, bitch-boy!"

"Issei-san how about you hand "that" out to everyone?" Asia said, clearly displeased with Issei.

 _"Oho! She's pissed!"_ Shirou thought, snickering again.

[Much like wolves, human females are frightening in regards to possession of what's theirs.]

 _"Oh? You're here? I thought you only appeared to give vague warnings and shit."_

[I need not explain nor justify myself to you, pup.]

 _"And that about sums up every interaction we've had so far."_

[Ha ha.]

However, before the mental conversation with the obnoxious wolf in his head could continue, Shirou's attention was grabbed by Issei as everyone gathered around him.

"Everyone!" Issei said, holding out a handful of headbands, bearing the embroidery "Occult Research Club" on it for everyone to see. "Let's all become one team by wearing this!"

Rias stared in wonder as she took one. "You're well prepared."

"Not bad, broseph." Shirou noted, taking one of the headbands. "I'm not one for head accessories though."

"Put it on!" Issei whined.

"Issei-"

"Do it!"

"It's just a-

"I spent a lot of time making these! Do iiiiiit!"

"Alright alright!" Shirou said, tying the band around his arm. "...if you're gonna be such a bitch about it..."

"It's unexpectedly good." Even Koneko was amazed by the craftsmanship.

"Ara ara~ Certainly the other clubs are wearing something to act as symbols for their teams." Akeno noted. "Like uniforms and caps."

"That's right Akeno-san! That's why I decided to create these for us!"

The only person who didn't immediately come up to grab one was Kiba, the Knight still staring off into space as he had been doing before. Shirou took the last one from Issei's hand and walked it over to their friend.

"Here, Kiba."

"…Ye...Yeah. Thanks."

Shirou raised an eyebrow, the Knight still seeming half-dazed, as if he were surprised to see Shirou. "…Let's concentrate on winning now."

"…Win, huh..." He said, as though there was some other meaning. "Yeah...Winning is important."

[Members of the Occult Research Club and the baseball club. Please gather at the ground.]

"It's party time, people!"

* * *

SLAP

...the entire tournament had ended in the victory of the Occult Research Club.

And yet somehow, the feeling of joy was completely missing.

That was the bitter sound that rang out through the rain. The fact that someone got slapped wasn't surprising. Rather, it was WHO got slapped that was surprising.

...Kiba.

"How is it? Did you wake up?" Rias asked, showing anger which was only rarely directed towards her own servants.

Shirou was somewhat annoyed too. All day, Kiba had been horribly uncooperative, having only contributed once or twice during the sport events, but no more than that. Rias sometimes got angry in-between matches, but Kiba showed no concern or guilt whatsoever which probably didn't help the situation. Eveyrone tried to pick up the slack and do their part, tried to ignore it, but it came to the point where something like that was impossible. Kiba just didn't seem to care at all. Even after getting bitch-slapped across the face, he showed no expression and spoke no words. The "prince" who was usually all sunshine and smiles was wearing an uncharacteristically gloomy expression.

"I apologize for the tournament." Kiba said with the world's most fake smile. "I wasn't feeling well. Is it fine now? The ball tournament is over now...I am a bit tired, so please allow me to take a break from club activities."

"Kiba, you've been acting pretty weird lately." Issei noted.

"It's none of your concern." The Knight responded harshly, still smiling.

Shirou narrowed his eyes, irritated, and marched up to Kiba when he tried walking away in the middle of a conversation. He grabbed him by the shoulder to stop him. "You've been acting really weird these past few days, Kiba, and you're worrying everyone! Just what the Hell is your issue, huh!?"

Kiba's eyes flashed dangerously as he smacked my hand away. "None of your damn business, Fujimura!"

For a moment, Shirou stepped away, looking as though he had been slapped in the face rather than the hand.

Before Shirou could even consider giving Kiba a piece of his mind, Issei stepped forward, frowning. "He's just worried about you, Kiba. We all are. It's troublesome, a situation like this when we are trying to form a proper group. That's how we felt after we went through that bitter experience in the previous match, remember? Don't we have to cover for each other's weak points from now on? We are comrades."

"Comrades…" Kiba's expression suddenly became rather gloomy.

"Yes, comrades." Issei confirmed.

"You are too high on emotions," Kiba said. "Issei, lately I started to remember something essential."

"Something essential?"

"You're acting weird, Kiba." Shirou pointed out. "Weirder than usual. Essential?"

"Yeah, that's right. The reason why I am fighting."

"Isn't it for Buchou?" Issei asked naively.

However, that was when it all finally clicked in Shirou's mind. "The Holy Swords..." Shirou realized. "What you're fighting for...it has to do with them, right?"

Kiba laughed bitterly. "You're close." He admitted, his expression darkening greatly. "I'm living for revenge. To destroy the Holy Sword Excalibur, that's why I fight." He took the headband from his head, letting it drop sadly to the ground before walking away.

Shirou grit his teeth. "What an asshole..." He let out a sigh, placing a hand on his hip. His eyes wandered to the discarded headband Kiba had dropped onto the ground. At first, it was a soft feeling, confusion. He knelt down and picked up the headband from the muddy ground, holding the dirtied fabric in his hand. At first, he felt sad. Then he thought about how easily it was discarded...and a burning feeling filled his chest. "I'm goin' after him."

"Hm?" Issei blinked, staring at Shirou in curiosity.

"I'm goin' after him and decking him."

"What are you-"

"-iiiiin the face!" He sprinted off after Kiba before Issei could think up a proper response.

* * *

"SHIROOOOU-PUNCH!"

Kiba didn't even flinch as Shirou's fist flew straight into the side of his face. The blow knocked Kiba right off of his feet, causing him to splash through several puddles, effectively drenching was portions of his clothes weren't already soaked.

"That was for pissin' me off!" Shirou snapped, dragging Kiba up by his collar. Before Kiba could respond, Shirou punched him again, letting him fall to the ground. " _That one_ was for bein' an asshole!"

Kiba rubbed his aching jaw, pushing himself up from the ground. "You done?" He asked.

Cracking his knuckles was Shirou's answer. "Just wait a sec. I think got one more in me." However, he quickly lost interest, sighing. "OK, explain it to me, man. What sword crawled up your ass and shredded your rectum?"

The two Gremory servants exchanged looks, it appearing as though the two would go at one another's throats at a moment's notice. However, it would be Kiba who faltered first.

"I guess I'm not as eager to beat up my classmates as you are, Shirou..." Kiba said in a tone that left Shirou with the impression of being insulted. "What is it you came here for? If you came here just to punch me, couldn't it have waited for when it wasn't pouring?"

Shirou's expression softened. "Come on, man. What is it?" Shirou asked. "What's all this noise about Holy Swords and Excalibur? The sooner we get through this, the sooner you can stop being an asshole. I'm all-ears." Shirou sighed, draping an arm over Kiba's shoulder. He grinned, poking Kiba in the cheek. "Come on...Come ooooon~ Tell your best-buddy-Shirou what's buggin' you~?"

He still didn't respond.

"Kiba-"

"SSHHH!"

"Fuck no! I'm not shuttin' up until you-"

"Quiet!" He hissed. That time, Shirou didn't miss the sense of urgency in his voice and zipped his trap.

SPLASH

Shirou heard him before he saw him. An old man wearing Church robes who approached them. An Exorcist. At first, Shirou thought a fight was about to break out...then he noticed the priest was stumbling, barely able to maintain his balance.

"Please...help me...!" He stumbled one last time, falling forward. Shirou ran forward to catch him in his arms.

"Old man?" Shirou called out, shaking him. "Come on! What's up? Where's the fire!?" He turned the priest on his side, and that was when he notice the large gash in his back which pierced straight through his front. Shirou checked his heart...there was not a single beat. "..." With a wound like that, there was no way a normal human could survive.

The old man had already stopped breathing.

He was dead.

Shirou tried not to let the chills get to him, carefully setting the old man onto the ground. He was about to take off before pausing. Shirou removed his jacket and draped it respectfully over the old man's body. Whoever he had been, he had been cut down like an animal...No human deserved a fate like that.

"Awww~ What a touching emotional gesture from dear Shirou-kyun~"

Every muscle in Shirou's body tensed as he heard that familiar, ever-disgusting voice. His killing intent was far easier to perceive than his physical appearance.

KATCHIN

The sound of clashing blades next to me came from Kiba and a sudden powerful killing Knight's blade was locked against another, neither giving any ground.

"Kiba!" Shirou's eyes widened as he finally got a good look...confirming his suspicions. "Freed!"

"Yahooo. It's been a while!" The Stray Exorcist who had formerly been in the employ of the Fallen Angel, Raynare. Freed Sellzen. Shirou had fought with him several times, always ending in Freed's retreat the moment the chips were down. "Oh! Hey there! Remember me?! I was there too when the Fallen Angel whore tried killing you! But you didn't die, no no! But it's good because I get to stab and stab you til you bleed and die! Isn't that wonderful?!"

Another chill went down Shirou's spine. "What the fuck are you still doing here, Freed?" Shirou said, summoning out his Sacred Gear. "I thought Raynare's goons cleared out months ago!"

"Ah, but you see, I have brand new boss~" Freed cheered, parrying Kiba's strikes while maintaining conversation. "And he's much bigger and badder than that ol' slutbag~ He's not afraid to get his hands dirty and let me rip you fucking priests and Devils to pieces~! He even gave me this neat-o super magic Holy Sword to do it~!"

[Holy Sword?!]

Both Kiba and Shirou's eyes widened as Freed knocked Kiba away, holding out the sword as it gathered a glowing aura.

Just looking at it sent chills down Shirou's spine. Normally, he wasn't affected by such things. The light spears of Angels and Fallen Angels, the swords and guns of priests, they hurt, but they had never given him the same ominous feeling as the sword Freed now clutched in his filthy hands. Even though he himself wasn't afraid of it, it felt as though his nature as a Devil itself was repulsed by its presence.

"That light...that aura..." Kiba's eyes widened in shock. "It can't be!"

"Oh, but it is~" Freed taunted, waving the Holy Sword back and forth. "Nice timing~ As penance for your group's previous actions, let's test to see which one is stronger~! Your Demonic Swords or my Excalibur~?!"

It was with that comment that Kiba's eyes flashed dangerously. Shirou immediately noticed the change in his stance, how much weaker his form became within that instant. He tightened his grasp on his Demonic Sword. "I'll never forgive Excalibur for what it's done to me!"

"Time to die~!"

Neither swordsman wasted very much time after that beginning their duel. If Shirou hadn't undergone all of his training up to that point, perceiving either would have been impossible. They certainly moved fast, but it was easier for him to catch their movements with his eyes than it had been when he was first starting out...And Kiba was not faring well.

His movements were duller than normal. He was too focused to pay attention to his surroundings.

Shirou sighed. "Damn it, I can't believe I have to fight this psycho again..." He extended his hand. "Fifth Form! Ice Devil's Fang!" Water formed a shape in his arm, became encased in ice, and shattered, revealing the pristine blade Shirou had birthed through his Sacred Gear. "Freed, tell me what brought you to think taking on two of us would be a good idea. Because I remember things ended badly for the last time we fought. What exactly changed between then and now aside from how much uglier you got?"

"Oh~?!" Freed noted, amused as he continued blocking and trading sword strikes with Kiba. Kiba lunged and Freed kicked him in the chest. "Did you really think I came alone~!?" Oh Torchiiiieeee~ Be a dear and take care of that brat for me~!"

"The fuck-PRRFLGH!?" That was as far as he got before a massive fireball slammed into his side.

He remembered a vague sense of weightlessness before crashing into the fire extinguisher...then the sensation of being hit by some much water pressure that he was surprised it didn't go up through his body and out his mouth.

Shirou winced as he sat up, shivering as cold water was blasted straight through his clothing (Silver lining: It did wonders for the light burns he sustained from the fireball). "OK, who has the balls!?"

Laughter. That was the response Shirou received.

It was as every living thing froze. Even Freed and Kiba paused their duel to take notice of the newcomer. Between the heavy rain and the darkness, all that Shirou could sense of them was their presence as well as the sound of their footsteps splashing through the puddling streets.

"Don't tell me you're all bothered after just a little love-tap, Fujimura Shirou."

There wasn't exactly much to say about the newcomer physically. He was average height compared to him, Freed, and Kiba, so he was around high school if not early college age. Everything else was ambiguous as a result of his clothing, a full-length black coat with a hood and a waist-high slit going up the back (similar to a duster). It had a large silver zipper that fastened at the top and zipped down to seal the coat. It had silver drawstrings for the hood decorated with a large silver bead hanging from the end and a silver chain ornament adorned with four large cylindrical silver beads that fastened to a loop on either side of the collarbone region. Over the top half of his face, he wore a white, featureless mask.

The only exposed flesh on his body was the lower half of his face, even his hands and feet covered by thick, black gloves and boots respectively.

A burning, red flame danced in the palm of his hand, steam puffing off every time a raindrop fell on it. Despite the heavy downpour, not a single drop wet the man's coat and the flame in his hand would not be extinguished.

Shirou stared. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "...I'm going out on a limb here: Magician or Sacred Gear-user?"

"You are correct." The young man said, speaking with an obviously disguised voice. "This is my Sacred Gear, Flame Shake. Learn it, because it's the name of the weapon that's going to reduce you to ashes."

Before Shirou could consider a clever response like "No", the young pyrotechnic extended both hands forward, unleashing a heavy stream of flames.

"Oh shit!" Shirou dodge-rolled out of the way, staring in shock as the stone wall behind him literally _melted_ under the intense heat. "OK, taking you seriously starting now." He instinctively raised his hand to block a swipe/chop of the young man's hand, deflecting the strike. However, it was probably not the best decision to grab his blow considering that he had lit his own hand ablaze. "Hot hot hot!" And that was about when the masked man firmly planted his heel against Shirou's chest, almost knocking Shirou off of his feet with a _literally_ burning kick.

"I'm a lot stronger than the last time we fought, Fujimura!" He said.

"...Last time?" Shirou raised an eyebrow. "Uh, I'm pretty sure I would remember a masked weirdo who can shit fire." Despite the joke, Shirou genuinely could not place a name or a face. He was certain he hadn't fought someone like this since becoming a Devil.

"Of course you wouldn't remember..." The masked man agreed solemnly. "I was a completely different man back then...But I've evolved since last time. I have become much stronger, unlocked the power of this Sacred Gear, thanks to my new boss."

"OK, but I have a question." Shirou said, raising a hand to halt the young man's movement. " _Why_ are you working with a total psychopath like Freed? I get you wanting to kill me for...reasons, I guess...but, come on! it's Freed! The dude dissects people and rapes corpses for shits and giggles!"

The masked man scoffed. "Freed is merely a means to an end for me and my boss. As long as he performs his role correctly and doesn't get in my way, I couldn't give two shits about what kind of person he is."

"Must be a pain in the ass to work with though..."

"What? You can honestly say you don't ever want to break your co-workers arms?"

Shirou opened his mouth to respond.

Then Genshirou Saji came to mind.

"I plead the Fifth." Shirou scratched his head. "OK, one more question: What do I call you? I mean, it'll feel awkward just calling you "Masked Weirdo" all the time."

The masked youth rubbed his chin. "To be honest, I never put much thought into it." He admitted. "On the off-chance you didn't recognize me, I had intended to kill you before it even mattered, but, all things considered, I guess you can call me-" He conjured another fireball. "-Blaze."

Shirou stared with half-lidded eyes. "That name sucks. It's lame. You're lame."

"And you're on fire."

"What? No I'm no-" And that was when "Blaze" slammed his open palms against Shirou's chest, unleashing a powerful fiery explosion that sent Shirou flying through the air. Shirou hit the ground head-first, flopping onto his stomach. "Ugh..." He pushed himself up from the ground. "I _have to_ stop having conversations with enemies in the middle of a fight. It's really not good for my health."

"Know what else isn't good for your health?" Blaze asked. Shirou knew what was coming the moment he extended his hands. "3rd degree burns!"

Another explosion and another repetitive flight through air for Shirou.

"God...fucking...dammit!" Shirou cursed, hopping to his feet. "OK! Now you're going to be my bitch, Blaze! Bitch-Blaze! Blazbitch! Blazing-" And then he exploded again. "Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck!" After he got up from the ground that time, he was genuinely pissed for realsies. "OK, would you stop-"

BOOM!

"-fucking-"

BOOM!

"-blowing me up!?"

BOOM!

"..."

BOOM!

"OK, that's it!" Shirou peeled himself off the ground once more, trying to ignore how oddly delicious his cooked flesh smelled. "I just got blown up several times, so, as I'm sure you can tell, I'm understandably pissed. So do not begrudge me as I thoroughly kick your teeth in."

"Oh please! What could _you_ possibly-?"

Shirou traced symbols along the flat of his sword. " _Isa_ 3x!" Slanted "I"-shaped runes lit up like lights. "Piercing Heaven!" Mustering his strength, he swung his sword, a frozen ice crescent being launched at his enemy.

Blaze extended his hand. "That's plagiarism!" A massive flame shot out from his hand, colliding with Shirou's attack. The two attacks cancelled one another out, exploding into a massive cloud of steam that swallowed the area. He raised his arm to protect his face, wincing as the steam's pressure and high temperatures singed his skin. "Is that truly the best you have?!"

"No, THIS IS!"

Blaze saw the blade's aura before he actually saw it swinging through the steamy mist. The flame-wielding youth growled as the blade tore through his coat, the tip grazing his flesh, quickly freezing whatever blood cells attempted to spill out or close the wound. Blaze brought his flame-cloaked hands, swatting the sword along its flat to avoid being cut, Shirou following up with a series of various slashes, hacks, and cuts. Every time their respective powers made contact, huge puffs of steam hissed out as ice was melted and super-boiled by fire.

"Time to switch things up!" Shirou backed away several steps, his sword glowing in his hands. "Newly Named Second Form: Nilfheim Ravager!" His blade turned into a blinding light which then molded itself around his left arm. When the light cleared, what remained was the bladed gauntlet, the first form Shirou ever achieved with Canis Regalia. He swung his arm downward. "Arctic Shockwave!" A massive wave of magical power flooded out from, a wall of ice ripping a massive crevice through the street as if following a path created by the aura.

Blaze extended his hands again, conjuring equally massive flames to counter the incoming attack. "I believe we've gone through this already!" He swiped his other hand, creating even greater flames that evaporated the rising steam. "Seriously! Did you think that smoke screen shit would work twice?! Heat melts water and evaporates water, moron!"

"And sharp blades pierce shitty leather coats!" Blaze's eyes darted upward, widening at the sight of five sharp blades falling in his direction.

"No you don't!" Tightly gripping the wrist of his right arm, Blaze unleashed a heavy torrent of fire that quickly engulfed Shirou's body. "Try again, bitch! No matter how hard you try, you will never be able to beat my flames!"

"Hey, don't be so _frigid_!" Increasing the output of freezing aura from his left hand, the flames that had surrounded Shirou quickly began to dissipate, the core of the inferno being flash-frozen with increasing speed. "It was an _ice_ attempt, but, in terms of results, you came up _cold_!"

"Shut it with the ice-puns!" Blaze snapped, extending his hand again. A sword made purely of flames formed in his gloved hand which he used to parry Shirou's incoming strikes. He winced as Shirou spun in midair, kicking Blaze in the right side of the face with the heel of his foot. Blaze was knocked away several feet, wiping dirt and blood from his face. "How did you even freeze fire?! It's not like it was a limb or a blade!" He clicked his tongue. "No matter!" Blaze allowed his blade to dissipate, conjuring a flame in his right hand so large that Riser would have been jealous. "In the end, my flames, which carry vengeance's fury and justice's purity, will eradicate all of you disgusting demons! I am one who has transcended from the boundaries of the normal human! I-"

"OI! Chuunibyou! Hate to interrupt your little speech," Shirou said unapologetically, "but could you shut up so I can get on with kicking your ass already!?"

Blaze growled. "And you will be the first who will be purged for your sins, Fujimura! I will bathe you in the eternal hellfire!"

"Whatevs." Shirou rolled his eyes. "Also, for your information, I won't be holding back just because you're human!" He raised his gauntlet, pointing a bladed finger in Blaze's direction.

"Oh trust me, I'm well aware of your apathy when it comes to humans, Fujimura." Blaze said tauntingly.

Shirou wasn't sure why, but something about that remark struck a nerve. "What the Hell is that supposed to mean?"

Blaze cracked a toothy smirk. "Does Hyoudou Issei _know_ by the way?"

Shirou raised an eyebrow. "Does Issei know _what_?"

"Oh! So he _doesn't_ know~! How amusing!"

"What doesn't Issei know!? Tell me!"

" _That you let him die._ "

For a moment, everything was silent. Even the rain and thunder seemed to go mute.

Shirou took a deep breath, holding it for about thirty seconds. Then he exhaled.

Then he pointed his spear in Blaze's direction, massive amounts of freezing aura spilling off of him, turning the drops of rain around them into bullets of hail.

Then there was a flash of lightning followed by the loudest boom of thunder.

"Let's fuckin' do this."

Blaze grinned, thirsty for blood.

The two youths let out a bestial roar, pumping out as much of their power as possible to the point every supernatural presence within a mile of them could sense their presence. Blaze summoned out an even larger sword of flame.

They both gave one final scream before charging at one another.

"BLAAAAAAAAAAZE!"

"FUJIMURAAAAAAA!"

The moment their blades met, their magical auras entwined with one another, rising into the sky in a massive pillar of blue and red.

For most, it would be known as one of the most beauteous and most mysterious sights to ever grace the skies of Kuoh Town.

For others, it was a dark omen for times to come...

The moment their blades met, the battle was over.

A blade fell to the ground.

A youth fell to their knees, losing all consciousness.

Blaze limped away, leaving a young man laying in a pool of his own blood behind.

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** Kiba's Dilemma! The Exorcist Duo's Grand Debut!

* * *

 **Aaaaand we're done. We've finally begun my second least-favorite arc after the first one...Hooray.**

 **There's a chance that this arc may not be as up to snuff as the rest of my work, so please have open minds and don't immediately reach for your flame-throwers.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	34. Opening 4: Shinso

**Song: Shinso (BlazBlue Continuum Shift II Opening)**

 **Performed by: Asami Imai**

 **[Yami o kuraitsukusu sōkoku no mori]** Child-Shirou, despair on his tear-stained face sits in the midst of rubble and fire, a hand extending towards him from a first person POV.

 **[Sadame no eda wa hikari motome…]** Weak and trembling, Shirou reaches out and firmly grasps the hand in his own.

 **[susumu]** The screen whites out, revealing the title: **Devil Reborn Redux**

 **[Taguri yoseta]** The point of view shifts down from the stormy sky, falling upon Kiba, who falls to his knees, anguish on his face.

 **[akai ito wa ta ga tame no inochizuna]** Xenovia and Irina sit back to back in an abandoned Church, the wrappings on Excalibur Destruction coming undone as they look out at the storming sky.

 **[Shinshoku suru]** The scene shifts to the Occult Research Club, a melancholy Rias, looking out the window at thundering clouds.

 **[kaikoroku wa kimi no shin o mo kuruwaseru yo]** Inside the room, everyone is sitting around with solemn looks. Shirou sits in the back of the room, clutching his bandaged left arm, a pained expression appearing on his face.

 **[Mawaru eien o seoi mitsumete]** In a white room, numerous corpses of children laying scattered, blood spattering across the ground before child-Shirou is shown, holding the handle of a knife plunged into the chest of another child, terror and grief on Shirou's face. A soft smile on the other's face, a soft hand wiping blood from Shirou's face.

 **[Osore FICTION nugisutetara]** Mikoto stands from atop the rooftop of a nearby, her entire form "glitching" as she places a hand on the hilt of her sheathed sword.

 **[Ima, kono mune ni toi]** The image fades to show the front of Kuoh Academy, Kokabiel, Freed, and Valper standing in the background surrounded by beastly silhouettes. Blaze extends his hands, unleashing massive flames.

 **[Sabiyuku ENGAGE, karamaru INFINTY]** Freed and Kiba run parallel to one another at high speeds, quickly leaping at one another, the air trembling and sparks appearing as their blades clash.

 **[Mayoikomu ao no RAGNAROK de]** Xenovia and Irina join the fight, all three forcing Freed back as they focus their attacks, Freed knocking them all back with a sweep of his blade.

 **[dore dake ken o furueru?]** A Cerberus lunges at Rias, maw open to bite only to be knocked aside by Issei's fist, Boosted Gear's gems glowing.

 **[Tamashī o yuzurazu ni]** Issei's eyes widen as he quickly drapes his arms over Rias, pulling her out of the way as large, massive fireballs raining down on the ground around them, creating a massive cloud of dirt and rubble.

 **[Urei no MONOCHROME]** Shirou thrusts his spear through the cloud, narrowly missing Blaze who leaps back through the air.

 **[Deguchi no nai sora e]** Blaze releases fiery tendrils in Shirou's direction, Shirou cutting several of them away with his sword before hundreds more surround him in a cocoon.

 **[konton ga furisosogu haruka e]** Shirou suddenly bursts through the cocoon with his SG in sword-form, lunging at Blaze. Shirou's sword clashes against the sword of flame projected by Blaze before being pushed back.

 **[Sore demo maiagareru ka?]** The two trade a series of high-speed sword strikes, a blinding explosion as their two blades meet for the final time.

 **[Kotae to hikikaeru wa…]** In a black void, Shirou's expression changes to agony and despair before his body is consumed and dissolved by a pillar of light.

 **[mirai]** On the Kuoh battlefield, a massive explosion erupts.

 **[Instrumental]** The light clears, revealing a shadowy, humanoid figure with a long, black mane, whose form causes the earth to tremble and quake. The creature raises a claw-like hand and swipes at the screen, the scene blacking out.


	35. Chapter 30: Old Wounds Hurt Deep

**Time to get into the thick of it. Excalibur Arc go!**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Which means I don't own shit! Try and claim copyright now, bitches! XD**

* * *

 **Chapter 30: The Exorcist Duo's Grand Debut! Old Wounds Hurt Deep!**

It was hard for her not to follow the sound the explosions...or the smoke...or the distinct smell of blood and defeat.

Shirou Fujimura wasn't subtle in any meaning of the word.

It was kind of an endearing trait, like that of a reckless little brother whose presence tended to be an omen for powerful and bright explosions. It also made him trustworthy and made him behave more honestly as a person. Much easier to trust and much easier to keep an eye on.

The thought of him dying put a bad taste in her mouth, so, after hearing what sounded like cannons, she made the split-second decision to go check on her favorite dimwit.

She found him lying face-down in a pool of his own blood and scorched earth, weapon broken in two. He wasn't moving, so, at first, she assumed the worst. His Sacred Gear looked as though it had been broken in half. Any kind of damage or removal of the Sacred Gear is the same as stabbing or ripping out the user's heart. If someone had somehow managed to destroy it, that would have meant he was dead and there was no point coming.

Then he coughed, wincing in pain.

" _You doin' alright there, Shirou_?" She asked in her cute, feline voice. _"Still breathing?_ "

He hacked up several droplets of blood.

" _I'll take that as a yes_." She placed a "hand" on his forehead. _"Hmm...Strange. Your spear broke, but you're still alive. Either you're the son of God or there's more to your power than meets the eye, my friend. You should consider yourself lucky._ "

"...uuuggrhhh..." The gurgling was probably not a good sign.

" _OK, OK._ " She said, sighing. " _Let's move you somewhere where your only career option isn't donating your body to science._ "

An aura of power shrouded her small, feline body. Her limbs extended, her bone structure itself appeared to shift and alter itself, her fur and many of her feline features disappearing or transforming. It was actually a quick process that would have been seen as taking much longer by outside observers.

When the process had finally finished, she shivered from the low temperatures. If there was one thing she hated about changing into a cat, it was that her clothes didn't change size or magically vanish and reappear with her. It wasn't like she could bring a spare change with her everywhere.

"You better thank me for this, Shirou-chin." She smirked mischievously. "Nyan~"

* * *

 _"It will be alright...Don't cry..."_

 _He was getting further away..._

 _Why was he smiling? He couldn't comprehend it..._

 _Why did he-_

* * *

Breasts.

That was not normally the first thing that was on Shirou's mind in the morning. Certainly not the first thing when his entire body ached as though he had been hit by a bullet train carrying several trucks which had derailed while running him over. The only person he knew who would probably have that as his first thought every morning would have had to have been Issei. If there was one thing he thought about when he woke up, it was what he should cook for breakfast or how to improve his fighting or magical abilities for later.

That was not the case with today.

It was rather hard for it to be when he opened his eyes and saw his face submerged in a pair of large, luscious moon-balloons.

"Hm?" He said, his voice muffled. He stared for a moment, his eyes rolling upward in his skull to look at the mischievous smile on the unfamiliar woman before him.

"Hey there~" She said teasingly, staring with her golden, cat-like eyes. "How's it goin', cutie~?"

Shirou's eyes widened to the size of plates. "MMMNNNNNNNNNN!" He struggled violently in her incredibly soft and warm embrace, prying himself free of her grasp while also flinging himself against the back wall, smacking the back of his head against the window sill. "Ow!" He winced, rubbing the back of his head. He cracked an eye open, again taking note of the unrivaled beauty laying in the nude with a lack of shame rivaled only by Rias and Akeno.

"Hiiiii~ How ya doin~?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Shirou pointed a trembling finger at the woman, his face flushing red. "T-T-T-T-T-T-Tits!"

"I don't get what you're so flustered about~" The mysterious woman teased, smirking in a way Shirou could swear seemed familiar. "You were french-kissing them just a few seconds ago!"

"W-Was not!" Shirou denied, shyly touching his lips. "I-I don't even-You just-I mean it's like-j-just-!"

"A man of many words as always, Shirou-chin~" The woman teased again. She laughed, tracing laying on her side, her entire body exposed. Her eyes wandered, an especially interested look on her face. "I didn't take you for the exhibitionist type."

"Huh?" And that was when Shirou followed her eyes, looking down to his lower body where his "soldier" was standing uncomfortably erect. He didn't think his face could be any redder and he was wrong, letting out a girl-like squeal as he quickly stood, wrapping himself in the curtains of his windows. "Y-You gross pervert! Who are you!?"

The woman feigned a wounded look. "How can you say something like that when we've already been so well-acquainted, Shirou-chin~?"

"Look, Stranger Danger, I don't have a _clue_ who you are," Shirou said, "but, for the record, if you did _anything_ to me while I was sleeping...my mother's going to murder you. I'm not joking. She's so secretive that, for all I know, she already has places to hide your body."

"Oh~ But I know you would protect your best furry buddy, wouldn't you, Shirou-chin~?" The woman asked with a flirtatious/teasing wink. Something about that comment struck Shirou as both "off" and "wrong". He wasn't quite sure what at first.

"OK, why do you keep calling me "Shirou-chin"?" Shirou asked, eyeing the woman with both embarrassment and suspicion. "Just who the Hell are you!?"

"My actual name is "Kuroka"," The woman said, her black tail flicking back and forth behind her... "but I suppose there's more depth to that question than just my name-nyan~"

 _"...black tail?"_ Shirou thought to himself. And that was when he noticed them. He had been so distracted by the woman's excessive nudity that he had failed to notice what normally would have been considered abnormal appendages, a black, feline tail and a pair of black, cat ears resting atop the woman's head. Shirou's eyes widened as realization hit him, pieces from so many past events finally clicking together. "Oh shit..."

"That's right~" The woman mewed. "But, I suppose the real question is whether or not, at this point in time, I am your "best furry friend", Kuroneko, or the woman known as Kuroka, riiiight~?"

One would have though Shirou's jaw dislocated with how far it dropped. "H-H-Huh!? B-But-No way! You can't be Kuroneko! I-I mean-!"

"Oh come now, Shirou," Kuroneko/Kuroka said condescendingly, "would that really have been the strangest thing you've seen thus far?"

"But you're-Kuroneko's a cat!"

Kuroneko/Kuroka sighed, snapping her fingers. She vanished in a puff of smoke, the only thing left in her place being a familiar, black cat. She let out a soft meow. "I take it this proves my claim?" There was another puff of smoke and the human-looking woman reappeared, leaning her head on her arm with a look that said "Your move".

"..." A series of audible choking sounds was the only noise Shirou made for a good deal of time. However, a harsh _slap_ across his face brought him back to his sense. "B-But I thought you were a cat!"

"Cat's don't talk, Shirou-chin. Use your head for once."

Hearing that from his childhood cat/friend was like a sharp rock being dropped on his ego. "...Hm?" And that was when he, again, took notice of the not-cat's nudity. His face heated up again, drops of blood dripping from his nose. He quickly averted his eyes. "Before we go any further, could you please put some clothes on!?"

"Aw, what's the matter, Shirou-chin?" Kuroka teased, crawling forward onto the bed towards him. "This is hardly the first time you've seen me naked-nyan~"

"Huh?"

"My clothes don't transform with me to cat form."

She let that thought sink in, suppressing laughter as Shirou, more blood flowing freely from his nose as images of her naked filled his mind. He swiftly snatched a pillow from the bed, letting out an unholy cry.

"Now my memories are dirty!" He only raised his head from the pillow to shoot Kuroka a flustered glare. "Stop snickering!"

"I can't help it!" The cat-woman said, covering her smile. "You're still such a child and it's adorable~! I would have thought you would be used to seeing a woman naked by now considering all of the skinship you shared with your Senpais~"

"A naked woman isn't the issue!" Shirou snapped. "It's a naked woman who used to be my cat and who was sleeping with me naked! I expected that shit from Akeno, but not from another sane human-cat-monster-demon-thing...What the fuck _are_ you anyway!?"

Kuroka rolled her eyes. "I would have thought that your little chat with Shir-Koneko Toujou would have made it quite obvious if you even looked at my ears or tail."

Shirou processed that for a moment, desperately avoiding the mesmerizing sight of her voluptuous body while examining her cat ears and her tail...tails...

She had two tails...

"...You're a Nekomata?"

"Nekoshou to be specific." Kuroka said. "Consider it a sub-species. Both cat-demons, but Nekoshou are considerably more powerful than the average Youkai due to having higher potential when it comes to Senjutsu."

"Well, thanks for the lesson on species," Shirou said sarcastically, "but could you please leave!?"

For a moment, irritation showed on Kuroka's face. "Why are you so grumpy? I would have thought waking up next to a beautiful, young woman next to them was every teenage boy's wet dream."

"NOT WHEN THEY USED TO MY CAT!"

"Well that's a fine "thank you" for saving your life." Kuroka said, pouting in a way that gave Shirou the impression she still wasn't taking the situation seriously.

Confusion and curiosity halted Shirou's harsh judgment. "Saved my life...?" He couldn't quite understand what she meant for a moment. He was dizzy from both the amount of blood in his face as well as the concussion from hitting the windowsill.

"You were in just about half-dead last night." Kuroka said, sounding at least half-serious for once. "If I hadn't decided to come around, you probably would have kicked the bucket then and there."

"...Half-dead?" Shirou sat up, rubbing his temples as he tried to recall the events that had transpired before he fell unconscious. "I remember the ball tournament...then I ran after Kiba when he started being a dick to everyone. I think that's about when Freed showed up with..." Shirou's eyes went wide. "Blaze! Where did he go!?-No! Better yet, where's Kiba?! Is he alright!?"

"Just relax, Shirou-chin, nobody has died (yet)." Shirou didn't miss the words she spoke under her breath. "You two got your asses whipped like little bitches, but you both made it out alive. He left a little while before I found you."

"Wait, he left me to die!?"

"I don't think he even knew you were done fighting."

"Oh..." Shirou made a mental note to deck Kiba later. "...well, how did you know I was fighting?"

"Explosions the size of a two-story building were hardly subtle." Kuroka quipped. "Even disregarding that, I was able to detect your fading life energy. I make sure to keep tabs on my special food-slave-I mean "friend"-nyan~"

Shirou sighed, scratching his head. "Was I that outmatched?" He asked almost to himself. "What a let-down. If I get that beat-up after one fight, it looks like I have a long way to go still. That guy was no slouch, but I didn't expect to get my ass kicked like that..."

"Oh stop being all mopey again." Kuroka whined, staring with disinterest. "If it makes you feel any better, you dealt that other guy some decent blows of your own. His own life energy was pretty weak and there was a lot of blood that wasn't yours. His wounded state and fading power were probably a big part of why he didn't finish you off there."

However, that gave Shirou no solace. If anything, it made him even more annoyed. "I still lost though."

Kuroka rolled her eyes. "OK, Mr. Pessimist, you're a loser then." It was actually frustrating how quickly he turned to looking at the downsides. It was almost not-fun messing with him when he was like this. "Whether you're happy or not, you survived and probably managed to put that other guy out of commission, at least for a little while." She stared expectantly.

There was no way Shirou could have been so stupid, was what she thought. Surely he would have realized the one major thing he was forgetting, was what she thought. However, Shirou only continued staring blankly in response to Kuroka's sudden silence. Every now and then, he would look off to the side or out the window, as if trying to figure out what was going on.

"Um...You alright Kuron-K-Kuroka?"

He could tell he said something wrong when Kuroka narrowed her eyes, annoyed. "Well, I guess I _didn't_ pull you back from Death's doorstep last night, drag you all the way back to your room, or spend most of the night healing your sorry ass because you didn't have enough common sense let alone survival instincts to think of perhaps _avoiding_ the massive fireballs that cooked your flesh like charred barbecue."

"Oh!" Shirou suddenly nodded. "R-Right! I-I mean "thank you"!"

""Thank you" for whaaaat?" Kuroka asked, clearly expecting more.

"Um...Thank you for saving my ass-" Kuroka raised an eyebrow. "-for pulling me back from Death's doorstep last night, dragging me all the way back to my room, and spending most of the night healing my sorry ass because I didn't have enough common sense let alone survival skills to think of perhaps avoiding the massive fireballs that cooked my flesh like charred barbecue."

"That's better." Kuroka said, nodding. "Any other questions?"

For a moment, Shirou fell silent. He sat up, examining his body so as to survey the damage. It was after about a second before his eyes widened in realization.

"How did you heal me so fast? I was pretty sure my entire body was covered in severe burns!"

"Oh, nothing works marvels on a damaged body like Bouchujutsu~"

"Bouchujutsu?"

Kuroka's mischievous smirk gave Shirou a good idea on what she was about to say.

"It's also known as the "Bedroom Method"~"

There had yet to be a name invented for the shade of red that Shirou's face turned, blood dripping from his nose, his eyes going out of focus.

Again, Kuroka covered her mouth, barely suppressing laughter. "You make it way too easy~"

Shirou meant to growl or shout at her, but all that came from his mouth was a flustered whistle like that of a boiling tea kettle. Then there was the dull pain inside his head that made him wince. "Ow..."

"Something wrong?"

"No, it's just...I got this weird splitting headache all of a sudden."

"You did just hit your head against the window sill."

"No, this is like internal pain than external."

"Hm?"

"N-Nothing. Anyway...so you didn't screw my in my sleep?"

"It was just normal Senjutsu." Kuroka said, waving off Shirou's frustration. "I used it to accelerate your body's healing factor. It cost you a bit extra stamina, but I used my own magic to supplement most of it so you wouldn't die. Couldn't heal that nasty scar on your chest though."

Shirou looked down, again noticing the dark, scarred tissue diagonal across his chest. "Oh? That? Nah, that's _been_ there."

For a split-second, Kuroka looked genuinely surprised, but she quickly got over it. "Well, on the bright side: Most chicks dig battle scars."

"I know, right?" Shirou asked, grinning cheerfully. However, his smile was quickly replaced by a frown as he touched his shockingly smooth skin. "Senjutsu, huh? You know, my friend Koneko is still learning to use Senjutsu. If you could teach her to do healing shit like that, she'd probably be unstoppable. Punch, kick, heal! Heal! Bust their innards! Punch! Like a total fuckin' tank! Come ooon! Just a few sessions alone with her and-BAM! Super-Koneko! You gotta do it! Come on!"

"Hey, I just healed you from near-death," Kuroka snapped, "you're not really in any position to be making demands of me."

"What about the fact I've been feeding you for a few years now?"

"What about the fact that I let you touch your very first pussy~?"

"The fuck you did!" Shirou snapped, his face flushing red again. "When the Hell did-Ohhhhh! I see what you did there..." He narrowed his eyes. "You're not funny."

"Oh come on~" Kuroka said. "You got to admit it was at least a little nyan-derful~"

That pun hurt Shirou more than the actual burns. He stared at her. "Um...soooo..." He wasn't quite sure how to follow-up after everything they just said. "...um...How come you never told me you were a woman?"

"When have I not been a woman?"

"You know what I mean!" Shirou snapped, making a vulgar gesture, squeezing two pockets of air in front of his chest. "You...I mean...You have breasts! Huge ones! You've been an actual human...oid...demon cat the whole time!"

"Yep. I'm more surprised you aren't suspicious of me for anything. I mean, most people would feel a little more betrayed after their cat had lied about being able to talk or being a hot, young woman. Aren't you even the slightest bit suspicious?"

Shirou shrugged. "I dunno. It wasn't about you lying so much as all of the affection I gave you makes me shy as a man and a living being when given this kind of context. Other than that, nothing about you has changed from before. Not to mention you know more about me than almost every single one of my other friends." He explained. "It's a little late to just immediately brand you a liar or an enemy. If I don't have a reason to, I don't get why I should."

"So you're not embarrassed at all about all of the cuddling and pampering you gave lil' ol me back when you thought I was a cat~?" Kuroka teased, smirking.

Shirou opened his mouth to speak...but his expression was caught between horror and embarrassment. He immediately turned around, burying his face in his hands.

"Oh come on, Shirou-chin~" Kuroka teased, opening her arms wide while smiling. "Don't you want to come cuddle with your "adowable Kuwo-chan"~? I guarantee it will be much more comfortable than all the other times~ You might even get a special treat~"

"J-Just stop!" Shirou squealed. He froze when he turned to face Kuroka again, staring at all of her exposed "assets". He immediately turned back around and started sobbing into his hands.

"I'll stop if you let me crash here for a little while." Kuroka offered. "I did save your life after all, so it's the least you could do."

"No way!" Shirou turned around, shooting Kuroka a sharp glare. "Do you know how much trouble I would get in if I let you stay here!?"

"With Mikoto?"

"No! With Kiyome!" Shirou said, exasperated. "She would make me a eunuch!" Again, he saw them. "Uwaaah!" He was so immersed in his tears and frustration that he failed to notice the black cat sneaking up on him until she firmly grasped his shoulders, leaning against him with her chest.

"Oh come ooon~ Don't be so mean to your best furry friend, Shirou-chin~" Kuroka gently caressed his chin. "If you let me stay heere, I promise I'll repay the favor _any way you want_ ~" To emphasize her point, she lightly licked Shirou's earlobe, as if tasting before nibbling on it with her mouth.

"Uwaaaaaaah!" Shirou immediately scrambled away, curling up into a ball of red in the corner. "OK! You can stay! You can stay! Just please stop the teasing!"

Kuroka pulled away, sitting up on the bed with a victorious smile. "I knew you would see things my way." She said, relishing Shirou's sobs. "You don't have to worry about Mikoto-chan. There's so many rooms in this house that she wouldn't notice that one of the many empty ones was filled, especially if I put enough enchantments and barriers on or around it...unless of course you would rather I stay here in your room~ I could pretend to be your life-size body pillow...with benefits~"

"Kuroka!"

"OK, OK~ Nyan~" She giggled. "You know you'll have to graduate from "virgin" someday, right? You're really going to need to work on handling women."

"Shut up! You're stupid!" Shirou shouted childishly.

"Coming from the boy who has yet to realize he spent the entire conversation trying to sound serious with his tool hanging out."

"Eep!" Shirou immediately hid his privates, dashing to the adjacent bathroom to hide. "Could you please just leave so I can get dressed!?"

"Alright, I've teased you enough." Kuroka said, standing up from the bed. "Let me know if you ever want to finish~"

"Stop doing that!"

Kuroka smirked. She knew with all of her heart that she was going to have a fun time...but first-

"By the way, you got a text earlier."

Curious, Shirou popped his head out of the bathroom door, eyeing Kuroka with suspicion. "A text?"

Kuroka nodded, stretching her body in a way Shirou _knew_ was deliberately intending to show off her curves. Somehow, Akeno came to mind...

"Apparently something big is going around and you're needed at your master's base of operations." Without a hint of caution or care, Kuroka tossed Shirou his cellphone.

"The Occult Research Club building?" Shirou slid his finger across the screen, staring curiously at the message. "When was it sent?"

"About an hour ago~"

"God damn it, Kuroka!"

"Nyan~"

* * *

One knew they were "the odd one out" when literally every single eye turned in their direction the moment they entered the room.

That was how Shirou figured it out amidst the stares of his fellow club members and the white-cloaked individuals sitting on the couch across from Rias and Akeno. The Gremory servants were standing on the side of the table between the two groups, making it all the more uncomfortable when everyone noticeably turned to face him.

If his headache hadn't been hurting before, it certainly was now.

"Uh...hi." He greeted, raising his hand awkwardly. Nobody responded. "Sorry I'm late, but I got into some deep shit last night and I was nursing a few bad scrapes." He paused. "Which reminds me! Kiba?"

The Knight, a perpetual scowl on his face, politely turned in Shirou's direction. "Hu-Gaugh!" That was when Shirou's knuckles passionately embraced the right side of Kiba's face, knocking him right over the table and crashing into the opposite wall.

"That's for leavin' me for dead, you jerk!" Upon noticing the stunned expressions on the others' faces, Shirou coughed into his fist, blushing slightly. "I apologize for interrupting and arriving late."

Rias blinked at him, curious. "Actually, you're just in time. Kiba arrived about five minutes before you." She said. "What was this about you almost dying... _again_?"

"I feel as though it was unnecessary to say "again", but it's something we need to discuss after whatever this is." Shirou said, gesturing to the general area as Kiba began to pick his ass up off of the ground. "So just go along with whatever you're doing. It looks pretty important." He paused again, staring curiously at the two cloaked figures, both girls about his and Issei's age. He pointed at the cloaked girls. "Who are these people anyway?"

"These two are Exorcists of the Church, Shirou." Rias explained through grit teeth. It was clear she wasn't entirely pleased with the current situation.

Shirou noticed the crosses hanging around the two's necks. "OH! So _that's_ why I smelled hypocrisy!"

"What did he say!?"

"I better not have heard what I think I just heard..."

Rias face-palmed, shaking her head. "I really need to learn to exclude you from meetings with members of other groups. Shirou, these are Xenovia and Irina Shidou. They're here as representatives of the Church in a certain matter." She gestured to Shirou. "Please don't mind him. He has good intentions, but-"

"No no no!" One of the girls, the one with chestnut-brown hair tied in twin tails, said. "I want to go back to what he said before! What did he say?"

"Me?" Shirou asked. "Oh, I said your religion is hypocritical and everyone who follows it is a _super_ hypocrite."

"Really, Shirou?" Rias asked, shaking her head.

"I fail to see how we're hypocrites!" The brunette snapped. "The Lord is a symbol of peace, love, and hope for all to unify under, accepting even the lowliest of sinners into his embrace."

"Unless they're not hardcore Christians." Shirou argued. "In which case, they can go fuck themselves, now can't they?"

"I still don't understand what you're getting at!" The brunette continued, nobody noticing the amount of stress appearing in Rias' expression. "Granted, we need to guide those with heretical beliefs back onto the path of the one true Go-"

"Ububup! See!? There it is!" Shirou objected, pointing an accusing finger at Irina. "That whole "Christianity is the one truth path so anyone who doesn't kiss God's ass like a bitch is going to Hell" shit you guys pull?! Your whole message seems to be conformity, reverence, and fear about some man in the sky who doesn't seem to give a SHIT about humanity if any of the past major wars are anything to take away from. If anything, he seems to relish our misery, pain, and deaths! I mean, the Tower of Babel? Does that seem like the act of a benevolent God? No. He was just pissed because humanity was proving it had a bigger dick than him and he threw a fit and sent it all crashing to the ground. Yet here you all are, still kissing his ass. _That_ is why I'm an atheist!"

There was a collective gasp from the entire room, even from the Devil's side.

"What?" Everyone continued staring in shock. "What?!"

"How can you not believe in God, Shirou!?" Rias exclaimed, her eyes widened to the size of plates.

"I didn't realize that was an issue if you're a Devil."

Rias wagged her finger at Shirou, narrowing her eyes. "Hey, we may be near-immortal Hellspawn, but even we Devils believe in God." Rias scolded. "He's the one who smites us into the void and whose terrifying name is used to scare Devil children into behaving." She turned to the Exorcist duo. "I deeply apologize for my servant's behavior. I assure you that his interests and thoughts do not represent us."

The brunette eyed Shirou with a new-found dislike, but eventually turned back to Rias. "I suppose I can overlook it this one time." She didn't notice Shirou flipping her off from the corner of her eye. "Now, back to the original reason as to why we're here. The other day, three of the Holy Swords Excaliburs that were kept by the Catholic Church Headquarter Vatican, Protestant Church, and Eastern Orthodox Church were stolen."

"Sounds like the security sucks." Shirou quipped.

Rias snapped her fingers. "Akeno, restrain him." The S&M Queen needed no other excuse to wrap her arms around her adorable Kouhai. "If he talks, cover his mouth. If he tries to bite you, put the muzzle on him like last time."

"Yes, ma'am."

Issei piped up, clearly confused. "The Holy Sword Excaliburs...? Just how many are there?"

"There are a total of seven Excaliburs, Issei-kun." Irina explained. "The true Excalibur broke in the Great War a long time ago."

The blue-haired girl, Xenovia, held up a large, heavy item wrapped in cloth. "After the original sword broke, its fragments were forged into seven new blades through alchemy." However, Shirou knew it was a sword from its large hilt and axe-like guard. Just like Freed's blade the night before, Shirou had the utmost sensation of being in danger when he looked at that sword. "My sword is one of those seven, Excalibur Destruction."

"And this one is mine." Irina said, showing a bit more excitement than her compatriot as she pulled a string from her cloak. "It's known as the Excalibur Mimic. I can change its shape into anything I want, so it's really useful for carrying around. See?" As if by magic, the string seemed to move, expanding and molding its form until it came to look like an elegant, Japanese katana. "Just like this, each Excalibur has its unique ability."

"There's no reason to tell them our swords' abilities, Irina." Xenovia scolded.

"Wait, so the original was broken into seven different swords?" Shirou asked, crossing his arms as a pensive look appeared on his face. "Doesn't that mean each individual "fragment" is weaker than the original? It seems kind of stupid. If they can created seven new swords, why not just reforge the old one?"

"Oh, that's a fair point, but the reason we don't do that is because there's not really anyone with the potential to wield the original anymore." Irina answered, surprisingly helpful. "You see, some Holy Swords can only be wielded if a person has a certain potential. Because the original Excalibur is so powerful, there's next to nobody who can use it properly, so it's better to split it up into seven, more manageable piece-Augh! Ow!" Irina started crying as the table jerked suddenly, rubbing her shin as she turned to Xenovia, looking betrayed. "What was that for?!"

"That information is supposed to be classified, Irina." Xenovia scolded, sighing. "Let's just get back to our reason for being here." Shirou shivered, turning around to see Kiba cloaked in a truly evil aura. It was clear he was still pretty pissed off over why ever he was so angry when it came to Excalibur. "Of the seven Excaliburs, one was lost during the Great War while the remaining six were split equally amongst the Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox Churches. One of the Excaliburs was stolen from each of them and brought to this land in the east."

"That was reckless of them..." Rias noted. "Any ideas on who would do something like this?"

Xenovia's expression became far more serious than before. "The one responsible for the thefts is one of the leaders of the Fallen Angels, "the ones who guard against the Children of God", Kokabiel."

"The leader of the Fallen Angels?!" Rias gasped.

"Um..." Shirou leaned over, whispering to Akeno. "So who's this Kokabiel?"

Akeno leaned over and whispered back, "It's like they said. Kokabiel is one of the leaders of the governing organization of the Fallen Angels, the Grigori. He's said to be incredibly powerful, not only being a Fallen Angel from the bible, but even one of the survivors of the Great War."

Shirou whistled. "Sounds like he's pretty tough." Shirou scratched the back of his neck. "So this Cockatiel-"

"Kokabiel!" Akeno hissed in his ears.

"-Kokabiel guy is the one who stole the Excaliburs?" Xenovia nodded. "Then why not get your guys' Archangel, Michael, and just go kick his ass!?"

"It's not that simple." The blue-haired Exorcist warned. "If Michael-sama were to engage one of the leaders of the Fallen Angel without direct provocation, it could spark a conflict. That's why it's important that we resolve this matter discreetly and without involving more major leaders."

"I would have thought stealing your shit would be considered a pretty strong provocation." Shirou said. "Anyway, if he's the one who took the Excaliburs, then I can probably guess who gave Freed his shiny new toy."

"Which brings me back to my main poi-" It was only then that the members of the Church's side processed what Shirou had said. "What was that?"

"Freed Sellzen." Shirou repeated, answering the question for everyone. "He's this nobody, dipshit priest who gave us some trouble a little while back before Issei and I wrecked his shit. Kiba and I met him last night after the ball tournament and shit got crazy."

"You met the Stray Exorcist again!?" Rias exclaimed. "Why didn't you tell me!?"

"I was going to tell you after the meeting." Shirou said, shrugging. "I didn't want to interrupt. Freed also had one of those Excaliburs, so I think he's probably thrown his lot in with that Kokabiel guy."

"Freed Sellzen you said...?" A troubled expression appeared on Xenovia's face. "He's given our side quite a bit of trouble and, if he's wielding one of the Excaliburs, then it's all the more important that we retrieve it. He was considered a prodigy, having become an Exorcist at the age of thirteen, but he turned his back on the teachings of God, resulting in him being charged for heresy."

"He killed some of your guys, didn't he?" With the look of his half-lidded eyes, it was easy to tell he meant it as more of a statement than a question.

"At least a few dozen." Xenovia confirmed.

"Man, that guy's a douche." Shirou noted.

"Quite." Xenovia turned back to Rias. "On this matter, I suppose I should give you fair-warning from hereon out. To keep it simple: We don't need the Devils in this town to intervene. Freed's assault was unexpected nor is it wrong for you to defend yourselves, but we would prefer you did not attempt any kind of inteference."

"That sounds like an accusation." Rias noted. "Are you afraid we will side with the Fallen Angels and keep you from obtaining the Holy Swords?"

"We know that, for Devils, a Holy Sword is a detestable thing. Wouldn't it make more sense for you to support the Fallen Angels?"

Only a fool wouldn't have been able to notice the anger in Rias' eyes or the way her demonic aura seemed to flare up slightly. To her credit, she managed to keep a polite expression and a civil tone throughout the conversation even though the accusation from the other side was fairly obvious.

"If you know that I am the sister of a Maou, then it means that you have lots of connections with the higher-ups in the Church." Then I will say it clearly. We will not form an alliance with the Fallen Angels. I swear it in the name of the Gremory house as well as the name of our Maou!"

Xenovia smiled confidently. "It's enough for me just to be able to hear that." She said calmly. "I admit, it's natural for us to be suspicious, especially considering one of your members already associates regularly with one of the Fallen Angels. You should truly keep a tighter security."

"Hey, Kalawarner may be a sexual predator and a free-loader, but she isn't a traitor or a spy!" Shirou snapped, slamming a hand down on the table in front of them.

"Again, I only speak of taking precautions." Xenovia said in a disarming tone. "We heard the reports of incidents that transpired between the Devils and the Fallen Angels who trespassed into this town, so we know of her status of servitude. Still, I can't help but feel that a feral dog couldn't be a more dangerous pet to keep around, especially with the incidents occurring in this town because of the Fallen Angels."

Shirou narrowed his eyes, but didn't respond. This girl seriously pissed him off.

"We won't ask for your cooperation." Xenovia said.

"Good, coz you ain't gettin' any!" Shirou snapped.

"Akeno, the spray bottle."

"Yes, ma'am~" Akeno produced a spray bottle filled with water out of nowhere, squeezing the trigger and spritzing Shirou repeatedly, putting the nozzle closer to his body as the unpleasant sensation of water caused him to hiss and crawl away cautiously.

"If you were to form an alliance with God's side temporally, then it would affect the balance of the three factions." Xenovia explained. "Especially if it's the little sister of a Maou."

"Where is the person the Orthodox Church dispatched?" Rias asked.

"They have that person put on hold for this case. They are planning to protect the last Excalibur if Irina and I fail."

"You're going to retrieve the Excaliburs from one of the Fallen Angel with just the two of you?" Rias said, amazed. "Sounds a little like you two want to die."

"Yes."

"That's right." Both Irina and Xenovia confirmed it. "It's been determined that if the Fallen Angels make use of the Excaliburs, they won't care if everything gets destroyed. At least, as far as our roles go, we will remove the Excaliburs from the Fallen Angels' hands."

"For that, we dedicate our bodies." Irina agreed. "The only thing that can stand up to an Excalibur is another Excalibur."

…You came here to Japan prepared to die?" Rias sighed. "Your faith is as extreme as always."

"Don't talk ill of our beliefs, Rias Gremory." It was the first time Shirou saw someone look genuinely annoyed at Rias. "Right, Xenovia?"

"Right."

"Is it possible with only the two of you?"

"Well,it's not as though we intend to throw our lives away." For some reason, Xenovia sounded defensive, as if Rias' genuine concern had been some kind of teasing comment.

"You seem confident. Do you have a secret weapon?"

"Maybe." Xenovia said vaguely. "I will leave it to your imagination." There was a small silence between Rias and Xenovia before Xenovia spoke again, standing up to leave. "Then we will take our leave. Let's go, Irina."

"So you won't drink your tea?" Rias asked, clearly more out of politeness than actual care for their answer. "I can prepare a snack for you."

"No thanks." Xenovia refused. "I'm not here to make friends with Devils." Shirou seriously hated this bitch.

As the two turned their backs, Shirou started viciously raising his middle fingers at them, mouthing all sorts of obscenities before Akeno finally smacked him in the back of the head. "Ow!"

The Exorcist duo were on their way out when Xenovia paused halfway to the door, turning her head curiously. It only took a few seconds for Shirou to realize where-or rather _who_ -she was staring at. "I was wondering if the visit to the home of Issei Hyoudou would lead us to you. Aren't you Asia Argento?"

The golden-haired nun looked surprised, but nodded. "Y-Yes."

"It makes sense I would run into a Witch in a place like this."

"Dafuq she just say?" Before Shirou could even move a muscle, he felt two strong grips tightly grasp his wrists.

"No, Senpai."

"Down, Shirou."

Koneko and Akeno's half-lidded eyes held nothing but disapproval for the thoughts going through his head at that moment.

"Oh my goodness, it _is_ you!" Irina exclaimed in surprise. "You're the former Saint who became a Witch! I had heard you were banished because you had the power to heal Fallen Angels and Devils! And that one time, you actually used it! I heard that you were sent somewhere after getting exiled, but I never thought you would become a Devil!"

"…Ummmmm…I…I…"

Irina sighed. "It's okay. I won't tell the higher ups what I saw here. It would be a shock to the people who were around the "Saint" Asia to hear of your situation. Irina's words were far less malicious or hostile than Xenovia's. They were more ignorant and insensitive than anything and that made it so much worse.

"But to become a Devil? For one who has been called a "Saint" to have fallen as far as you have...Do you still believe in our God?"

"Xenovia, there's no way that she, who became a devil, still believes in God." Irina said to Xenovia as though she was actually trying to be quiet.

"NNnnnn!" Nobody heard the vicious growl coming from Shirou's throat. The more he heard these two speak, the more he wanted to use Freed's corpse to bash their heads in.

"No, I can smell the "belief" from her." Xenovia said. "It might be an abstract way of saying it, but I'm sensitive to these things. There are people who betray the teachings and yet do not lose their faith. I can feel something similar coming from her."

Irina stared at Asia, so shocked that it was insulting. "Is that true? Asia-san, you still believe in God even though you became a Devil?"

Asia turned her sad gaze towards the ground. "…I just can't put it aside. I believed in it for my whole life…"

"I see." Xenovia said, nodding her head. "In that case, it's better that we kill you now." The entire room seemed to freeze with those words, Xenovia quickly unraveling the cloth from around her sword. "I will behead you now in the name of God. Our God will reach down his hand to even the most sinful and absolve even you if you sacrifice your soul to him."

"DON'T GIVE ME THAT BULLSHIT!" Nobody quite knew what to say when Shirou rushed forward, bashing his head against Xenovia's. "That won't _absolve her_ of anything! If you kill her with a Holy Sword, she'll just be dead with not even a soul left! Are you seriously this fucking stupid!?"

Xenovia didn't back down, pushing back Shirou with her own forehead. "It's not stupid. For a follower of God, it's better to cease entirely than live on as a Devil. If anything, it's you who should feel wicked for dragging her down to your level, Devil."

"You bitch!" It looked as though a fight was going to break out at any moment.

"Shirou! That's enough!" Rias snapped. "Akeno, restrain him!"

"Already trying, Rias!" Akeno grunted out, causing Rias to finally notice both her Queen and her Rook desperately trying to pull Shirou back by his arms. "He tends to become overwhelming when he's angry!"

"I can't stand it..." Shirou muttered, causing Xenovia to raise her brow in curiosity. He removed his head from hers, allowing himself to be dragged back several steps. "Stuck-up people like you...You always looking down on anybody who's different or who has something abnormal about them...Because of those things, you view them as less than garbage. You're the type of people I hate the most."

"I see." Xenovia noted in a dismissive tone that only served to further enrage Shirou. If it weren't for Koneko and Akeno holding his arms back, fists would have already been flying. "You appear to less civil than the rest of the group. It's hard to think of you as a true Devil...Maybe "dog" would be a better description for you. You are a servant who needs to be held back and tamed by your own comrades, correct?"

Despite the fact that everyone was sure Shirou would have been spitting fire by that point, they were surprised to see his expression disturbingly calm.

"...Senpai, are you alright?" Koneko asked nervously.

"Huh?" Shirou blinked, staring at her. "Oh, I think that my rage just kind of went full-circle, so I'm calm again. My headache seems to be throbbing like Hell, but, other than that, I'm fine. Unfortunately, when this wears off, I'm probably going to rip their throats out, so you should probably be ready for that."

"If this is the type of company you are made to keep, Asia Argento, then I truly pity you." Xenovia said. "I urge you to consider my offer. It is better to die by my hands than continue your existence as a Witch."

"Cut that shit out!" Issei snapped, stepping between Asia and Xenovia. "You have no right to call Asia a Witch!"

Xenovia smirked. "Trust me, that's one of the nicest descriptions I have for someone who had done what she had-"

"I don't want to hear it!" Issei snapped, tears welling up in his eyes. "You pricks tailor-make "Saints" at your own convenience, for your own benefit, and then throw them away the moment they ask for a little something different! None of you know what she went through! What God!? What love!? That God didn't do jack shit when Asia was in danger!"

But Xenovia answered calmly.

"God loved her." Xenovia said coldly. "If nothing happened, then it means that she didn't believe in him enough, or her belief was fake." She examined Issei with curiosity. "What are you to Asia?"

"She's my family! My friend! My comrade!" Issei declared proudly. "That's why I'll save her! I will protect Asia! If you try to lay a hand on her, I will turn all of you into my enemies!"

"Is that a challenge to the Church?" Xenovia asked, not-so-subtly fondling the hilt of her sword. "A mere Devil shoots off his big mouth..."

Shirou chuckled darkly, patting Issei on the shoulder. "Hell, if you're picking a fight with Heaven, count me in. I wouldn't mind killing God." He smirked, flipping Xenovia the bird again. "A God who doesn't protect those who haven't done anything wrong doesn't deserve to sit on His heavenly throne. Since none of you can stop blowing Him long enough to wash the salty taste out of your mouth and realize what a worthless, unjust deity he is, I might as well do you all the favor and get stronger so I can kill Him."

"What did you just say?" Somehow, that was the comment that set Xenovia off. It was the first time she looked genuinely angry.

"The person who sits on top is the one who defines the meaning of "Justice"." Shirou said. "If what is right and wrong is decided by God, then there's only one choice left to me!" He summoned out his "Ice Devil's Fang", pointing it at Xenovia. "I'll be the one who slays God Himself and prove that your so-called "justice" isn't worth jack shit!"

"Hells yeah!" Issei also summoned Boosted Gear. "I'm with you all the way, buddy! The Red Dragon Emperor and the Demon King of Kuoh! With the two of us, no half-assed God like theirs will ever be able to stand in our way!"

Xenovia sharpened her eyes at their provocation. "You had best watch your heretical mouth, Devils. Unless of course you desire to declare war on the Heavens in the name of your Maou." She taunted, not so subtly drawing out her sword. "And last I recall, it was our God who smote your Devils' Maous into the void during the previous war. However, in the case you don't back down, I don't mind cutting out those wretched tongues of yours. It would be a shame that your masters did not teach you any better."

It was at that point in time that the killing intent they previously tried to ignore began to completely fill the room, proving to be almost suffocating.

"Perfect time. I will be your opponent." Kiba said, drawing a sword out of thin-air.

"Who are you?" Xenovia asked.

Kiba smirked. "I'm your senpai. Though I was apparently a failure." That instant a countless number of demonic-swords appeared in the club room.

"Kiba! What the fuck!?" Shirou snapped. "Come on, man! Don't start that shit here! Now we have to fix or replace all of the floorboards!" He paused. "But more to the point, you can go fuck off. Issei and I called dibs."

"Hm?" Kiba's murderous gaze turned on Shirou. "You're butting in again."

"Don't give me that shit!" Shirou said, returning Kiba's hostile glare. "After you left me to die last night, I have more than half a mind to kick your ass right now!"

Suddenly, the situation went from Shirou, Issei, and Kiba wanting to kick the two Exorcists' asses to Shirou and Kiba wanting to stick a sword in one another.

"Before I find myself out of two servants," Rias interjected, sighing, "maybe you three could decide through something simpler like Rock, Paper, Scissors?"

"Rock, Paper, Scissors to the death?" Shirou suggested.

"No, Shirou."

"Uuuughhh...Fine."

* * *

"Booyah!"

"About time."

"Damn it! I'm never going to get to test the perfect Dress Break on someone!"

Shirou and Kiba stood on the field where they had previously practiced for the ball tournament, Shirou grinning like a fool. Issei stood off to the side with the others, his ego somewhat deflated. It was obvious that he felt a little let-down at not being able to punish the people who insulted Asia, especially after he said such cool things. Asia herself was occupied with trying to cheer him up. It was the thought that mattered after all.

The Exorcist duo stood across from the Knight and Pawn, both of their swords drawn. There was a red barrier surrounding them, ensuring that none of the damage from the battle was noticed or spread outside. The two had also done away with their white robes, revealing their tight, black battle wear. And those were just...

Shirou burst into laughter. "Jesus-H-Christ! Whoever designed those outfits for people working for a CHURCH should be fired! Pffthahahaha!" He hunched over, his eyes tearing up.

"What are you laughing at, Devil?" Xenovia asked hostilely. "These are the custom outfits created for the elite warriors who have sworn their hearts and bodies to God. I don't quite understand what you find funny about them."

"Oh-Oh no, you're right." Shirou said, snorting. "I can definitely see that you have given your bodies to God. I am sure He is 100% grateful for you wearing those outfits. Yessiree."

"Thank you." Xenovia said, the sarcasm flying right over her head.

"Xenovia, I think that might have been an insult." Irina said, sweatdropping.

"Really?" When Xenovia's eyes widened in surprise, Shirou only started laughing even harder. "But he agreed with the idea that our battle suits were good."

"..." Shirou sighed, staring curiously at Irina. "Is she always as dumb as bricks?"

"She means well." Irina said, smiling apologetically as if to say "You have no idea". "Also, I can't entirely refute what you say either as sad as it is. When I first saw the outfit, I almost died from embarrassment, but it's actually not that bad when you get used to it. We're usually wearing robes except when confronting things we're about to kill, so it doesn't matter anyway. They also increase our capabilities in combat due to a lack of restriction."

"Sister, listen," Shirou said, cutting her off, "whatever combat mobility or flexibility or whatever kind of shit you get from those outfits, I don't think it's really worth looking like some kind of kinky fetishist...Not to mention those things look like they chafe."

"They really do sometimes." Irina agreed, sighing. "It gets better after wearing it a while because your body sweats and all, but..."

"If you cover your body in lotion or some kind of creme, it becomes much more snug." Xenovia offered. "If you had told me, I could have rubbed your body down before we left."

"Yeah, but I didn't want to be a bother."

"Still-"

"Can we _please_ get back on track!?" Kiba snapped, glaring at all three of them with such venom that, if looks could kill, they all would have been writhing on the ground.

"Tch...I guess."

"Sounds good."

"I suppose."

Shirou shoved his hands into his pockets, rolling his eyes. "Seriously, what bug crawled up your ass...? You're being more aggressive than usual."

"Coming from the guy who just threatened to kill God right in front of two Christians with Excaliburs."

"Touche, Rias."

"Don't get distracted, Shirou-kun!" Akeno warned. "Even if it's just an exhibition match, you can't be cut by the Holy Sword!"

"I know." Shirou said, shrugging. "I mean, I know I'm not normally affected by holy items, but I wouldn't want to get cut by that sword anyway."

"I don't think you understand." Rias retorted. "Even with your abnormal resistance, Holy Swords are the bane of Devils. Depending on your strength, a single cut would be enough to reduce you to ashes."

"Oh..." Shirou said, staring. "...I will be 100% sure not to get cut by those swords then."

"Hehehehe..." Shirou frowned when he heard _the_ creepiest laughter coming from Kiba's mouth.

Xenovia stared, confused, at Kiba as he suddenly started to laugh. "...You're laughing?" The smile on Kiba's face was powerful enough to make the atmosphere colder than anything Shirou's Sacred Gear could manage.

"The thing I wanted to defeat and destroy appeared right in front of me." Kiba said, smirking darkly. "I'm really happy right now."

"Creepin' me the fuck out, but good for you, Kiba." Shirou said with pursed lips.

Xenovia stared curiously. "I heard that there was a "subject" that avoided from being disposed by the "Holy Sword Project"…Is that you?"

While Shirou didn't know what this "Holy Sword Project" was, he knew for a fact that it must have been a sore point with Kiba, the Knight's killing intent spiking drastically. If Shirou didn't know him any better, he would have thought Kiba was actually going to try and kill her.

"You, white-haired Devil!" Shirou's attention turned from his homicidal sort-of-friend to the twin tails across from him. "Before I best you in the name of God, it would do to hear your name!"

"...what?"

"Well, this _is_ just more of a spar." Irina said. "I fully intend to cast you Devils back into the pit of Hell, but it's polite to give your name first."

Shirou raised a brow in curiosity. "You...Wait, do you _not_ know who I am?"

The question seemed to utterly perplex the ignorant girl. "Should I?"

"She's from England, Shirou!" Issei called out from the sidelines. "I don't think they know who you are!"

"Oh..." Shirou said. Then his eyes widened. "Oh shit! That's...That's weird. People just usually know who I am, so it's weird for them not to know."

"Riser didn't know-"

"Fuck Riser!" Then Shirou turned back to Irina. "If you must know, I'm Shirou Fujimura, the Demon King of Kuoh!...And any dark or otherwise criminal rumors you hear about me, they're lies! I don't do things to women and I'm not a demon!" He paused when Irina gave him a look. "OK, well, I wasn't a demon when the rumors first started and even then, they're meant in a different context!"

"Demon King, huh?" Irina asked, clearly taking the title too seriously. "In which case, let us begin our duel! You, who draws those, even my childhood friend, to the path of sin, will face judgment!"

"Yea-wai-What?" Shirou didn't have a chance to process what Irina said due to the fact she took initiative, swinging her katana at his neck. Shirou sloppily weaved to the side, avoiding having his throat slit. Shirou chuckled. "For a spar, your blows are surprisingly lethal!" Irina turned her katana into a metallic-looking whip, lashing out at Shirou. Shirou desperately avoided each lash, especially as the rope became a blade threatening to deal severe damage if he didn't dodge as needed.

"I cannot help it!" Irina cried, with the emotion of an actress in her tears as she withdrew her sword. "You who have drawn my precious childhood friend onto the path of a Devil! Oh, the shock I experienced upon seeing the cruelty of fate! The desire for a beautiful reunion dashed by the realization that he had become my sworn enemy! However, this is a trial placed upon me that I must surpass on my own path towards true faith!"

""Childhood friend"?" Shirou questioned. "You mean Asia?"

"In order to avenge him, I will start with judging y-What?" That question caused Irina to cease her tirade out of shock. "No! I said "he", you know!"

Shirou looked around before gesturing with his thumb. "...Kiba?"

"Nooooo. Try again."

"...Asia?"

"Oh Lord, please forgive this ignorant fellow, for he knows not what he does." In the middle of the sports field, Irina suddenly broke out into prayer. Then she turned back to Shirou. "I mean Issei!"

Shirou blinked. "Wha...?" His eyes became black dots as he gestured to the sidelines. "Issei...?" Irina nodded. "Issei Hyoudou?" Another nod. "Issei is your childhood friend?"

"That is correct. We were the closest of friends ever since we were children!"

"..." Shirou looked from Irina to Issei to Irina to Issei and then back to Irina. "Really?"

"Yeees. Why?"

"O-Oh nothing..." Shirou snorted. "I just can't really wrap my head around it...You two seriously took different paths in life."

"I guess you had a hand in that."

Shirou stopped laughing at the surprisingly bitter comment from Irina. "Huh?" When he turned back to her, she wasn't even joking around anymore. The look she held in her eye when she looked at Shirou was genuine dislike. Maybe even hatred. "Wow, I think angry looks good on you!" He laughed. "Hehehehe!

"If it weren't for you or Rias Gremory, Issei-kun wouldn't have become a Devil!"

And, just like that, Shirou stopped laughing again. "What?"

"Poor Issei-kun, swayed by the Devil of the Gremory house and the Demon King of Kuoh!" Irina sobbed. "I can only imagine what words you used to sway him onto your path of corruption!"

"Uh...Irina..." Issei spoke up awkwardly. However, the two fighters were still in their own little, horribly unpleasant world. "Actually-"

"So...Issei becoming a Devil is _my_ fault?" Shirou asked, his bangs casting shadows over his eyes.

"Who's else could have been responsible!?" Irina snapped. "You even convinced him to agree to your foolish, futile plan to kill God! Only someone bearing the name "Demon King" could be capable of such sinful manipulation!"

"...I see." Shirou said calmly. When he raised his head again, there was a wide, thin smile on his face, his eyes closed. "That's an interesting viewpoint." For a moment, everything was silent. Shirou took a deep breath, holding it for about thirty seconds. Then he exhaled. Then he pointed his sword in Irina's direction, massive amounts of freezing aura spilling off of him

On the other side of the barrier, Koneko's feline ears perked up. "Uh oh." Her fellow club members turned to her.

"What's wrong, Koneko?" Rias asked.

"It's Senpai..."

"Is something wrong with Shirou-kun?" Akeno asked, trying to disguise her worry.

"Senpai..." Koneko started trembling, shutting her eyes and clamping her hands over her ears. "Buchou, you have to stop the match..."

"Huh?" The sudden tone of urgency was enough to put Rias on-guard. "Why?"

Just looking at it make Koneko want to vomit, the overwhelming aura she felt surrounding Shirou proving to be as terrifying as it was suffocating. "He's going to lose control again..."

"What do you mean "lose control again", Koneko?" Akeno asked, even more alarmed than before. "What do you mean _again_?" However, the Nekomata was trembling too much to give a proper response.

With one taunt from Irina, his rage had already broken into entirely new territory, even further than it had the night before. The pain was like someone banging a heavy war drum inside of his skull, some kind of barrier cracking ominously...then shattering to pieces.

Shirou extended his hand, creating a magic circle. "Irina Shidou..." A large, dagger-like piece of ice formed in mid-air...then another. And another. Eventually, there was a dozen. "...I can't kill you, but beating you half to death is going to feel great."

"Uh oh." was about as far as Irina got before the ice constructs launched through the air with the speed and force of bullets. She moved with the agility and grace of a professional gymnast, avoiding the blades she could and using her sword to deflect or shatter the ones she couldn't, letting shards of crystal ice rain down around them. It was while she was occupied that Shirou dashed forward, sword drawn. Irina spun on her heels, swinging her blade in Shirou's direction. The two exchanged blow for blow, slash for slash, moving with speed that would have made even Kiba's look "normal".

"I am the follower of God who will pass judgment on this sinful Devil!" Irina declared.

"Shove it up your ass!" Shirou said, catching her blade on his. The hate in his glare was overwhelming. "You stupid hypocrites are so self-righteous that you don't listen or believe in anything but your own gospel bullshit!" He pushed forward, trying to drive the Exorcist back, but she used his force as a means to vault over him, taking a stance as she landed behind him. "You don't give a damn about those you step on! Everyone else is trash! Disposable!"

"We follow the word and teachings of our Lord! We are the enlightened, those who know no wrong!" She swung her blade, but found it once again obstructed by Shirou's own, the delinquent turning his head to shoot a sharp look.

"YOU BASTARDS!" Shirou parried her strike before swinging his sword in 180 degree arc. He built up freezing aura which he focused into the tip of his blade at the climax of his swing. "Killer Iceberg!" A massive hung of ice with a sharp edge, the size of a minivan, burst from the tip of his blade, the edge colliding against Irina's sword with enough force that it propelled her several feet into the air. "You call yourself his childhood friend, but have you even once asked _why_ he became a Devil in the first place!? Do you even know what we've gone through!? What we suffered!?"

"What are you talking about?!" Irina asked as she fell through the air.

"Augh!" Shirou retracted his arm, tightly grasping his temple as a sudden pain ripped through his skull. His Sacred Gear beginning to glow as it shifted to a gun-type form. "Third Form: Flurry Rifle! Flurry Shot!" Shirou pointed and pulled the trigger several times, unleashing several blasts of freezing demonic power.

However, Irina quickly placed her Excalibur Mimic in front of her, letting it transform into a massive wall shield that proceeded to block against all rounds fired. "Didn't I already tell you, Blasphemous Demon King?" Irina teased, her smirk showing far less good will. "My Excalibur can take any form! It's as good at defense as it is at offence!" She extended her shield, its form extending into that of a spear. "With this holy lance, I will pierce through your wicked attempts at deception!"

"Oh yeah?!" Shirou shouted. "Second Form: Nilfheim Ravager!" Massive amounts of an icy, whitish-blue aura surrounded his bladed gauntlet. He swung his arms in a ripping-like motion upward towards Irina. "Blizzard Ring!" A violent blizzard formed in a huge ring around Shirou's body.

"My holy spear will pierce right through those unholy winds of yours!" Irina declared.

"That is why you were doomed to lose!" The moment the blade of Irina's spear made contact with Shirou's destructive, icy winds, it suddenly jerked to the left, completely throwing the Exorcist off-balance. In that split-second, the blizzard immediately dispersed, Shirou reaching his arm out and grasping the spear by its shaft. "You rely too much on your weapon just as much as you do your worthless group! Your tactics are _obvious_!" With a sudden yank, he ripped the Excalibur Mimic from Irina's hand, delivering a roundhouse kick to the side of her face.

Irina landed ungracefully onto the ground, sprawled about. She let out a soft groan of pain as she struggled to get up from the ground. Her eyes happened upon her dropped Holy Sword laying only a mere few feet away.

"Oh no you don't!" She had only barely managed to crawl an inch before Shirou suddenly hoisted her up by her twin tails, slamming her against the tree. "This is my win." Shirou growled out, glaring daggers at Irina. "As usual, you don't know anything..."

"OK," Irina spat bitterly, the loathing mutual between the two, "then why _did_ Issei-kun become a Devil?"

"Hmph! Hysterical. You claim so much but you don't know anything!" Shirou taunted, seeming less and less stable as time went on. "So you don't know about how he was murdered? Funny story, a monster tricked him into becoming her boyfriend before spilling his organs across the pavement with those claws of theirs~! Did you know about that!? How all she did in her dying breaths was pleading not to die!?" In the span of five seconds, Shirou switched from calm and cruel to teasing to fury, clearly manic. Five more seconds before his friends realized something was seriously wrong with Shirou's account of events. "All she wanted was not to die! That's all they wanted! You know! You didn't see them! They were crying! My brother! I watched him die!"

"Shirou, what are you talking about?" Issei was the first one to question Shirou's changing behavior. When Shirou turned to Issei his eyes widened, as if suddenly remembering he was there. "I'm pretty sure there's something wrong with what you just said."

And that thought somehow caused an even deeper pain in the depths of Shirou's mind. "Aaauuuugh!" He suddenly dropped Irina to the ground, clutching the sides of his head in agony as images flooded his vision. "Why did she...? Why can't I just...?!" Again, he was gripped by a sudden burst of pain, like shrapnel ripping apart his brain. "Auuuugh!"

 _Corpses litter the room._

 _Children._

 _No hope. No life._

 _He was bleeding..._

 _He had to stop the bleeding!_

 _Why did he keep smiling at him?_

"Aniki..." Shirou breathed, tears welling up in his eyes. "Aniki! Aniki! Aniki! Aniki! Aniki!"

"His heartbeat is going too fast and his aura's become unstable!" Koneko shouted to her comrades. "Something's wrong with him!"

Sensing an opening, Irina kicked forward, knocking Shirou off of his feet before sprinting over to her Excalibur, picking it up from the ground. She drew her sword and, without thinking, swung at her enemy. "This is the end!"

"FUCK YOU!" In one moment of lucidity, Shirou swung his own arm around. "Gungnir!" A bright light took the form of a polearm...but something was wrong. It had the shape, but it was unsteady, like an electrical current with no solid form. The moment that uneven bar of light struck Irina's sword, it shattered, completely dispersing and disappearing into thin air. "What?!" Shirou extended his arm again. "Gungnir!" That time, there wasn't even a response. "Gungnir! Gungnir! Come on! Why aren't you heeding me!?" Tears were running down his cheeks. "Help me! Come on! Help me!"

"I..." Irina's previous zeal disappeared, feeling more concerned and confused than victorious. "It's over. You lost."

"SHUT UP!" Lowering her guard had been a mistake on her part. Irina was barely able to get her sword's guard up in time to block the worst of the strike, but she was still blown away like a leaf in a heavy wind. "Just shut up! You-!" He summoned out his sword, the aura surrounding it much darker than it had been before. "I won't forgive-! I-I can't-! I can't just let them die damn it!" The veins in his head popped out, the only emotions expressed by him being agony and fury. He raised his sword, preparing to charge even with the increasingly severe images bombarding his thoughts. "I-Raaaaauuuuugh!"

"That's enough, Shirou!"

The barrier around them shattered, the remaining members of the Occult Research Club springing into action.

 **[BOOST!]**

Koneko and Issei grabbed his arms, Issei's gauntlet glowing.

"Calm down!"

"Snap out of it, Senpai!"

A violent, bestial growl was Shirou's only response before he raised Koneko up into the air and flung her away, turning his fist on Issei.

Issei released his arm, raising his gauntlet to intercept the blow. It was almost like getting hit by a boulder rolling down the side of a steep mountain with just as much pressure behind it. "What's gotten into you!?"

 **[BOOST!]**

The two locked hands, butting heads as Issei struggled against Shirou's surprising strength. "I don't know what it is, but I hope you don't hold this against me, buddy!" Issei pulled back his fist, slamming it into the side of Shirou's face. The blow was jarring enough that it made Shirou stumble back several steps. However, it didn't daze him for long.

Shirou drew his sword again, swinging violently. It was much different from normal, having no direction or style. It was just flailing viciously, technique sacrificed for greater damage. His blade was only a few centimeters from Issei's skull when there was a sudden crackle of electricity.

That was when Shirou was knocked off his feet by a blast of lightning. "Sorry, Shirou, but you're not in your right mind right now!" Akeno said, her hand outstretched with electricity still crackling between her fingers.

Rias stared pityingly as the downed boy whined in pain. "Please forgive us for this! Koneko! Issei! Akeno!"

[Yes, ma'am!]

Before Shirou could even attempt to give up, Koneko, Issei, and Akeno immediately converged on him, the former two pinning his arms back down against the ground with the latter pushing down on his back.

"LEMMEGO! LEMMEGO!" Shirou struggled violently beneath the combined strength of his friends.

 _They were torn to pieces..._

 _Monsters. Monsters everywhere..._

 _Make it stop. Dear God, make it stop..._

"ANIKIII!" With a monstrous roar, he moved his upper body upward, throwing his friends out from on top of him.

"Shirou-san, please stop this!" Asia ran forward, hoping to talk some sense into him before Rias' arm blocked her path.

"Stay back, Asia!" Calling out probably wasn't the best decision, because that was what drew the feral Devil's attention to them. Without warning, Shirou lunged forward, slashing violently. Rias managed to create a barrier just in time, but even then she felt the shockwave. "Shirou, I know you can hear me! I need you to calm down! We're your friends!"

"Raaauuuuuuuugh!" He continued slashing against Rias' barrier without relent. "Guuaaaaaauuuugh!" He didn't notice Issei appearing behind him, putting Shirou into a Full Nelson.

"Listen, Shirou, I don't give a damn if you're off your rocker!" Issei snapped. "I'm not going to let you lay a hand on Buchou!"

Shirou's response was to drive his elbow deep into Issei's gut, connecting the back of his fist with Issei's face, knocking him off of his feet. Before he could even begin to inflict further harm upon the others-

"Shirou!"

Almost every eye fell upon the new arrival, a miniature woman with her hands on her hips.

Mikoto Fujimura narrowed her eyes at her feral child. "Bad boy! I thought I taught you better than this!" She barely reacted when Shirou lunged her way, casually gripping the blade of his sword between her index and middle finger. "You didn't even graze me! BAD!" With a twist of her wrist, and thanks to Shirou's stubborn refusal to release his sword, Shirou was flipped completely upside-down. Even with his sword free of his grasp, Shirou refused to cease in his attempts to strike her, tears of agony and despair flowing down the sides of his face like waterfalls.

 _He had to find them..._

 _They were in danger! Had to find them!_

 _Can't let them die!_

 _Aniki, where was he?_

 _Why the knife, Aniki?_

 _Aniki..._

"ANIKI! ANIKI!?"

Mikoto's eyes softened, her eyes becoming pitying. "They're coming back, aren't they...?"

"What is, Fujimura-san?" Rias asked, helping Issei up from the ground.

However, Mikoto didn't seem to respond to Rias. She grabbed Shirou's arm as he lashed out at her, sighing. "Shirou...I need you to sleep for a while, so I hope you'll forgive me for this." Mikoto stared at Shirou's face. "Jeanne."

Just like that, Shirou froze. For a brief, hopeful second, the members of the Occult Research Club thought they saw clarity in Shirou's unfocused eyes, that the word spoken by Mikoto had been some kind of spell or something to soothe him...

Then tears of blood began to mix with the rest. "GUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUGH!" His screams of anguish became even louder than before. He leaped at Mikoto like a wild animal.

Mikoto ducked underneath his flying body and, with two fingers pointed upwards, she jammed her finger "knife" into the flesh of Shirou's shoulder. "Pressure point!" With that, Shirou's eyes went blank, his entire body going limp before falling to the ground.

"Shirou!" Seemingly out of nowhere, Kalawarner appeared, catching Shirou in her arms. Even unconscious, tears of water and blood flowed, giving him the appearance of a beaten child. Kalawarner directed her attention towards the others, sighing. "It's fine. He's fine now..."

"What...What _was_ that?!" Akeno asked, voicing the collective opinion of all those who gathered around. "Was it because of the Holy Sword's presence?" Immediately, all of their attention focused on Irina, the exorcist quickly raising her hands, panicked.

"Hey! I didn't do anything! Excalibur Mimic's only ability is shape-shifting!" She claimed. "There's no way it could have done...whatever that was to the Demon King!"

"She's telling the truth." Mikoto said, bringing the others' attention back to her. It was hardly subtle that she refused to meet their eyes. "This is a problem that rests solely with Shirou. It was bound to happen at some point. Becoming a Devil was the catalyst and now the outcome is almost upon us..." Mikoto crossed her arms behind her back, staring pensively at the ground. "Rias Gremory!"

The sudden call caused Rias to immediately stiffen. "Yes!"

"Once you and your group have finished up here, I require you to meet me at my house." Mikoto said, the request sounding more like a command. "None of the others are to join you. I must talk with you and you alone."

"Wait, what do you mean "finished up here"?" Mikoto's answer to Rias' question was to point in the direction of the explosions that they could only now hear with Shirou's "problem" taken care of.

They all watched as the massive Demonic Sword Kiba held in his hand was shattered by Xenovia's own Excalibur Destruction.

Xenovia slammed the pommel of her sword into Kiba's stomach, the Knight coughing up blood and saliva as all of the wind was knocked out of him. "You would need a lot of strength to swing a gigantic sword like that," She critiqued as Kiba dropped to the ground, :and you will lose the speed that you are proud of. Are you seeking a destructive power? From your fighting style, it's something unnecessary. Don't you even know that?"

It was then that it occurred to them: During Shirou's entire destructive, manic episode, Kiba had not even for one second ceased his own duel with Xenovia to come help.

"…Wa…wait!" Even though he tried crawling, reaching for Xenovia, there was no doubt he wasn't able to fight anymore.

"Rias Gremory, I trust you in regards to our previous conversation." Xenovia said.

"You couldn't have stopped for five seconds to assist us?" Rias asked with a doubtful expression.

Xenovia shrugged. "Believe it or not, I did try to disengage, but your Knight was a bit overzealous." She motioned to the downed Kiba. "You should also train your servants a bit more. There's a limit if you just keep polishing their battling style." Her eyes narrowed at the sight of Shirou, sleeping helplessly in Kalawarner's arms. "I will say only two more things: The first, you had best keep your dog on a tighter leash if you don't wish for him to be put down someday by one of my comrades." The other members of the Occult Research Club instinctively stepped in the middle of Xenovia's line of sight and Shirou.

Rias crossed her arms, glaring at Xenovia. "And the second thing?"

Xenovia lifted her Excalibur Destruction, wrapping it back up in its cloth sheathe. "The "Vanishing Dragon" has already awakened." She turned to Issei. "If you could not even restrain your group's pet, you definitely will not be able to win against him as you are." Then she just up and left.

Irina paused, looking between the staring Devils and her sister-in-arms. "Um...Bye, guys! See you later!" She could not run away fast enough.

Rias sighed, turning back to her servants. "Asia, heal everyone's injuries." She turned to Mikoto and Kalawarner. "I...I will hear what you have to say. First, I need to have a few words with my servants."

Mikoto nodded, behaving surprisingly submissively. "Come, Kalawarner."

"Yes, Mikoto-sama."

Even as the two left, Issei and the others could still see Shirou's trembling.

No matter how they looked back on it, that day was their loss.

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** Overcoming Trauma! Go, Excalibur Extermination Squad!

* * *

 **Finally made it over that hurdle! Now time to dive on into the Excalibur is a pain in my ass Arc!**

 **I do hope that this chapter has given you a good glimpse inside the broken, traumatized head of Shirou Fujimura. If you want to know why he suddenly had a mental breakdown...Well, considering the shit I've shown you guys so far, it was a long-time-coming. More-so if you knew why he was having those dreams to begin with~ But more next chapter~**

 **B-T-Dubs, I'm accepting suggestions for names for this arc. I'm not too picky.**

 **Also, I've been having some doubts and concerns lately concerning harems. If anyone wants to make suggestions to Shirou's harem, I'm all ears.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	36. Chapter 31: Overcoming Trauma! Go, EES!

**Movin' along the road with the Excalibur arc! Let's just get this over with!**

 **Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Which means I don't own shit! Try and claim copyright now, bitches! XD**

* * *

 **Chapter 31: Overcoming Trauma! Go, Excalibur Extermination Squad!**

"Mmnnnn..."

Shirou was trembling uncontrollably, curled up into a ball like a shivering baby. He still hadn't stopped crying. It was at the point that she considered sticking an IV into his arm to keep him from getting dehydrated. She used a cold cloth to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

It was absolutely heart-breaking for Mikoto to see her child like this.

"Shirou..." She sat by his side, gently stroking his cheek, wishing there was just something she could do. It was just like seven years ago only _worse_. She despised the feeling helplessness. It wasn't something she was accustomed to nor was it something she wished to be accustomed to. "No matter what I do, you will only suffer. I just..." She didn't bother trying to fight the tears streaming down the sides of her face. "In time, I hope you can forgive me. I know it will probably be impossible, but...I'm sorry."

KNOCK KNOCK

Mikoto turned towards the bedroom door. "Come in?" The door opened, just enough for Kalawarner to poke her head in.

"Mikoto-sama, Rias Gremory has arrived."

Mikoto sniffed, wiping her eyes. "OK. I'll be right down." She turned from the door to Shirou. "At the very least, I wish I could continue carrying this burden...at least for a little longer. I love you, Shirou." She leaned forward, planting a soft kiss above his brow before sliding off the edge of the bed and exiting the room. As she turned out the lights, she failed to notice one thing.

How Shirou's eye cracked open ever-so-slightly.

"Everyone..."

* * *

The living room was rather extravagant, every last piece of furniture and technology polished and in perfect working condition.

Rias was sitting on one of two couches that faced one another. Mikoto sat in the other, sitting opposite of her, Kalawarner standing dutifully by her side. To say the atmosphere was awkward was about as necessary as saying it had the tension of...there wasn't really anything to compare it to. If anything, that situation set a new definition for the word "tense".

In the end, it was Rias who broke their mutual silence. "So..."

"So." Mikoto agreed.

"Would you care to explain what was with Shirou's complete mental breakdown earlier?" Rias asked, eyes narrowed.

Again, they descended into silence, Mikoto playing with the hem of her skirt. "That..." She hesitated. She felt like cursing herself for her own cowardice. She had resolved to do this the moment Shirou's power spiked so violently before, yet now that she was about to, she was chickening out. "That's not really an easy question to answer with one explanation. There are several reasons for this, many of them being my fault..."

It was the first time Mikoto openly admitted guilt about anything, which drew Rias' interest and curiosity.

"What do you mean "it's your fault"?"

Mikoto sighed. "Tell me, Rias Gremory. How much do you truly know about Shirou?"

Rias frowned, looking down. "Honestly, not much. Unlike the others, whom I've known since childhood or whose histories are literally open books, Shirou doesn't really give much away. I think I have found a few pieces, but nothing to actually explain his person." She tapped her foot against the ground. "I feel as though I have a moderate grasp on who he is, but every time I come close, he does something else that completely shatters everything I thought I knew. I cannot even comprehend what it is that drives him as a Devil, a being who lives on desire."

"Oh?" Mikoto said as though her tone held a double-meaning.

"When he first agreed to become my official servant, he only asked for the money to live comfortably for the rest of his life." Rias said, scratching her cheek. "It was so small that I couldn't quite understand what his reasons were."

"Well, of course something like that would seem small to those of the upper class." Mikoto said, sweatdropping. "I guess Shirou just never wanted for much."

"Issei, Asia, Koneko, Akeno...and Yuuto. All of their desires and personalities are obvious, but Shirou continues to be the most confusing of the bunch." Rias noted, rubbing her temples.

"Well, to be fair, Shirou is hardly what you would call "normal" to begin with." At first, Rias had thought it was Mikoto making a jab at Shirou's abnormal habits. She realized there was much more to it when Mikoto's expression saddened. A hint of bitterness could be seen in the depths of her blue orbs as well. "For he who had no hopes or dreams, there was nothing for him to desire in the slightest. How far he's come, it's probably something he never thought was possible in the first place."

If Rias wasn't suspicious before, she was now. "What do you mean? Because of Shirou's reputation as a delinquent?"

"No..." Mikoto paused for a moment, considering the question. "Well, yes, that too. However, that's only a small part of it. The unjust bias and hate Shirou has experienced for seven years is only a small fraction of the true source of his despair. What began in despair, he believes, can only end in more despair. By this line of thinking, he believes it's futile to hope for anything that cannot be achieved by his own two hands."

"I...I don't follow what you mean." Rias admitted. Yet still she became painfully aware of how cold the atmosphere of the room had gotten the more they spoke. "Did something happen during Shirou's childhood? Is that why he went berserk against Irina Shidou?...No, come to think of it, he showed similar behavior back when he faced the Stray Devil, Eliade. However, his emotions were far less unstable back then."

"It's because the Exorcist bearing Excalibur Mimic unknowingly touched Shirou's trauma." Mikoto averted her gaze. "The inability to protect someone he holds dear to him is the most torturous pain to Shirou."

"You mean...failing to keep Kiyome from being attacked by Eliade?"

"No, this goes further back than that." Mikoto responded, becoming even more and more vague as time went on. "It dates back to an incident seven years ago."

Rias pursed her lips, a pensive look appearing on her face. "You mentioned that specific period of time before." She noted, becoming more and more curious the more she thought about it. "What happened seven years ago? What is it about that time that would drive Shirou to freak out like that?"

A bitter smile was born from Mikoto's mouth, the older woman's eyes struggling to avoid tears. "Again, that's a question that possesses multiple answers. It was an end and a beginning. The happiest time and the most tragic time." She took a deep breath, focusing all of her thoughts on the subject before her. "Rias Gremory, seven years ago, "Shirou Fujimura" didn't even exist."

It was a shocking revelation, but too confusing for Rias to gasp as she probably would have in such a situation. "What do you mean Shirou didn't _exist_ seven years ago? He's sixteen...seventeen...He's a teenager! It would be biologically impossible for him to have been born seven years ago!"

"I think you take the meaning too literally, Rias." Mikoto said, chuckling emptily as if to lighten the mood (and failing to do so). "What I mean is that the identity, the individual known as "Shirou Fujimura" did not exist until one fateful day in that white hospital room. It was in that place all those years ago that I met him, the child to whom I would grant the surname "Fujimura"."

And, like that, all of the pieces clicked together, the answer having been so obvious in hindsight. "You and Shirou aren't related by blood...You adopted him."

Mikoto nodded solemnly. "Of course, it's a lot more complicated than this, Rias." She said. "To say that was the first time Mikoto Fujimura interacted with the boy who would be Shirou Fujimura would not be true. Mikoto met him before..." She paused, as if thinking something over. "Of course, he doesn't remember. It was around that point in time that he also lost his memories. So to say the slate was wiped clean that day in the hospital wouldn't be too far from the truth."

"Shirou has amnesia?" Rias asked.

Again, Mikoto paused, as if there was something else she didn't want to talk about. Just by looking at the woman's face, Rias could see the inner turmoil occurring within her mind, debating back and forth whether or not to speak whatever it was aloud. "Rias, that's not exactly the truth either." And, just as before, her words only made the conversation even more vague and confusing. "Shirou's memories were not lost...so much as stolen. Sealed if you wish to get technical."

"By who?" Rias asked urgently. "If they were locked away by some kind of spell, perhaps the caster's identity could give us some clue as to how to help him! That mental breakdown Shirou underwent, it's because of the seal on his memories, right? If we find a way to undo the seal then-"

"IDIOT!" Faster than Rias' eyes could see, Mikoto flew behind her and smacked her on the back of the head, returning to her seat before the couch cushion could decompress. "Shirou didn't go berserk because his memories had been locked away, he went berserk because they were _coming back_!"

Rias winced, rubbing her head. "I don't understand..."

"The seal was never meant to be tested by a Devil's power, which comes from their emotions." Mikoto explained. "When you reincarnated Shirou as your Devil servant, you did something that wasn't accounted for when Shirou's memories were sealed. The stronger he gets, the more powerful his demonic powers become and the weaker the seal becomes, especially when he enters a state of strong emotion. I suspect that the incident with the Stray Devil was the first major strain. The incidents since then have continued whittling it away to the point Shirou arrived at the stage demonstrated during that sparring match."

"You know an awful lot about this, Fujimura-san." Of course, Rias was not blind. Even if a lot of Mikoto's words were confusing and vague, she obtained all of the evidence she needed to support the hypothesis in her head just from Mikoto's explanation. For Mikoto to know so much about what ails and afflicts Shirou, there was only one answer-

"That's because the person who sealed Shirou's memories...was _me_."

"I see." She had already guessed it.

Mikoto bit her lower lip. "It's a difficult situation...Before Shirou woke up in that hospital, he existed as a boy with no true name. He became the sole survivor of a horrific incident that was at the pinnacle of the Hell he knew only as "childhood", so terrible that the Holy Sword Project massacre pales in comparison."

Rias sighed. "So you know about Yuuto and the Holy Sword Project as well?"

"I know a great many things, Rias. If you want to know if I know something, assume the answer is "yes"." Mikoto crossed her arms, looking Rias dead in the eye. "Rias, what I am about to tell you is the full, unfiltered truth of Shirou's past. Only you and Kalawarner are to know about this. Nobody else, _especially_ not Shirou, can find out. He's already back on the trail of uncovering his past and that is something that must be prevented no matter what."

"Why?" Rias asked. "If these are Shirou's memories, his past, then doesn't he have a right to remember them? Why would you seal them in the first place? I feel like that's something he should have had his own say in."

"Rias, you don't understand. Shirou would not be able to function, would not be able to _survive_ if he remembered the things he experienced." Mikoto sighed. "Besides, it wasn't as though this was an action taken of my own accord. It was requested of me."

"Who would ask you to do something like that?"

"It was-"

 **DOOOOOOON!**

The entire room began to shake violently.

"Earthquake?" Rias presumed.

"No," Mikoto said, heaving an exhausted sight, "it's Shirou. I guess he felt blowing a massive hole in the wall was a more efficient method of escape then, say, jumping out the open window."

Kalawarner bowed respectfully. "I'll go retrieve him, Mikoto-sama!" However, she had barely unfurled her wings when Mikoto held up her hand.

"No! Leave him be for the time-being."

"Mikoto-sama-" However, the moment Kalawarner opened her mouth to object, Mikoto raised a hand to stop her. "But he-"

"He's tired, but not injured." Mikoto said. "He's in no danger of harm."

"But, Fujimura-san! We have a Stray Exorcist, a Fallen Angel leader, and Excaliburs running about!" Rias argued. "If we leave him to his own devices, there's not telling what danger he will be in!"

"And if he remembers what he has done, I doubt the first thing on his mind is being confronted by you or any of the others, Rias." Mikoto pointed out. "You may inadvertently trigger another break." Rias clearly wanted to argue, but she saw the sense in Mikoto's words. If she or any of the others cornered him or questioned him, it was very likely he would go berserk again and that would only make the situation worse. "Besides, it's not as though I've left him unprotected. A certain mooch is tailing him 24/7 in case he gets in over his head."

"But-"

"I already told you, Rias. The only reason you're here is to hear the truth."

"Fujimura-san..."

"I will not accept any dissent. This is a story that must be told before no time remains. As his master, you are the only one whose authority I recognize as high enough and trustworthy enough to grant this secret." Mikoto sighed. "I must tell you the truth: The truth behind the incident seven years ago..."

* * *

Shirou stumbled, pulling his bed sheets back over him as he moved uneasily through the empty streets.

He winced, leaning against the nearby wall for support.

" _Wow, it's only spring and you're already dressed like a ghost. Way to show that Halloween spirit~_ " Shirou didn't even bother to roll his eyes as the black-furred feline walking along the top of the wall. She frowned when she noted the lack of response. " _Not even the slightest bit surprised to see me walking about in the open as a cat despite the fact you already saw my naughty bits?_ "

"..." Shirou didn't even bother stopping. Bare-footed, he continued down the side of the street, wandering aimlessly.

" _H-Hey!_ " The nekomata ran to catch up with him. " _Nothing to say at all? Not even about my teasing?_ "

It was only then that Shirou finally paused...only to lean his back against the wall and slide all the way to the ground. He curled his legs up against his chest, covering most of his body with his blanket.

" _Wow, you really are out of it..._ " Kuroka noted, significantly less amused than she had been before. She hopped down from the wall, landing on the ground in front of Shirou. His clothes were a little worse for wear and he wasn't wearing any shoes, so there was little doubt that he was at least a little cold even if his face didn't show it. " _Who's your little furry buddy~?_ "

"...Go away." Even Kuroka, who was normally so easy-going and teasing, felt a chill from the sheer amount of rejection and spite in Shirou's voice. "Just leave me alone..."

" _Wow, with that hood made of bed sheets over your head, your emo thing kind of completes the whole "grim reaper" vibe you got going on._ " The black cat quipped. " _Seriously, you should look at yourself in the mirror._ "

"Why is everything in my life a joke to you?" Shirou asked, the venom fairly obvious in his voice. His eyes narrowed, his gaze becoming piercing and unpleasant. He buried his face into his knees, not even reacting as Kuroka took a seat right next to him, as if to say "You can be a little bitch all you want, but you're not going to get rid of me that easily." And that only made Shirou feel worse. "Why do you even bother with me? Is it for some sadistic pleasure or are you really that bored? You could probably get better reactions from Issei if that's all you wanted."

" _Yeah_ ," Kuroka agreed, stretching her legs, " _but I like you better. Aside from my sister and a few others, you're one of the few people in this world I actually_ _like_. _You're fun and having such a cute face is just icing on the cake._ "

"..."

" _And, even though it pains me to admit it, I really don't like seeing you with such a sad face._ " Kuroka said, sighing. " _I prefer it when Shirou-chin is grinning like a doofus or blushing like an adorable child as I plot to ravish him into submission~_ "

"..."

" _Oh come now, not even a single retort?_ " Kuroka pouted. " _If you want to cry, you can just...do it. Nobody dangerous is around~_ "

"..."

" _Shirou-chin-_ "

"I attacked them, Kuro." He had been silent for so long that it was more of a surprise when he actually spoke. "Again...I lost control _again_. Just like back when I attacked Akeno, I ended up hurting _everyone_ this time. If Ka-san hadn't been there to stop me, I probably would have ended up killing my friends. Rias, Issei, Asia, Koneko, Akeno, Kiba, everyone...Just...what the Hell am I?"

Kuroka squinted her small cat eyes. " _I get the feeling there's more to this than just you flipping out..._ "

"..."

" _Uuuggghhh! You're so repetitive that's it's boring! Throw a tantrum! Scream! Maybe even cry! Just do something!_ "

That was when tears started streaming down the sides of Shirou's face.

" _...Shit. I didn't think you would take that so literally._ " Kuroka averted her eyes. Apologizing wasn't an easy thing to do (outside of sarcasm), _especially_ when she had actually done something wrong.

"Kuro..." Shirou muttered. "I saw some horrible stuff...horrific things straight out of Hell."

" _Ah. I think one time you mentioned these nightmares to me..._ " Kuroka said. " _I believe it was back when you thought I was a normal cat and needed to vent._ "

"This time, it was even worse. I just got... _so angry_ and then something inside of me just _burst_." Shirou made a gesture with his arms to describe his feelings. "I can't really make sense of a lot of it. I only vaguely remember why I freaked out in the first place. There was...There was this boy. I kept seeing him in other nightmares too...There was a bloody knife and he was smiling at me...And I always hear the same phrase "It's not your fault"."

" _So it's a messy dream, so what?_ " Kuroka said.

"It's not just that...if it has some connection with seven years ago..." Shirou shook his head. "...I mean, if it's related to back then, if that boy was a real person...I called him "Aniki", Kuroka."

Kuroka's ears perked up. "You have a brother?"

"I don't know..." Shirou admitted, lowering his head again. "I don't know what any of it means anymore. It feels like I'm losing control of my life along with myself. I remember all of this shit while I'm trying to _kill_ my friends! What am I supposed to make of it?" He stood up, banging his fists against the sides of his head. "Why is this happening to me? What is any of it supposed to fucking mean!?" He spun around, kicking the wall next to him with the heel of his foot, delivering enough force to leave a TV-sized dent in it.

" _I don't know._ " Kuroka answered a little too honestly. " _My life so far, everything has been pretty black and white, so_ _I try not to think hard on stuff like that. Must suck to be living in that ocean of gray that is your world._ "

Shirou sighed, leaning his back against the wall again. "I don't even know what to do right now..." He said, looking even more downtrodden than before. "I can't face Akeno, Issei, or any of the others after what I've done. I can't go back to Ka-san when she still won't be truthful about anything. I literally don't have anywhere else to go..."

"I guess I'm just chopped liver then." It was the voice he had least expected to hear in that situation. "Seriously, Shirou, why am I always the last person to know about your problems? I'm your girlfriend aren't I?"

Shirou stared in shock, not even noticing the sudden disappearance of his little Nekomata friend. "..."

Kiyome pouted, placing her hands on her hips. "What's this you said about having problems with Rias and the others?"

* * *

After everything that transpired, a nice, hot bath was rather soothing for Shirou.

Kiyome sat on the edge of her bed, looking up something on her laptop as he came out, towel draped over the back of his neck, dressed in striped sweat pants and an orange T-shirt with a sunflower on it. Not exactly the menacing image one would have expected from the dreaded "Demon King of Kuoh".

Kiyome shut her laptop putting it off to the side as Shirou stepped out of the bath. "Sorry, but you kind of stunk."

"Hmm." Shirou agreed halfheartedly. Without a word, he took a seat next to Kiyome, the couple sitting in awkward silence for the time-being.

After Kiyome had happened upon Shirou, she offered to let him stay at her family's house until he got things sorted out. She didn't ask for details, but after hearing how Shirou had no other options, she felt morally and romantically obligated to help him. Of course, he had the smell of a sports player who just won the big game, so she requested that he showered first. It took him a while because he kept mixing up the bath with the hot tub and the indoor pool that existed for early morning exercises.

Never once did it occur to her that she was inviting a _boy_ into her room.

It was only when that thought sank in that she became self-conscious. Even though Shirou was her boyfriend, even though they had both already seen the other naked, it was the atmosphere of a boy seeing her room that made her anxious. She didn't have anything particularly embarrassing-

"Hm?" Shirou picked up a plushie sticking halfway out from beneath her bed, the plushie wearing a minature version of the Kuoh Academy boys' uniform with an oddly familiar white-colored hairstyle.

-Except for her Shirou-plushie.

"Uwawawawah!" Before Shirou could properly examine it, Kiyome leaped through the air with the grace of a trained acrobat, snatching it from his hands and landing in a roll on the floor. She paused when she noticed Shirou's stare. "...It's a collectible." Before Shirou could even consider whether or not he should respond, Kiyome kicked the plushie back underneath the bed. She coughed a few times, trying to hide her red face, before she felt confident enough to speak to Shirou seriously. "Any particular reason I found you outside, late at night, no shoes, with a bed sheet draped over your head?"

She wasn't sure what she had done wrong when Shirou curled up into a ball. "..."

Noticing his desire for silence, she acquiesced, draping her arm over his shoulder and holding him close. "...It's fine. You don't have to say anything." She said softly, slowly nudging Shirou to rest his head on her shoulder. He didn't resist. "I promise not to pry into your business, so it's fine for you to stay here tonight. Otou-sama and Oka-sama are away on business, and I've told the staff not to mind you, so there's no need to fear."

"..." He didn't resist as Kiyome softly brushed her lips against his.

"You would tell me if it was something serious, right?" Kiyome asked, smiling softly.

"..." Shirou didn't have a response.

"Right?" Kiyome asked, only slightly less confident this time.

"..."

Kiyome frowned. "Shirou...what _was_ it that caused you to hide from everyone?"

Shirou raised his head, staring at Kiyome. "..."

"Right right! No questions!" Kiyome realized, shaking her head. "Sorry!" She looked around, suddenly feeling awkward about the solitude the two possessed in their room. "Um...if you want, one of us an sleep in the guest roo-"

When she tried to stand up from the bed, Shirou immediately wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her forward into a hug. It was so shocking that she didn't entirely realize his face was buried in her bust.

Experimentally, she tried to free herself from Shirou's embrace, but, every time she tried to pull away, he tightened his arms around her, his body trembling as if in terror.

She stared sadly at Shirou. She had seen that mask of toughness he wore crack or break more than once, but this was completely different. It was like that mask was completely shattered and numerous layers of skin underneath had been peeled away, revealing a sad, pathetic-looking child. When Kiyome noticed him looking up, a tearful expression on his face, she couldn't leave him.

"...OK then. We can sleep in my bed tonight..."

They laid down on the clean, white sheets, Shirou clinging to Kiyome like she was some kind of safety blanket.

It was the first peaceful night's rest he got in a long time...

* * *

"..."

Nobody was quite sure what to say when Shirou showed up that day. It was an odd group even disregarding the events of the previous evening.

Shirou, Issei, Koneko, and, least likely of all, Genshirou Saji, a member of Sona's Peerage and the Student Council.

The moment Shirou felt their stares on him, he immediately regretted coming.

The only reason he had come was because he had received a text from Issei that morning saying it was important. At some point in the previous night, he had fallen asleep with Kiyome in her bed, his girlfriend's arms wrapped around him protectively and affectionately. Even with all that he had been through, the sight of her cute, sleeping face healed some of his mental wounds.

That didn't necessarily mean he had forgotten what he had done the previous evening and he would have been foolish to think the event wasn't still fresh on their minds either.

"What's with the complicated atmosphere...?" Saji asked, clearly not understanding the meaning of "subtlety". In that regard, he was a bit similar to Issei or Shirou. However, he wisely shut his mouth after all three of them shot him a sharp look. He raised his hands, backing off almost immediately.

"..." Shirou wasn't quite sure what to say. He squirmed even more uncomfortably beneath the gazes of his two club mates. What could he possibly have said? "Sorry I almost busted your skulls open. Can we still be friends?"? He just didn't know.

"A big part of the reason I texted you was because Buchou and the others were worried." Issei said bashfully. "I thought it would have been enough to get you respond, but I didn't think you would actually show. I'm actually pretty surprised you bothered."

"..." Shirou averted his eyes.

"I-I mean! It's not a bad thing that you showed up!" Issei quickly added, noticing Shirou's hurt feelings. "It's a good thing! I mean, for what I got in mind, it would be actually pretty useful if you were able to go all berserk like that again at will! Hehe-Guaugh!" He let out a groan of pain as Koneko punched him in the side.

"Idiot."

"..." If Shirou didn't look downtrodden before, he certainly did after that.

Koneko's eyes softened from her idiotic senior to her other slightly _less_ idiotic senior. "Are you feeling better since yesterday?"

Shirou paused for a moment. "..." Then he nodded.

"We know you weren't in your right mind. Nobody blames you for what happened, you know?"

"..." Again, Shirou nodded, but that only seemed to make his expression of guilt even worse.

"...Ah!" Saji looked between them, apparently coming to some kind of realization. "Your group had some kind of falling out?" He was the next 2nd Year to get punched by Koneko. "Auguagh?!" Twice.

"Hey, just so you know, I didn't call you here just to talk about that." Issei said, deeply wishing that the uncomfortable feeling in the air would go die in a fire. "Um..." It was so hard to remember the original objective when Shirou looked like a puppy they had been stepped on again and again without the owners meaning to.

"..."

"Senpai, if you aren't going to talk, why did you come here?" Koneko asked.

"..."

"...Was it to make sure we were alright after what happened?"

"..." Shirou nodded once more. He looked between Issei and Koneko, both of them staring expectantly, which only increased his shyness and anxiety. "...A-Are Buchou and the others fine?" He hadn't spoken since his one-sided spat with Kuroka the other evening, so his voice was a little dry and raspy.

Issei nodded. "Yeah. You only actually hit me, Koneko, and Akeno and we have all been hit by worse." He said. "I don't even have the Rook trait like those two do and I was back up in no time! So just...uh...cheer up, OK?"

It was obvious to everyone present that Issei was desperate to be rid of the awkward situation. It wasn't as though Shirou could just forget everything that happened, but he knew dragging it out would have only served to create further tension. Not just Issei, but Koneko too. She looked as though she wanted to say something, but was too nervous. This was likely the collective feeling among all of the Occult Research Club's members. Shirou had gone feral and attacked them and nobody was sure what to do or how to feel about it or even whether or not he should be pitied or punished.

"...OK." His response obviously hadn't convinced Issei, but calling him out on it only would have caused more problems.

A loud _clap_ captured everyone's attention, causing them to turn to the previously silent Saji. "Not that this boat-load of awkward tension and discomfort hasn't been fun, but can you please get on with why you called me here, Hyoudou?"

Issei's eyes widened as if he just remembered the original reason for being there. "Oh! That's right!" Issei turned to face the collective group. "Ahem!" He cleared his throat. "I'm going to ask Irina and Xenovia to give me permission to destroy the Excaliburs."

Even Shirou was snapped out of his funk by the shock.

"What?" Shirou's stunned question was the first response to Issei's declaration.

"Nooooooooo! I'm going home!" Saji running away, screaming like a little bitch was the second.

Koneko and Shirou acted in unison, Shirou sticking out his leg, tripping Saji, and Koneko swiftly grabbing him by the collar seconds before he hit the ground.

"Hyoudou! Why me!? It's your group's problem, right!? I belong to the House of Sitri! I shouldn't take part in this! Not at all!"

"Saji, stop being a little bitch." Shirou spat venomously before turning back to Issei. He sighed, rubbing his temples. "OK, I've been out for a while, so I think I'm a little bit out of the loop. What's going on now?"

"Long story short: Kiba's gone rogue. We need to destroy the Excaliburs to bring him back."

"OK, I'm in." Shirou didn't even blink.

Issei stared. "R-Really?"

"Yeah, let's save the sword-freak." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "If you guys wouldn't mind, I mean."

"N-No! That's good!" Issei said, giving a reassuring smile. "I just wasn't sure when I texted you whether or not you were ready to get back into action. Glad to have you on-board!"

"I'll help too." Koneko said proudly. "For Yuuto-senpai's sake!"

"So we're all in agreement-"

"I'm not!" Saji cried. Koneko smacked him on the back of the head. "Ow!"

"-but how are we going to convince Buchou and Akeno to actually give us _permission_ to do this? I don't think she'd be too keen on letting us do this, especially after what happened during the fight yesterday."

"Oh! That's the best part!" Issei said, smiling. "We're not going to _tell_ Buchou and Akeno-san! Asia either, but that's more for her sake."

"Wait, let me get this straight..." Shirou said, staring. "You're planning to carry out an unsanctioned operation as well as allying with two sworn enemies of the Devils fully knowing our master would be 100% opposed to every single part of this?"

"I think that sums it up." Issei wasn't sure how to feel when Shirou suddenly placed his hands on his shoulders.

Shirou wrapped his arms around Issei, hugging him while patting him on the back. "I have _never_ been more proud of you than I am right now, Issei."

"O...K..."

It took several minutes for Koneko to pry Shirou from Issei's form.

"Anyway, this is your last chance." Issei said, his expression becoming serious. "After we start this, there may not be an opportunity to back out. I would prefer you all ran away should we end up in a dangerous situation, but that may not be possible."

"Let me run nowwww! That's the worst! I'd get killed by Kaichou if I do something like destroying the Excaliburs without her permission! She will definitely torture meeeeee!"

"Stop being a bitch, Senpai." Koneko said, yanking him back by his collar again, letting him drop flat on his ass.

"Maybe the negotiation will be a success." Issei said hopefully, obviously for soothing Saji's worries. "If that happens, then I want you to help me."

"Uwaaaaaa! That's so irresponsible! I'll die! I'd definitely get killed!"

[Stop being a bitch, Saji!]

Both Shirou and Koneko stomped on his back, staring with half-lidded eyes as he fought desperately to free himself. Once they were certain he was properly restrained, they turned back to Issei.

"I already said "yes"." Shirou said, sighing.

"For the sake of our comrades, I won't run away!" Koneko declared.

"Awww, now I feel lame for not saying something cool like that..." Shirou whined. "Anyway, have you given any thought as to how we find those radical nutjobs, Issei?"

Issei scratched his chin. "I don't know. I figured we would just wander around the city and try to find them."

"Issei, these are trained soldiers of the Church." Shirou pointed out. "I don't think they would just be standing out in the middle of a public area where any idiot could find them."

That was when Koneko tapped him on the shoulder. Shirou raised a brow before following the direction her finger was pointed in, his eyes becoming dots as he noted the two figures clothed in white robes standing about a block away.

"Please give blessings to the lost lamb!"

"Please give charity to us on behalf of the father in heaven!"

Shirou's jaw dropped. "I STAND CORRECTED!"

"How can this be? This is the reality of the developed country of Japan? That's why I don't like countries that don't have the smell of our beliefs." Xenovia complained.

"She's always going on about how belief "smells"!" Shirou hissed at his friends. "What is she? A bloodhound?"

However, none of them paid much attention to his quip and focused on the scene unfolding before their eyes.

"Don't say that, Xenovia. We lost all the money we had. So we have to rely on charity from these heretics or else we can't get food, you know? Aaah, we can't even buy a single loaf of bread!"

"Hmph. It all happened because you bought that fake looking painting." Xenovia pointed to a painting next to them of what appeared to be a saint. Even a child would have been able to tell it was a fake.

"What are you saying? This painting has the drawing of someone who looks like a saint! That's what the person in the exhibition said as well!"

"Then do you know who the person in the drawing is? I certainly don't."

"…I think it's…Saint…Peter…?"

"Don't mess around. Saint Peter wouldn't look like this."

"No, he must have looked like this! I'm sure of it!"

"Aaah, why did my partner have to be someone like you…God, is this also a trial?"

Irina seemed to get mad and pointed at Xenovia. "Hey don't hold your head down. You really get depressed when you're down, don't you?"

"This is why the Protestants' concept of values differs from those of us Catholics! Show more respect for the Saints!"

"What?!" Irina snapped, indignant. "It's the old, smelly, bound Catholics who are strange!"

"What did you say, you damned pagan?!"

"So what, you pagan!?"

"Ladies! Ladies!" Shirou interrupted, stepping between them. "You're _both_ stupid. Can we move on?"

The two Exorcists narrowed their eyes at the interloper.

"OK, so we kill _him_ first and then each other."

"Sounds good."

"Wait!" Shirou said quickly before the two could draw their Holy Swords. "You don't want to do that!"

"And what makes you think that?" Xenovia asked, suspicious as Shirou gestured to his friends.

"We will buy you food."

* * *

"I'm almost scared that you agreed so easily." Shirou said, watching the two Exorcists chow down across the table. "Are you sure we want these two, Issei?"

"Delicious! Japanese cuisine is delicious!"

"Yes, yes! This is it! This is the taste of the food of my homeland!"

Shirou stared in disgust, suppressing nausea as they ate with the vigor of wild animals who hadn't eaten in days. "How gross..."

"Oh come on, their table manners aren't _that_ bad." Issei said, sweatdropping.

"No, the food. I hate ordering food from no-name restaurants like this." Shirou said, eyeing the establishment as if it were the most repulsive sight he ever saw. "I can already see a dozen health risks...I _hate_ ordering from places where I can't see how or where they cook."

"OK then." Issei said, quickly dropping the subject. They just sat there in awkward silence as the two Exorcists finished the meal.

Xenovia wiped her mouth with a napkin before turning to the Devils with a sharp gaze. "So, why did you Devils get into contact with us?"

"Wow. I already hate you." Shirou said with half-lidded eyes. "One question and I already hate you _so much_. That's gotta a record."

Xenovia completely disregarded Shirou. "Is _it_ going to be like this the entire time?"

"Are you related to Grayfia Lucifuge by any chance? She's the only other person who I find to be this much of a bitch!" Shirou snapped, glaring daggers at the blue-haired Exorcist.

"Shirou, calm down!" Issei snapped, pulling his friend back by the collar. "Remember why we came here!"

Shirou stared at Issei, looking as though he was about to object. "Hmph!" In the end, he just let out a huff of frustration, crossing his arms like a pouting child. "Proceed."

"Thank you." Issei said, sighing. He turned to the Exorcist duo, a serious expression on his face. "You two came to this country to retrieve the Excaliburs, right?"

"That's right. We already told you that before."

"To be straightforward, I need your help in destroying the Holy Sword."

"Well, I suppose I can permit that, as long as you are able to destroy it." Xenovia answered casually, much to the shock of her cohort. "But please don't blow your cover. We don't want to be suspected of having relationships with Devils."

"Hey Xenovia, are you sure?" Irina asked, shocked. "Even if it's Issei-kun, he's still a Devil, you know?"

"OH MY MAOU!" Shirou snapped, slamming his hands down on the table in front of him. "Are you _seriously_ starting this shit again?! You still call him your "friend", but you really don't give a shit about anyone, do you?""

"Down, Shirou!" Before Shirou could object, Koneko and Issei yanked him back into his seat. "Bad! Bad, Shirou! Sit and be quiet!"

Shirou let out a growl, but didn't speak again. He didn't have to. The uneasy expression on Irina's face was enough of a victory in that situation.

Xenovia shrugged. "To be frank, this mission is too hard for the two of us."

"I know that, but-!"

"At the very least, we can destroy the three Holy Swords and run back." Xenovia reasoned. "Even if our own Holy Swords are seized, we could still break them with our own hands. If we use the last resort, there's still only a 30 percent chance that we will succeed in our mission and return home safely. It's practically suicide."

"You should have known that all along." Irina said, turning away. "That is not the thought of us believers."

"Hey, it might not be my place," Shirou said, scratching his cheek awkwardly, "and I'm pretty sure I still hate both of you, but I think I have to agree with Xenovia on this one. Only on account of her seeming to be the only one among you two with even a shred of survival instincts."

" _Thank you_ , Dog." Xenovia said, clearly relieved(?) that someone was seeing sense. "My faith is flexible, and it can adapt to the best case whenever needed."

"Your faith is really strange, you know that?" Irina pointed out.

"I'm not denying that, but I believe that accomplishing our mission and returning alive is a real show of faith. Survive and fight for God's sake. Is that wrong?"

"...Well, no-but-!"

"That's why we won't ask for help from the Devils." Xenovia reasoned, much to everyone's confusion. "Instead we ask for help from a Dragon. The higher-ups said nothing about borrowing the power of a Dragon to complete our mission."

Shirou raised his hand. "OK, I still don't get it." He said. "What's the big deal whether or not people know Devils helped you retrieve and/or destroy the Excaliburs?" He raised his hands as Issei and Koneko instinctively went for his collar. "Whoa whoa! I'm chill right now! I'm just confused!"

"What about this confuses you?" Xenovia asked.

"I mean, wouldn't it be a _good_ _thing_ that the Devils openly cooperated with you and helped you out?" Shirou asked, sighing. "I mean, at the very least, to have it specifically known that we didn't impede your efforts. I mean, in a tenuous time like this, good publicity like that would lessen tensions between the Church and Devils, wouldn't it?"

Xenovia stared at Shirou as though he were some kind of alien.

He didn't know if it was an insult, but he still hated her for it.

"You truly underestimate the fragile nature of the balance between the three factions of Christian Mythology, don't you?" Xenovia said in a condescending way. It was definitely an insult, so Shirou hated her all the more for it. "Aside from the fact we would be temporarily allying with the unholiest of all existences, the sworn enemies of humanity, it could be seen as a threat by the Fallen Angels' side. You recall the event in the world of humans known as the Cold War? It is that level of tension. Even if it's a mistake, a perceived threat, such as the Angels and Devils making an alliance, could cause the Fallen Angels to spark a war."

"Like Kokabiel seems to be doing now?"

Xenovia paused, considering this thought. "Touche." She paused. "But it's not actually the Devils' problem as of yet as only the possessions of the Church were stolen. If the Devils and Angels are seen as allies, it would justify any plan the Fallen Angels have in mind to declare war on us."

"OK, question."

"Yes?"

"What makes you think the _Fallen Angels_ want war?"

"What?" Once again, the "moronic Devil" has thrown her for the loop with his nonsense.

"You always say "the Devils do this" and "the Fallen Angels desire that"," Shirou said. "Everything you say or believe is based on radical predispositions and lumping all of them into one group. You guys assume that all we want is to kill and war, but have you guys ever considered _asking_ what we wanted?" Xenovia opened her mouth to respond. "When your sword _wasn't_ pointed at their throats?" Xenovia's mouth immediately clamped shut.

"I fail to see your point."

"The point is that another war wouldn't bring anything good." Shirou clarified. "I've seen a lot of shit from every single side...There are a lot of bad people out there, people who don't care who they hurt, but there are also good people, people who only want to live peacefully, doing their best to smile in spite of the cruelties of the world. There's no reason for us to hate one another and yet all we seem to do is hate and hurt each other for no reason other than the fact the other is different...Shidou."

"Hm?" Irina blinked, surprised at being addressed directly.

"You told me you were Issei's childhood friend, right?"

"That's right!" Irina agreed cheerfully. However, she frowned when she realized it was Shirou who pointed it out. "Before you tricked him into becoming a Devil."

""Tricked"?" Shirou parroted, chuckling. Koneko and Issei readied themselves. They had seen where this goes already and were prepared to minimize the damages. "You _still_ don't remember what I said? About Issei being killed?"

Irina looked as though she was about to snap back for a moment before her eyes widened. "W-Wait...That-That was for real?" She asked, stunned. "Issei-kun...was killed?" She turned to her supposed childhood friend, Issei shirking away, an uncomfortable look on his face as his "ex-girlfriend" came to mind.

"That's right."

"I...Oh my God..." For the first time since Shirou had met her, Irina Shidou was at a complete loss for words. She glanced Issei, looking both stunned and apologetic. "I...I didn't know! I mean...What? I just thought it was nonsense because you mentioned it while before entering that berserk state of yours."

"He was killed by a Fallen Angel, Kalawarner's former boss, a few months ago." Shirou explained. "Rias used her Evil Pieces to save his life."

"Made him into an unholy Devil servant." Irina pointed out.

Shirou nodded. "Well, it's not as though Rias didn't have ulterior motives in bringing him back, but she has treated all of us with nothing but affection and kindness, and she doesn't have us engage in immoral and evil activities like Strays from either side gets into." Again, he failed to notice the discomfort showing on Issei's face. "The point is, you came to judge him and the rest of us based solely on the fact we're Devils. You threatened to _kill_ Asia. You don't even _know_ her. If you did, you would find you have more things in common than you think, but you hated her just because she became a Devil. The reality of it is that if we all stopped hating and fighting each other based on presumptions and differing species and ideologies, we would see we're all more alike than you think. That none of us _want_ war. I'm not asking you to abandon your ideals or faith or any of that crap or turn your backs. All I ask is that you _give us a fucking break_ and stop bein' assholes!"

"Is this another condition to your proposed alliance?" Xenovia asked, brow raised.

"N-You know what?" Shirou asked rhetorically. "Yeah. That's a condition. If we're all going to work together, I don't want you treating us Devils like garbage...well, not anymore-so than religion usually does with non-Christians."

"..." Xenovia and Irina exchanged looks, maintaining a silent conversation for several seconds before turning back to Shirou. "We treat you _passively_ and promise to stop picturing your purification and deaths in our minds."

"You treat us passively, but no more treating "Devils" and "Fallen Angels" like curse words."

"Deal."

"I want you to say them right now."

"Devils and Fallen Angels." Xenovia said, unable to stop her lip from curling in disgust. She frowned, realizing her error. "Devils and Fallen Angels...Devils and Fallen Angels...Devils and-Damn!" Xenovia bit her thumb, cursing her inability to perform the task. "Devils and Fallen Angels...Devils and Fallen Angels..."

"Xenovia..." Irina scratched her cheek, feeling uneasy as other restaurant patrons began to stare at Xenovia.

"Devils and Fa-"

"OK! OK! You made the effort! It's fine! Don't strain that pea-brain of yours." Shirou sighed. "You can just go back to avoiding talking directly to us. Shidou can speak for you with us since she's better at not looking like a total bitch." Xenovia glared at Shirou, Shirou smirking tauntingly.

Koneko punched the back of Shirou's head.

"You were on a roll up until you started picking another fight!" Issei retorted. "But I agree with Shirou there. There's no point in this unless we properly cooperate. Can we count on you guys?"

Irina and Xenovia engaged in another silent conversation before sharing a mutual nod, turning back to Issei.

"Your terms are acceptable, Red Dragon." Xenovia said.

"That's good, the negotiation was a success." Issei let out a breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding in. "You don't mind if we call in another partner, do you?"

Shirou had pulled out his phone before Issei even finished speaking.

* * *

"...I understand the situation." Kiba said, not even touching the tea set before him. "To be honest, it seems like a hollow victory when the wielders of Excalibur willingly let me destroy the swords."

"You really going to look a gift horse in the mouth, Kiba?" Shirou asked, leaning back in his seat with an annoyed look on his face. It wasn't exactly Kiba's words that annoyed him so much as the fact he was sitting next to the most obnoxious blue-haired girl he had ever met. Xenovia, likewise, shared his feeling of distaste. They had been forced to sit next to one another as Kiba had taken Shirou's seat on the other side of the table.

Kiba smiled softly, doing well at hiding his bitterness. "I suppose not."

"You still have some reservations about the Holy Sword Project?" Irina asked, confused. "But it's thanks to that project that the Church has been able to produce so many Holy Sword-users-"

"And that makes it worth killing all of the innocent subjects because of their failures to wield the sword?" Kiba snapped viciously. Shirou stared in surprise and confusion.

This was certainly news to him. He had heard the term "Holy Sword Project" used before, but didn't have the slightest clue as to what it entailed.

He turned to Issei with a questioning look, Issei's expression saying something along the lines of "I'll explain later".

"Even for the Church, that was a huge turn-off." Xenovia said, not showing any real reaction to Kiba's blatant hostility. "The person in charge of that project at that time was charged with heresy. Now he's one of those people on the Fallen Angels' side."

"The Fallen Angels' side?" Kiba wondered. "What's their name?"

"His name is Valper Galilei." Xenovia explained. "The man who is called the "Genocide Archbishop"."

"Valper Galilei..." Shirou frowned at the name, but said nothing. Something about that name rang a bell somewhere.

"If he's on the Fallen Angels' side, that would explain Freed's sudden ability to use Excalibur." Kiba thought aloud.

"Oh! That's right!" Shirou realized. "You fought Freed...and then left me to die!"

"Would you drop that already?" Kiba snapped.

"I was bleeding on the ground, about to _die_ , Kiba!"

"If that's the case, how are you alive now?"

"REASONS!" Shirou shouted before his mouth could dare betray Kuroka's true nature to his friends. He had still promised to keep her a secret after all. He quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, so Freed got stronger because Kokabiel has this old genocider guy on his payroll. Though, that still doesn't really explain "Blaze"..."

"Blaze?" Xenovia repeated, staring at Shirou as if she expected some kind of joke.

"Was that that hooded guy who showed up before?" Kiba asked, frowning. "...His name was "Blaze"? Really?"

"I know it's a stupid name." Shirou said. "But his power is no-joke. He's apparently a Sacred Gear-user and used the Sacred Gear, Flame Shake. He...um...he kind of wrecked my shit. All things considered, do you think he has something to do with the Holy Sword Project or the Church?"

Xenovia thought deeply on this. "I can't say. The information you've given about this hooded figure, "Blaze", is rather spotty. However, I can honestly say I have not heard any similar name or ability like that of Flame Shake mentioned in the reports related to the Holy Sword Project or this mission. This is a factor we did not account for, so I can't say how much this affects the mission."

"Quite a bit." Shirou answered. "He's no push-over. I dealt him a few good blows, but he's strong and has had at least basic training in combat."

"You should truly take compatibility into account." Xenovia suggested, staring with half-lidded eyes. "Your Sacred Gear, the Canis Regalia, is an ice attribute correct?"

"Yeah."

"Then if Flame Shake is a Sacred Gear that conjures flames, it makes sense you would have difficulty with him." Xenovia reasoned. "Your abilities being the polar opposites of one another, you misjudge him based solely on the compatibility of your weapons. That's a dangerous flaw in combat."

 _"Am I getting a lecture now?"_ Shirou asked himself.

"I won't doubt his power, but your defeat was likely based on the matter of the compatibility between you and your opponent." Xenovia said. "However, we should be wary nonetheless. If he pairs with Freed, who now possesses an Excalibur, and the Fallen Angel's leader, then even his presence could become a fatal threat to us, so best be on-guard and I'll try do some research into current wielders in the meantime...Anyways, let's move onto the cooperation strategy." Xenovia took out a pen and wrote a number on a note. "If something happens, call this number." End of strategy.

"OK." Issei picked up the note from the table."

"Then that's it then." Xenovia said, standing from her seat. "I'll repay you for the meal another time, "Sekiryuutei" Hyoudou Issei."

"Wait for me!" Irina stood, preparing to follow her. However, she paused, turning to Issei. "Um...Issei-kun, I don't mind if you call me to talk sometimes. I think there are some things I need to say." She paused again when she noticed Xenovia had already left the building. "Later! Until we meet again, Devils of Gremory!"

And then she left.

* * *

"Issei, why did you do this?" Kiba asked after their group left the restaurant.

"It's for our friends." Issei said as he took a seat on a nearby bench. "Besides, you helped as well. I thought it might be time I become your strength."

"And the possibility I would cause problems for Buchou?"

"Buchou would get sad if you were to go around in a rampage. Well, the fact that we're doing this without her knowledge or permission will cause her trouble, but it's better than just letting you become a Stray. And it turned out to be a success, since we made an agreement with those guys from the Church."

However, Issei's answer didn't satisfy Kiba. He turned to Shirou, expecting something more or different. Shirou shrugged. "Don't ask me. I don't even entirely understand what the fuck is going on right now. You were in trouble, so I agreed to come help."

Koneko tugged on Kiba's sleeve, her cat ears and tail slipping out from their hiding places. When Kiba turned, he was thoroughly taken by surprise by the tearful expression on Koneko's face. "Yuuto-senpai, I would get lonely if you disappeared." She said, sniffling. "So please don't disappear on me..."

Koneko's "attack" had scored a critical.

Kiba smiled, raising his hands in surrender. "I lost after all. If Koneko insists, then I won't rampage." Issei turned to the other two Gremory servants, nodding. "I get it. Let me accept your favor this time, Issei. Thanks to you, I now know who my true enemy is. But we are definitely destroying the Holy Sword if we get it."

"Well, Issei, it looks like you've got your Excalibur Extermination Squad." Shirou noted, leaning against a nearby tree. He frowned when he noticed everyone staring. "Screw you guys, we're keeping the name." None of them bothered fighting him on the issue.

Saji raised his hand. "...Ummm, do I have to take part in this too? I've been left out this whole time. What's with Kiba and the Holy Sword?"

"Good question." Shirou agreed. "I mean, I'm on-board anyway, but I still don't understand any of this really. I only know it has to do with that thing Xenovia and Shidou mentioned before. This "Holy Sword Project"."

Kiba stared for a moment before sighing, a defeated look on his face. "...Let's talk about my past a little bit, shall we?"

And so Kiba told them the story of his past...

The Catholic Church carried out a secret project, known as the "Holy Sword Project".

The goal was to induce the continuous births of people able to adapt to the Holy Swords, the project itself executed in an unknown facility.

The test subjects were boys and girls, those who showed talent with swords, all in possession of the holy crafts.

Each day was filled with ever-repeating, difficult, inhumane experiments...

"..."

"Shirou-senpai?" Koneko was the only one to note the difficult expression on Shirou's face.

Shirou winced slightly, a dull pain resonating in his skull. "It's nothing...I'm fine."

Possessing faith that they were able to become special existences, the subjects withstood the horribly cruel treatment and training. The end result:

Execution.

They were all killed by the clergy with the excuse of "being unable to adapt to the Holy Swords".

"...Most of them were killed by poisonous gas they released, their killers saying "Amen" all the while. We vomited blood and writhed on the floor while those who fought back were beaten and cut down. After the others died, I managed to escape a great distance before I took my last breath. That was when I met Buchou, who used her Evil Pieces to bring me back as a Devil." Kiba's hand started to tremble in suppressed anguish. "I want to seek revenge for my comrades...No, rather, I didn't want their deaths to be in vain. I have to prove my strength, for their sake, with the Holy Swords."

There was a long, sorrowful silence until...

"S-Shirou?" Kiba stared, blinking several times as he saw the dazed expression on his friend's face, silent tears streaming down the sides of Shirou's face. "Are you alright?"

Shirou shook his head, wiping tears from his eyes with the sleeves of his shirt. "No...It's not alright." He said, clenching his fists at his side. His expression went from anguish to anger. "This Holy Sword Project...it used kids like us as lab rats and threw them away when it was convenient for them...I can't stand the though of it." He let out a small growl. "That's something I personally can't forgive." He placed a hand on Kiba's shoulder. "If it means kicking that Balba guy's ass, then you can count on me to have your back, man."

Kiba smiled. "Thank you, Shirou. I-" He paused, frowning. "Valper."

"Huh?"

"His name is _Valper_ Galilei."

"Yeah?"

"You said "Balba"."

"Really?"

"Yeah. No idea how you could have possibly made that mistake." However, Kiba shook his head. "No, sorry. I just...thanks, you guys. All of you."

The moment was ruined when Saji suddenly spoke, crying with snot dripping from his nose. "Kiba! It must have been horrible! It must have been painful! Damn it! There isn't any God or hope in this world! Right now I feel so much sympathy for you! Yeah, it's a horrible story! I understand why you hold a grudge against those people from the church and Excalibur!" Everyone stared at him with half-lidded eyes as he grabbed Kiba by the shoulders. "To tell you the truth, I didn't like you before because you were a good looking guy…But it's different now! I will also help! I'm willing to receive the punishment from Kaichou! But before that, we have to destroy Excalibur! I will also work hard! You also have to live on! Don't ever betray Rias-senpai who saved you!"

It was actually a little disgusting to see him look this pathetic.

"Okay! It's a good time! I want you guys to hear my story! You guys need to know about me if we are working together!" Saji said with glittering eyes.

"No," Shirou rejected, "we seriously don't."

"My goal is...to impregnate and marry Sona-kaichou!" He declared without an ounce of shame.

"...Not necessarily in that order, right?" Shirou asked, feeling an oddly familiar chill of disgust from Saji's words. "Pretty sure what you're thinking is illegal."

Issei suddenly clapped Saji on the shoulder, tears streaming from his eyes. "Comrade!" He cried. "Saji! Listen to me! My aim is to suck on Buchou's nipples!"

"Hyoudouuuu! Do you know what you are saying?" Saji asked, shocked. "Do you understand how hard that dream is, to touch the High-class Devils breasts!? To touch your own master's breasts!?"

"Saji. You can touch it." Issei said assuringly. "I actually groped Buchou's breast with this hand."

"Impossible! Could that even happen!? Don't lie to me!"

"It's not a lie. My master's breasts are far-off...yet not an unreachable place!"

"Sucking it…!? Sucking Ka-Kaichou's breasts?! You are talking about the nipple right…? The place where you can suck is the nipple right…?"

"Dumbass! If you are going to suck a woman's breast, then the nipple is the only thing you can suck! Yes! I'm going to suck the nipple!"

Saji started crying again after hearing Issei's words.

"Saji! We may be useless Pawn's if we are just by ourselves, nut it's different if it's the two of us. We can fly if it's the two of us! We can fight if it's the two of us! We can do it if it's the two of us! We can make them pregnant and marry them if it's the two of us! Let's have sex with our own masters!"

"Yes!"

Off to the side, there were a few similar reactions from their comrades.

"Ahahaha..."

"What am I even looking at...?"

"I don't know, but I hate it." Shirou crossed his arms, sighing. "Well, at least there's only two of them..." He turned to face the others while Issei and Saji were busy with their "bromance" moment. "Still, I guess it's good that we managed to talk him into it. If we're going against a guy from the Bible, a demented psychopath wielding a legendary weapon, and some freak-show Sacred Gear-user, we're going to need all of the help we can get. "

"Now that that's taken care of..." Koneko said, turning to Shirou, "You never quite explained what was up with you yesterday."

That was what immediately caught the attention of their comrades, including Saji, who was far more confused than the others.

"Shit..." Shirou knew there was no escaping when all of their eyes were on him.

"That's right..." Kiba noted. "There was something about a rampage the other day...right?"

Shirou shrank away, feeling anxious. "..." Then a depressed look appeared on his face.

"Whoa whoa!" Issei said, trying to calm him down. "It-It's cool if you don't want to talk about it, bro!"

While Shirou deeply considered just dropping the matter, he found himself hesitating when he was face-to-face with his friends. He had known them all for several months and, in that time, he had come to consider all of them (barring Saji) "family". He had been there when Issei had died, had been the one among them whom Koneko willingly revealed her true self to, he had heard of Kiba's tragic demise, and he had even heard Saji's ridiculous and perverted desires. Overall, he was probably the only one among them who still had secrets to keep. Hell, he considered still keeping them...

Then his mother came to mind...

Their relationship was hardly positive at the moment. Granted, Shirou had attempted to keep secrets from her, but she had known everything all along. The only one actually _keeping_ _secrets secret_ was her, even after she promised they would be more truthful with one another.

He still loved her...but he couldn't trust her.

He didn't want that kind of relationship with his friends.

That was what decided it for him. "OK, but you guys have to promise not to tell anyone what I tell you or that I told you at all." He said, a serious, sharp look in his eyes. "And I mean _anyone_. Not Rias, Akeno, Asia, and _especially_ not my mother. I don't want her trying to cover it up..." Everyone frowned at that remark, but said nothing. "PROMISE!"

[R-Right.]

They were taken aback by Shirou's sudden forceful tone. He let out a sigh of relief.

"To be honest, I'm not 100% sure. What I'm thinking is only a theory." Shirou said. "It probably has to do with a lot of complicated stuff I've been going through lately."

"This kind of sounds like puberty." Saji said. Koneko proceeded to hit him on the back of the head. "Ow!"

"I can't be sure, but I think that my episode yesterday has to do with my memories."

"You have memories that puts you on a rampage?" Issei asked. "I mean, we all have bad memories, but-"

"No...it's more like not having my memories is what put me on a rampage." Shirou guessed. "You see...I can't remember anything before seven years ago." Everyone stared blankly, not quite sure how to process that. "I know it sounds a bit unbelievable, but it's the truth. I remember waking up in the hospital. The doctors told me I had been in some kind of accident and that was probably why I couldn't remember anything from before. I was so disoriented and confused that I wasn't quite able to understand it at the time."

"Well, couldn't Fujimura-san just tell you what you forgot?" Issei asked.

"No." Shirou answered without hesitation. "She can't. It was in that hospital room seven years ago that she and I first met." He paused, taking a deep breath. "The details are honestly a little fuzzy, but I didn't have anyone come to collect me, so Mikoto Fujimura ended up adopting me as her son. That's why I bear her last name. Hell, she was the person who gave me my own name. Before her, I was just "that amnesiac boy in that one ward". She gave me a name, a home, and for that, I'll always be grateful to her...but I never entirely gave up on trying to get my memories back even though it was hopeless."

"You're not Fujimura-san's biological son?" Kiba asked, everyone's eyes wide in surprise.

Shirou shook his head. "No. There's no direct relation."

"But..." Issei blinked a few times, trying to process all of the information coming at him. "...what does this have to do with what happened yesterday?"

Shirou frowned. "It's like I said. I think-maybe-my memories might be coming back." He explained, sounding oddly neutral about it. "I keep having these weird dreams...but they're so realistic that I can't remember I'm dreaming until I wake up later on. Before, I was able to brush it all off, but lately, the dreams have been becoming more frequent...On top of that, I started seeing them yesterday. After I got angry at Shidou...I don't know. I just started seeing white and then all of those images started to come back...haunting me."

"They seem more like nightmares." Kiba said. Shirou could only nod. "And you think these have to do with your memories?"

"Yes." Shirou confirmed. "I can't prove it, but when I brought it up to Ka-san, she started acting weird... _weirder than normal_. The woman who is rarely ever fazed was practically thrown off-balance over just this. No matter how I think about it, it has to have something to do with my memories. Horrors this vivid...The corpses, the sensation of needles passing into my flesh, the tears streaming down my cheeks, they all seem so real...Screaming...crying...blood spattered on the walls...Hopelessness, despair..."

"Senpai...?"

"Huh?" Shirou blinked, snapping out of his trance before turning to Koneko.

"Do you think..." Kiba looked off to the side. "...that these increasingly vivid nightmares could have to do with the Holy Swords or Kokabiel? Maybe their presences are influencing your subconscious due to your nature as a Devil?"

Shirou shook his head. "No. I've been having nightmares since I first "woke up" seven years ago. They used to happen randomly, but they've been getting far more frequent and far more violent with each passing night. To be honest, I've kind of been worried that, if I don't figure this out, I'll end up being driven insane."

A solemn atmosphere filled the air as this thought sank in.

"Then I guess we know what we're doing after we're done with Kokabiel and the Excaliburs." Issei said, drawing everyone's attention. "Shirou, it may not mean much, but once we're done with this, maybe _we_ can help you get your memories back."

However, Shirou waved off the thought. "Don't worry about that right now." He said. "I didn't tell you guys so you would get all worried. I only told you because you asked. Now there's no more secrets."

"Still, never thought you had memory loss." Issei said, scratching his head.

"It's something I've dealt with for a long time," Shirou said, shrugging, "so there's no reason why we should focus on it now."

"Yeah, but this stuff you're talking about, it literally has to do with your whole existence! Who you are, where you come from..." Issei scratched his neck. "...I mean, how does that not faze you? If that kind of stuff was part of my memories, I probably wouldn't even want to-OW!" Koneko smacked him on the back of the head. "What? I-" Then he noticed the troubled expression on Shirou's face. "Oh..."

Shirou shoved his hands into his pockets. "It's not that I haven't considered that. Especially with everything going on lately, I've been getting more and more anxious about how much more severe the nightmares become. Still..." He averted his eyes. "...if something happened, if I had done something wrong, then that makes it all the more important that I remember. Choosing to forget everything is the same as being afraid to own up to what you have been done, afraid of knowing what others have done. No matter what, I can't run away."

"You have resolve." Kiba noted, smiling. "I respect that."

Shirou snorted. "Hey, compared to wanting to destroy a legendary weapon and murder a sick geezer, my goal doesn't seem like shit." It was a legitimate point. "I already have a few ideas on how to go about getting my memories back, so you guys don't have to worry. It's not as hopeless as it used to be."

"...but to remember nothing..." Saji piped in. "...isn't it rough?"

"Well, I wouldn't know since I don't remember it." Shirou said matter-of-fact-ly. "I've made so many more memories that it seems like such a small thing, but if I don't get them back, I don't know what will happen. Getting back my memories may be the only way to understand the meaning of these nightmares, why I forgot everything in the first place, and how to avoid something like the other day happening again." He frowned when he noticed everyone staring, even Kiba becoming worried by this point. "Like I said, it's not urgent. For now, all we do is focus on Excalibur. We can discuss this more after we turn the Holy Sword into scrap metal."

[Right!]

They had their objective as well as new allies. This day marked the birth of the Excalibur Extermination Squad.

...and the start of many terrible trials to come.

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** Revenge! Facing the Past in the Present!

* * *

 **DUN DUN DUUUUUUUN! You all now know the first part of Shirou's big secrets! But more of this stories to follow! What the fuck is going oooooon!?**

 **So...almost done with the Excalibur arc. Almost done.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	37. Chapter 32: Revenge! Facing the Past!

**Disclaimer: The following is a fan-based parody. Which means I don't own shit! Try and claim copyright now, bitches! XD**

* * *

 **Chapter 3** **2: Revenge! Facing the Past in the Present!**

"Look at you rocking back and forth in that seat like a total boss."

"Piss off, Kiryuu."

Shirou wasn't in much of a mood to deal with Kiryuu's teasing. Even after the events of the previous day, he, Issei, and the others still had to attend their normal classes to keep up the pretense of normalcy. If they started skipping class out of the blue without prior notice, Rias and Sona would have definitely smelled something was up. Issei, Koneko, and Kiba were doing their bests to appear as normal as possible without drawing attention, but Shirou couldn't even be bothered to pretend.

His distracted expression was painfully obvious to Issei, who could not help but shake his head.

The main reason he didn't call Shirou out on his behavior aside from the fact they shared the classroom with Asia and doing so would have drawn attention, it was the fact that this type of disinterested behavior was expected of Shirou.

The white-haired delinquent spent most of the class with his legs kicked up on his desk, rocking back and forth in his seat, precariously balancing on its back legs.

He barely acknowledged the sound of the final bell.

His distracted look was probably what drew Kiryuu's attention and his subsequently rude response.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Kiryuu asked sitting on the desktop next to Shirou's. "With Kiyome having been so busy with club activities, you two haven't been hanging out too much and, when she isn't, you're busy with your club's activities. Between those two things, I can't imagine you have had a lot of time to bump privvies."

Shirou squinted at Kiryuu. "OK, I'm going to go ahead and pretend you didn't just say that." He said. "Anyway, it's not as though the situation is easy to deal with. I can't just say "Hey, Kiyome, want to go out?", ya know?"

"You haven't gotten around to mentioning your idea about letting everyone know? Or did she already say "No"?"

Shirou opened his mouth to answer, his expression becoming glass. Then he face-palmed.

"I'm not sure how to interpret that answer."

"Fuck-I mean...ugh..." He shook his head. "I've been so occupied lately that I didn't even think to bring it up with her. Even though I was right in her room, it didn't occur to me to..." He paused, realizing what he had just said. "I-I mean-!" However, it was too late to take it back. The moment those words left his mouth, Kiryuu's expression became laden with interest and mischief.

"In Kiyome's room, huh~?" She teased. She gave him a wink, nudging him with her shoulder. "Aw, Shirou, you dog, you~!"

Shirou swatted her hand away. "Stop that! It's not like that!" He said with narrowed eyes. "We just...I mean I...ugh..." All at once, he lost all energy, lowering his head.

It was when his expression changed from irritation to defeat that the situation lost all amusement for Kiryuu. "Um...Did you two have a fight?" It's fun when there was room to imply innuendo or some form of sexual deeds, but when Shirou got all bummed out and just gave up on snapping back, Kiryuu felt more like a jerk than a tease. "Look, man, if you two are having problems, I don't mean to-"

"No no no!" Shirou said, shaking his head. "We're not fighting. It's like-Wait, why did you think we were fighting? Did Kiyome say we were fighting?" The panicked look on his face was like a deer caught in the headlights. It wasn't even funny. "I mean, if that's what she said, then I just want to set the record clear that I didn't know I did something wrong. If you see her, could you just tell her-"

"Whoa. Calm down." Kiryuu said. "Nobody told me anything. You just seem a little bit stressed out."

 _"Of course I'm stressed out!"_ Shirou screamed mentally. _"My nightmares are getting worse, Ka-san's still lying to me about my memories and I can't even find her anywhere in that godforsaken, unnecessarily large house! Then there's the fact I'm supposed to help hunt down and destroy a legendary Holy Sword while trying to avoid being skewered by Freed or a Fallen Angel from the Bible on top of that! Even worse, I still haven't really had a real chat with Kiyome about our relationship because when she's not busy with club activities, she's taking care of her tamed monsters and, when she's not doing either, I'm busy doing whatever occult shit for Rias and the others! And I can't tell you any of this because you're a goddamned human and being a Devil seems to make everything complicated just by being around you!"_ However, what Shirou said aloud was, "Yeah, I've had a lot on my plate."

"If you're really that worried about Kiyome, why not just go talk to her?" Kiryuu suggested. "Class is over, and it's not like you have anything better to do."

"..." Shirou didn't look her in the eyes. "...Right. I'll just...go talk to her now."

He didn't bother waiting for Kiryuu's response. He lost the stomach to maintain casual conversation with her. If he wasn't careful, he was going to let something slip.

It didn't take him much longer afterwards to find Kiyome.

It was approaching her that was the tricky part. Being a social pariah in the entire school made casually talking to your secret lover incredibly difficult.

He ended up peeping out from behind the corner of a hallway, looking more like a stalker than anything. He paid no attention to the many curious stares that were directed at him. For them, it was just another day to keep their eyes on the single biggest threat to humanity (as they would put it). Every time he took a step, he could swear one of the girls in Kiyome's little posse turned in his direction and immediately hid back behind the corner. Normally, he wasn't so nervous, but with the tenuous state of things, it was hard to work up the courage.

"Maybe I should wait until she's on her way home..." Shirou thought to himself, leaning his back against the wall. "...No, I'll definitely look like a creeper!...but when have I not been seen as a creeper...? No, but then I really _will_ be a creeper...! Uuugghhhh!" He popped his head out from behind the corner again, trying to consider the closing window of opportunity. "Maybe I should just-"

However, his decision was made for him as there was a hard push against his back, propelling him forward.

He didn't even have the chance to say "Watch it!" before he flopped face-forward in front of Kiyome, looking absolutely ridiculous with his hindquarters hanging in the air.

"Shirou?" Kiyome raised a brow at her secret-boyfriend's sudden appearance. She glanced around at her friends, all of them looking down at Shirou with a mix of fear and disgust. Realizing how easily they could overhear, Kiyome knelt down, whispering to him. "What are you doing here? There are people around!"

"I was just...um..." Shirou pushed himself up, looking at his surroundings. He whispered, "I was thinking...maybe...we could walk home together today?"

He couldn't help a slight feeling of anxiety as Kiyome suddenly turned to her friends, biting her lower lip...which was stupid. He couldn't quite figure out how this was different from prior interactions or why he was feeling so uncertain. Lately, things like this have been bothering him for more than they should have been considering the far more dire items on his "list" that needed doing. What was only seconds felt as though it was stretching on for minutes, even hours and Shirou couldn't figure out why.

"Listen...Shirou..." She glanced at her friends. Then she said aloud, "Why are you bothering me?" However, she quickly added in a whisper, "I can't. I already promised my friends we would walk home together. I can't just blow them off for you. If I do, people will catch on and realize we're dating." She averted her eyes. "I mean, we can't let anyone find out about us, remember?"

"Yeah, but..."

"Shirou, it was really reckless of you to do this in public. I don't know if this has anything to do with the other night..." Then she said aloud, "Look, I'm done washing the blood from your street brawls! You're on your own!" Then, back in a whisper, "...but I can't do this right now. I'm sorry. I really am! If you want to stay the night again, I'll try to arrange something, but I can't talk with you right now. I'll text you when I'm in the clear, okay?"

"But, I was hoping that maybe we could...maybe..." Shirou found himself hesitating. Whenever he tried looking Kiyome in the eye, she was glancing back at her friends to check their own gazes. "...we could...Never mind. It's fine."

"You understand though, right?"

"Yeah..." Shirou agreed emptily. "I understand..."

"Thank you!" Kiyome said, smiling brightly. "I promise we'll talk more later!" She stood up, smiling at her friends. "Sorry, Shirou's just being a bit of a child lately. It's alright now."

"I still can't understand why you hang out with that thug, Kiyome?" One of the girls said in a fairly audible whisper.

"Yeah, you're really putting yourself in danger there."

"Let's go before he tries something..."

Step after step, the girls slowly started edging away from Shirou, taking Kiyome with them. Shirou wasn't quite sure what else to say in response to that. He could only stare as his girlfriend left with her friends.

"Need a hand?" Shirou looked up, pausing at the Yamato Nadeshiko-lookalike who was presenting her hand to him.

Shirou looked around him, trying to see if there was any other 2nd Year kneeling pathetically on the ground. After searching for a good five minutes, conscious of the stares directed at him now that Akeno was standing next to him. He pointed at himself with a questioning look, trying to confirm that the vice president of the Occult Research Club was, in fact, referring to him.

"Do you see any other 2nd Year kneeling pathetically on the ground?" Akeno asked in a teasing voice.

Shirou pursed his lips. "OK..." He wasn't sure what to say in regards to the many curious and horrified eyes that turned to the scene playing out before them. He awkwardly turned away from Akeno's hand, standing up on his own and dusting off his pants.

"If you want a walking companion, I wouldn't mind filling the role." She said pleasantly, making it sound less like "Can I walk home with you?" and more like "I'm going to walk home with you."

Shirou looked left and right, waiting for some kind of "Aha! Kidding~" or some confetti shower. "Um...you know people are watching, right?" He couldn't quite understand what Akeno was getting at.

"Uh huh?" Akeno said, staring in confusion.

"And people heard what you just asked me."

'Uh huh."

"...and if we leave together, people will believe or assume you're walking with me."

"Very likely."

"...Akeno, as your friend, in all honesty, I can't recommend this course of action." Shirou said in a hushed tone. "I mean, it's one thing with Issei and the others because, hey, we're all already at the bottom of the barrel. However, if you openly walk home with me, your reputation will take a noticeable dive."

If anything, his words seemed to confused Akeno even further. "So, what you're saying is that I shouldn't walk home with my adorable Kouhai because other students, whom I do not know nor particularly care about, will say mean things about me without the courage to tell them to my face?" It was hard for Shirou to come up with an adequate argument for that. "Come on. We had best leave before it gets dark."

"Um..." He looked around, rubbing the back of his neck. "...S-Sure." He followed after Akeno before he could think to change his mind and before any of the bystanders could think to act.

As they walked the path to the front gate of the school, Shirou felt the burning gazes of distrust and hate from the other students. He couldn't help but reminisce of his first day as a Devil when he had been walking _to_ school with Akeno. Only difference now as that he felt genuinely uncomfortable now that he actually gave a fuck about what people thought when he was seen around his club members.

"You know, it's not too late to play this off as some kind of joke?" Shirou suggested, scratching his head. "To be honest, I'm a little surprised you were eager to talk to me...I mean, after what happened..."

"You mean during the spar with the Exorcists?"

"Y-Yeah." Shirou confirmed. It was paranoid of him, of course, but he couldn't help but feel on-edge. Mainly because of their secret plans to hunt the Excaliburs without Rias' consent. The fact that Akeno hadn't been the one to address the issue or call him to ask "WTF" only made it all the more alarming that she hadn't mentioned the Exorcists or the Holy Swords sooner. "Uh...sorry for bitch-slapping you by the way." He did his best to ignore the gasp of horror and shock by the one student who had been close enough to hear that.

"It's fine. We all know you weren't in control of yourself at the time." Akeno said, waving off the entire matter as nothing. "I can't say what Rias' final say on the matter will be, but I guarantee that she will understand your...issue." She probably meant to say "problem" but felt it was too accusatory to say to his face.

Shirou nodded. "That's good...Issei and Koneko were cool, so I'm relieved you don't hold a grudge." He said.

"Well, it's not like you used your demonic power or anything." Akeno reasoned. "I mean, in case you forgot, I have been hit by _far worse_. Remember back during the Rating Game against Riser? I was literally blown up by the Bomb Queen. Compare a smack to the face with being blown up and you don't even have a contest."

"Fair point." Shirou agreed, remembering his encounter with the Flame Shake-user, "Blaze". Being burned to a crisp hurt ten times more than being smacked into a wall. "I'm just glad I didn't hurt you too badly."

"Even if you had, you do remember that we have Asia, right?"

Again, Akeno's words gave Shirou a reason to think.

"Oh yeah."

"Yes. Short of tearing us to pieces, there was literally nothing you could have possibly done to us that would have had a lasting impact. We would have sooner pummeled you to a bloody pulp before you got the chance."

"...Huh."

"Quite."

"So nobody holds a grudge and my actions literally amounted to nothing?"

"When you say it like that, anything can sound depressing and meaningless."

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck, feeling increasingly awkward about the whole situation. "I'm sorry and...well, I guess I appreciate you walking home with me, especially after what happened."

"It's fine." Akeno said, smiling softly. "You looked a little down after Kiyome shot you down, so I-"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Shirou said, suddenly running out in front of Akeno, arms crossed into an "X". "Time-the fuck-out! What do you mean I got "shot down"?"

"As I recall, you politely asked to walk home with her only for her to completely blow you off and leave with her friends instead."

"..." Shirou walked over to a nearby wall, staring at it fiercely before suddenly dropping to the ground, curling up into a ball. "You really are the Ultimate Sadist, you know that, Senpai?"

"I'm more surprised you just accepted her answer."

"Huh?"

Akeno tapped her chin, looking pensive. "I'm a little biased, I admit, but even by a normal person's standards, that was pretty harsh."

"I..." Shirou paused. "I dunno...I mean, Kiyome gets that we have to keep our relationship a secret..."

"Why? For _who_?" Akeno asked rhetorically. "I have heard you use that justification for the way she treats you, but, the way I see it, the only person being protected is her."

"That's not true!" Shirou denied. "If word got out that we were dating, then people would have cause to believe that I'm a sexual deviant!"

"And how does that differ from the situation before?" Akeno pointed out, again leaving Shirou without many ideas as to how to respond. "In a way, isn't this relationship all about Kiyome Abe?"

"OK, now _that_ is bull." Shirou argued, the sensation of being backed into a corner causing bile to rise up his throat. "If anyone's getting the most support, it's _me_. Every time I've been in trouble or needed guidance, Kiyome was there. She always reassured me and helped me decide whether or not I was right."

Akeno sighed. "I know this may sound a bit odd, but that's basically what a girlfriend is." Akeno said. "By that standard, it could have been anyone. From what I've observed, it seems as though you two ended up together as a matter of convenience."

Something about that struck a nerve with Shirou, causing him to narrow his eyes in irritation. "I would prefer we changed the subject before one of us says something we regret, Akeno." He bit the inside of his cheek, trying to clear his mind of all frustration. It didn't help that Akeno's guilty expression made him feel as though he had screamed at her.

"I'm sorry." She apologized softly. "If it were any other relationship, I would keep my mouth shut, but I care about you too much to keep silent. I cannot help but feel that she treats you as more of a possession than a boyfriend." She closed her eyes. "Rias' relationship with Issei, she's possessive over him, but she makes up for this by further smothering him with her affection. In a hypothetical scenario where I were to, say, also have romantic desires towards Issei, I would fight for him, but only so he would desire me more than Rias. I would never intend to completely tear them apart because then Rias' heart would be broken. That's not the issue here. With your relationship with Kiyome, you two are just about the opposite. She's keeping you at arm's length for her own convenience and gives you a small pet here and there to ensure your loyalty rather than romantic affection."

"S-Shut up!" Shirou snapped, his temper flaring up. "Stop trying to poke holes in my relationship with Kiyome!"

"It's not poking so much as _noticing_." Akeno countered. "It's hard to consider it much of a relationship to begin with. I mean, have you two actually _done_ anything since you started "going out"?"

"I-That's..." Shirou took a deep breath. "...Well...no, but-!"

"Then what is the point? Shirou, she won't be seen in public with you, she won't even let you suggest a date, and she clearly doesn't recognize how badly you're hurt by her ignorant actions." Akeno poke Shirou in the heart to emphasize her point. "And, on top of everything, she vehemently denies you the most basic pleasures that a Devil obtains by striving to fulfill their desires."

"What desires?" Shirou asked almost to himself. "I don't have any desires, really. Getting stronger I guess...?"

"Since becoming a Devil, has she ever given you the choice to consider your desires? Power, wealth, women?"

"Kiyome said I couldn't have a harem."

"Which proves my point that she's treating you more like one of her tamed beasts than her boyfriend most of the time."

"Where is all of this coming from, Akeno?"

"She is restricting you and giving you next to nothing in return."

"Why do you even care?" Shirou snapped angrily.

"I...I just can't stand her controlling you like this..."

"Why don't you just do me a favor and mind your own business!?"

There was a long, horrible, uncomfortable silence that ensued following Shirou's furious shouting. His insides seemed to do somersaults as he felt the sensation of guilt slowly begin to hit him. It didn't help this feeling that Akeno looked like a cute, adorable puppy who had just been kicked in the side. In the silence that followed, neither of them spoke a single word. Akeno just stood there, staring with an indescribable sorrowful expression while Shirou's expression continuously switched between angry, annoyed, and guilt-ridden.

With a final click of his tongue, Shirou turned his back on his senior before his guilt could get the best of him.

Unbeknownst to him, his life was about to go from "bad" to "absolute shit" all within the span of a few days.

* * *

"No luck today either, huh?"

"No shit, Sherlock!" Shirou snapped, raising the hood above his eyes so his teammate could see his glaring eyes. "Do you really need to keep saying that every-fucking-day, Saji?"

"Geez, chill." Saji said, raising his hands in surrender. "What's gotten into you lately?"

"Hmph." Shirou shook his head. "None of your damned business..." With that, he pulled his white hood down over his eyes. Like his friends and Saji, Shirou was clothed in the robes of a priest, wandering aimlessly through town behind the rest of his friends. They had been lent the robes by Irina and Xenovia who kept spares of various different types of robes for whichever reason that just happened to fit all of them perfectly. It was odd that none of them bothered questioning that.

The plan that Issei concocted was quite literally to wander around town after school dressed as priests. After all, Freed's targets seemed to be primarily priests (which was surprising considering there was literally a school full of Devils and monsters for him to murder), ergo, they dressed as priests.

"You know, when you think about it, Freed is kind of a pussy." Shirou said.

"Hmph!" Koneko narrowed her eyes at him.

"I mean a coward."

"Hmph." Koneko seemed more satisfied after that.

"My point is that even he wouldn't go after a group as large as ours." Shirou pointed out. "I mean, he knows that, even if we were priests, we would still have the combat training of the Church. Why would he go after such a numerically superior group?"

"Shirou, you're trying to apply rational thinking in regards to a murderous psychopath." Issei argued. "Not to mention there's the Excaliburs. Freed was always cocky when we fought with him, so he'll probably be even more egotistical after getting the Holy Swords. At some point, he's going to jump out and attack us."

"I guess..."

They had already spent several days searching for some kind of clue, always coming up with nothing. The Exorcist duo came up with roughly the same results, but that didn't stop Irina from calling Issei to talk anyway. Ever since she found out the truth as to why Issei originally became a Devil, Irina had been notably casual and more lenient towards him in comparison to other Devils. Granted, she had yet to see his most perverse side, but the fact she was already showing such friendliness to the boy she knew from childhood proved Shirou's theory that it wasn't absolutely _impossible_ for the opposing sides to get along.

"So..." They had all run out of conversation topics on day 2 of investigation, so they were usually wandering among awkward silence. "...are you and Kiyome-senpai fighting?"

"Oh my fucking Maou, Issei, I will kick your ass!" Shirou snapped, glaring daggers at his friend. "What the Hell?!"

"OK, sorry!" Issei said defensively. "You just seem a little bit pissed off there, buddy."

"Well why the Hell does everyone have to assume it's because of Kiyome!?"

"Is it about your missing memories?"

"For the love of Fake God, stop talking, Issei."

"I was just trying to-"

"No, I mean stop talking! Sshh!" Shirou noticed it halfway through the thought he had of potentially punching Issei in the face. Both Kiba and Koneko stopped cold in their tracks. He could see "bumps" on the top of her nun's robe where her cat ears were sticking out, twitching anxiously. Kiba, likewise, looked almost like a statue. "What's up, you guys?"

"We're not alone..." Koneko said in a hushed voice.

 ***BADUMP* *BADUMP***

Shirou felt his heart almost beat straight through his ribs.

A chill ran down their collective spines as a heavy wave of killing intent washed over them.

"Above us!" Saji shouted.

"Hey, troupe of priests~ How about I go ahead and show you Heaven!?" They all only managed to catch a glimpse before the white-haired priest swinging down a sword on their heads.

"Fifth Form!" Shirou drew out his blade, sparks flying as metal screeched against metal. "I was wonderin' when you were going to show your ugly mug again, Freed!"

"OH~ It's Shirou-kun~" The insane priest's eyes wandered over to the rest of the group. "And Issei-kun and the Demon Sword guy~! It must be my birthday! Even the midget is here!" Koneko's eye twitched. "Almost all of the Devils I wanted to kill for a long time! And..." Freed's smile fell when he saw Saji standing there pathetically. "...I don't know who you are." Saji's face fell. "Oh well~! That means I get even more Devil corpses!"

Their blades scraped against one another as the two swordsman traded blow after blow, Freed's speed only seeming to increase over time.

Even if it had been a while since their last fight, there was no reasonable way for him to become this fast.

"Are you enjoying my Excalibur?!" Freed shouted with manic glee as he continued swinging his sword at Shirou. "Even that shitty Knight of yours pales compared to me!"

"You give guys with white hair a bad name!"

"Oh re-eeaaaally, Mr. Demon King of Kuoh~?"

"...Freed, you ever consider taking those Holy Swords and using them to go fuck yourself?" Shirou pushed on the blunt side of his sword, shoving Freed away several feet. The aura surrounding the Excalibur was repulsive. Even if he had a resistance to holy elements, Shirou still found that sword's presence to be abominable. He turned, shooting a sharp glare at his comrades. "Any time you guys want to jump in, you're more than welcome!"

Kiba needed no further invitation. With impressive speed, even by his standards, he rushed forward.

"R-Right! Boosted Gear!"

 **[BOOST!]**

The green gem in Issei's Sacred Gear began to glow as the counter went up.

"Oh, so you're all coming at me at once?" Freed asked (with a hint of innuendo) as he parried Kiba's strike with his own.

"I'm your only opponent here, Freed!" Kiba said, viciously striking at his opponent with significantly less style than he normally used.

"That seems like a very poor decision, Kiba!" Shirou pointed out.

"True," Kiba admitted, "but it's mine to make! Hraagh!" He lunged at Freed, thrusting forward.

Freed laughed. "What's hysterical is that no matter how many Devils fling themselves at me, they're not match for this sword!" Like a flash of light, Freed vanished, appearing in the air behind Kiba, swinging his sword in a downward arc. "Thank you for playing!" Kiba's body managed to react in time, blocking Freed's swing with his own, magical power mixing in with the sparks as the opposing elements of their swords reacted to one another. "Some have called this the Holy Sword of the Heavenly Flare, the Excalibur Rapidly, but I call it the "Super Fast Sword"!"

The two swordsman broke apart. The only way Shirou's eyes could follow them were the lines of demonic and holy power they traced through the air with their movements, the only time their entire bodies could be seen being when they crossed blades.

"No joke about that sword's speed..."

"So he was holding back before?"

 **[BOOST!]**

Issei and Shirou exchanged looks.

"Issei, no matter how you look at it, Kiba needs help here."

"I know, but I don't have nearly enough power to transfer to Kiba yet!"

"Well I can't join in! With Kiba going crazy in there, I won't be able to do anything without hitting him by mistake! Freed's way too fast for me to hit him dead-on!"

"So wait, you just need him to slow down, right?" Saji inquired, an odd smirk on his face. He extended his arm outward. "Time to Line up!" His left arm started to glow a violet light, an oddly cute, deformed lizard-looking device appearing on his arm.

"What's that?" Issei asked.

 **[BOOST!]**

Saji's smirk suddenly seemed more well-deserved. "You'll see!" The "mouth" of the lizard opened, a blue light glowing from deep within. "OK! Line Extend!" Suddenly, a glowing blue rope made up of magical energy shot out from Saji's lizard, weaving through the air as though it were alive, wrapping itself intricately around Freed's leg.

"Huh?!" Freed looked down at the rope around his leg. "The fuck is this!?"

"Down you go!" Saji pulled his arm backward dragging Freed right out of the air. Unable to keep his balance, the Stray Exorcist landed unceremoniously flat on his face against the cold, hard ground. "What do you think? It's called the Absorption Line, my Sacred Gear! You can't move while you're all tied up like this!"

"What the-? What the Hell is this!?" Freed screamed. "Why do I feel so light-headed all of a sudden!?"

"That's the other ability of Absorption Line! It also lets me leech away the power of those I attach my line to!"

[So this child also possesses the power of a Dragon...?]

"You again?" Shirou raised his own left arm, as if it were alive. "What do you mean "the power of a Dragon"? I thought Issei and that White Dragon guy were the only ones with Dragon power!"

[Your foolishness belies your true ignorance, pup! There are countless Dragons in existence. Do you truly believe only Ddraig and Albion ever earned the ire of gods?]

"What are you talking about?"

"Shirou, who are you talking to?" Issei asked, staring blankly as Shirou stared at his left arm.

Shirou pursed his lips. "Um...the magical talking spirit living in my Sacred Gear who sometimes talks to me in my head?"

 **[BOOST!]**

"Oh cool! You have one of those too?" Issei raised Boosted Gear. "Here I was thinking it was only the Heavenly Dragons who did that."

"Oh good, so I'm _not_ insane." Shirou said, heaving a sigh of relief. Issei was too perverted to be insane, so if he underwent the same experience, it meant that it wasn't just in Shirou's head.

"Graaagh!" Freed let out a wail of frustration as he viciously swung at the magical rope from Saji's Absorption Line, consistently to cut the surprisingly resilient line. "Damn it! This must be another one of those Dragon sorts!"

"Wait even _Freed_ knows shit like that?!" Shirou asked, wide-eyed. "Am I that unintelligent!?-Don't answer that! Freed's getting back up!" The Stray Priest let out several curses of annoyance and anger as he struggled to stand. "I guess it's my turn then!" He gathered his freezing aura into the curve of his blade. "Ice Wave!" He swung his sword in a downward-diagonal arc, unleashing a crescent of freezing demonic ice.

"Ice Wave?" Koneko asked, unimpressed.

"I'm not allowed to call it "Piercing Heaven" anymore and I had to change its ability." Shirou said. "I got this weird call a few days ago, some guy threatening to sue for copyright infringement...That Blaze guy is a total snatch."

"...Don't you mean "snitch"?"

"I know what I said."

"Don't fuck around with me!" Furious, Freed swung swung his Excalibur at the attack, causing it to evaporate into ice crystal in a magical explosion. "Huh?!" And that was when those same ice crystals began to collect around Freed's hands and the entirety of the Excalibur Rapidly, encasing it and most of Freed's lower arms in a block of ice. "What the fuck is this!?" Freed tried to break the ice apart, but no matter how violently he swung, the ice refused to break apart.

"Alright! Now he can't move or use his sword!" Issei cheered. "Way to go, you guys!"

 **[BOOST!]**

And that was about when Koneko lifted Issei up into the air. "Huh?"

"Issei-senpai, I leave Yuuto-senpai to you!" Koneko pulled her arms back, prepared to throw him.

"What!? No! What are you doing!?"

"Imma throw you."

"Don't throw me!"

"Gonna throw you."

"Noooo!"

"Throwin' you."

"Don't!"

"Don't _not_ throw you? You got it."

Without exuding much effort, Koneko threw Issei right through the air.

"Dammit, Konekooooo!"

 **[BOOST!]**

With the form and grace of a beheaded chicken, Issei flew through the air, right in the direction of their resident Knight. "Heads up!"

"Right here, Issei!" Kiba raised his sword, prepared at Issei flew right over him, but not before slapping Boosted Gear against the back of Kiba's shoulder.

 **[Transfer!]**

Issei let out a yelp as he landed flat on the ground, but he was smiling. "Yup! The Dragon's awake and so is his power now!"

Kiba smiled, his eyes burning with determination as he turned to the still immobilized-Freed. "This power that I've been given is a gift." He said. "I will gratefully accept it!" He raised his blade into the air, preparing to call upon the attack to finish Freed off. "SWORD BI-"

"Put a sock in it already."

However, Kiba never got the chance to use his attack. Milliseconds before he could activate his ability, a bright fireball, like a shooting star, tore through the air, slamming right into Kiba and exploding in his face. The Knight was flung through the air before gravity dropped him like a rag doll onto the ground.

[Kiba!]

"Yuuto-senpai!"

Shirou and Koneko hurried to Kiba's side, turning him over to see the severity of his injury.

Kiba coughed a few times as he let his friends help him sit up before raising the shattered remains of one of his swords. "I'm fine. I managed to block it at the last second." He had a few light burns and some of his clothes were singed, but there was nothing particularly serious or debilitating even by human standards. "What was that though...?"

"I have a pretty good idea." Shirou answered, turning his eyes. "Show yourself, you flaming dick!"

"Tch!" A familiar, black robed, masked youth stepped out of the shadows, hands in his pockets. "I see you're still breathing, Fujimura."

"And I see you still don't have the balls to take someone on in a straight-up fight!" Shirou shouted accusingly. "That was a cheap shot, Blaze!"

"There's no such thing as fair when you're dealing with you disgusting Devils." Blaze taunted. "Were you not aware of my Sacred Gear, I have no doubt you would have done the same thing to me."

"So this is that "Blaze" guy you were talking about?" Issei asked, shocked.

Shirou nodded. "Yeah. He seems to be just a normal human, but his Sacred Gear makes it hard to lower your guard. It's the polar opposite of my ice-element-using Canis Regalia, his Flame Shake being able to conjure fire."

"Sounds rough. I think this might be the first Sacred Gear-user we've encountered as an enemy." Issei wasn't wrong. When Shirou thought about it, this was the first time they had fought an opponent who used a strong Sacred Gear. Eliade possessed the Twice Critical, but that fight was still a huge blur in Shirou's memories and she clearly hadn't been much of a threat once his own Sacred Gear awakened.

"The Hell is your problem, Sparky!?" Freed snapped, pointing his sword at his "comrade". "Who do you think you are, butting in on my massacre!?"

""Massacre"?" Blaze scoffed. "Had it not been for my intervention, there's no doubt that Knight would have turned you into a human pincushion. I believe the words are "Thank you"."

"Oh yeah, I'll thank you..." Freed said, a dark look in his eyes. "I'll thank you by sending you straight to Heaven! Try justifying to God why you walked through the front gate with a few Excaliburs shoved where the sun don't shine!"

Blaze snickered. "I didn't think a heretic like you even believed in God." He extended his hand, his palm facing upward as a large flame flickered into existence. "Then I guess you know you go to Hell if I kill you."

"Wanna fight? Bring it on!" Freed sang gleefully. "I won't mind adding your head to my mantle!"

The Devils stared in curiosity and confusion as it appeared their two enemies were ready to focus more on killing each other than them.

"Hey," Shirou whispered, "I know we're trying to defeat Freed and everything, but, you know, if one of them kills the other, Excalibur will be much easier picking's."

"That is true..."

"...but doesn't that feel a little anti-climactic?"

"Hey, better they stab each other than us, right?"

"Fair point."

"Now now, are you men or children?" A new, unfamiliar voice spoke, addressing the two supposed allies.

"To be fair," Freed said, "I am a teen."

"And you act like like a seven-year-old." Blaze taunted.

"That's it!"

"Enough, Freed!" The new voice demanded as Freed moved to attack Blaze, a new figure stepping out from the shadows. He was an old man, clothed in the same robes of a priest as a member of the Church. "Whether you like it or not, Kokabiel-sama has strongly expressed his opinion on this matter and it would not do for you to lay a hand on his newest subordinate."

Freed let out a growl of discontent, but didn't argue. "Yeah yeah, whatever you say, old man Valper..." He replied, picking his ear with a disinterested look on his face.

The Devils' eyes widened in shock at this revelation.

"Valper...? Like the guy Xenovia and Irina mentioned...?"

"The mastermind behind the Holy Sword Project."

"The final boss had the balls to show up after all..." However, Shirou had a troubled look on his face. He squinted his eyes as he stared at the old men, a long-faded memory nagging at him from the back of his mind. "...Valper Galilei...?"

However, all other thoughts went out the window the moment Kiba's massive killing intent flooded the area.

"Valper Galilei!"

Valper turned to face Kiba, smirking. "The one and only." He confirmed. "I see you're the possessor of the Sword Birth, the heretical Sacred Gear that can have an infinite number of powers depending on the possessor."

"I am so much more than that." Kiba said, his tone darker than ever.

"I got dibs on the old man's head!" Shirou said, charging ahead. He switched Canis Regalia to its Second Form, nails poised to pierce the old man's heart.

"Shirou, he's mine!" Kiba argued.

"You're just standing there like an idiot!" Shirou countered, throwing his arm forward. However, as his arm came within a mere few inches of Valper's flesh, a massive wall of flames suddenly rose between them, the sudden outburst of hot air blowing Shirou backwards onto his back. "What the fuck!?"

"Now, Blaze," Valper said to the masked boy, like a grown-up scolding a child as he adjusted his spectacles, "I already told you that you must learn to be more precise in your attacks. Why, that almost hit even me."

Blaze cracked an amused smirk. "Sorry, Professor. Got a little overexcited at the chance to fry that freak alive. Besides, I still missed you. Even I know Kokabiel would rip my head off, spine and all, if I let anything happen to you." He clearly missed the point. If anything, that only further amused the old scientist.

"Just try to avoid taking such risks next time." Valper said calmly, turning to Freed. "Freed, what are you still doing there?"

"Don't give me attitude!" Freed screamed, throwing a tantrum. "Make yourself useful and tell me how to get this stupid lizard tongue off me!"

"I could always just burn the flesh from that leg to get it off." Blaze offered casually, conjuring another flame in his hand. He chuckled when Freed shot him a dirty look. "Your sense of humor is really lacking, you know."

"Come over here and say that to my stabber!"

"Freed, please." Valper said calmly. "If you truly wish to learn how to properly use the Excalibur, you should learn how to use the Holy Element inside you first. Gather the Holy Element that is running throughout your body and channel it into the blade of the Excalibur. With that, you should be able to cut it."

"Oh? Is that all it takes?" Freed mocked before grinning. "One energy cocktail coming up!" Freed held up his Excalibur, the sword being coated in an aura that exuded holy energy. Like this! Horyah!" Freed's blade cut Saji's line in one stroke.

"Freed, we're leaving." Valper declared.

"Awwwww! But I was just starting to have fun!" Freed complained.

"You were tasked with eliminating the priests of this town and not only have you failed that, but you have found yourself hopelessly outnumbered."

"Oh come ooon~" Freed said, grinning. "I could always use Sparky as a human meat shield while I cut'em up!"

"Try it and you die." Blaze's threat was not vague. He sighed. "However, I find myself a little dissatisfied with this as well. I was really looking forward to roasting Fujimura again." Despite this, he gave a sigh of defeat. "But if that's what the Boss wants, then I can't argue."

"Hold up! Valper Galilei!"

"Hm?" Valper turned his head in the direction of the white-haired Devil who addressed him. "Oh, it's the boy who gave our own Sacred Gear-user some trouble. Fujimura Shirou, was it?"

Shirou narrowed his eyes, examining the man's face more thoroughly. "Have we... _met_ somewhere?" Shirou asked, his angry expression turning to confusion and annoyance. "I seriously feel an odd sense of deja vu when I look at you, but I can't place it."

"Huh?" It was clear that Valper had no idea what Shirou was talking about.

Still, no matter how Shirou tried to ignore the thought, he knew that Valper was familiar somehow. Every time he thought about it, a sharp pain ran through his head. "Have we met before this?"

"Shirou, what are you...?" Kiba stared suspiciously at his comrade, staying his blade only out of curiosity towards Shirou's question.

"Is now seriously the time to be asking that to our enemy, Fujimura?" Saji snapped, raising his Absorption Line, prepared to attack again.

"No, but I..." Shirou tightened his fists. "I know I've seen you somewhere before!"

Valper stroked his chin, clearly trying to determine whether or not what Shirou said was nonsense. "No, I don't believe I've ever had the acquaintance of such pathetic Devil scum."

"Oh, that's it!" Throwing caution to the wind, Shirou lunged forward, returning his Sacred Gear to its sword form. "Eat my steel, jerk!"

However, his blade never met its target. Not one, but two swords met his own, blocking his attack and keeping Shirou suspended in midair as he continued to push forward. One blade held a form sustained by fire and the other held a form sustained by holy energy.

Both Freed and Blaze blocked Shirou's strike, using their combined strength to throw him back several feet. However, despite the victory, both youths were clearly displeased, exchanging hateful looks with one another.

"Hey, Freed, this guy's my prey, you know?" Blaze growled.

"Oh?" Freed said, his murderous intent equaling that of Blaze. "Sorry, but I called dibs on Shirou-kyun a long time ago~!"

"However long ago it was, I called dibs even before that!"

"Oh yeah? Give me the exact year, month, day, hour, minute, and second!"

"You're such a child!"

"Old man Valper, tell Blaze to stop trying to steal my prey!"

"Tell Freed to stop being a spoiled brat!"

"Hmmm..." Unlike before, Valper seemed legitimately puzzled, deep in thought. "Now that I get a proper look, something about that face of yours..."

"I swear, if _you_ say my face is cute, I'm going to hurl." Shirou said, his lip curling in disgust at the old man's probing eyes. "Seriously, save that creepy gaze of yours for the nine-year-old boys you have chained up in your closet!"

Whether or not Valper was insulted by that remark (assuming it was even a lie), he did not show. Instead, he continued examining Shirou curiously. "I do feel a faint familiarity." He frowned, the question eating away at him. Shirou's eyes widened. Even if it was circumstantial, there was no mistaking what Valper had just said.

"Professor," Blaze flames roaring to life around his lower arms as the Devils' group began to encircle them, "I appreciate your need to walk down memory lane, but I do believe you have forgotten the current situation yourself. Kokabiel still needs that brain of yours for the grand finale."

"Of course." Valper agreed, the thought still nagging at him. "I suppose we should..." That was when realization hit him like a ton of bricks. He turned to Shirou, expecting something. "Tell me, does a researcher bearing the name "Ruri" ring any bells?"

"Ruri...?" Shirou parroted, dazed for a moment. He frowned, unable to feel any major connection to the name. "...Ruri?"

After observing Shirou's confusion, Valper interest quickly waned. "I suppose it's just a passing resemblance." He turned to his two escorts. "Very well, let us retreat for now."

"Not on our watch!" A blue-haired blur shot past their group, swinging a heavy-looking blade at Freed. Sparks ignited as one blade met another, Xenovia tightly grasping the hilt of her Excalibur Destruction.

"Yaho! Issei-kun.

"Irina!"

Naturally, Xenovia's partner would show up as well.

"So you two showed up." Shirou noted with passive eyes. "Know when your help would have been appreciated? Ten-fucking-minutes ago when we were all fighting!"

"Hey! We can't teleport like you Devils can!" Irina objected. "Cut us some slack!"

"You're both traitors!" Xenovia accused as she pressed her attack against Freed. "Hear me, Freed Sellzen and Valper Galilei! I condemn your souls in the name of our God!"

"How dare you say that?!" Freed snapped. "Don't you ever raise that name in front of me again!" However, when Xenovia wasn't paying attention, Freed reached into his robes, holding something in his tightly-clenched fist. "Whatever! It's time to report back to the Boss anyway! Sayonara, suckers!"

Before any of them could react, Freed threw the object in his hand at the ground, causing a painfully bright light to illuminate the area, blinding any and all who had not prepared for it before hand.

When the light cleared, they had both vanished.

"Oh not this shit again!" Shirou cursed. "Seriously! That asshole does this EVERY-FUCKING-TIME!"

"Damn it! After them, Irina!"

"Okay!"

Xenovia and Irina nodded at each other, quickly sprinting after the stray priests.

"I'm going after them too! I won't let you escape Valper Galilei!"

"H-Hey, Kiba!" Issei called out, but it was too late. Kiba had already left sprinting after the others, leaving them just their group of four. "Seriously, what the Hell?!"

"..." Shirou thought deeply, racking his brain. "...Ruri...?"

"Uh...Shirou?" Issei quickly realized that his friend wasn't paying attention in the slightest. "You alright there...?"

"..." Shirou closed his eyes, trying to focus on both the name and Valper Galilei. He emptied his mind of all thoughts, as if he had done it many times before, and focused solely on those two subjects.

And then he hit _it_ again...

That "barrier" he found himself hitting every single time.

Every single time he tried to remember, tried to draw on things he had seen in his dreams, he had hit that wall. Every other time, he had willingly let it go, but this time...this time was different. No matter what, he couldn't let it go. That nagging thought, it definitely meant something. He was determined to figure out what.

Rather than give up, Shirou pressed forward against the barrier again. He winced in pain as he was bounced right back...

However, he didn't give up still. He continued pressing forward, repeating that name over and over again in his head, the headache in his head becoming more and more intense-

* * *

 _It was disorienting._

 _He didn't know where he was or why he was there. All he could do was cling desperately to the coat of the woman next to him._

 _White flaking crystals fell leisurely to the ground at his feet, covering the ground in sheets of white. It was...interesting._

 _He had never seen anything like it, so naturally he found himself even more curious. He reached down and tried to touch it, quickly recoiling as a sharp sensation of cold hit his nerves. Still...it wasn't entirely unpleasant. Just weird. Curious, he reached out and touched it again, this time pushing downward, the watery, white substance giving way beneath even his timid strength._

 _He laughed. However, he felt the woman's stern hand push him back, keeping him from enjoying the wintry splendor._

 _"I brought what you asked for." She extended her hand, clutching a large stack of papers._

 _The man in front of her...he was scary._

 _The moment he saw the old man, he ran back behind the woman, peeking his head out like a frightened turtle._

 _"And who is this?" The old man inquired, smiling. However, it wasn't the smile of an elderly, grandfather-figure, but the smile of a man who couldn't wait to dissect something to see how it works. "A new test subject perhaps?"_

 _The woman pushed him further behind her back, narrowing her eyes at the old man. "That is none of your concern. With this, our transaction is complete, no?"_

 _"But of course." The old man confirmed, taking the documents from her hand. "As far as the Church is concerned, your current location is unknown." Again, fear rolled down his spine as the old man looked down at him, a dangerous glint in the man's eye. "As well as those associated with you..."_

 _"Good," The woman said, picking Shirou up in her arms and turning her back to Valper, "now I will be on my way, Valper Galilei."_

 _"Then so be it." Valper said, mirthfully waving the documents in the air. "You have my sincerest gratitude, of course!"_

 _However, the woman appeared to ignore him entirely, holding Shirou tighter to her chest and walking away, ignoring the cold, icy winds that blew against her face-_

* * *

"Shirou?"

"..." However, Shirou was too deep in his daze to properly respond to Issei.

"Shirou, we have a problem!"

When Shirou turned to face Issei, the Red Dragon recoiled, Shirou's gaze almost piercing. "I'm going after them."

"Wha-Wait! Hold on!"

However, much like Kiba, Xenovia, and Irina had before, Shirou broke into a sprint, heading into the deepest parts of the forest before him.

It was too much of a nostalgic feeling for him to just give it up. That vision he had...he managed to break through the "barrier", even if it was just momentarily. It was a memory. _His_ memory.

Not only that, but he knew the old man who appeared, Valper Galilei.

Valper was where this all ended. The answer to so many questions, the literal end of this seven year mystery, all lied with Valper Galilei.

And he was going to talk, one way or another.

* * *

He had honestly forgotten how long he had been running.

However, no matter how fast he ran, he experienced significant trouble in catching up with Freed or even his own comrades.

It may have ultimately been a futile effort, but he knew he wouldn't have been able to rest until he questioned Valper more on what he knew about this "Ruri" person. No matter how hard or fast he chased, there seemed to be no hope of catching up to the others.

That thought was heartrending.

"Damn it...Where the Hell are they!?" Shirou screamed after twenty minutes of running. "Damn it..." He tried catching a glimpse of some kind of trail or presence, but there was nothing. No matter how hard he searched, he couldn't find his friends or Valper. He rubbed his temples. "Think...There are only a few places they could be hiding. The old Church has been thoroughly wrecked and there are only a handful of abandoned buildings on the outskirts of town...Where could they be-" The he tensed.

The wind had gone silent, the air disturbingly still.

Yet the temperature seemed to increase.

The smell of smoke was Shirou's final warning before he dived out of the way, a massive fireball flying straight over his head.

He quickly scrambled to his feet, summoning out his Sacred Gear in sword form. "I really am not in the mood for this, Blaze!"

The masked youth stepped out of the brush, another fireball flickering in his hand. "Well, it's a shame I don't care for your feelings then." He sighed, extending his hand towards Shirou. He smiled. "Hi."

Shirou blinked. "Uh...Hi-"

A snap of Blaze's fingers and Shirou was suddenly engulfed in a massive fireball. He quickly traced a glowing white rune in the ground and, seconds later, a huge spire of ice shot upward, propelling Shirou into the air and out of the inferno.

"Third Form: Flurry Rifle!" Shirou's Sacred Gear transformed into its firearm form. "Suck it!" Shirou pulled the trigger, firing shot after shot of compressed, ice-element demonic power at his foe. Blaze summoned forth even greater flames, swinging them as one would a blade at the bullets, resulting in an explosion of steam as the two attacks cancelled one another out. Blaze snapped his fingers against, multiple fireballs forming in the air around him, each bearing a demonic smile and glowing yellow eyes.

"Hitodama!" The dozen or so balls of fire rocketed through the air, shooting towards Shirou, who was unable to maneuver properly.

"Fifth Form!" Shirou's Sacred Gear again changed to the form of a snow-white-colored blade. He swung viciously as each sphere came at him, the attacks incredibly slow to the sword strikes he had witnessed from Kiba. However, even though he swung at the fiery balls with the speed and skill of a professional athlete, their numbers were too great and, eventually he was overwhelmed, several hitting him from several different directions simultaneously. A loud explosion rang out as Shirou felt his body swallowed by several pressurized flames, his body dropping limply to the ground with a painful, solid _thud_. He couldn't help but let out a wince of pain as he pushed himself up onto all fours. "Well that fuckin' hurt..." He instinctively leaped back onto his feet, avoiding another blast of magical fire. "Piss off with that already! Killer Iceberg!" Gathering his magical power into one form, Shirou crafted a massive, sharp-edged spear-like boulder of ice, launching it in Blaze's direction.

"Hmph!" Blaze scoffed, extending his hand again. "Is that the best you got?"

Shirou smirked, holding both hands out. "No-THIS IS! Splintering Iceberg!" Before Blaze could properly react, the massive boulder of ice exploded outward, dozens if not hundreds of pieces of sharp, jagged shards of ice ripping through the air. Blaze crossed his arms, creating a circular barrier of flames in front of him. Most of the shards melted before even coming close, but several larger pieces made it through, cutting through Blaze's coat and across his flesh.

"I stand corrected." Blaze noted, snickering. "You _have_ learned a few new tricks. Just a damned shame they won't do you any good, coz this is where you will finally die, Shirou Fujimura."

"Yeah, well a lot of people have told me that." Shirou said casually. "All of them are either dead or in prison. So, which one are you?"

"Ah, but you see, the difference between me and them is that they lacked conviction." Blaze said, clenching his fist in front of him. "Unlike them, I know what you're capable of and there is nobody in this world who has a greater desire than me to see you dead."

"That so?" Shirou asked, disinterested.

"And once I'm done with you, I wouldn't mind having some fun with those satanic babes you hang around with."

Shirou gasped in disgust and horror.

"KILL THEM!" Blaze quickly added, panicked as he realized the implication of his own words. "I meant KILL THEM! Fight and KILL them! Not that thing that clearly came to mind! I'm not Freed, damn it! I'm not into that!"

"Oh." Shirou said, relieved even if only a little. "Well, there's no way in Hell I'm going to let that happen either. Before, you were just kind of in my way, but if you plan on laying a hand on my friends," Shirou cracked his knuckles, "then that's even more of a reason for me to go ahead and kick your ass."

Blaze chuckled, reaching into his pocket. For a moment, Shirou was about to unleash his spell, only for Blaze to hold up his hand. "Relax," He said, pulling out what looked to be a carton of cigarettes, "I'm just getting a smoke." As if completely indifferent to the situation before him, Blaze shook a cigarette from the carton, picking it up at the end with his mouth. He held up his thumb, the smallest of spark lighting up at his fingertip, lighting the front end. There was silence as Blaze took a puff, holding it in his lungs for a moment before exhaling, the smoke smelling more toxic than any light poisoning. "Sorry, it's a bad habit I picked up."

Shirou wasn't fooled. Blaze was stalling. He wanted to make sure that the distance between Shirou and his comrades became great enough that there was no chance of interference this time around. Meanwhile, Blaze's own comrades(?) would have ample time to find them. Still, moving recklessly would have done no good. It was obvious enough from their last fight that it was a stalemate between them. In terms of power, they were matched and opposite in element. Like Xenovia said, they had poor compatibility. If anything, it would have been the person who moved _first_ who would probably be defeated.

All Shirou could do for the moment was play his game.

"If we're taking a break here," Shirou said, "then perhaps you can answer a few questions that have been bugging me?"

Blaze took the cigarette from his mouth, blowing the smoke in Shirou's direction. "I suppose."

"First question: How the Hell did you end up working for Kokabiel?"

Blaze chuckled. "Simple enough. You see, my Boss said that he needed me to help carry out this big plan of his." Shirou stared, expecting more. "And that's all there is to it. What? How complicated did you think the story was going to be. There are only so many ways to give someone a job."

"Fair enough." Shirou agreed. "Second question: What is Kokabiel planning? What's the point of this? The Excaliburs? Murdering priests? I don't understand what the point is. He's going to go overboard and the other leaders will end up getting involved."

"Ah, but isn't that the point?" Blaze asked rhetorically. "Sometimes, if you want to get people's attention, all you need is one. Big. BOOM."

Shirou raised a brow, suspicious. "What...do you mean "Boom"?" The more he thought about it, the more confusing it became and the angrier he got. "Don't you realize that if things keep going like this, we'll all end up embroiled in a second Great War!"

"Ding ding ding!" Dread filled Shirou's heart when Blaze smirked, tapping the tip of his nose. "You hit it right on the nose!"

Shirou stared, horrified at Blaze's revelation. "You're telling me...he WANTS to start another war!? AND YOU'RE HELPING HIM!?"

"Really, I would have thought stealing the Excaliburs and taunting the Church would have made it obvious enough."

For a moment, Shirou couldn't find the words to properly voice his shock. "W-Why!?"

Surprisingly, rather than mock Shirou or laugh in amusement, Blaze scowled. "So the world will finally be rid of existences like you disgusting Devils and those worthless Angels!" He snapped. "We've suffered for too long! You Devils rely on us humans so much and yet you treat us as disposable, killing us and taking those we care about at your own leisure! By the war's end, you will have wiped each other out and only humanity will remain supreme!"

"But what about the Angels?" Shirou asked. "If anything, wouldn't you be on the Church's side? They're the ones who apparently have the mandate of God or whatever."

Much to Shirou's confusion, Blaze, again began to laugh. "Wow! The Boss wasn't wrong! You idiots really know nothing!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Shirou asked. "And why would you work with the Fallen Angels to start a war between the three factions? I still don't understand! I mean, I understand that your thoughts about Devils are pretty common among the Church, but why the Angels? If anyone, why not work with them?"

"Because they're hypocrites!" The end of his cigarette began to glow more brightly, the heat intensifying with Blaze's anger. "They claim to spread a message of love and peace when all they do is push their own agenda, discrimination, and personal hate upon the rest of us! They claim God's there, that He's listening, but when has He or any of them ever done _anything_ for us?!"

"That's fair." Shirou agreed. After all, if anyone was critical of the Church and their hypocrisy, it was him. "But to start a war just to spite Him and the Devils?"

Blaze face-palmed, shaking his head. "You still don't get it, do you?" He laughed. "No, of course someone like you wouldn't get it. A pathetic monster like you..."

Shirou's eye twitched, but he didn't retort.

"It's not about _revenge_. It's about taking those assholes off their fucking pedestals!" He said. "Those fake gods who care only for their own prosperity, using humans for their own gains and ignoring the evils perpetrated by monsters like _you_. They should all just die!"

"But I still don't understand! Why use the Fallen Angels to start a war?! Why help Kokabiel of all people!?"

"Because he's the only person who has the balls to do what the rest of you can't!" Blaze glared at Shirou with a surprising amount of furious passion. "Don't misunderstand though. I want every single one of those fuckers to die, _including_ Kokabiel! Every single Devil, Angel, and Fallen Angel! Every man, woman, and child! I'll do whatever it takes to wipe out you fucking monsters!"

Shirou frowned. _"Something about that...seems familiar."_ In a way, he couldn't entirely write off the man's rage. There was no denying that Devils have done horrible things, that Angels have been neglectful, and that Fallen Angels were usually somewhere in-between. "Look, I can't disagree with what you're saying, but you're talking about a war that will span across multiple mythologies! Millions if not billions of humans will die along with those you hate! You're going to kill _almost everyone_!"

"I know that." Blaze said quietly. "But the only way to fix this disgusting world of ours is to pull it out by the roots and start over. Even though there will be many casualties, the world will be born anew through the chaos, this time without wretched existences such as yourself, Fujimura. People die yes, but we were all living on borrowed time anyway, so does it really matter? As long as you monsters exist, we're all already as good as dead."

Shirou's eyes widened at the apathy the youth was displaying. "Tell me, Blaze: Why are you SO FUCKING EVIL!?"

Blaze shrugged. "It's a matter of perspective, really." He had already smoked his cigarette all the way to the end. He dropped it onto the ground and stomped on it with the tip of his shoe, putting it out. "You perceive me as "evil" due to what I intend to do, but you are ignorant of your own wickedness, your _own_ sins, Shirou Fujimura!"

"What are you talking about...?" He wasn't sure why, but Shirou felt a sick feeling in his stomach.

For a brief moment, the eyes behind Blaze's mask flashed dangerously. However, he quickly calmed down. "No...I don't know why I expected you to remember." He sighed. "After all, you're just like the rest of those monsters. You hurt those precious to people and you can't even be bothered to remember them."

Shirou tried to maintain a confident, but the further they discussed it, the more nauseous he began to feel. "Look, "Blaze", I don't know what you're deal is," He said, "but whatever pathetic reason is making you cry yourself to sleep and blame your problems on me and the Devils: Get over it!"

""Pathetic"...?" Blaze lower his face, but Shirou knew what was coming from the way Blaze's fists clenched tightly at his side. "BASTARD!"

He moved with speed Shirou hadn't expected from a normal human. He barely had enough time to conjure an ice rune in the air before Blaze drove his flame-covered fist into Shirou's stomach. It still hurt like a bitch, but the ice cancelled out most of the flames and prevented major injury.

Still, a punch with that level of force was enough to launch him into the air. Blaze used his flames to give himself a boost into the air, orienting himself right above Shirou.

"AFTER WHAT YOU DID TO HER, YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO CALL HER PATHETIC!?" He coated the bottom of his shoe in flames, stamping down hard on Shirou's back and kicking him into a newly-made crater in the dirty. "No matter what, I'm going to kill you, Fujimura!"

For some reason, something about this seemed awfully familiar...

"What are you talking about!?" Shirou let out a groan of pain, quickly rolling over and firing a surprise shot from his rifle.

Blaze's rage, while increasing the power of his Sacred Gear, caused his reflexes to deteriorate slightly, taking the full blast before dropping out of the air like a fly.

Both youths pushed themselves off of the ground, Shirou worse for the wear as a result of the burns sustained from Blaze's flames. Blaze, meanwhile, had only sustained minor damage to his own form with a few cracks forming in his mask.

Blaze buried his face in his hand, taking breathing harshly like some kind of animal. "That's what really pisses me off...!" He growled. "You don't even fucking remember...! If anything, _that_ is the main reason why I want to kill you! Why I went so far as to work with monsters to get the job done!"

"Me!? What did I ever do to _you_?"

"You may not remember..." Blaze hissed. "...but I do. Everyday, I live with the constant reminder of my failure, my inability to do a damned thing to stop you." He removed his hand, glaring daggers as pieces of his mask began to crack and fall off. "I couldn't save her...Back then, I couldn't save her...! I still can't save anyone...I couldn't save my friends either...! I wasn't strong enough...!"

"Blaze...?"

"But now...Hehehe..." He raised his hands, hellish flames beginning to light up around his flesh. "...Now things are different. Now I'm strong enough...At least, I'm strong enough to finish YOU!" He rushed forward, blindly swinging his fists. Shirou summoned his Ice Devil's Fang, using it to parry or deflect each strike. While Blaze's reflexes had become poor, his speed and the intensity of his flames only seemed to go up, using small flames or air pressure created using his flames to increase the speed of his body's movements. For every cut Shirou landed on Blaze's body, Blaze matched it with a burning punch to Shirou's. They were still evenly matched. The only thing that had changed was the intensity, even their surroundings becoming affected by their battle.

Entire trees were burned to ash in an instant by Blaze's flames while much of the landscape and wild life were frozen solid from the massive amounts of freezing aura Shirou was exuding.

"HITODAMA!"

"BLIZZARD RING!"

Despite Shirou's efforts, Blaze's fireballs quickly melted through his barrier made of snow, forcing him to lunge out of the way.

"JUST FUCKING DIE, FUJIMURAAAA!" Blaze shrieked, more and more of his mask cracking and flaling apart, leaving only the left side of his face hidden. "Yamata-no-Orochi!" Eight, serpent-like tendrils of flames shot out from Blaze's hands, snaking through the air, carving through the ground, tearing apart any obstacle in their path.

Shirou bared the dagger-like fingers of his Nilfheim Ravager, bobbing and weaving in-between the lunges and thrusts of the tendrils' heads, cutting apart any that got too close or presented their necks to him.

"OK, so fill me in then!" Shirou snapped as he narrowly avoided being impaled by Blaze's sword of fire. He slapped Blaze's face with the back of his gauntlet, knocking him off-balance. "Fifth Form!" He drew his sword, exchanging strike after strike with his enemy. "What exactly did I do that was so bad to you?"

"You want to know...?" Blaze asked mockingly, locking his blade against Shirou's. "Fine...Before you die, I want your sins to be the last thing you ever feel."

"Fine...but take that stupid mask off first!" Before Blaze could even think to react, Shirou reached forward with his right hand, sweeping his fingers beneath the broken edge of his mask and scooping it off of his face, inadvertently knocking his hood off in the process. The moment the mask came off, however, Shirou's eyes widened in shock. "...No way..."

"Hraaugh!" The unmasked youth gave a shove forward, knocking Shirou back several feet. Shirou didn't even try to fight it. He was too deep in shock. "Blaze" gave a bitter smirk. "Huh...with that shit memory of yours, I didn't think you'd remember me."

He still wore that stupid red bandanna over his short, black hair and his thuggish face hadn't changed since he had led the Yellow Diamonds.

"K-Kaido...?" Shirou couldn't help but stare.

A few months ago, Kaido had just been an ordinary street thug, the leader of a popular gang known as the Yellow Diamonds, one among many who always aimed for Shirou's place at the top as the "strongest delinquent" and he appeared to have a bone to pick with Shirou especially. He and his crew had ended up being enlisted (more like conscripted) into efforts to take Shirou's head by the Stray Devil, Eliade. If it weren't for Rias and the others showing up at the last minute, he would have gotten away with it and Shirou would have died back then. Although, he did make up for it a little by telling Shirou where Eliade's hiding place was after the Stray had kidnapped Kiyome in an attempt to lure Shirou to his death.

To see him now, having power rivaling that of a Devil, working for a warmonger like Kokabiel...it made the situation ten times more confusing and inconceivable.

"What's the matter, Fujimura?" Kaido taunted, laughing mockingly. "Surprised? Well, so am I honestly. As it turned out, the power to control flames was always mine to begin with. Eliade's little power boost just woke it up. After that, my Sacred Gear started emitting signals to others with power like mine. I was found by the Boss and taken in, taught how to control this power, how to use it. I trained both my body and my power for months all for the day I could finally burn you to a crisp, Fujimura."

"So that's what happened..." Shirou said to himself. At some point before the incident with the Fallen Angels, Kaido had gone missing. Not even his own gang had heard from him. Shirou always kept an ear out for some sign or news, but nothing ever turned up. It never seemed like a matter related to the supernatural, so he didn't think to bring it up with Rias. "But I don't get what this is all about? You're really going to destroy the entire world just to become the King of Delinquents?!"

Shirou didn't think there was a word to describe the expression of pure fury Kaido's face contorted into.

"You think THAT is what this is about...!?" He snapped, roaring flames gathering around him. "You honestly think that childish bullshit is what this is all about!?" He threw a fireball at Shirou, the latter barely able to raise his guard in time to block most of the damage. "No...this is about something else...Something that actually MATTERED!" Again, Shirou was blown away by the explosive power of Kaido's attack. "So, allow me to regale you with the story. The story of a pathetic weakling who couldn't stop a monster from hurting his girl."

"I think I can guess which one I am..." Shirou groaned out, pushing himself back up to his feet. "...wait...Girl?"

"It all began a long time ago on a rainy day..." Kaido began. "He and his crew, they were some old-fashioned "Punch and steal everything" kind of group. Just a group of guys who broke a few rules for fun. They wanted to be top-dogs, so they thought it would be hilarious to take on the supposed King of Kuoh, rumored to be a total monster. That was the first mistake. On that day, they cornered him. The rain was so heavy they couldn't see two feet in front of them, but they had him..."

"No..." Shirou was too slow to realize it. The reason for the dread welling up inside of his heart. The reason why he was so terrified.

"Then he hurt that girl...right in front of the group he had already pounded into the dirty..." Kaido said, his voice cracking. "She wasn't supposed to be there...She wasn't...!" He took a few deep breaths. "She tried to protect them...She took out an old pocket knife she never really used. All she wanted to do was get the monster's attention off of him...There was nothing the weakling could do to stop the monster from hurting her, beating her over and over..."

"No way..." That time, Kaido noticed Shirou's gasp, a bitter smirk appearing on his face. "That can't be..."

"What? Did you honestly think your sins were never going to catch up to you?" Kaido asked. "This time, the roles are reversed...I'm going to make you pay for what you did to her!" A heavy stream of flames shot from Kaido's palms blasting Shirou away.

He weakly growled at Kaido. The world was beginning to spin and Shirou was having trouble holding down the bile in his throat. He couldn't even think...

"Well what the Hell was she to you anyway!?"

"EVERYTHING!" Kaido's eyes became bloodshot, blood trickling from his nose as the strain of his powers began to take their toll, dozens of not hundreds of small fireballs forming in the air. "HITODAMA 100x!"

"Auuuuuuuuuugh!"

Shirou was buried beneath the hellish rain, burning his flesh and practically boiling his blood.

All that was left when the smoke cleared was Shirou, curled up in defeat in a large, smoking crater. Most of his clothes were burned to ashes and his back and most of his right side were charred and blistered.

Kaido shoved his hands into his pockets, casually approaching Shirou. He casually kicked Shirou in the side, scoffing. "Look at you now. So pathetic." He knelt down and grabbed one of Shirou's arms. "And now I'm going to make sure you suffer. Just like she did. Just like I have." The burning aura surrounding Kaido's hands spread down Shirou's left arm, seeping inside his open wounds. The flesh became charred black, red, burning cracks forming all over his flesh. "Nobody will ever even realize you died and you'll just as soon be forgotten."

"K...ie..."

"Hm?" Kaido raised a brow. "You're still conscious?"

"K...th...irt..."

"What?" Kaido raised Shirou up by his arm, glaring daggers.

"Eat dirt, Kaido!" It was such a ridiculous, dirty tactic that Kaido hadn't seen it coming. Shirou scooped up a hand of cold, wet dirt, and flung it right at youth's face and open mouth.

"Ptaah!" It was while Kaido was busy spitting up grits and wiping his stinging eyes that Shirou made his move, lifting up both of his legs and drop-kicking Kaido in the stomach.

The pain caused Kaido to loosen his grasp, allowing Shirou to flop to the ground. Before Kaido could get his bearings, Shirou scrambled to his feet, vanishing into the remains of the ruined brush, hiding behind the trunk of a nearby tree.

"Fujimuraaaaa!" Kaido called out, scanning the area around him. "Stop running and face your death!" He exploded a nearby tree with a fireball. "Even if you try to run, my flames will burn you from the inside out! There's no stopping it! The flames will course through your arm, all the way to that black Devil heart of yours! You will taste an eternal moment of death until your last heartbeat!"

Shirou huffed and puffed, looking down at his arm, grimacing as he watched the blackness spread up his arm almost to his shoulder, more and more cracks opening up in his flesh.

He was right. It felt like someone has shoved a hot light bulb into his flesh. There was no doubt that, if nothing was done, he would die.

"So why don't you come out? I promise I'll make it nice and quick! You won't even feel it!"

Shirou knew this was a lie...if Kaido was telling the truth, there was no forgiveness. No mercy.

Tightly clutching his left arm, digging his nails into his own flesh, Shirou was resolved.

"HEY, KAIDO!"

"Hm?!" The bandanna-wearing youth turned in his direction, hands open to blast him to nothingness.

"CATCH!" This was followed by a sharp, bloodcurdling scream and something flew through the air.

When Kaido saw it, his eyes widened in shock. That was when something wet and hot slapped into his face, leaving ample amounts of thick, oozing liquid. "What the Hell?!" Kaido desperately clawed at his face, trying to wipe the substance from his face. "What...?" He looked at his hands, trying to see through his stinging eyes. "What the-"

"It's over!"

It happened before Kaido could even reflect on his poor decision.

Shirou burst out of cover, sprinting up to Kaido, sword drawn.

Kaido was so shocked that he barely registered the sword passing through the center of his chest. "Ugh-Ugraugh...!" He tried to reach for the sword with trembling hands, but was unable to do anything as a freezing aura traveled through the blade, causing ice to build up around the edges of his wound and inside his body. "Ughrugh!" He spat up blood, his body going limp before Shirou withdrew his sword, gravity dragging Kaido down to his knees.

"..." Shirou panted, staring in wide-eyed horror at what he had done. "...Kaido...?" It might have just been the first time he ever consciously killed someone. "Kaido...?"

"Ptaauh!" Kaido choked up more blood, glaring murderous daggers at Shirou. "Damn you...Fujimura..." His eyes wandered over to the discarded "projectile". "Hn...to think you would use your own severed arm as a distraction..." He watched as every inch of flesh turned black, the burning cracks widening until it broke to pieces, gradually eroding into mere ashes. "...You mental motherfucker..."

Shirou covered the bloody stump that had once held his left arm, tracing a rune over it. "Hrrgrugh!" He winced in pain as solid ice began to encase the wound, stopping the bleeding. "...Hey, being arm-less is better than dying..." He stumbled a few steps before he practically fell over, leaning against a nearby tree for support as he was taken by a dizzy spell. If it wasn't the pain, it was the blood he had already lost. He let himself lean against the tree, sliding down to the ground. "...What say we call this one a draw...?"

"N...No..." Kaido groaned, using his arms to stop himself as he fell forward. Drops of blood sprinkled out from the wound in his chest. "...Not after I've come so far..." He pushed himself to all-fours, clearly struggling as all feeling started to leave his body. He did his damned near best to put himself on one foot, but the first time he tried, he immediately fell back to his knees.

"Kaido?"

"I'll kill you...I'll definitely kill you...!" Kaido coughed up blood, sharp _crack_ _s_ sounding through the air as the ice spread across his chest. Blood leaked out between icicles, dripping from the tips. "I won't lose...to a monster like you...!"

Shirou wearily shook his head. "It's over, Kaido...You lost."

"NO!" Kaido barked, coughing up more blood from the strain on his lungs. He clutched his chest, tightly grabbing a nearby tree for support, his murderous gaze unwavering. "It isn't right...It isn't _fair_! You're nothing more than a monster in human skin! A beast! Yet I am the only one to suffer! You took what I cherished most and I gave up even more to reclaim it...and still...!" Tears of frustration welled up in Kaido's eyes as he took a step, almost completely falling over from his unsteady balance. "Even in that pathetic state, you crush every single last wish in my heart...! You took her dream away, you took her away from me, you took my best friends away from me..." Kaido trembled, biting his lower lip. "DON'T YOU HAVE ANY SHAME AT ALL!?"

"Kaido...? Kaido!" Even though his wounds were only opening up further, even though he had already sustained internal damage, Kaido's body refused to cease function. "Stop! You're losing too much blood!" However, the incendiary youth didn't hear his warning, continuing his struggle. "You're going to kill yourself, you idiot! Knock it off!" He had already been responsible for one terrible thing in Kaido's life. He didn't want to be responsible for Kaido's death either. He winced as he attempted to pull himself up before immediately falling back.

It was no good. He had sustained even more damage than Kaido. His lack trick had used up all of the adrenaline his body could produce.

The crippling pain from ripping off his own burning arm hardly helped his situation.

"...I won't forgive you...!" Kaido shook his head, tears mixing with the blood flowing down his face. "...I won't forgive any of you monsters! You disregard the pain and suffering you sow, all for your own gain...! Well damn you all!"

Shirou winced, lowering his head.

"...Even if the world refuses to judge you, I will curse your name even with my dying breath!" Blood stained his teeth, flowing down his chin, every muscle in his face straining as his body opposed every action. "May all of your hopes and dreams fall to ruin! May all that you cherish be destroyed by your own hands! Let the blood of your comrades dye the earth red, and as you all fall down into the deepest pits of Hell, may you experience the agonizing taint from every last one of your sins!" Even after falling to the ground, Kaido dragged his body forward, a trail of blood paving the ground he crawled over.

He was going to die. He would not survive. The only thing left was whether or not he could take Shirou with him.

" _That's enough of that, newbie._ "

"Huh?" Shirou blinked several times, realizing that the voice he hard didn't belong to anyone he knew. For a brief moment, he feared it was Kokabiel, the mastermind behind this entire incident.

That was then the magic circle appeared between him and Kaido. It was one he didn't recognize (granted, he had only observed a total of two types so far in his life).

Bright light radiated outward from the circles edge, about a dozen silhouettes rising up from the ground.

"Wow, you really got yourself into some shiiiiiit~" One voice, a girl's, called out teasingly. When the light cleared, Shirou was finally able to get a good glimpse as the true appearances of the silhouettes.

All but two of them were practically face-less, wearing long robes with cowls over their heads...well, it was an exception for the five or six females. They all wore hoods, but their robes showed a large portion of their surprisingly curvaceous figures.

The two standing at the forefront of their group were different, however.

One was a young girl, about Shirou's age, perhaps a year younger, possessing blonde locks so golden that it gave Asia's shiny hair a run for its money. Her beauty was alarmingly similar as well. If it wasn't for her significantly larger bust, eye color, and hair style, he would have mistaken her for Asia's twin sister. At her side was a thin, narrow sword...a rapier.

"We must hurry." The other youth, A FUCKING GIANT, said. "It will be no good if we're found out before the opening act." He casually walked over to Kaido, punching him hard in the back of the head, the former delinquent's body going limp.

"Kaido!" Shirou instantly regretted his decisions in life, the group suddenly taking notice of his state.

The well-built, giant youth haphazardly threw Kaido over his shoulder, turning to face Shirou. "Oh, so the other one was still alive?"

"Oooh! Oooh!" The girl raised her hand energetically, like a teacher's pet trying to show off. "Let me do him in! You got to do the last one!"

The human building rolled his eyes. "Fine. Just get it over with before we're discovered."

"Yaaay~!" The girl cheered, pulling her rapier from her side. "It's so boring back at base and we never really do anything besides pick-ups like this that I never get a chance to get in on some action!"

"You're offing someone who's already almost a corpse." The larger one snapped. "It's not what I'd call "action"."

"I guess..." The girl agreed, dejected. "Well, if I'm going to kill him, I may as well get a good look at his face. It's rude not to look someone in the eye when you're killing them...or on a date. Or both." Shirou tried to move, tried to run away, but his body refused to respond, even as the girl bent over in front of him, leaning her face in uncomfortably close. She smiled as if she _weren't_ about to commit murder. "Sorry, Devil-chan~ You know too much I'm afraid~"

"Know what!?" Shirou snapped. "I don't even know who you people are!"

"Oh! That's fair." The girl noted, tapping her chin. She quickly regained her childish cheer. "Well, that grumpy-butt over there is Heracles and I'm Jeanne~ Nice to meet you!"

Shirou's eyes widened. "Jeanne...? Heracles...?" A sudden pain ripped through his head. He let out a whine of pain, raising a weak hand to his head. More images, seared deep into the recesses of his mind, passed before his eyes. A smaller girl, clinging to his arm...an older boy standing tall while hiding his fear... "Guraauuugh!"

"Huh?" The girl, Jeanne, stared curiously at Shirou's face. "Could it be you're already about to die anyway? I guess Kai-chan really let you have it back the-" However, after she got closer, she paused for a moment, blinking twice. "Wait a minute..." Alarmed, she used her hand to brush Shirou's bangs out of his face, ignoring his wince of pain as his headaches grew more severe. "No way...Herc! Come look at this!"

Heracles sighed, walking over to Jeanne. "What is it? We're kind of trying to get out of here as quickly as possible." However, he acquiesced with his colleague's request, kneeling down and looking at Shirou's face. "What is iii..." He trailed off, his eyes going wide. "But that's..."

Shirou cracked an eye open, feeling a mix of confusion, pain, and nostalgia when tears began to well up in the corner of the girl's eyes.

"It's you..." She mumbled. She smiled, her tears streaming down her cheeks. "It's really you..." Before Shirou could even process what she said, the girl glomped her body against his, wrapping her arms around him. "Odaaaaaaaa~!"

"Huh?"

"Oda~! Oda~! Oda~! Oda-da~!" She tightened her embrace, causing Shirou's cracked ribs to creak painfully. "I can't believe it! You're really here! You're a Devil, but you're here!"

"...Oda?" Shirou's eye twitched. A sharp pain ran through his skull. "...Who...?"

"Who would have thought we'd meet in a place like this?" Heracles said, running a hand through his hair. He was...smiling. It looked awkward on a big guy like him, but he looked too happy to express it any other way. "You look like shit, Oda."

Shirou's vision fluctuated between clear and blurry, the people before him becoming fuzzy, like static on TV.

"We came here for Kai-chan, but we ended up finding Oda too!" Jeanne cheered. "Cao-kun is going to be so happy!" Shirou was too weak to object as she began to pull on his arm, preparing to drag him with her if she had to. He tried to find the strength to struggle, to free himself, but to no avail. His fight with Kaido had completely wiped him out. The best he could do was let all of his weight onto the ground, using his teeth to anchor himself to the ground with just as much success.

His heart was beating out of control, panic overcoming his rationality.

 _"No...No! Somebody!"_ Shirou pleaded, his consciousness beginning to fade. _"Somebody help! Please...Issei...Rias...Akeno...Anybody!"_ But nobody came...he was alone.

He closed his eyes, dread filling his heart as his body crossed over the edge of the circle.

"Wait!" It was one of the women in the weird robes who spoke up, pointing an accusing finger at Shirou-or, more specifically, his arm. "You cannot bring him with us."

Jeanne smiled at her, but Shirou felt a sharp sense of fear. It was an "Akeno smile". The kind that let you know when you were a second away from being reduced to ashes. "And who are you to tell me what actions are available to me?" She nonchalantly drew her rapier. "Are you trying to cause problems?"

"N-No, ma'am." The woman quickly said. "W-What I mean is-Look at his hand!" Again, the woman pointed. "He bears the crest of the Gremory family! A Reincarnated Devil!"

"So?" Jeanne questioned, clearly disinterested.

"You would be earning the ire of a family which sired one of the current Maous!"

"So?" Jeanne asked again with the same inflection.

The woman shook her head. "So, if they discover him missing, they will be able to track him and through him, us. They would be able to launch an attack before we are properly prepared for future operations, not only crippling our forces but also taking him back by the end anyway!" There was a long silence. Shirou could feel the tension surrounding the woman, her fear of Jeanne very clear.

"..." For a moment, Jeanne didn't speak and the robed woman was clearly afraid of being spontaneously combusted or decapitated.. "..." Then she let out a childish sigh. "Fiiiiiiine!" Trudging, she walked over to a nearby tree and gently set Shirou down against it. Shirou did his best not to react as the girl reached out her hand, gently caressing his cheek. "I guess we'll save the big reunion for later, Oda!" For a moment, it appeared as though she was going away...Then she paused. "Oh to hell with it~!"

"Hmph!?" Shirou's vision was hazy, but he felt the sensation of something soft touching his lips and something soft and wet swirling his tongue around in his mouth. There was also a distinct taste of berries.

What lasted for seconds felt like years until Jeanne finally put away.

Then he felt a soft breath of a whisper against his ear, "I think you look even sexier when you're missing an arm~"

Before Shirou could even consider the fact that this girl may have been even crazier than Akeno or Kiryuu, Heracles dragged her away.

"Come on! Someone's coming!" He urged, his voice suddenly filled with alarm. "We have to go!"

Jeanne whined, clearly struggling against Heracles' grasp as she refused to relinquish her own grasp on Shirou's arm. "But..."

"If we're found out now, everything up to this point has been for nothing."

Even though she clearly wanted to fight, Jeanne was eventually swayed. "OK..." Jeanne gave Shirou one more look, one filled with sorrow and longing. " _Au revoir, mon cheri..._ I'll come back for you, Oda! I promise!" With the utmost reluctance, she allowed herself to be pulled back into the magic circle.

There was another flash of blinding light...and then they were gone.

Shirou was left alone.

So many things were going through his head.

Images. Names. Memories. It felt like his head was about to split open, his brain reduced to mush.

"...Aniki...Herc...Leo...Jeanne..." Tears of blood rolled down the sides of his face, dripping from his chin. "I'm sorry...! I'm so sorry!...I'm sorry!" His expression contorted into one of horror. "Auuugraaaaauuugh!"

There was a flash of white...

Then darkness.

" _...It's almost time, Shirou. Soon the wall in your mind will shatter. What happens next is up to you_."

* * *

 _"Come on, Oda. Don't fall behind." Aniki tightly grasped his hand tightly, making sure he didn't get trampled by the bigger children._

 _"Get a move on!" One of the guards smacked one of the children closer to the wall with the butt of his rifle, knocking them to the ground. "Come on!" He forcibly picked the child up by the collar and shoved them forward. "Anyone who is caught trying to lag behind or escape will be dealt with in the most severe way possible!"_

 _"Oda" whimpered, hiding behind Aniki's back, trembling. However, despite his desire to hide, Aniki dragged him forward by the arm, making sure they stayed side-by-side. "Don't let them notice you." Aniki smiled, his kind face putting Shirou's heart at ease. "It will be fine, just like always. We just need to endure."_

 _"R-Right..." "Oda" whimpered back, doing his best to avoid being spotted by the guards. "A-Aniki, do you think this is "the Test"?"_

 _For a moment, Aniki considered the question. "Possibly." He answered vaguely. He smiled again and, as before, Shirou's heart felt at ease. "If it is, we'll pass it no doubt. Just think, Oda: If we pass this test, we get to become one of the "special ones". No more needles. No more tests. Like the others, we'll finally be free. You just need to be strong for a little while longer."_

 _"B-But what about Jeanne and the others?" Aniki looked troubled for a moment, frowning. However, when he noticed "Oda" was staring at him, he quickly put his smile back on his face. "Aniki, I-I don't w-want to leave them behind!"_

 _"Keep quiet over there!"_

 _"Oda" cringed, resisting the urge to curl up. "Anikiiii...?"_

 _Aniki patted "Oda" reassuringly on the shoulder. "It will be alright. They're just as great as us, so there's no doubt they'll be chosen too." He said. "Don't worry. No matter what, I'll be by your side."_

 _...but that was a lie. Neither of them knew it, but Aniki told his first lie, the first time he ever lied to him._

 _The two quickly filed into a large room, at least the size of a school gymnasium, along with the other children. There were dozens of them. At least over a hundred or two._

 _"Oda" and Aniki shared one more glance at one another before they were forced to release each others' hands, standing a fixed distance from one another._

 _They were lined up in rows, like soldiers ready to go to war._

 _He didn't know then what it all really meant. What fate held in store for them..._

 _This was the day Death left his mark._

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** Defeat the Fallen Angel! The Fight Against Excalibur Reaches Its Climax! (Part 1)

* * *

 **I was bored, so I felt like posting this one early. Next up is the two or three part finale! Finally! The Excalibur Arc is almost at its end!**

 **Shirou's sworn enemy is Kaido! Ha! Bet none of you paid attention to the parts about Kaido's grudge in the first arc, didja! Bet you thought that sob story Shirou gave about his fear of losing control and hurting innocent people was just nonsense I used to solve Koneko's trama! But yeah! That's starting to come full-circle! There's obviously more to this than I have revealed, but I won't say until the time is appropriate.**

 **More of Shirou's past is being revealed, bit by bit, and apparently he knows two antagonists who aren't mentioned anymore in the canon despite the fact they were strong enough to rival Devils who have already faced Ultimate-Class beings.**

 **Seriously! What happened to Heracles and Jeanne? Are they still in prison? Why are they in prison by Cao Cao, Leonardo, and Georg get to go free? I hate how Ishibumi does things but never follows up on them ever. Then again, I guess if it weren't for that tom-fuckery, we wouldn't have so much material for fanfics, no?**

 **Anyway~**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	38. Chapter 33: Excalibur Arc Finale Part 1

**Here's to reaching the 500 review mark! That's half of a thousand reviews! .5K! To all of you who have been reviewing and reading, thank you!**

 **Also, I'm sorry it's been a while since I last updated. Between school and life and shit, I didn't realize how much time has passed. I HAVE the chapters. Right now? Working on Part 4 of the 4-part finale. Almost done, but I'm still posting as normal chapters.**

 **Time for a new Disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: I'm just going to go out on a record and say I don't own a damned thing besides Shirou. High School DxD, High School DxD New, High School DxD BorN, and all related media are the property of Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Funimation, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the offical release!**

* * *

 **Chapter 33: Defeat the Fallen Angel! The Fight Against Excalibur Approaches Its Climax! (Part 1 of 4)**

When Shirou woke up, he had the _worst_ headache...well, it was hard to call it just a headache when every single part of his body felt like it had take several trips through Hell and back.

"Ugh...somebody get the number of that fucker who burned me to a crisp..." Shirou groaned, his eyes hurting too much for his lids to slide open. "Seriously, everything hurts...well, 'cept my left ar-" He cracked an eye open. "...Aw fuck, that's right."

"You should be satisfied you're alive at all." Mikoto's half-chipper voice said, ringing in his ears. "Most people wouldn't survive five broken ribs among several other broken bones, punctured lung, fractured knee, third-degree burns, and an ungodly amount of blood-loss, the shock of losing an arm right on top of that."

Shirou groaned, managing the will to open his eyes. His vision was blurry for a moment, adjusting to the light in the room. At first, he thought it was sunlight out, but then, when his vision finally cleared, he noted the shining fluorescent light bulb attached to the ceiling.

"You've been out several hours." Shirou turned his head, staring at the petite woman sitting in a wooden chair propped up next to his bed. Mikoto's expression was abnormally solemn. "I had Kuroka use her Senjutsu to accelerate your body's healing factor. You should be a bit sore, but your physical condition should be at its peak..." She averted her eyes from his missing arm. "...Mostly."

Shirou didn't meet her gaze. "...Ka-san..." He bit his lower lip. "I fucked up...I fucked up real bad..." He didn't even bother questioning how she knew about Kuroka.

Mikoto sighed. "We'll need to find you a prosthetic or some kind of replacement arm." She said, trying to be reassuring. "Thankfully, your nerves weren't damaged too bad, and I know someone who-"

"No, not that..." Shirou said, struggling into a sitting position. He curled his legs up against his chest. "...We were out hunting the Excaliburs."

As usual, Mikoto appeared as though she had expected this, taking all of it passively. "...Is everyone alright?"

"Yes," Shirou answered before thinking it over, "...No...I...I don't know. We let ourselves get split up. I don't know what happened to everyone after that. I ended up lagging behind Kiba and the two Exorcists and then..."

"You encountered more enemies?" Mikoto asked, oddly inquisitive.

"Yes...well, it was just the one." Shirou clarified. "A former street thug I used to know, Kaido. He had a Sacred Gear and threw his lot in with Kokabiel...And it's my fault. Ka-san...I did something really bad...At first, I really hated him for what he did, but...it's my fault. I'm the one who made him join Kokabiel's side. I...I did something horrible to him and...and..." His eyes began to sting. "It seems the only thing I ever seem to do is make things worse. Kiyome was kidnapped by Eliade because of me, Kalawarner ended up getting hurt, and...all I ever seem to do is hurt people, Ka-san..."

"That's not true." Mikoto said softly, gently prying Shirou's arms away from his face. She managed a small smile. "You made me happy. You make me happy everyday just by bein' yourself."

"Even when I'm being asshole?" Shirou muttered.

"Language, young man." Mikoto said, pinching his cheeks. "But when you get so bummed out and insulting yourself, it really makes me upset, so you need to snap out of it, you know? Even if you act so depressed, the world will keep on moving, so there's no point beating yourself up."

"But, Ka-san, I...I hurt someone Kaido cared about...it's my fault Eliade ended up targeting his friends, why so many people died..."

"Then you need to cheer up and get your head together." Mikoto said, gently petting Shirou's head, stroking her hand through his hair. "If you really feel horrible for what you've done, then you need to work on finding him so you can apologize."

"How can I possibly apologize?" Shirou snapped. "What do I say? "Oh, sorry for crippling your girlfriend! Let's be pals"!? I essentially made him become a terrorist!"

"Shirou, you didn't _make him_ do anything." Mikoto argued. "You have wronged him, but his decisions are his own. You can only apologize for what you have done to him, but you cannot apologize for what he does with his own free will. If you blame yourself for the sins of someone you wronged long ago, then your grief will never end."

Shirou lowered his head again, deeply considering Mikoto's words. "...You know, after I beat him, these weird guys showed up. There were several people in robes with these weird markings on them," Shirou said, doing his best to make gestures with only one arm, "and then there were these two other guys who came to collect Kaido. They came to collect Kaido, but they didn't seem to be on the Fallen Angels' side really. They...They almost took me too."

"I know." Mikoto said, closing her eyes as a pensive expression appeared on her face. "I was the reason they fled as they did. I wasn't exactly subtle in my aggression towards people who lay their hands on my baby. I wasn't able to catch a look of them, but they were human at least. The people in robes were probably Magicians, humans who unlocked the ability to use magic through deciphering the formulas used by Devils. As for the other two, I can't say. All I know is that they weren't normal humans."

"It was Jeanne and Heracles, Ka-san." Shirou lowered his head, doing his best to hide his trembling. "I...I know them. They know me...I can't remember, but I know them. I know them, I know their names. Every time I try to think about them, my head starts to hurt really bad! They...They're important to me, so why? Why can't I remember? I want to remember...I want to remember something before all this, something before I became Shirou Fujimura. Please, Ka-san?" He pleaded. "I want to know, I _need_ to know what happened. You're the supposedly amazing "Slash Empress"! You at least have to know _something_! Please! I can't take it anymore!"

It was clear Mikoto was becoming desperate, doing whatever she could to avoid addressing the subject. "Shirou, I really don't think you should be up before you recover-"

"Tell me!" Shirou snapped. "The world could very well end today or tomorrow, Ka-san! I'm not speaking figuratively here! There is a psychotic priest helping a warmongering Fallen Angel from the Bible start a second Great War! That's going to be like dropping a planet size atomic bomb on all of our heads! We could all literally die tomorrow!"

"Shirou," Mikoto said, her expression becoming passive, "you need to get your rest. You don't have to worry about Kokabiel." Shirou grabbed her by the wrist when she tried to stand. Her eyes became hidden behind the shadows cast by her bangs. "Shirou, this is a road you don't want to go down."

"I've been going down this road since the day we met." Shirou argued defiantly. "Ka-san, I love you, I respect you. You're the one who took me in when I had nobody, you clothed me, you housed me, you fed-OK, so you made sure I had food. You're cooking was always kind of horrible actually. Hehehe..." He managed a weak laugh. "...Back then, in that room of white, you were the only person who noticed me. I had no one. To all of the doctors and nurses, I was just a problem they had to check off their lists before moving on. Then there you were, smiling at me..."

Mikoto sniffed, crossing her arms and turning away. "You're not getting to me, Shirou." She was bad at hiding her tears.

"My days were empty, completely devoid of color. Merely an endless repetition of the same pointless movements...Save for one thing. The sound of your laugh whenever I was frustrated. It would drive me up the wall, but it was what got me through those times. In the end, it was you."

"S-Stop it, Shirou!" Mikoto snapped, wiping her tears on her sleeve as she quickly got up from her seat. Before Shirou could stop her, she zipped over to the door, tightening her grasp around the knob. "Focus on getting better, Shirou!" She moved as fast as she could, willing to throw the door off its hinges if she had to.

"Ka-san...Mikoto, who is Ruri?"

All movement suddenly paused, Mikoto's hand tightly gripping the knob. "...Why do you know that name?" The tone of her voice was cold... _dangerous_ even. Her body ceased any and every form of motion, almost frozen in place.

"It was mentioned to me by Valper Galilei." Shirou explained. "He said I resembled Ruri, some kind of researcher he knew." Shirou rubbed his temple with his one hand. "I remember him, Mikoto. A woman in a coat spoke to him. I was there with her...why do I know the face of the monster behind the Holy Sword Project? Why is it every time I think about Galilei, Ruri, Jeanne, or Heracles I experience these intense headaches? Just for once, just once in the seven years I've been your son, tell me the truth: Who is Ruri?"

The tension in Mikoto's shoulders eventually faded as she exhaled deeply. "Fine..." With incredible reluctance, Mikoto released her grip on the door knob, its metal form being twisted and mangled, practically crushed. She took a seat at Shirou's bedside once more. "I suppose, considering the circumstances, I can't hide this from you any longer."

Shirou stared at Mikoto expectantly. "This Ruri...who is she?"

Mikoto sighed. "Shirou...Ruri...Her full name was Ruri Oda." She said. "She was also a renowned researcher in regards to "our side" of the world, this meaning the world relating to Devils, Fallen Angels, Angels and etc. By some, she was known as a Saint, one whose contributions have saved countless lives while others referred to her as a Demon, having no loyalty to any faction and being known as one who singlehandedly earned the ire of even the allies to whom she had contributed research to. There are few in power who have not heard of her or her accomplishments..." However, she quickly wilted underneath Shirou's expectant gaze. She sighed. "...but that's not what you really wanted to know, is it?"

"Mikoto...who is "Ruri Oda" to me?" Shirou asked.

Mikoto bit her lower lip. "Very well...This day was bound to come sooner or later-"

"Stop stalling!"

"OK OK!" Mikoto said, raising her arms in a motion to calm Shirou down. She took another deep breath, like a sky diver preparing to jump out of the plane. "Shirou, your original surname is "Oda"...Ruri is your mother."

There were several long moments of silence.

"...Why do you know this?"

"What?" Mikoto frowned, clearly surprised. "I...I mean, don't you want to know how she and you-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know about the birds and the bees!" Shirou snapped. "Mommy banged Daddy and I was born! Why do you know that she is my mother when I haven't had a shred of information for the past seven years? Mikoto, you owe me this. Why do you know I'm her son? What is she to _you_?" Shirou tried to cross his arms to look serious, only to frown after looking down. "Mikoto, just how much do you know? Ruri Oda is my mother, but after everything that has happened so far, I just can't believe that us meeting was coincidence like this, especially since you seem to know her."

"Ruri...was Mikoto's best friend, Shirou." Mikoto said after some hesitation. "Fifteen years ago, Ruri saved the Slash Empress' life. Ruri had found the Slash Empress critically wounded and, despite being fully aware that she could suffer a gruesome death at any moment, Ruri still chose to save her life. Since then, the Slash Empress has owed Ruri a life debt that she couldn't even begin to repay. Ruri, who was so bright, a light to shine upon the world, was the person the Slash Empress admired more than any other."

"A little creeped out by how you keep referring to yourself in the third person, but OK." Shirou said. "Then...how do I factor into this, Mikoto...?"

"Well, if you want to know your father, then I can't say I know." Mikoto answered honestly. "I have several ideas, but nothing concrete. All I know is that you were the happiest baby boy back then..."

"But something changed." Shirou added, a sharp pain running through his head. "These...These nightmares...They aren't just dreams, Mikoto."

"No." Mikoto confirmed. "Shirou, these events you experience in your head, they are so much more than mere visions of brutal illusions. Seven years ago, your memories were sealed, Shirou."

"Sealed? By who?"

"By me."

"What?! Why!?" Shirou's expression quickly shifted from shock to anger. "Why would you hide everything about who I am and who I ever was from me!?"

"It was for your own good, Shirou!" Mikoto argued. "The things you experienced were far too horrific for someone like you to be able to cope with. Shirou, if I had let you carry on with those memories in your mind, you would have died a long time ago. It was for your own good!"

"For me own good?!" Shirou parroted, aghast. "It was "for my own good" to let me wonder who I was for the past seven years, not even a clue of where I came from or who my parents were?! "For my own good" that I spent seven years believing that I was abandoned at some shit hospital where I would practice being the nobody I came to be today?! "For my own good" that everything I've known up to this point has been a total lie!?"

"Not everything." Mikoto denied. "I raised you and loved you as though you were my own, Shirou! _That_ wasn't a lie!"

"You hid _everything_ from me!"

"Only by request!"

"Whose request?!"

"That's not important right now, Shirou! You really-"

"Whose request?!"

"Repeating the question isn't going to make me change my answer, Shirou!"

"I had a _brother_!" Shirou snapped, exasperated by the whole situation. More pain ripped through his brain like a meat hook through flesh. "I had friends! Family! People who I knew and who knew me! People I cared about! You took all of that away from me! You took away everything that made up who I was! By someone's _request_?!"

"Shirou, it's not that simple!"

"It is simple! Someone told you to get rid of my memories and you _did it_! What stupid motherfucker told you to do that!?"

"You really shouldn't use that kind of language-"

"MIKOTO, for the love of God, Satan, and every fucking deity out there, just tell me the truth!"

"NO, Shirou! I-"

"Tell me! Who was it!? Who is the piece of shit who did this to me!?"

"I'm not at liberty to-"

"WHO, MIKOTO!?"

"IT WAS _YOU_ , OKAY!"

Shirou was halfway through a retort when his expression froze, quickly fading to an expression of confusion. "Wha?"

Mikoto was hyperventilating, clutching her heart as she desperately tried to cool her face, which was bright red, her eyes stinging with tears. It took at least ten minutes before Mikoto finally spoke again. "It was you, Shirou."

"Wha-What do you mean _it was me_?" Shirou asked, still too deep in shock to understand his adoptive mother's words.

"Shirou, the one who asked me to seal your memories..." Mikoto bit her lower lip, trying to hide the tears in her eyes. "...it was you. You were the one who asked me to seal away your memories. Seven years ago, in that hospital room, you pleaded with me, almost got on your knees and _begged_ for me to take them away. You wouldn't stop crying. You...Every night, I came and you were crying to yourself, asking for "it" to end...I tried to resist it, Shirou." She wasn't denying responsibility. Shirou could see it on her face. Mikoto looked practically nauseous about the whole issue. "I just...I couldn't stand seeing you like that, you know? You asked me to take away your memories, to end the pain you were in, so I did. I "killed" that you...not a day goes by that I don't feel horrible for what I've done, but it was only because of what _you_ asked me to do."

"You're saying...I _asked_ you to seal my memories?" Shirou almost fell back in his bed, blinking several times as if he forgot how to keep his eyes open. "...was it...was it really that bad...?"

"Shirou, you tried to _kill yourself_. _In that hospital room_! You tried to strangle yourself with the IV tube!" Mikoto shook her head, wiping the tears in her eyes with her sleeve. "You literally _couldn't survive_ with those memories inside of your head. You told me that, no matter what, I was never to allow you to remember. You didn't _want to_ remember, Shirou. You didn't want to remember the horrors you endured..."

"I..." Shirou leaned back against the wall, lowering his head. "...I think I can understand now...Why I would want to forget...These nightmares, they're my memories. Memories of what I wanted to forget all of this time...Jeanne, she...I thought I saw her die in my arms. I saw so many other children and adults massacred by those _things_. The monsters...I don't even know...Just how bad does it get, Mikoto? What is the depth of the Hell I endured? Is this even the beginning of it all?"

"I...I didn't mean for any of this to happen." Mikoto said. "You were to supposed to live a normal life, to be able to live care-free as a normal human..."

"Well that kind of went out the window long before I became a Devil." Shirou quipped habitually. "So I asked you to erase who I was...?"

"Yes." Mikoto reached out her hand to pet him on the head, but paused before quickly retracting it. "Shirou, how much do you really wish to know?"

"All of it."

Mikoto was taken aback by how resolute Shirou was. "What?"

"I want to know all of it." Shirou repeated, his eyes unwavering. "I've grown up a lot since I was a kid, Mikoto. I already made up my mind. No matter how terrible it is, I have to know the truth. I'm not just going to run away from my past again like some sissy little girl."

"...Well, where do you want me to start?"

"My name." Shirou said, opening his eyes after some consideration. "Before I met you, I must have had a name, right? All these years, I clung to the name, Shirou Fujimura, because it was all I had. The only sense of identity. I want to at least know my name. If you were my real mother's best friend, you must have known it."

"Very well then." Mikoto nodded. "Shirou, your original name is Nobunaga."

It took a moment for Shirou to let this sink in. "...Nobunaga?"

"Yes."

He paused. "And my mother's surname was "Oda"?"

"That is true-facts."

"Then, my original, true name...is Oda Nobunaga?"

"Correct."

"...Really?" Shirou asked, eyes half-lidded. "Oda Nobunaga is my name?"

"Don't sound so skeptical." Mikoto said. "That's your actual name! I mean it!"

"So, you're saying I'm named after the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven?" Shirou questioned. "The guy who supposedly almost united all of Japan under his rule, _that_ Nobunaga Oda?"

"Well, actually, you're a direct descendant, Shirou."

"...wha?"

"Their blood-line has thinned out considerably over the centuries, but it is still very much alive and well." Mikoto said. "That is where Ruri came from. And you, being her son, also carry the name of the Oda Clan."

"So, my own mother named me after someone who was known as a Demon King..." Shirou pointed out pessimistically. "...Oh what I wouldn't give to see her face if she saw me now..."

"You misunderstand why she named you that." Mikoto argued. "Nobunaga may have gotten a bad rap at times, but everyone still knows and even reveres his name. Regardless of how history looked upon him, he was a man who created a legend. He did great things, not necessarily always paragon things, that live on in the memories of man. She named you that because she held faith that someday you would become someone great...and you _have_. She would be proud to see you now."

"Whatever happened to my mother, Mikoto?" He didn't miss the hesitation on the loli woman's face that time around. "The way you talk about her...what happened to her?"

"I don't know."

"You said you would be honest with me."

"No, I really _don't_ know, Shirou." Mikoto swore. "Nobody does. Seven years ago, Ruri Oda vanished without a trace. Even Mikoto can't find her."

"But weren't you there? You said you knew everything that happened."

"Only because _you_ told me." Mikoto said. "You only remembered what you saw, but, back in the hospital, before I took your memories, you told me everything that happened to you."

"I did?"

"Yes. You wanted to make sure I knew...in case you ever went snooping around for the truth." Mikoto averted her eyes. "You told me that you wanted to know how horrible it was...to truly understand how horrific these memories were. Seven years ago, you passed the truth behind the incident on to me and I have carried that truth ever since. I've done some investigation since then to find out more, but leads were sparse and the little information I found was information I had already figured out by that point. Never once in your memories did you even once recount your mother, so I didn't even have anywhere to start in regards to investigating her disappearance."

"Seven years ago...?" Shirou flinched, wincing as more pain struck his head. "...Seven years ago...Could it have something to do with the incident? That incident, my memories, my mother's disappearance, there's no way it's all a coincidence. Mikoto, what exactly happened seven years ago?"

"..."

"Mikoto, please?" Shirou begged. "If I get my memories back, I might be able to remember what happened to her..."

"..." After several moments of silence, Mikoto sighed. "...Shirou-"

BZZZZZZZT!

The sound of a vibrating cellphone interrupted whatever Mikoto intended to say next.

"That's funny," Shirou said, groping around the pockets of his pants with his one hand, "I could have sworn my latest cell phone was turned into a charred block of plastic...now which pocket was it...?"

"Oh, that's mine!" Mikoto pulled her cellphone from her pocket and flipped it open. "Huh, it's Rias."

"Wait, why does Rias have your cellphone number?"

Mikoto not-so-subtly averted her eyes, picking up the call. "Hello?" She paused. "Uh huh...I see. OK, here he is?" Mikoto handed the cellphone to her child. "It's for you."

Shirou instinctively reached out his left arm...stump. "Oh...right." He sighed. "It's a damned good thing I'm right-handed." He took the phone from Mikoto's hand, putting the speaker to his ear. "Hello?"

[Finally! Where have you been, Shirou?!]

Shirou quickly pulled the phone from his face, cringing as a harsh ringing filled his ears. "Ugh...You know...places. Partying with Issei and Koneko, nothing major. We rented a movie and bought some popcorn-"

[I already know you and Issei were Excalibur-hunting.]

"Shit."

[But that doesn't matter right now. Right now, I need you to join us in front of the school. NOW.]

It didn't take Shirou much time to put two and two together. "Kokabiel's made his move?"

[Yes! His group severely wounded Irina and took her Excalibur! They're regrouping at the school building! Shirou...it's bad.]

"How bad?"

[ _Really bad_. Kokabiel is planning-]

"To reignite the old war," Shirou finished, sighing. "Yeah, I know everything."

[What? How!?]

"Kaido told me."

[Who?!]

"You know what? It's a long story and I get the feeling we don't have a lot of time, so I'll meet you guys there. Hold tight!" Shirou said before pausing. "I need to do one little thing before I join up with you guys."

[We don't have time, Shirou! We need to muster all of our strength here! If Kokabiel uses his power, the whole town will be in danger!]

"Rias, it's something I have to do-"

[Whatever it is, it can wait-]

"It can't wait, Rias! The apocalypse can wait for ten goddamned minutes while I go do something I may not be able to ever do if we all die today!"

There was a sign from the other end of the line.

[...Fine. We can hold off for ten minutes, but make it quick, Shirou.]

"Rockin'. See you later." Shirou hung up the phone, tossing it back to Mikoto and sliding out of bed. "We're going to discuss this more when I get back. Bye, I need to go do something and then try to stop a madman from starting the equivalent of World War III. I'll try to get back as soon as possible. "

"You're really going to challenge someone like Kokabiel?" Mikoto asked, disbelieving. "You know you'll seriously die, right!?"

"Probably." Shirou admitted.

"Shirou, you only just recovered from your previous battle and you're already down one arm!" Mikoto pointed out, emphasizing his lack of physical balance. "Most of the work is already done for them!"

"Not untrue."

"Why are you remaining so nonchalant!?" Mikoto took a deep breath. "Shirou, I'm not joking! This is a Fallen Angel from the Bible! Even I would second-guess attacking him in a head-on confrontation, and I'm the Slash Empress! If you go, you are undoubtedly going to die!" She was clearly panicked. "You-You'll never know who you are, Shirou!"

For a moment, hope filled her expression as Shirou paused. "And, if I don't go, and one of my friends gets hurt or, Maou forbid, dies, I'll never be able to forgive myself and it wouldn't matter anyway." He rummaged through his closet before pulling out a dress shirt. "I can't let another person get hurt because of me..."

"This is about Kaido, isn't it?"

"...Yes." Shirou admitted, putting his shirt on. "Partially, I mean. I can't just let what I did to Kaido go, but that's only a small part of the reason I'm doing this."

"Then why?"

"...Well, at the risk of sounding cheesy and cliche, because of my friends." Shirou buttoned up his shirt, feeling awkward about the sleeve hanging where his left arm had once been. "Ka-san, for the past seven years, I've lived in my own personal Hell. I didn't have anyone I could honestly trust to have my back. I was completely alone. Then I meet Issei, Rias, and everyone, and everything starts feeling okay. For the first time in forever, I stopped caring about my past. I didn't mind not having my own identity because I found a new one in them. Hell, if it weren't for these goddamned nightmares, it probably wouldn't even be an issue. I would still be curious, but I wouldn't feel as those my memories were my only hope of retaining sanity. I trust each and every one of them with my life just as they trust me with theirs. They're my lifeline. My family."

"Shirou...I...You know I..." Mikoto bit her lower lip, looking panicked. "I can't take part in this fight, Shirou! You know that, right?"

"Yeah." Shirou answered immediately, staring blankly.

"You were gonna go even though you believed I wouldn't join?!"

"Well, you already told us you're neutral, so...yeah?" Shirou glanced between Mikoto and the door. "I'm not backing down, Ka-san. A real man doesn't go back on his convictions, no matter what."

"But-But-Shirou, there's-"

He pecked Mikoto on the cheek. "I love you...Ka-san." He smiled softly.

Mikoto knew she had to say something, do something to stop Shirou, but she knew that look all too well. She couldn't find a way to get him to stay, to run away.

The look on his face...

The look of one resolved to face even a fate such as death...

It was an expression that filled her with such a feeling of nostalgia and dread.

Without another word, Shirou left.

"Aren't you going to stop him?" Mikoto didn't really wish to respond as Kalawarner materialized behind her. "I apologize for eavesdropping, Mikoto-sama." The maid of the Fujimura household bowed respectfully. "You do know that, if you had but asked, I could have restrained him before he could react?"

"Then why didn't you?"

"Because it had not been an order."

Mikoto gave Kalawarner a curious look. "You know you're under no obligation to wait for orders on everything."

"Yes, but this is a situation I could not bring myself to act." Kalawarner let out a dreamy sigh. "...If I had to be honest, I was hoping you would order me to stop him or accompany him. I don't like either choice, but then it wouldn't be my choice and I wouldn't have to care."

"Pushing all of the blame onto me?"

"More than anything, I want him to survive..." Kalawarner admitted. "...but I also don't want to impede his path. He is the man I admire most, possibly the first person I ever truly treasured over my long life span."

"What about Azazel?"

"Azazel-sama is an excellent leader and, perhaps if it was the old me, but Shirou was the first time I ever felt more than just physical warmth in an embrace." Kalawarner said, placing a hand over her heart, a light blush pinking her cheeks. "Selfishly, I wish to take him and hide somewhere he cannot be harmed, but I know, ultimately, I cannot stop him. When he's looking up, when he is filled with that burning flame of passion and determination, that is when my admiration peaks."

"...You're not talking about masturbation right now, are you?"

"W-What!?" Kalawarner's face turned pink, her eyes going wide as Mikoto's accusation. "No! Wh-Why would you even think that?! I was trying to say something meaningful and kind! Why did you have to make it seem dirty?"

"Because you had a face full of desire directed at my baby." Mikoto answered, deadpan. "When it comes to you and Shirou, when you say your "admiration peaks", I immediately think sexual climax."

"Well it's not!..." Kalawarner paused. "...This time."

" _She does it a lot when you're not home-nyan_ ~" Both women turned, noting the black cat curled up in the center of Shirou's bed.

"Funny. I would have thought a stray would have scrammed the moment danger reared its ugly head." Kalawarner spat venomously. "What is it you want here, Kuroka?"

" _Meow, that's not nice considering how much effort I put into putting Shirou-chin back together all the time~_ " The black cat purred. " _You make it sound like I don't care at all~_ "

"Do you?"

" _Well, not about this town or the world, no._ " Kuroka admitted freely, lifting up her leg and licking the underside. " _However, in regards to Shirou-chin, I would be pretty bummed for a while if my favorite dimwit went and got himself killed-nyan~_ "

"Then why not go help him yourself?" Mikoto asked, raising an eyebrow.

" _Other than some family drama that would undoubtedly ensue from my presence,_ " The feline said, " _I really don't feel comfortable with dying, thank you._ "

"Shirou could really die!" Kalawarner snapped. "Along with your sister!"

" _Yeah, but worst-case, I could always use illusions and rescue him and Shirone while Kokabiel is busy murdering the others._ " As usual, Mikoto couldn't help but feel contempt for the stray who could so casually say such cruel and horrific things. " _On top of being a criminal who has cut all ties with society,_ _I'm friends with a Heavenly Dragon. Political stuff like this doesn't really matter to me. If anything, I think he'd be elated if a war were to break out. More fun for him._ "

"Selfish cat." Kalawarner spat. "This is why people like dogs better."

" _And your sagging body is probably why guys like younger women better._ "

Kalawarner took a deep breath, closing her eyes as her arms trembled at her side. "Mikoto-sama," She squeaked, "I am going to go wait outside. Let me know when she's gone and you have made a choice." Without further discussion, Kalawarner quickly walked out of the room.

It was hard to ignore the tears of shattered pride coming from the hallway.

Mikoto pursed her lips. "So even if Kokabiel were to destroy everything, you would rescue Shirou?"

" _That's right._ " Kuroka confirmed. " _Only him and Shirone though. I don't particularly care about the others._ "

"...Sometimes, I really wish I could be as cruel as you." Mikoto said, sighing softly. She sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her open hand. "Kuroka, if I join the battle, how long do you think I would have?"

Next time she looked at the cat, it was gone but rather, a young, curvaceous woman in its place. "...An hour. Give-or-take twenty minutes if you push yourself too much." Kuroka laid on her side, propping up her head with her arm. "Either way, it's bad."

"Damn..." Mikoto cursed.

It was then that she saw it.

The change in her hand...no...not a change. Rather, it flickered. More like a glitch.

It had only been a split-second, but, in that split-second, her hand suddenly vanished and reappeared.

"Please...God, please, just a little bit longer..." Mikoto pleaded. "Just give me a little bit more time..."

"...I'm sorry." It was rare that Kuroka ever showed genuine sympathy to another, but, considering the mother of her friend's situation, it was hard to be apathetic when it affected him as well. "I can try to increase it by a few hours using Senjutsu, but engaging in battle now will seal your fate."

"...No." Mikoto shook her head. "I failed. Prolonging the inevitable will only make it worse."

"You see, that's part of why I like you and Shirou-chin." Kuroka said, smirking. "You both have that amusing spirit to you."

"...I know you're a stray, but, if you wouldn't mind, could you perform a contract for me?" Mikoto asked, lowering her head.

"Possibly." Kuroka said nonchalantly. "What would be the price you're paying me?"

"Other than not selling you out to the PoPo?"

"Yes."

"You get Shirou." Mikoto said it before she could properly consider the consequences.

"...What?" Kuroka wasn't an easily surprised woman, but even someone like her would be surprised by something like that.

"You desire to save your species..." Mikoto noted. "...and Shirou is a vibrant youth who isn't altogether unpleasant to look at. I mean, you have that cute face and he could easily have been born a girl so you can probably get into some crazy stuff-"

"OK, I feel on-board with this but I also feel there's some kind of catch." Kuroka interrupted, narrowing her eyes, her tail flicking back and forth. "What is this request of yours?"

"Please..." Mikoto stood from her seat, suddenly prostrating in front of Kuroka as if she were some kind of queen. "Continue watching over my baby boy. Should my time come, I want to make sure someone reliable enough to at least take him and run is involved. So please, both you and Kalawarner, protect him in my place."

"...Wow."

"What?"

"I...I think my heart was actually _moved_ by that." Kuroka said, wide-eyed. "I mean, it's really nauseatingly cheesy, but moving." She sighed. "I suppose if you're giving me such an important request-and your son's virginity-then how can I refuse?"

Mikoto rose from the ground, nodding. "Thank you, Kuroka." She smiled.

"...You know I was going to watch over that moron anyway, right?"

"Of course."

"And you still offered me his "tool"?"

"I wanted to make sure you were motivated...and let's be honest, you were going to take it regardless of my permission. This way, I can feel moderately alright with it."

"Fair enough."

"Now if you excuse me, I have a war to prepare for." Mikoto said, walking over to the door.

"It has been a pleasure..." Kuroka watched, the slightest hint of sadness in her eyes, as Mikoto's body "glitched" once more. "Being around kind, younger men is really bad for me...Way to make me feel all sentimental, Shirou-chin. Now I actually feel sad about what you're about to endure..."

* * *

In hindsight, a phone call probably would have sufficed.

That was what Kiyome thought when she saw the white-haired boy hanging outside her bedroom window, tapping on the glass with an appendage she hadn't realized had become just a stump until she opened the window.

She had been fast asleep in bed, dreaming silly thing that, even in-dream, she knew couldn't be true. Winning a national tennis championship, taming cataloging every known species of monster, getting married...childish dreams. Still, they weren't unpleasant. However, her consciousness was finally stirred by the sound of a knock at the window.

"Shirou...?" Kiyome rubbed her eyes, trying to fully wake up. She looked down at her night gown just to make sure she was dressed in something decent. As her mind slowly came around to full-consciousness, she found herself looking at Shirou's left side. "Hey, Shirou, what's up with your left arm? Why are yooo-OH MY GOD!" Kiyome stumbled backwards and almost fell flat on her ass as she realized there was only a stump. "Did Tinkerbell do that to you!? I told Daddy not to leave the guard animals so close to the gate!"

"No, it was-Wait, Tinkerbell?" Shirou blinked. "Do you mean that giant lion, shark, scorpion thing I found at the gate? Its name is Tinkerbell?"

"Yeah. It's Daddy's pet manticore we use for security while our human guards are on vacation."

"Oh, it was adorable~" Shirou cooed, smiling softly. "I mean, sure it tried to sting me with its tail, but after I wrestled it to the ground, I realized it was just playing, so I started petting it and now she and I are best friends~!"

"He."

"What?"

"Tinkerbell is a "he", Shirou."

"So, you named your _male_ European monster "Tinkerbell"?"

"Yeah?"

"...It's such an adorable name~"

"I know, right~?"

"Can I come around every-" Shirou's eyes widened. "Fuck! I got off-track!" He almost raised his arm to face-palm until he remembered where he was. "Look, Kiyome, my arm isn't important right now!"

Kiyome didn't miss the alarm on Shirou's face. "Is...Is something wrong?"

"Kiyome, I..." He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, trying to calm down. "Look, are your parents home?"

"N-No," Kiyome answered, "they're still traveling abroad on business. The only people here me and a few of the live-in servants."

"OK, listen carefully." Shirou look over his shoulder, then inside the room, as if checking for eavesdroppers, before swinging in and landing in front of Kiyome. "Kiyome, I need you to go grab a bag and pack up a few things. You need to get out of Kuoh _tonight_. Shinjuku, Tokyo, Hell, leave Japan if you have to! Wherever you want to go. Just anywhere that isn't _here_ tonight. Stay there for at least a few hours. If you hear nothing, if nothing happens, then assume it's safe to come back. If you do hear something, run and don't stop to look back. No questions."

"Shirou, you're scaring me." Kiyome trembled slightly, somewhat shaken by the terrified look on Shirou's face, as if he expected a massive beast to appear out of nowhere and rip him to shreds. "What's going on?"

"That..." Shirou let out a growl of frustration, grabbing Kiyome by the wrist. "That was a question, Kiyome! Just pack up what you need and get out! Don't tell _anyone_!"

Kiyome struggled, ripping her wrist free of Shirou's grasp, rubbing the faint bruise that appeared. "Not until you tell me what's going on!" She snapped.

There was no moving her. Not without an explanation of some kind to sate her curiosity. Shirou averted his eyes, pacing impatiently around the room as he tried to consider some kind of answer. After a minute of pacing, Shirou turned back to her. "Look, there might be, um...an event that would make it very dangerous to stay in the city. If it worsens, maybe even all of Japan. I need you to-what are you doing?!"

Kiyome had suddenly pulled her cellphone out of her pocket, turning her back to Shirou. "Calling my parents. They need to know. If it's serious, I also need to alert my servants." Before she could dial so much as a single number, Shirou flew past her, snatching the phone out of her hand with speed like that of a Knight.

"I told you not to tell anyone!" Shirou threw her cellphone against the wall with intense force, shattering into pieces on impact. "You can't tell _anybody_. Okay? You can't tell anybody. You tell your parents, your servants, they'll tell their families, they'll call someone they love, and a panic will make this thing a thousand times harder to stop-even _if_ we succeed! Telling them will make news spread, get distorted, and make the situation worse than it could have originally been!"

"You're not being fair, Shirou!"

"Well, you know _what_?" Shirou snapped back. "It's not about what's fair! I don't need this to be _fair_! I don't care whether or not you think it's _fair_! All I care about is keeping you _safe_!"

"..." Kiyome averted her eyes.

"Kiyome," Shirou gently grasped her hand with his, "I have _never_ asked you for anything before...even though I really should have. Just this once, will you please do what I ask!?"

"Shirou..." Kiyome averted her gaze. "...Fine." Shirou let out a sigh of relief. "But just promise me one thing?"

"Yeah?" Shirou asked, raising a brow. "What is it?" He let out a small "Umph!" as Kiyome threw her body against his, tightly wrapping her arms around him.

"Come back to me..." She pleaded. "Even if you have to run away like a coward, tail between your legs, I want you to promise to come back to me."

Shirou's eyes widened in surprise, but he smiled, wrapping his remaining arm around her. "I promise." Shirou whispered softly. "But I don't intend to let this bastard do what he wants with our home either. I'm going to protect _everyone_."

Kiyome pulled away, smiling softly. "You really know how to sound like a big hero, don't you?" She pressed her lips softly against Shirou's for several seconds before pulling away. "Just don't be the idiotic big hero who just stands there when they're about to get shot."

"No promises!" Shirou responded gleefully as he put one leg over the edge of the window, paying Kiyome one last glance. It could have been the last time he ever saw her. There had been so many things he wished he would have said, things he should have asked of her, but he found himself failing to speak a single one of them. "...I'll come back."

And then he jumped out the window, leaving Kiyome staring after him.

Neither of their words had been what they truly wanted to say.

* * *

It was really hard for Shirou not to notice the uncertainty and dread that hung in the air.

The same atmosphere which reflected in the faces of everyone gathered together. Of course, the eerily-glowing barrier surrounding the entire academy hardly helped the ominous feeling.

"Shirou Fujimura, reporting for duty, Buchou!"

"About time." Rias sighed, crossing her arms as she turned to Shirou. "Shirou, if this is how you act in a crises, you really need tooo-OH MY GOD!" Everyone's eyes widened in shock and horror as they noted the large amount of arm-less-ness Shirou's left side had suddenly undergone. Every single one of them, Rias, Akeno, Issei, Asia, and Koneko (and Saji for whatever reason) stared with such shocked intensity that Shirou couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious. "W-What the-What the fuck!?" None of them really heard the coarse language pass through Rias' lips, not in front of all of them at once.

"S-Shirou..." Akeno gasped. "...what happened to your arm?"

Shirou averted his eyes, scratching his cheek. "Um...bear attack? Hehehe...oh..." He realized it was not the time for humor after observing everyone's deadpan stares. "...OK, so I _may_ have torn off my own arm to save myself from being burnt to death from the inside." Shirou paused. " _May_ have."

"What were you thinking!?"

"Oh come on! What's the big deal?" Shirou asked flippantly. "You told me yourself, Akeno. As long as we have Asia around, we don't have to worry about injuries, right?"

"Um..." Asia averted her eyes, twiddling her fingers nervously. "...S-Shirou-san, I-I don't know how to say this, but I can't do that..."

The smile immediately fell from Shirou's face. "...Wha?"

"My Sacred Gear, it can't restore severed limbs." Asia explained. "I can heal any wound, but I can't restore what's been severed from the body. I've tried before during my time in the Church, but Twilight Healing can't do things like that..."

Shirou stared blankly. "Oh..." He turned to his left arm stump. "...well high-fives are going to suck then."

"I don't think you appreciate the danger we're all in right now!" Rias shouted accusingly, wagging her finger as she scolded her servant. "We're going against an enemy who survived a war against God and the original Maous! And here you are cutting off your own body parts!"

"You make it sound like I'm selling my organs!" Shirou retorted. "I had to cut off my arm to avoid being killed by Kaido!"

"Who?!"

"That thug you guys met that one time." Shirou answered, pausing as he noted the blank looks on his friends' faces. "Kind of a dick? Was a delinquent? Got demon powers from Eliade for a short period of time?"

"Oh! That guy!...You were defeated by a normal human?"

"No, now he has a Sacred Gear." Shirou defended. "Turns out he was that hooded guy, Blaze, from earlier and now all he wants to do is rip my head off and mount it on a wall."

"What? Why?"

It was funny how the simplest, easiest questions were always the hardest and most painful to answer. "It's...It's personal..." Naturally, that only made his friends look even more curious. If he didn't feel uncomfortable before, he did now. Even though he knew he had done a terrible thing to Kaido, he didn't like the thought of it being revealed to his friends. "Point is, I stabbed him through the chest and conjured giant blocks of ice inside his torso."

"Holy shit..." Issei commented.

"If he isn't dead, he at least won't be able to interfere with the battle tonight." Shirou said. "He's still just a human, so there's no way he can recover so quickly from a wound like that. So, tonight, it's just us versus Kokabiel and Freed."

"Very well then." Rias said, nodding as she accepted Shirou's answer.

"But are you fit to take part in the battle tonight?" Akeno asked, the worry clear on her face. It wasn't an accusation so much as protectiveness.

"Well..." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck, concerned with how he was going to explain his miraculous recovery from his previous fight without bringing Kuroka's name into it. "I-"

"I would have thought that would be an obvious answer." Rias said, interrupting Shirou. Shirou chuckled awkwardly. " _Of course he isn't._ "

"What?" Shirou's eyes widened as he turned to Rias. "What are you saying, Buchou?"

"I'm saying I don't want you taking part in the fighting tonight." Rias clarified.

"WHAT!?"

"I want you to remain outside where it's safe and help Sona keep this barrier up."

"No way!" Shirou snapped. "There's no way I'm going to sit on the side-lines while you guys go out there and fight feather-face by yourselves!"

"My mind's made up, Shirou!" Rias declared, refusing to budge. "For your own safety, I'm forbidding you from taking part in all combat-related operations from hereon out!"

"You can't do that!"

"Oh my Maou, yes I can~" Rias replied in a mockingly pleasant voice. "Shirou, if anything, you would be a hindrance in battle. Your already down one arm! Most of the work is already done for them!"

"It's funny. Mikoto said something pretty similar to that earlier." Shirou noted, unable to hide his amusement at that trivial fact. "But more to the point, what gives you the right to ban me from combat!?"

"The fact that I'm still your master for one!" Rias declared. "And I'm forbidding you from joining the fight."

"I'm joining this fight, Rias!"

"No you're not! Even if I have to duct tape you to a nearby tree, you're not going to join, Shirou!"

"OK, since when did you become such a dictator?"

"What?"

"Why are you so adamant about me not joining this fight?" Shirou snapped, clenching his fist tightly.

"Because..." And, for a moment, Rias hesitated, looking uneasy. "Because...well..." Rias rubbed the back of her neck. "Shirou, look. If you join the battle tonight...something bad might happen."

"I've never let you guys down before, so why are you suddenly so pessimistic about my chances?" Shirou asked. "Surely this can't just be about the arm!"

Rias sighed. "No..." She shook her head, clearly frustrated by her inability to put thoughts into words. "...Shirou, if you end up pushing yourself past your limit, of if you...ugh...I just...UGH!"

"Buchou, are you alright?" Akeno asked worriedly.

"I-I'm fine..." Rias said, clearly frustrated, as if there was something she was physically unable to say. "Look, Shirou, you just need to understand."

"Understand what? You're just so damned cryptic right now that I can't understand anything you're saying!"

"You'll just be in serious danger, Shirou..." It was really hard for Rias to voice her thoughts, especially knowing the things she did...the horrible, twisted things. Even harder when Shirou was literally the one person she couldn't explain them to. "I really don't think Fujimura-san would appreciate me letting you fight in such a state..."

"You're damned right she wouldn't!" A high-pitched voice agreed, the group turning in the direction of the approaching loli, a medieval sword sheathed at her side. "Not without her anyway, and I would know...me being her and everything." Despite being so small, Mikoto Fujimura looked as though she was marching off to war. She wore metal guards on her shins and forearms as well as a samurai-esque helm on her head featuring three metallic prongs that stretched away from each other at acute angles in an appearance similar to a trident...when Shirou really thought about it, she looked more like-

SLAP!

That was when Mikoto slapped him across the face, her expression annoyed. "That was for thinking I looked like a child marching off to Halloween!"

"That wasn't what I was thinking at all!" Shirou argued. _"HOW DID SHE KNOW!?"_

Kalawarner stood respectfully behind her, bowing politely to the group. "Good evening, everyone. How do you do?"

"F-Fujimura-san?" Asia asked, possessing the same surprised expression as the rest of her friends. "What are you doing here?"

Mikoto scoffed. "Well, last I recall, I live in this town too. I don't think it would be very comfortable to live here and Kokabiel levels it into a vacant lot." She patted her sword at her side. "Besides, you think I would just let my baby fight a giant monster angel from the Bible on his own with a group who couldn't fight their way out of a paper bag."

Everyone stared with half-lidded eyes.

"No offense, of course."

[Of course...]

It didn't take a college professor to realize how disingenuous the Devils were being, but they didn't dare start an argument.

"Does this mean we can count on your help in the battlefield, Fujimura-san?" Rias asked.

"That's right, Rias-chan!" Mikoto confirmed gleefully. "For the first and last time, the Slash Empress Mikoto Fujimura is coming out of retirement! All evil-doers beware!"

Even if it was declared in a childish way, Mikoto's vow was rather heartening. She didn't look like much, but she was someone who earned the title as one of the strongest swordsmen in the entire world. Even if Kokabiel was powerful enough to go toe-to-toe with big leaders from other factions, with Mikoto at their side, the chances of holding Kokabiel off long enough for reinforcements to arrive increased drastically.

"K-Ka-san?!" Shirou asked, stunned. He knelt down, speaking directly to her. "A-Are you sure you want to do this? I mean, what about your neutrality?"

"A Fallen Angel wants to **** with my baby in my town? The ****head has another ***ing thing coming." Mikoto said, a disturbingly dark look on her face. "I'm going to **** him up the **** til he **** on a rubber **** and begs to ****! That piece of **** **** is going to wish I had just **** **** *** his sorry ***, that ****ing ***hole-" Everyone was grateful Rias had the mental clarity to cover Asia's ears. "-and that's after I steal a turtle from the zoo!"

"...Goodness." Shirou recoiled in shock and disgust. He made a mental note to wash her mouth out later. "Whatever happened to language?" He flinched as Mikoto grabbed him by the collar and yanked him down to her level.

"There is no such thing as civility in war." Mikoto said. "That ****er wants to **** with us?! I'm going to shove my ****ing sword down his goddamned throat!"

"OK, but where the Hell are those bleep noises coming from!?" Shirou asked, voicing the thought everyone else had been having up to that point.

"Oh, they were coming from this." Mikoto said, drawing a small, tape recorder-like device from her pocket. "A good friend of mine built it for me so I could censor what I say whenever I'm cussing up a blue streak."

"I fail to believe someone would ever invent something like that."

"You don't know _him_." Mikoto pointed out casually. "This guy gets so bored he invents things that are ten times more unbelievable. Last time I checked on him, he was developing blueprints for a gender-swapping ray."

"Sounds like a weird dude."

"Yeah, but he's a good guy though." Mikoto said. "Back to business though. What's the current situation?"

"We've finally completed the task of covering the entire school in a protective barrier." The gathered group turned to face the bespectacled young woman who approached them. Sona Sitri, the heiress of the Sitri clan and the current Student Council President of Kuoh Academy, stepped forward. "If nothing drastic happens, it should be able to keep the town from getting damaged."

"Regardless," Mikoto interjected, "you should have made sure to clear out any civilians within a mile of this place. You're all still children, so it would only be natural that someone like Kokabiel shattered your barrier with ease."

"That may be so..." Sona trailed off, as if just realizing Mikoto was there. "...I don't believe we have been acquainted."

"Mikoto Fujimura." Mikoto greeted before pointing to Shirou. "If my baby has broken anything, I humbly apologize on his behalf."

"Ka-san, don't apologize to _her_!" Shirou said, narrowing his eyes at Sona. "She's-OW!" He was cut short by a smack to the back of the head by Rias.

"You're not in any position to be rude right now, Shirou." Rias scolded. "You're still in _big_ trouble for going after the Excaliburs without permission."

"How much trouble?" Shirou asked, feeling a chill go down his spine by the pleasant-yet-malicious-feeling smile on Rias' face. Suddenly fearful, he turned to Issei, his best friend grimacing.

"...Let's just say sitting on an ice pack soothes the pain somewhat." Issei said, shivering.

"Well," Sona continued, disregarding the interruption, "Fujimura-san, it wasn't as though we had a lot of time to set this up. We were on such short notice."

"You should have been prepared for something like this to begin with." Mikoto said, shaking her head. "An outcome like this should have made itself more than plausible to you the moment those Excaliburs were brought into this town!"

"I did not think that-"

"Maybe if you and Rias had been a bit more diligent rather than getting so swayed by your own pride and ignoring the potential threat that's been in this place for several days, something like this might not have even happened in the first place!"

"That's not-"

Shirou felt..."off". He figured he completely disliked Sona Sitri, thought that she was a total bitch. He would have thought seeing her get steam-rolled by Mikoto's scolding would have cheered him up immensely about his severed arm.

He did not.

It was one thing to see the Student Council President get scolded, but it looked more like Mikoto was trashing her...and it made Shirou feel "icky" inside.

"And another thing I'll have you know-!"

"Ka-san!" Shirou tightly gripped his adoptive mother's shoulder before she could continue her tirade. "That's enough."

Mikoto hesitated for a moment before turning turning off to the side. "Hmph."

"Are you...alright?"

"I'm fine." Mikoto answered unconvincingly. Something about her expression...Shirou knew something was wrong. "I'll go scout out the area to see what Kokabiel is up to. You lot come join me by the barrier's entrance when you've finished preparations." Before Shirou could even think to object, Mikoto vanished.

Kalawarner sighed. "I'll go after her." She curtsied respectfully to the others. "Farewell for now."

The awkward silence indicated that nobody was quite able to comprehend the entirety of what just happened.

Shirou glanced at Sona, the girl's glasses slipping off of her eyes. It was probably the first time the honor student had ever truly been scolded by anyone.

"Um..." Shirou said, uncertain what to say for a moment. "...sorry my mom went kind of crazy there." Even if he didn't necessarily like Sona, it still felt wrong to let Mikoto's harsh words go without resolution.

"It's fine." Sona said after regaining her composure. "It just proves she has just as much care for this town as the rest of us."

Shirou hesitated again, looking at the glowing lights radiating from inside the magic circle. The academy school grounds was going to be the battlefield, their enemy, a Fallen Angel from the Bible and a psycho priest wielding multiple Excaliburs.

"Seriously, where the Hell are Kiba and those zealous idiots when you need them..." Shirou complained.

"Irina Shidou is out of action, unfortunately." Rias answered, sighing. "She was defeated by Freed and had her Excalibur taken as well, so we cannot count on her support in this battle."

"So Freed has _another_ Excalibur?" Shirou sighed. Freed had already been dangerous with just the Excalibur Rapidly. He hadn't even showed the other two Excaliburs in his possession and he still managed to give them some trouble. "And Kiba and Xenovia?"

Rias didn't answer. Her troubled expression explained it all.

With two members of their group MIA, the situation looked a little bleaker than it had been before.

"My servants and I will do our best to keep the barrier up for as long as we can," Sona said, "but it might be impossible to keep the school from collapsing, as much as I would prefer to avoid it."

Rias narrowed her eyes. "I'm not going to let that happen, Sona." Rias swore.

"Rias, it's not too late." Sona said. "You can still contact your brother."

"I already did."

For a brief moment, Sona Sitri was surprised. "Really?"

Rias nodded, a hint of displeasure appearing on her face. "He will be here within the hour. I would really prefer to avoid causing problems for Onii-sama and my family, but I can't let my pride endanger the well-being of my servants or this town." She smiled wearily. "That woman would slap me silly if I tried going into this fight without a back-up plan." Rias paused. "Although, I find it odd that I don't see you trying to contact your big sister either."

"Don't even joke about that, Rias." Sona said, her expression dead-serious. "I had a hard enough time getting her to return home the last time she snuck into town."

Rias raised a brow. "Really? I hadn't heard about that. I'm surprised I didn't hear her screams of joy or your squeals of embarrassment from halfway across town." It was clear from Rias' smile that she was teasing Sona. That wasn't surprising.

What _was_ surprising to Shirou was the way Sona's cheeks lit up bright-pink, the older girl quickly turning away.

"What's the deal with Sona's older sister?" Shirou whispered to Rias. "I mean, I know she's a Maou, but...?"

Rias let out a small laugh. "Trust me, Shirou: When Serafall Leviathan enters a town or manga store, you will _know_."

"Onee-sama can be shockingly stealthy when she wants to be." Sona said, a tired smile on her face. She paused, as if remembering something. Then she turned to Shirou. "Which reminds me, Fujimura-kun."

"Hm?"

"You should avoid letting Onee-sama find you no matter the cost." When Shirou saw how serious Sona looked, the dread quickly covering her expression, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious.

"What? Why?"

"It would be dangerous."

"Oh come on." Shirou said, trying to laugh it off. "Why would a Maou be pissed off at me?" Then he paled, turning to Rias. "Why would a Maou be pissed off at me?"

"I don't know." Rias answered honestly. "What _did_ you do?"

"I don't fuckin' know! How would I know what I did?! I don't even know what any of your family members look like!?" Shirou shook his head. "I mean seriously! How would I know whether or not I did something to pi-Oh dear Maou, I hope she wasn't one of the people involved in the "Muffin Incident"."

"Muffin incident?" Issei wondered. "What's that?"

Shirou sighed, placing a hand on Issei's shoulder. "Bro, trust me: The people who know about the Cupcake Incident are still trying to bleach their brains. You don't wanna know." He sighed again. "I'm still getting threats of legal action spamming my mailbox."

"Alright then." Rias said, clearly wishing to change subjects before they entered unpleasant territory. "We have one hour before Onii-sama arrives, so let's do our best to hold off Kokabiel until then. Let's move out, Occult Research Club!"

[Yes, Buchou!]

The climactic battle would soon begin...

The wheel of fate has begun to turn.

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** The Bonds of Family! The Climactic Battle Begins! (Part 2 of 4)

* * *

 **And thus concludes Excalibur Arc's finale's Part 1. Recently finished Part 3 and now working on Part 4.**

 **Again, I'm sorry this took so long. This has been done for a while, but I lost track of time. I apologize.**

 **Shit is about to hit the fan and Shirou's life is headed in some unpleasant directions!...Likely.**

 **As always, thanks for the reads and reviews!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	39. Chapter 34: Excalibur Arc Finale Part 2

**Disclaimer: I'm just going to go out on a record and say I don't own a damned thing besides Shirou. High School DxD, High School DxD New, High School DxD BorN, and all related media are the property of Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Funimation, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the offical release!**

* * *

 **Chapter 34: The Bonds of Family! The Climactic Battle Begins! (Part 2 of 4)**

"Issei, I'll have you act as support for this battle."

"Support?"

"I want you to use your ability to transfer your power to others in order to increase our power."

"I see. Roger!"

Their motley crew had finally gathered for the final battle. Rias led them, befitting her noble blood, at the front of the group, Issei naturally at her side. Mikoto seemed to be fazing in and out of the group, clearly distracted while Kalawarner did her best to keep up with Mikoto's inconsistent walking pace. There was still no word from either Kiba or Xenovia, so their overall power is hardly ideal even accounting for Mikoto. They were infiltrating the school grounds through one of the buildings on the outskirts so as to avoid detection. There was no point to any of this if Kokabiel spontaneously vaporized them before they even reached the battlefield.

"We all need to stall until Issei can transfer his power to everyone." Rias told the others.

Shirou groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "But wouldn't it be better for Issei just to keep boosting his own power?" Shirou asked. "I mean, his Longinus can supposedly kill God or whatever, right? Wouldn't it be better for him to just use that power himself? Better yet, give it to Ka-san. She's already the famous "Slash Empress". If she gets that kind of power boost, she might be able to take Kokabiel all on her own."

"FOOL!"

SWAT!

"OW!" Shirou stumbled, almost falling face-first onto the ground as Mikoto smacked him in the back of his head with her sheathed sword. He shot her a dirty look, rubbing the back of his head. "What was that for?"

"You're still wet behind the ears if you think someone of my level can defeat someone of Kokabiel's level one-on-one." Mikoto scolded sternly. "You still suffer from the inability to properly judge the difference in raw power between individuals. I'm strong right now, sure, but we are talking about a Fallen Angel from the Bible. It would take an Ultimate-Class or higher existence to defeat him let alone slay him and, right now, I'm not at that level of strength. The years haven't been kind to me and my sword has grown dull from neglect." Something about the way she was talking...Shirou didn't like it. "Boosted Gear suffers the flaw of only being able to stack Boosts according to the user's stamina, so, even if he were to Boost to the extent that he killed himself, it still would not be enough to defeat our enemy. Even if he transferred all of that power to me, I still wouldn't be at the peak needed to win."

"Is our situation that bad?" Shirou wondered. "We still have a pretty strong force between my Canis Regalia, Issei's Boosted Gear, your sword, Akeno's lightning, Koneko's Senjutsu, and Rias' Power of Destruction. With Asia's Twilight Healing fixing us all up, who knows, maybe we could whittle away Kokabiel's strength until-"

"FOOL!"

SWAT!

"OW!" Shirou whined. "Stop doing that!"

"Kokabiel is arrogant, but he isn't an idiot. He'd kill us all before that happened."

"She's right, Shirou." Rias agreed. "At the moment, our only choice is to keep Kokabiel occupied until Onii-sama arrives in an hour. At the very least, we have to keep him contained on school grounds. If his power extends outside the barrier, the whole town will suffer as a result. That's why Issei transferring power to us is important. Even if we can't win, we have to draw out the battle for as long as possible." Shirou knew he wasn't going to like what came next when Rias turned to him with a serious look in her eye. "And that's why your role in this battle is staying behind to protect Issei."

"What?" Shirou asked, incredulous. "You're just trying to keep me out of the fight again!"

Rias shook her head. "As before, Issei is pivotal to our strategy, Shirou. Without Issei's Boosted Gear, we won't stand a chance."

The moment Shirou opened his mouth to object, Mikoto swatted him on the back of the head again.

"Don't back-talk towards logic, Shirou." Mikoto said. "With only one arm, your ability to fight offensively is crippled, so you will have to rely on fighting defensively and using magic in order to contribute to this fight."

Shirou sighed in resignation. "Fine..." He trailed off, noticing the nod of appreciation towards Mikoto that Rias gave. "...When did you two get so friendly?"

"Hm?" Mikoto wondered, looking suspicious due to how unsuspicious she was looking. "What are you talking about?" Shirou rolled his eyes, deciding to let it go.

Rias walked a few steps ahead before turning around to face the group.

"Remember everyone: Unlike our fight with Riser, our lives will probably be at risk this time. This will no doubt be an all-out war against both Kokabiel and the Excaliburs." The fiery look of determination in her eye was unmistakable. "But death is not an option for any of you. I will not allow it! My dear servants, we will survive this day and return to live our normal school lives!"

[Right!]

Rias's remaining servants called out in unison...except for one.

Shirou raised his hand.

"Yes, Shirou?"

"Can our reward be NOT going to school?" He asked. "Really, it was a moving speech, but the incentive you gave is hardly appetizing." He looked pensive for a moment before a look of realization appeared on his face. "Ooh! How about, instead, we celebrate by going to the pool! It's spring time, so all of the beaches and pools are starting to open up again! Sunshine, beaches, parties, snacks, and swimsuits! Now _that's_ a reward!"

Everyone considered the proposal.

"...Swimsuits?" That was about all Issei took away from Shirou's words before his face flushed, a lecherous look appearing on his face as his eyes landed on the girls, numerous lewd fantasies filling his mind.

"...Snacks?" That was about all Koneko took away from Shirou's words before drool started to drip from her mouth.

They turned their pleading eyes towards Rias, the crimson-haired girl having suddenly lost all control over the situation. Despite this, she couldn't help but smile in amusement.

"Alright alright," She conceded, "A celebratory pool party once we've accomplished our mission!"

[Yes, Buchou!]

"Doesn't that sound like fun, Ka-san?" Shirou asked, grinning.

Mikoto let out a small chuckle. "You're asking your mother to accompany you to a party by the poolside?"

The smile immediately fell from Shirou's mouth. "Wow, way to make it sound creepy." He sighed. "Whatever..." He threw his fist into the air. "Now let's go show Kokabiel why you don't fuck with the Occult Research Club!"

[Yeah!]

And so the children, Fallen Angel, and adult loli marched off to war...

* * *

"It's always the sports field." Shirou pointed out. "Our big battles ALWAYS happen in the sports field! What makes this place so fucking special!?"

"Shut up!" Rias hissed as their group entered the field.

The first thought that came to mind as they entered the battlefield: Bright. When they came out of the building, Shirou was almost blinded by the stream of lights flowing through two magic circles that hung in the air. Valper stood in the center of all of it, a look of twisted glee on his face as the four Excaliburs hovered in the air around him, as if he controlling them telekinetically.

"Hey, Ka-san?"

"Yes?"

"That's a bad, right?"

"Yes, Shirou." Mikoto nodded. "That is definitely a bad."

"It seems like the four Excaliburs are being made into one." Everyone tensed at the voice that seemed to originate from the sky, drawing their eyes upward. Sitting atop a massive throne like that of a king was-

"HOLY SHIT, IT'S A VAMPIRE!" The ominous atmosphere dissipated like sugar and water the moment Shirou uttered the most idiotic comment any of them could have thought to speak. Even Mikoto raised a brow at Shirou. "What?" He frowned as he noticed everyone staring. "What!? He's totally a Vampire, isn't he?"

Rias face-palmed. " _No_ , Shirou. He is _not_ a Vampire." She said. "That's Kokabiel."

"What?" Shirou looked from Rias to the man sitting on the throne in the sky, then back to Rias, then back to the man, then back to Rias, then back to the man. "Are you sure?"

"Shirou, if Kokabiel is a Vampire, then Issei is a eunuch." Akeno said, sighing.

Shirou pursed his lips. "But he has the whole get-up!" Shirou pointed out. "Sharp teeth, pale, clammy skin, blood-red eyes, pointy ears, and he looks like Count-fucking-Dracula! How is that not a Vampire!?"

"The legend of Vampires have gotten a bit mixed up as the stories were passed down through human generations." Akeno explained. "Trust me, Shirou, Vampires are far cuter than what you imagine them to be. If you saw Gasper, I'm sure your heart would just explode~"

"Who?"

"N-Nobody!" Akeno quickly said after Rias shot her a sharp look. "Haha! Forget I said anything~ Hahaha~!"

"O...K?" Shirou rubbed the back of his neck before turning his gaze back to the sky. "So that ugly S.O.B. is Kokabiel, huh?...Seriously? Are you _sure_ he's a Fallen Angel? I mean, Kalawarner's a Fallen Angel, but she's super foxy! How can a guy look that ugly?! Are all male Fallen Angels like that?! Is it the women look like super models and the men look like disgusting ghouls?"

"ENOUGH!" Kokabiel's voice bellowed, anger and irritation clear in his voice. "So tell me, disrespectful brats of the Gremory clan? Is big brother here yet? Or is it Serafall instead?"

To her credit, Rias didn't show a shred of fear or uncertainty. "Right now, we're the ones here ready to fight. That's all that matters."

The Fallen Angel let out a bored sigh, snapping his fingers. A massive, golden spear at least three times Kokabiel's size with bright-violet rings materialized in the air above his hand.

Everyone instinctively raised their guards.

"Careful!"

With a casual flick of his wrist, Kokabiel sent the monstrously-proportioned spear towards the ground, the weapon of light streaking through the air like a falling star, piercing straight through the roof of the gymnasium.

GOOOOOOOOOOON!

The entire sky seemed to light up as the building was swallowed by a huge explosive blast that effectively reduced the gym to mere pebbles that could only barely be considered rubble.

Kokabiel's spear of light was all the only sign that anything had even been there a moment before.

"No way..." Shirou gasped, his whole body trembling. "...he leveled that entire building with a single light spear..."

"Shirou..." Akeno stared in worry, reaching out to him with a reassuring hand.

"THIS IS GONNA BE FUCKIN' AWESOME!" She almost fell over when Shirou threw his arms up into the air, grinning like a damned fool. "So this is what it's like to go against someone who threw down with God!"

This time, it was Kalawarner's turn to slap him in the back of the head. "Don't be an idiot! If you get struck by a weapon like that, you will be erased immediately!" She shouted. "Even a High-Class or maybe even Ultimate-Class Devil would be in danger if they were struck-"

Koneko suddenly grabbed her wrist, pulling her back, shaking her head at Kalawarner. "Stop it." She hissed.

"But he's-"

"He's trying to hide his fear." Koneko turned her gaze back to Shirou, the boy standing with his fist clenched at his side, his hand trembling in what could be mistaken for excitement. "Senpai...He's really afraid right now."

All of them were. Kokabiel probably hadn't displayed even a small fraction of what he was capable of and he already had more than enough power to reduce them to nothing more than ash stains on the face of the Earth if there would even be enough remains for even that. In short, if, even for a second, he decided to take them seriously, every single one of them was going to die. Even if Shirou tried using the properties of Canis Regalia to devour Kokabiel's spear of light, the effort would still probably kill him.

"So some Devils, a Fallen Angel, and a child walk onto the battlefield...?" For a moment, a smirk broke across Kokabiel's face. "It sounds like the start of a hilarious joke. Maybe this will be entertaining after all."

"Hey! Don't underestimate us, you creep!" Shirou called out, pointing a finger in Kokabiel's direction. "Just you wait, Kokabiel! I'm going to kick your ass!"

"Is that so?" Kokabiel asked doubtfully.

[You're trembling, pup. Suddenly afraid?]

Shirou scoffed. _"Yeah right! You kiddin'? I'm really excited for a chance to fight an enemy like this!"_

[Don't try too hard to fool your enemy with fake confidence because they might come to believe you. You're still but a pup against a monster who faced the Old Ones and lived to tell the tale. Strike fast and fierce, but do not strike recklessly.]

 _"Yeah, I figured out that trick a long time ago."_

[Wait for the right moment and, when their guard is down, sink your teeth into his throat.]

 _"Easier said than done. I can't fight him."_

[Giving up already?]

 _"No! I mean I CAN'T fight him! I literally can't fight him!"_

[Why is that?]

 _"I can't fly, duh!"_

[...what?]

 _"He's sitting on a throne like a hundred feet in the air. There is physically no way for me to fight him! I mean, if I can find a ladder, then maybe..."_

[Pfffthahahahaha!]

 _"And what's so funny!?"_

[What a truly amusing pup you are! You cannot reach your foe so you aim to soar to get at his nape! I admire that tenacity!]

 _"And yet it still feels like you're insulting me..."_

[Very well, pup! If you are adamant in this battle, I will lend you every last bit of strength I can manage!]

Shirou smirked, clenching his fist. "So you're finally going to get off your lazy ass for once? Good to know." He turned back towards Kokabiel. "So, are you going to fight us or not?!"

Kokabiel tilted his head back and forth, acting as though he was giving the question serious thought. "Hmmmm...I'll pass." He said coldly, laughing. "However, since you came all this way, I may as well let you play with my pets!"

"Pets?" Shirou wondered.

And that was when the massive beam of light shot out from the bottom of his throne, forming a large magic circle above the ground, a deep hole forming right beneath. Unholy, raging flames spewed upward as if they were from the depths of Hell themselves. Within the hellfires, Shirou could see several inhuman forms. From the flames came a four-legged beast at least ten meters in size, possessing three heads with each one breathing outwards flames with intense heat.

Shirou's eyes widened in shock, almost stumbling in surprise. "Rias...do you see that?!"

"I'm surprised you recognized it." Rias said, nodding. "Yes, it's-"

"It's a doggy~!"

Rias paused, her mouth half-open before turning to Shirou, noting the sparkles in his eyes. "...What?"

"What?" Even Kokabiel himself could not help but lean forward in his seat, actually stunned for the first time in his abnormally long life by that inhumanly stupid remark.

Rias' eye twitched. "Um, Shirou, that's Cerberus, the watchdog of Hades. I'm pretty sure that's not really an actual dog. "

"What?" Shirou asked. "Of course it is~! Look at'em~! Cute furry paws, dog-like tail and ears, he even has that same look as a dog when they're hungry.

"...Well, you're not wrong about that last part."

"I'mma catch it!"

"No, Shirou! That is a terrible idea in a very long line of bad ide-and he's already doing it."

"Come here, Doggy~!" Shirou called out, running towards the hound with arms outstretched for an embrace.

"...I cannot believe this is happening." Rias sighed, face-palming. She turned to Mikoto. "Is he always this... _this_ around non-humanoids?"

Mikoto shrugged, sticking out her tongue. "What can I say? Shirou loves animals."

"Come here, puppyyyyy~!" Shirou squealed, completely unconcerned with the ferocious looks on the beast's faces as it/they took a deep breath. "Let me hug yoooooou~!"

Akeno turned to Mikoto. "Should we perhaps...?" She gestured to Shirou who was quite literally running to his death.

"Probably." Mikoto said, shrugging. Then she drew a katana from her sleeve. "You lot, go send the Cerberus back to Hell! I'll take Kokabiel's attention!" Without waiting for so much as a hint of confirmation, Mikoto leaped into the air, flying as though she were a bird. Few among them noticed the glowing rune drawn on the bottom of her shoes or the odd air current flowing around them. "KOKABIEL! Your fight is with me!"

"Hm?" Kokabiel held out his hand, forming a sword made completely of light as Mikoto swung her blade at him. "It appears that a child has arrived trying to play the role of the heroic knight."

Mikoto grit her teeth, glaring daggers. "I'm 28, asshole!"

[So that's how old she is...]

None of the members of the Occult Research Club below wanted to admit it, but that was the exact thought going through all of their heads at that exact moment.

"I'm the one who will be your opponent now!" Mikoto declared boldly.

"That is _adorable_!" Kokabiel said, laughing as he swung his blade, flinging Mikoto through the air.

Despite her poor position, Mikoto managed to twist and turn herself around and right-side-up, her feet literally _skidding_ across thin air. Only the trained eye could have seen the several small magic circles that formed beneath her feet at each point in time, preventing her from entering free-fall. She was certainly no Devil, Angel, Fallen Angel, Vampire, Werewolf, Dwarf (maybe), Elf, or Leprechaun, but Mikoto Fujimura was no slouch when it came to magic or using it on the fly.

"Take this!" Mikoto suddenly drew a knife from her arm guard, throwing it out in front of her. However, rather than soar through the air as expected, it paused. It was as though an invisible hand had suddenly reached out and grabbed it mid-air. "Multiply 100x!" The knife, the simple dagger hanging in the air, suddenly started to glow, its form vibrating drastically before it suddenly split into two identical knives...then four...then eight...then sixteen...then thirty-two and so on an so forth until what could be considered a miniature wall of knives had formed in the air. "Release."

As if God had started time again, the hundred knives suddenly shot forward with the speed of sharp bullets.

Kokabiel didn't move, but he did raise a brow at the attack, summoning out wings which numbered ten and using them to shield his frontside. The moment the knives made contact, each and every one cracked and crumbled as if they were cookies. Even though they looked feathery and fragile, Kokabiel's wings were as hard as diamonds. Curious, he folded them back up, staring curiously.

"Was that truly the best you had?"

"No," A voice behind him said, "this is!"

Kokabiel drew another sword of light just in time to block the strike of the petite woman who had appeared behind him. "But how-?" He looked back to the small woman he had been looking at moment's before, his eyes narrowing as she simply faded away; A mere after-image. "You're more skilled than I give you credit for." Again, he threw Mikoto away, letting out a small groan as he rose out of his seat. "Even if you are just a human, I can't very well sit around as you plan your attacks, can I? Come at me!"

Mikoto raised her katana. "Multiply 2x!" The katana vibrated for a moment before one became two, a second katana forming in Mikoto's other hand. "Bring it on!" With strength unexpected of such a small woman, she clashed her blades against Kokabiel's, the shockwave causing a near-perfect vacuum in the air aorund them.

Rias was the first to snap out of her shock before turning to her servants. "Come on! We have to let her fight her own battle!" She said, successfully bringing her comrades to their senses. Not one, but _several_ Cerberus were pushing their way through the open door to Hell, clawing into the world of the humans. "We have our own fight ahead of us! Bringing Cerberus to this world is forbidden, so let's send it back! Akeno! Koneko!"

[Right!]

Electricity crackled at the tips of Akeno's fingers and Koneko revealed her cat ears and tail, blue flames dancing in the palms of her hands.

"I didn't know you managed that neat little trick." Akeno said.

Koneko nodded, smiling. "I've been practicing a lot thanks to Senpai!"

"Kalawarner!"

"Yes, Gremory-sama?" Kalawarner bowed respectively in a way that Rias still couldn't get used to.

"Stop Shirou from...well..."

"Being Shirou?"

"Exactly!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Kalawarner extended her black, feathery wings before taking to the skies.

Rias turned to her remaining two pieces. "Issei! Use your Sacred Gear to enhance our power!"

"Right!" Issei agreed, nodding as he summoned out his red gauntlet. "Boosted Gear!"

 **[BOOST!]**

Shirou cautiously approached one of the Cerberus, hands outstretched to show that he had no intent to harm them. "Hey there, boy~" He cooed like a parent would to a child. "What a smart dog you are, climbing all the way out of Hell to come destroy the world~ Who's a good boy~? Who's a good boy~?" The Cerberus did nothing. He only stood there, flames casually flowing out of its mouth as he stared at the puny Devil before him, perhaps wondering if he was actually serious right now. "You're a good boy~!"

He kept taking small step after step, trying not to alarm the beast.

"That's right. I'm not gonna hurt ya." Shirou said softly. "Just gonna take a few, harmless steps and-"

"Young Master, please step away from that feral beast!" Shirou turned his gaze towards Kalawarner, the Fallen Angel hovering in the sky above. "It's dangerous!"

"Oh come on, Kalawarner. Come off it~" Shirou said flippantly. "Even if they look like hounds straight out of Hell, I can tell just by looking in his eyes that he's just misunder-"

CHOMP!

The Cerberus' middle mouth clamped shut over Shirou's right arm, its teeth burying deep into Shirou's flesh.

"Young Master!" Kalawarner cried out in shock and horror. It would have been terrible to lose his only other arm within a few hours of the first!

However, despite the bleeding and the horribly uncomfortable sensation within his arm, Shirou had an oddly passive look on his face. He even smiled softly.

"See, Kalawarner?" He said, so calm that Kalawarner was _certain_ something was wrong with him. "He's just misunderstood. He just hasn't been taught by a proper master yet."

"W...What?"

"You know the best way to train a dog?"

"...No?"

She knew what was going to happen the moment the malicious, demonic grin appeared on Shirou's face. "CORPOREAL PUNISHMENT!" His right arm suddenly tensed, a look of strain appearing on Shirou's face as the Cerberus' body began to tremble. It took a few moments with the Cerberus struggling, desperately trying to bite Shirou's arm off, but the Cerberus finally found itself hovering several inches into the air. "BAD DOG!" With a growl from exertion, Shirou dragged the Cerberus through the air, smashing its back against the cold, hard, unforgiving ground.

While the beast was dazed, Shirou took that opportunity to remove his arm from the middle head's mouth. His sleeve was torn to shreds and blood was oozing from the bite marks the beast's fangs had left in Shirou's arm. That combined with the notable amount of saliva coating it all made for a rather unsavory sight.

In complete spite of this, Shirou turned back to Kalawarner, giving her a thumbs up. "See? Nothing to worry about!" However, his face froze, his smile quickly drooping into a confuse smile as the ground below him began to tremble. He already figured it out by the time the huge shadow started hovering over him. He looked up, noticing the furious, drooling maws of the Cerberus hanging over him. "Oh."

As if kicking an annoying pebble out of the way, the Cerberus punted Shirou with one of its giant, furry paws. The blow packed enough force to send Shirou crashing straight through a large, nearby tree, breaking it in two.

Kalawarner quickly flew to his side, kneeling next to him. "Are you alright? Do you need Asia's healing abilities?" She asked, worried.

"Brrrr!" Shirou shook his head, using his hand to comb out all of the twigs, leaves, and dirt that matted his hair. "Nah, I'm good. Was a bit of a surprise though." As though he hadn't been thrown through the air like a rag doll, Shirou stood up, stretching out his arms and legs. "The next part of training a dog is teaching him how to do tricks. Now, I don't have any sticks on me, but this should do nicely." Before Kalawarner could even consider questioning him, Shirou bent over and grabbed the top half of the broken tree, hefting it over his shoulder. "Excuse me."

"Wait! Young Master!" But Shirou was already dashing towards the giant-like beast.

"Hey, Cerberus! FETCH!" Shirou let out another grunt of exertion before throwing the tree over his shoulder, right into the receiving snout of Hades' watchdog.

For a brief moment, the dog was buried under splintered timber.

"OK, you've incapacitated Cerberus, Young Master! May we please regroup with the others?!" Kalawarner pleaded.

"No no no, Kalawarner." Shirou said, brushing off his friend's concerns. "I ain't leavin' without a dog. Oi! Cerberus!"

And, for once, the hound actually responded, swaying dizzily for a moment before it shook each respective head, something that was a sigh to behold with the three of them. It let out a canine-like howl, opening all three of its maws with the clear intent to spit fire on Shirou.

"OK, Cerberus, now sit." Shirou pointed at the ground. "Sit!...Sit! Lay down!"

That was when massive streams of flames flowed out of the beast's mouths.

"Young Masteeeeee-" And that was when the flames turned to steam, revealing Shirou standing behind a barrier of ice erected in front of him. "-Oh, never mind."

"BAD DOG! HEEL!" Shirou leaped into the air from behind his ice barrier, stamping his heel down on the middle head. The Cerberus let out a yelp as it collided painfully with the ground. Despite the slow start, the hound of Hades was beginning to detect a pattern, growing a bit more fearful of the white-haired boy standing in front of it. "You gonna be a good dog?" The Cerberus lowered his head, letting out a soft whine. "OK, now give me your paw." The Cerberus tilted all of his heads to the right (although the left one almost tilted left instead). Shirou extended his hand to it. "Paw. Give me your paw."

The Cerberus let out another soft whine, questioningly raising his left paw, placing softly on Shirou's open hand.

Shirou smiled. "GOOD BOY!" Shirou slammed his fist straight at the middle of the beast's chest, knocking it into the air.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TRYING TO TEACH HIM, SHIROU!?" Kalawarner screeched.

"The only way to properly tame a animal companion is through tough love." He gave a smirk and a thumbs up, making it hard to discern whether or not he actually saw anything wrong with what he just did. He only sensed the danger he was in when another massive shadow appeared over him. "Ah, shit."

"Senpai!" The second Cerberus opened its mouths to bury him in hellfire only to immediately be struck by a salvo of light-blue flames, sending it sprawling onto his back. Shirou blinked for several moments until Koneko landed by his side, her fists raised ready to fight. "Nya!"

Shirou could only stare with sparkly eyes. "That is too cute."

Koneko smiled softly, turning to Shirou. "My fear will not define who I am any longer." She rushed forward, grabbing Cerberus by its hind leg, using it to toss the beast into the air. "You said you would protect me, but I can protect you too!"

For a moment, Shirou couldn't help but feel a little awed. Koneko had changed a lot from the stoic kitten she had used to be. Now she was a passionate, full-fledged lioness. He grinned. "Together then! Kalawarner! Koneko!" Shirou extended his hand, a bright-blue light forming in the palm of his hand, his sword appearing out of thin air. "Let's put this dog on _ice_!"

[Right!]

"Ice Wave!" Shirou swung a crescent of freezing aura at the airborne beast, striking it right in the center, its torso freezing solid.

"Hiyaah!" Another salvo of blue fire slammed right into the beast, the ice encasing it beginning to crack.

"My turn!" Kalawarner conjured a spear of light, throwing it at the beast, completely shattering the ice surrounding it and piercing straight through its body, leaving a beach ball-sized hole in its body.

The three-headed beast fell to the ground with a heavy _thud_ , its limbs sprawled in every direction. "..." A defeated whine escaped from its mouths.

"Fuck yeah!" Shirou threw his fist into the air. "That's how it's done!" He frowned at the downed beast. "That's what bad dogs get," He turned to the other downed Cerberus who had been watching the entire confrontation, "you got that!?"

It had only been for a moment, but the previously downed Cerberus seemed unnerved for a question. It suddenly lowered its head, as if expecting something.

"Phew..." Shirou strolled over to the first one, extending his hand towards the dog's left head.

"Senpai, be careful!" Koneko warned. However, Shirou ignored her, continuing to reach for the hound's head.

For a brief moment, there was tense silence...

"Who's a good boy~?! You are~!" Shirou cooed, affectionately scratching the beast behind the ear. "Yes, you are~! You are~!"

Both Koneko and Kalawarner's jaws dropped at the sight.

Not only was the guard of the gate to the Underworld letting Shirou pet him like a common house-pet, but the Cerberus appeared to be _enjoying_ _it_. It's left head tilted to the side, its tongue lolling out of his mouth as it pushed its head harder against Shirou's thorough nails. It's hind leg beat against the ground at least several times a second, its tail wagging excitedly.

"If we survive, you're coming home with me, Mr. Fluffles~!"

"...Mr. Fluffles?" Kalawarner asked with half-lidded eyes. "Really?"

However, Shirou completely disregarded her question. "Hey, Koneko, I've been meaning to ask: What are those blue fireball things you were throwing? Are you a Black Mage now?"

Koneko shook her head, smiling softly. "They were concentrated blasts of Ki. The reason Kalawarner's spear pierced through the beast's body so easily is because the Ki I channeled into my attack weakened its flesh and bone structure."

"Oh, that's neat. I always-"

"HEY, SHIROU!" Their eye snapped towards Rias, the crimson-haired girl circling through the air similarly to Akeno as they rained down blast after blast of demonic energy upon two other dogs from Hell. "If you have the time to be chatting so casually, do you think you could do your JOB and protect Issei and Asia?!"

Shirou's eyes wandered over to the other two young Devils, Issei carrying Asia in his arms as he desperately fled from the pursuing Cerberus #4.

 **[BOOST!]**

"Oh shit! Yeah! I was supposed to do that shit! Leave it to me! It'll only take a second!" Shirou extended his right arm again. "Nilfheim Ravag-AUGH!" That was when the maw of yet another Cerberus closed around him, its teeth sinking into his torso.

"Senpai!"

"Young Master!"

"Gaaugh! FUCK! FUCK! SHIT! FUCK!" He tried pushing the beast's mouth open, but the strain only exacerbated the pain from his injury, proving fruitless with only one arm. He smacked the nose of the right head that tried to snap at his head with his fist and repeatedly kicked away the left head, but it was growing harder and harder to focus properly with the middle head swinging back and forth with Shirou in its mouth like some kind of a chew toy. "Buchou, I may need to revise my previous estimate! Auugaaauh!" The dog's teeth sank even deeper into his barely-resisting flesh.

"Get off of him!" Koneko rushed forward, her fists glowing blue as she lunged at the Cerberus. "Iyaaaaugh!" She managed to dodge the first swipe of the hound's paw, but she missed the second one, only grazing her, but shredding much of her shirt and knocking her back through the air.

"Koneko!" Shirou looked on in shock horror as the skyward Rook fell towards the ground.

"Leave it to me!" Thankfully, Kalawarner was far superior in aerial maneuverability, swiftly flying to Koneko's side and catching the small girl in her arms. "I got her!"

"Watch out!"

However, the celebrations were short-lived. The moment Kalawarner caught Koneko in her arms, the other two Cerberus heads turned their eyes on them, large fireballs forming in the center of their mouths. Kalawarner's eyes widened, her wings immediately draping over Koneko in a protective manner.

"LEAVE THEM ALONE!" Shirou struggled more vigorously against the Cerberus' teeth. He used every weapon he could, but his Nilfheim Ravager couldn't do much aside from scratching the beast's nose, his Ice Devil's Fang didn't have the reach to do anything significant, and he couldn't gain enough of a rightward orientation to get a proper shot with his Flurry Rifle or any of his spells without catching himself in the attack. Naturally, his Gungnir was still N/A on account of being "broken" during his first fight with Kaido. All he could do was keep punching and cutting the beast in the snout, trying to find some method of escape.

GARUUUUUUUUU!

"Huh?!" That was all Shirou could get out before a sudden weight smashed into the Cerberus, the shock causing it to loosen its grasp on Shirou and launching it through the air. Shirou flopped painfully onto the ground, letting out a soft whine.

GAO-GAO!

He raised his head just in time to receive an affectionate, sloppy kiss from "Mr. Fluffles", the dog panting excitedly as he looked expectantly at Shirou, tilting his heads.

"Good boy!" Shirou praised, sitting up and raising a hand to scratch all three heads on their necks. "Very good boy, Fluffles!" The three heads than proceeded to lick Shirou's frontside, Shirou laughing all the while. "O-OK! Come on now, you guys! That's enough!" In truth, it actually burned a little. He kept forgetting that these Cerberus literally had fire inside of their mouths, so their tongues were as hot as hot burners. "Seriously, that's e-" Shirou paused, noticing that his new pet had stopped, sitting on its hind. "What...?" Shirou looked down, finally realizing that the front of his shirt had been completely torn. However, instead of huge holes in his chest bleeding gallons of blood, there were instead "craters" in his flesh. Scarred tissue and burns. It still hurt like Hell, but he wasn't in as great a danger of bleeding out. "OOOHHHH! You were cauterizing the wounds with your flames! GOOD BOY!" Shirou, again, went on to give his dog from Hell all of the love, scratches, and hugs he felt he deserved.

"If you're done hugging that mutt of yours-" Fluffles gave an annoyed growl at Kalawarner's remark. "-you should focus more on the problem at hand!"

Shirou's instincts finally kicked in, helping him turn on his heels just at the enemy Cerberus opened its mouth to devour Shirou once more. Shirou stomped his heel down on the hound's jaw, using his sole hand to prop the dog's mouth open, trying to ignore the row of sharp CANINES (he laughed at his own little pun) dug deeply into the palm of his hand. "Hell no...! I'm not...getting eaten by a monster again! I still have nightmares about the insides of Viser's stomach!"

"Mind if I cut in?" That pun was followed by a blue-haired blur and a flash of light, the middle Cerberus head fighting with Shirou catching a severe case of decapitation. "I thought you could use a little back-up."

Now free of his burden, Shirou tossed the head to the side, staring in shock as the Exorcist, Xenovia, subsequently cut the Cerberus in half, light flowing from its burning wounds before the entire beast dissolved into two fireballs which immediately dissipated.

Xenovia smirked tauntingly at Shirou, causing him a great deal of irritation.

"Oh look, a third of a humanity's problems. How are you today?"

"Oh look, an ungrateful hellspawn who just had his life saved by me. How are you today?"

"Bitch!"

"Mutt!"

"Hypocrite!"

"Neanderthal!"

"Seaweed-Head!"

"What?"

"That's right! Your bang looks like seaweed on that mop of blue you have!"

"It-It does not!"

"Does too!"

"It's stylish!"

"It's stupid!"

"Would the two of you stop bickering like children!" Rias shouted at them, deftly avoiding the stream of fire spewing from her enemy Cerberus' mouth. "Stop picking another fight and focus on this one!"

Both teens were silent for a moment. Shirou pointed at Xenovia.

"She started it!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did t-"

"I don't CARE who started it!" Rias snapped. "If you two don't knock it off, I swear I'll-"

"IYAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Asia's scream immediately put an end to all discussion, eyes turning in the direction of the pair of Issei and Asia, the latter being carried in his arms as he barely managed to avoid the attacks of the dog of Hell chasing him. From the looks of things, Issei was beginning to run out of steam. He may have been a Devil and the Red Dragon Emperor, but he could only evade for so long before he became wary. It was made even more difficult by the fact he couldn't strike the beast without the count on his Boosted Gear being reset.

"Issei! Asia!" He turned to his comrades. "Let's go!"

However, none of them even got the chance.

The moment the huge dog lunged at them, the ground began to shake.

Suddenly, numerous blades of differing sizes shot out of the ground, impaling the beast from directions Shirou didn't even know were possible.

"Sorry for being late," said the blonde-haired Knight who landed in front of Issei and Asia, sword-in-hand.

Issei let out a sigh of relief, Asia smiling brightly at the Knight's arrival.

"Kiba-san, you're here!"

"About time, pretty boy!" Shirou said as he approached the group, wrapping his arm around Kiba's neck. "Here I was thinking you bailed on us again!"

"You're still upset about that?" Kiba asked, smiling awkwardly as Shirou's arm tightened around his throat.

"Eh, just a little."

 **[BOOST!]**

Shirou hadn't been keeping track of how many times the announcement sounded, but it had been several minutes than the battle had begun, so there was no doubt Issei had already stacked quite a number of Boosts.

"Issei!" Rias called out. "Transfer your power to us!"

"Roger!" Issei leaped into the air, tapping both Rias and Akeno on the shoulders.

 **[TRANSFER!]**

Large amounts of dragon aura surrounded both senior students, an expression like that of pleasure appearing on their faces as their power shot up dramatically.

"Impressive." Xenovia said, staring with interest. "I didn't know you were strong enough to do that, Issei."

"But what's their expressions...?" Shirou wondered aloud.

"I...I don't know." Issei admitted, shrugging. "Maybe they're just happy about the power boost?"

"Issei, you should have played enough eroge to know that's not the kind of "happiness" you're thinking of."

"We're ready now!" Rias declared, she and Akeno standing above the incapacitated watchdog from Hell.

"Oh yeah!"

"Let's finish this!" Rias threw a magic circle through the air.

Akeno raised her hand to the sky. "Thunder! Resound!"

A bolt of lightning struck Rias' magic circle, magnifying the blast by what might have been a hundred times, so powerful that it looked as though the remaining Cerberus was buried by the light of Heaven itself, its entire form reduced to nothing within seconds of the two older sister-types' combined attack. It let out a final howl of torment before it completely ceased to exist.

The battle against the Cerberus had ended in their complete victory!

...That's why Shirou was confused when Akeno and Rias turned their sharp gazes towards the ground.

"One more!" Rias stated, extending her hands.

"Huh?" Shirou stared with half-lidded eyes. "What are you-?"

"Shirou, get out of the way!" Akeno shouted, alarmed.

"What are you...?" Shirou pursed his lips, the light bulb in his head flickering dimly before finally lighting up as a massive shadow was cast over him. He turned to see Fluffles sitting behind him, tongues out while panting dumbly. He then turned back to his friends, all of their swords, magic, flames, etc out ready to kill him. "Hold up! There's a serious misunderstanding here! You can't kill Fluffles! He's my friend!"

The tension dissipated the second Shirou spoke.

[..."Fluffles"?]

War-faces were quickly replaced by confused and stupefied looks. Even Asia, who had begun healing Shirou's injuries, was stunned by the name.

[You should probably be a bit more clear, pup.] said the wolf in his Sacred Gear.

"I know that!" Shirou snapped without caring for the even more confused looks he got from his friends.

"Shirou..." Rias said, gliding to the ground, landing in front of him. "...did you _name_ this Cerberus?"

"Yep~!" Shirou replied proudly. "He is my pet and I named him "Fluffles"~!"

Akeno landed beside Rias, just as uncertain at how to properly respond to this.

Rias tapped her foot against the floor, carefully wording her next question. " _Why_?"

Shirou smiled brightly. "I named him "Fluffles" because he's fluffy and he likes snuggles. Fluffy Snuggles. Fluffles."

There was a long period of silence that caused them all, for the moment, to completely forget the mad scientist involved with whatever crazy ritual he was doing.

"...No, Shirou," Rias said after several moments of thought, "you're not doing that."

"What?" Shirou whined. "Why not!?"

"Why not!? Shirou, that is a full-grown, three-headed dog from Hell -I can't even believe I have to justify this-and keeping him here is literally against the law!" Rias said, shaking her head in exasperation. "Besides, don't you already have that Water Dragon Familiar you never talk to?"

Shirou blinked. "Oh yeah. She actually quit a few days after we made our pact."

"What?"

"Yeah, I forgot to tell you, but apparently the Gremory-supported sale of her Sacred Waters have made her a successful businesswoman, so now she has no time with my "pathetic requests", so she told me to get lost." Shirou sighed. "Geez, financial success really does turn people into total bitches."

There was a loud _slap_ as Rias face-palmed, sighing. "Shirou...You...Ugh! You can't keep the Cerberus, Shirou!"

"Come on, Buchou!" Shirou pleaded. "I'll feed him, walk him, bathe him, and I'll even be the one to put the medicine up his butt!"

"Aru?" Fluffles raised his heads, suddenly alarmed.

"That's nice and everything, but the answer is still no."

"Come on, Buchou!"

"No, Shirou!"

"Come oooooon!"

"No!"

"Come ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon!"

"Shirou, you can be a brat all you like, but you're not going to change my-"

"Come ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-"

Rias shook her head as Shirou whining continued. "How long are you prepared to keep this up for?"

"-ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-!"

"You're being horribly immature about this!"

"-oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-!"

"Shirou, I-"

"Rias, maybe you should let him keep it." Akeno suggested, tugging on Rias' sleeve. "I mean, it seems well-trained enough."

"That's not even remotely the issue!"

GAO GAO!

Fluffles let out a bark before licking Rias affectionately on the side of the face, effectively covering her entire left side in slimy dog-saliva.

"See, Buchou?" Shirou said, smiling. "He loves you! Maybe in time, you'll love him too."

"Shirou, either you send him back in a kennel or I send him back in a coffin."

"That's a little bit much, don't you think, Buchou?" Shirou asked, quickly noting how frustrated Rias looked.

"Well, I'm just a little stressed over the fact we're trying to prevent THE END OF THE WORLD!" Rias snapped. "So excuse me if trying to deal with your childish attachment to the Watchdog of Hell named "Fluffles" has me a little upset! Shirou, I will say it again: It is ILLEGAL-as in, against the law-to keep "Fluffles" here!"

"Why!? What reason is there to ban these adorable critters from the human world!?"

"Because...!" Rias trailed off and, for a moment, Shirou smiled victoriously.

"Ha! See? You can't even think of a reason!" However, he noticed Rias' eyes widen, horror clear on her face. Then he realized she wasn't looking at _him._ The others quickly mirrored her expression. "What are you staring a-" He froze, his eyes wide in shock and horror at the winged man hovering in the sky above them.

His clothes were torn and bore slash marks across his flesh, blood oozing from his wounds, especially a particularly large gash diagonal from his right shoulder. He had three neat scratches on his face as if he had gotten uncomfortably close to a cat's claws. Dangling from his tightened grasp was the head of a white-haired, small, adult woman, a broken zweihander in her tightly clenched hand. Her eyes had been blackened and there was a cut on her lip and no telling how many bruises or broken bones.

"Oh, don't mind me." Kokabiel said with a wicked grin. "I find this conversation far too amusing to interrupt."

"KA-SAN!"

"You can have this." Kokabiel tossed the woman's body as if she were some kind of ball. "It was entertaining for a while, but I'm bored with it now."

Shirou ran forward to catch the discarded woman, but there were several among the Occult Research Club who were much faster than him.

Surprisingly enough, it was Xenovia who lunged through the air, catching the small woman in her arms.

"Xenovia...?" Shirou stared, uncertain what he just saw as Xenovia quickly hurried back to the group.

"She's human, isn't she?" Xenovia noted, eyes closed pensively. "She never specifically said which group she was allied with, so it wouldn't be a sin to save her according to my faith."

"Well, "saved" is a little subjective by this point. It's more like you just caught her." Shirou pointed out, averting his eyes as Xenovia narrowed hers at him. "...Thanks though."

Xenovia gave a nod of acknowledgement, setting Mikoto softly on the ground so Asia could get to work on restoring her injured body.

"Ka-san!" Shirou called out, kneeling by the woman's side. "Ka-san, can you hear me!?" Shirou lowered his head close to her face, letting out a sigh of relief as he heard the sound of air passing in and out of her mouth. She was breathing at least.

Everyone was at least mildly heartened to know that the woman, who had taught them a great deal, who had trained them in order to battle against Riser, was still alive.

"Kokabiel-!" Rias hissed his name as if it were some kind of curse word.

"Oh come now. All I did was play with her as she requested." Kokabiel laughed, waving off Rias' hostility. "I admit, I wasn't as disappointed as I thought I would be. Her Sacred Gear was hardly top-tier, but to even manage to wound me without even drawing her Trump Card, I'm actually a little impressed."

"...Sacred Gear?" Shirou glanced at Mikoto, picking up on that detail.

"It actually upsets me about how boring this little event will become from hereon out. I do hope the rest of you will at least _try_ to entertain me a little."

"You want entertaining?" Rias said, notable irritation in her voice as she took to the skies once more. Rias conjured a massive block of demonic power in her hands, at least ten-times larger than any attack she ever used before. "Try this on for size!" She unleashed the entirety of the massive blast upon Kokabiel, venting all of her anger and frustration in the hopes of taking him down.

"That thing's huge!" Issei cried out in awe.

Shirou grinned. "No kidding!"

"...N...t...enough..." Shirou frowned as he heard what sounded like words pass through Mikoto's lips.

"Ka-san?"

"Heh!" Kokabiel let out a small chuckle before stretching out his hand, catching the blast with one hand and immediately tossing it right back, like an old man throwing a ball over a high fence just to spite the child owner.

Rias twisted through the air, narrowly avoiding the returned fire.

All of them watched in awe and shock as the blast struck the nearby tennis courts-

DOOOOOOOOOOOON!

When the dust cleared, all that remained was a crater several meters wide and several meters deep. A blast that size could have taken out a full-grown dinosaur.

"No way..." Kalawarner stared at the crater and then the unfazed look of amusement on Kokabiel's face. "Even the Gremory's power is of no use...?"

Kokabiel cackled maliciously. "Impressive. Look how much stronger you've become now that you've had a little Red Dragon Emperor inside of you." He laughed again. "Sexy. And _interesting_."

"It is complete!" It was then that everyone remembered the other half of the reason they were there to begin with. Valper Galilei laughed mirthfully as the ritualistic magic circles in the air began radiating an even brighter light than before, the four gathered Excaliburs beginning to overlap with one another. These Holy Swords were originally one which were split into seven. Now it was being recreated using only four. "Finally it is done!"

The magic circle that had originally only surrounded Valper began to grow and expand.

Shirou instinctively hopped away when it passed under his feet, believing it to have some form of malicious ability. "What the...? What is this?"

"...P...lease..."

Shirou quickly fell to his knees, staring at Mikoto as she spoke once more. "Ka-san? What's wrong? What is it?" That was when he noticed something strange. Something changed...not disappeared or added. To put it into words...Mikoto "flickered". Like a dying light bulb, she "flickered".

"...flee..." She whispered, struggling to breathe as several of her broken ribs compressed her lungs. For the first time, she opened her eyes, weakly turning her head towards Shirou. "...D...Don't fight..."

"What are you talking about?" Shirou asked, staring incredulously. "We have to stop Kokabiel!"

"Fujimura-san, please don't move!" Asia pleaded as she continued healing the small woman to the best of her abilities. "You're going to make your wounds worse!"

"P...Please..." Mikoto tightly grasped Shirou's shirt, tears of desperation streaming from her eyes. "You kids have to run away..."

"What? Why?" Shirou asked, hoping for his mother to be clearer with her words.

"He told me...He told me everything..." Mikoto said, wincing as she sat up. "The Excalibur...It is the catalyst for this town's destruction...It's too late...!"

"Now now, child," Kokabiel said tauntingly, "my plan isn't yours to share." Shirou instinctively stood, outstretching his remaining arm in front of Mikoto to shield her from Kokabiel's gaze. "Hahahaha! But she's right, you know!"

"The moment the ritual completed, fusing the Excaliburs into one, the spell cast on the ground also finished." Valper explained, snickering. "If you don't wish to die, I suggest you run now. This whole town will be destroyed within twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes...?"

[At the moment, our only choice is to keep Kokabiel occupied until Onii-sama arrives in an hour.]

Shirou recalled the words Rias said. Supposedly, the only being capable of defeating Kokabiel was someone of Maou-class. And reinforcements were at least another half-hour away. He tightened his fist. By the time they arrived, the entire town would be a vacant lot and the Second Great War would be well underway.

"Don't you fuck with me...!" Shirou stood his ground, facing Kokabiel with defiant eyes. "There's no way in Hell we're going to just let you destroy our town!"

"If you wish to save it, then you must defeat me before time's up." Kokabiel declared, extending all ten of his feathery wings. "What will you do, Rias Gremory?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Rias flew at Kokabiel, firing another large blast of demonic power in his direction.

"Is that all?" Kokabiel asked, disinterested as he caught the blast with his bare hands. "I would have thought the outcome of this was obvious the last time."

"Don't get overconfident!" Akeno appeared on Kokabiel's other side, shooting her own bolt of lightning at the Cadre-class Fallen Angel.

However, just as he had Rias' attack, Kokabiel caught it with his bare hand. He pushed the two attacks together, forming a massive sphere above his head. "Heh! Fools!" He threw it right back as if they were playing a deadly game of catch.

"Rias!" Akeno appeared in front of Rias, creating a barrier to shield them from the blast.

Unfortunately, they underestimated the capability of their combined power. The barrier melted like butter beneath a Level 100 fire spell and the two were blown away by the blast. The barrier absorbed the brunt of the shock, but they were blown out of the air.

Rias managed to regain her balance in mid-air. "Akeno!" Akeno, on the other hand, failed to react in time. She went into free-fall, her momentum too great for her to readjust herself properly to fly. Even if she was a Queen, a head-first fall from a hundred feet in the air could possibly maim or even kill her.

"Akeno!" Shirou ran forward, quickly throwing himself forward after slapping his hand against the ground, a path of ice forming beneath him. He slid legs forward, Akeno falling into his open arms in a bridal style position. Shirou couldn't help but give a sigh of relief as Akeno stirred in his arms...arm and arm stump. "You alright?"

"Yeah." She nodded, her cheeks slightly pinked. "I'm sorry. I acted carelessly and ended up needing to be saved by you again..."

"Again? What are you?" The vivid memory of being impaled for the first time flashed through Shirou's memory. "Oh...Well, honestly, I think I'm the one who owes you an apology right now..."

"Hm? Why?" That was when Akeno finally realized where Shirou's hand was placed. "Oh..."

"W-Well, you see, I only have one hand to grab with a-and I needed to get a good grip...uh..." Shirou blushed deeply, trying to ignore the fact that his only hand was firmly cupping Akeno's breast. "I'm sorry...Um...since this can't possibly get anymore awkward, sorry for bein' an asshole to you the other day..."

Akeno blinked, surprised. "It's fine...I was out of line with what I said. It's not my place to judge your relationships...I didn't mean to upset you."

"Maybe..." It was that comment that caught Akeno's attention. However, she couldn't read too much into it before Shirou's expression changed. He set her on the ground beside Mikoto, allowing Asia to tend to her once Mikoto was in a stable state. "Stay here and recover as much as you can."

"Shirou...?"

Shirou's fist tightened at his side. "That asshole wants to fuck with my school? My town?! And he has the balls to injure the people I care about?! First, my mother and then my Senpai on top of that?!" He grit his teeth, an angered growl rumbling in his throat. "This shit's personal! I'm gonna bust his skull open, so just sit there and watch me kill his ass." He turned towards Kokabiel, pointing the pointed tips of Nilfheim Ravager's claws at the Fallen Angel. He stuck his middle finger into the air. "YOU HEAR ME, DIPSHIT!? I'M COMING FOR YOU!" He rushed forward, catching up with the others.

 _"He acts pretty vulgar..."_ Akeno thought to herself, blushing lightly, _"...but he's actually a big softie."_

Kokabiel smirked at the motley group assembled before him. "It appears things are getting a little more interesting." He looked off to the side. "Freed!"

"You called~?!" The fake priest appeared out of nowhere, grinning with that same psychotic smile he always had. "I'm here~!"

"Great, more assholes."

"This guy again..."

Both Shirou and Issei expressed their displeasure at Freed's appearance.

"This is our last piece of entertainment." Kokabiel said. "Use this Excalibur with the strength of four swords to get rid of all of this debris."

"I would _love_ too~!" Freed said with his usual crazy smile, taking the new sword born in the center of the magic circle. "You know that fancy Excalibur with those ridiculous specs? Surprise~! I just got one as a gift~! Now who wants the pointy end of this baby first!?" When Freed took a step forward, everyone hesitated.

At his core, Freed's skill and power was far below any of theirs. However, when enhanced by the power of four Excaliburs, it was dangerous for them to attack even if it was all at once. The only two to stand unwavering were Kiba and Xenovia, Kiba standing in front of all of them, his sword tightly held in his hand.

"Tell me, Knight of Rias Gremory," Xenovia said, "is the offer of cooperation still on the table?"

"I would like to think so."

"If that's the case, then let's destroy that Excalibur together."

Kiba eyed Xenovia curiously. "Are you sure it's alright?"

Xenovia nodded. "I understand that, technically, we are looking at a Holy Sword, but there is nothing holy about that. In the hands of Valper and now Freed, it has become a sword of heresy, so I actually relish the chance to strike it down."

"Don't leave me out of this fight!" Shirou said, pushing in-between the two, much to their curiosity. "I have my own stake in this too, you know." He frowned, averting his eyes. "There's still a few things I have to ask Galilei and the only way to get to him is by going through Freed." Xenovia still seemed at a loss, but his words were understood implicitly by Kiba, who nodded.

"I've held off on my revenge for several years...I'm willing to wait several more minutes."

"Thank you." Shirou sighed.

"Kukukuku..." Valper chuckled at their little alliance.

Kiba turned his glare back towards Valper. "Valper Galilei, I'm a survivor of the Holy Sword Project-or, more accurately, of those you tried to murder. I was able to live because I was reborn as a Devil."

"Oh, a survivor of that project, huh?" Valper asked with more disgust than interest. "For me to meet you here in this far-east country makes it feel as though fate is toying with me. Fufufu." Even his manner of laughter was repulsive.

There wasn't a part of Shirou that didn't want to cut this man to pieces...but he still had important information...

"It was almost like a dream how much I adored the Holy Swords. From my youngest days, mere stories of them could make my heart dance." Valper said, reminiscing with a faint smile on his face. "When I found out that I had no aptitude for them, that I could not use them, I fell into despair. Precisely because I could not use them, I became enamored with those that could. I wholeheartedly plunged myself into research of the artificial creation of those with the potential to wield them. In the beginning, it seemed like an impossible desire. Researching the connection between Holy Swords and the "holy element" necessary for their use-"

"Look, Valper, I don't give a rat's ass about your B.S. backstory. Nobody does. Years from now, people still won't care about your backstory because you will be the same cruel, unimportant, piece of shit character you are right now." Shirou said, narrowing his eyes. "There's something else I want to know from you."

"Oh?

"I want to know about Dr. Ruri Oda." Shirou said coldly. "What is your connection to her...?" Even if Valper was a monster, even if he was the most disgusting human being on the planet, he still knew about Ruri. He knew her personally. His expression at the thought of her implied that much at least. It also meant it was possible he knew where she was...

"And why would that matter to you?"

"Because she's my-myyy..." Shirou trailed off, uncertain as to why he was even hesitating, "...she's someone I need to know about."

"And who are you anyway?" Kokabiel asked, frowning at Shirou's interuptions.

"The boy's name is Shirou Fujimura, Kokabiel." Valper answered. "A mere Pawn serving under Rias Gremory. Nobody worth noting.

""Fujimura"...?" Kokabiel repeated, thinking deeply. For the first time since the battle began, Kokabiel looked genuinely surprised, even bemused. "Would you happen to be related to a certain "Mikoto Fujimura", would you?" Shirou failed to control his eyes movements, his eyes darting over to his fallen mother. Kokabiel didn't miss this, his own eyes wandering over to the wounded loli who shared the same hair color, the girl shooting a sharp glare in his direction. A wicked grin broke across his face. "So it _is_ her! Hahahaha! To think I would meet the current Slash Empress here of all places! I didn't think much of her due to her diminutive size, but only someone of legendary skill could have managed to land such powerful attacks on my body." Kokabiel turned back to Shirou, looking unimpressed. "However, if you are of her family, I find myself a little disappointed in her teaching abilities."

"Don't you badmouth Ka-san!" Shirou shouted it before he could stop himself.

It was after that that the air was once again consumed by tense silence.

Among all others, it was Valper who looked shocked. "Of course..." Everyone's eyes fell upon Valper. "...Boy, how old are you?"

A chill of disgust went down Shirou's spine, eyeing Valper with caution. "...Why?"

"Humor me. There is a theory I wish to investigate."

"..." Shirou turned to Rias and the others, all of them equally unsure how to handle the odd question as he was. "...Seventeen. Why?"

"Hahahahaha!" It was Valper's laughter which broke the tense silence that followed. "It makes so much sense now!" Everyone turned their eye towards the mad scientist. "Yes! Yes! It all clicks together perfectly! Considering the relationship between the Slash Empress and Ruri, and the timing matching up perfectly...! The resemblance you bear to her is absolutely uncanny! And it makes this situation even far more hysterical!"

"What are you talking about, Galilei!?" Kiba snapped. "What about this is funny?!"

"Why, young survivor of the Holy Sword Project, I'm surprised you never noticed!" Valper said mirthfully. "The fact that your true enemy has been among your numbers this whole time!"

This time it was Rias' turned to step forward, an annoyed look on her face. "What do you mean by this, Valper Galilei?!" She asked. "Are you trying to cast suspicion of treason among my adorable servants?"

"Only of having the blood of a sinner, young Gremory." Valper answered with a condescending tone. "If anything, this makes my story much more relevant than before."

"Explain." Kiba demanded.

"You see, even though I fully understood the existence of the Holy Sword and the power needed to wield them, it was the process of creating someone with the potential artificially that was the issue." Valper explained. "I could run test after test and never once uncover the secret behind completing the goal I had longed after for so many years. Once or twice, I considered taking my own life out of despair. And that was when I met _her_. When she contacted me out of the blue, I was certain it was some form of trap. However, my curiosity, as it always did, won over my rational thoughts, so I agreed to meet with her, the brilliant mind which went unrivaled in all of the mythological realms, Ruri Oda."

"Ruri...called you?"

"Shirou?" It was the first time anyone noticed something physically wrong with him. Akeno couldn't help but feel an odd tension in Shirou's voice.

"My curiosity was answered by the woman who showed me the truth." For the first time in the reminiscing of his story, Valper smiled genuinely. "I admired her, I envied her, I loved her, and I hated her. The one who ultimately accomplished what I could not. My research, which I had been carrying out many years long before the Holy Sword Project, could not reach the end of my desire. In the end, it was she whose knowledge surpassed mine who granted me all of the missing pieces I needed. It was her research which was gifted to me that I learned more of the special gene that humans possessed."

"Then the one who taught you how to create Holy Sword-users was Ruri Oda." Kiba concluded, his eyes closed. Despite his calm expression, his hand tightened furiously around the hilt of his Demonic Sword.

"That is correct." Valper confirmed. "There was so much to decipher. She wrote every last note of research in a special code only she knew. Whether it was to keep it out of the hands of those who came across it or me specifically, I wasn't quite sure. In truth, it may have been both. Even back then, I could look at her and understand her as a distrusting woman. I began the Holy Sword Project with what I already knew, adding more to it as I decoded more of her research, the more I learned from that brilliant mind. It was a few years into the Holy Sword Project before I was finally able to understand it all, the true method in order to create a Holy Sword-user. The process by which I could remove the "genes" from others in order to implant them into a single subject, producing an artificial Holy Sword-user."

"Then..." Shirou stumbled back for a moment. "...you're saying that Ruri-"

"Yes," Valper confirmed, "In a way, if I am considered the "father" of the Holy Sword Project, then Ruri Oda is the "grandmother" and the project's true progenitor. Without her, none of this would have been possible. She is no doubt pleased with the results, wherever she is. The fruits of her labor which I had borne in her stead. She likely saw my own spark of brilliance and saw me as the best candidate to carry out her work."

"You're lying!" Everyone turned to Shirou, his face a ghostly pale, a mix of shock and anger etched into his expression. "Ruri would never do something like that! She...She would never just let someone like you do what you did!" Shirou lowered his eyes to the ground, his fist tightly clenched at his side.

"Calm down, Shirou-"

"NO!" Akeno tried gently grabbing Shirou's shoulder, but he immediately slapped her hand away. There was a dangerous look in his eyes. "I can't accept something like that! That person...I can't accept she would condone something so evil!"

"What you accept or don't accept is insignificant." Valper said, smirking coldly. "Whatever you believe to be the truth, this is a fact that cannot be denied: The true culprit behind the project which I carried out was none other than Ruri Oda."

It felt like a slap to the face and a kick to the balls. Shirou fell to his knees, eyes wide in horror and loathing.

"Shirou!" Issei called out. For a moment, everyone thought that he had perhaps been struck or attacked, but it was only after Asia knelt by his side, examining his body for further injury, that they realized he had not been harmed.

"Shirou," This time it was Kiba's voice that spoke to him. The Knight turned to him a steely gaze in his eyes, "the one who first brought up Ruri Oda's name was you. _Why_ do you know her name? Why do you know the name of the woman responsible for the Holy Sword Project's creation?" Even if his voice was level, there was a burning fury hidden beneath it.

"..." Shirou averted his eyes, unable to meet Kiba's gaze. "..."

"Hahaha! To think you two have fought together all this time and he never once saw fit to explain the truth to you?" Valper laughed, mocking them and their suffering. "Then elaborate upon what your cowardly friend is too afraid to explain! The truth behind that cursed blood of his! For you see, the name "Shirou Fujimura" is a falsehood, a fabrication, a facade! Is that not correct... _Oda_?" At first, everyone was confused, until they noticed that Valper's accusing finger was directed at one individual in particular-

Shirou bit his lower lip, sighing before nodding his head. "That's correct." Shirou struggled to stand back up, stumbling a few times as if using his legs was a mystery to him. "...Shirou Fujimura was a fake name, one granted to me in order to replace the one I had lost. To give purpose to one who was an empty existence. My true name is that of "Oda", my given name "Nobunaga"."

Even though his friends no doubt horrified faces and had many things they wished to say, he could not cease his terrible revelation.

"Oda Ruri, the woman ultimately responsible for the creation of the Holy Sword Project...is my birth mother."

They all waited, letting the thought sink in.

"I see..." Kiba said. Shirou felt his heart sink deep in his chest. "...but the one who carried out the Holy Sword Project with his own two hands was you, Valper Galilei. If you already knew how to create an Artificial Holy Sword-user, then why was it necessary to have the Holy Sword Project in the first place?"

"I told you already, didn't I?" Valper said, stroking his gray mustache. "I didn't fully understand the method until I had properly decoded all of Ruri's research. I was too fascinated and excited by the premise her work laid out that I never once considered that extracting the gene was even plausible, but her notes thoroughly outlined the process. It was clear she had done thorough tests of herself. The only thing that remained unknown was the implantation of this gene into others. I was the one who perfected that process."

"But what does that mean?" Kiba asked. "What is this gene you're talking about?"

"It is the holy element that certain humans possess." Valper clarified. "Individually, none of you possessed the amount necessary to wield the Holy Sword. It was Ruri's research that allowed me to learn of the method through which I could gather the gene from others."

"I see. I understand now." Xenovia said, her eyes wide. "The thing that is put inside the Holy Sword-users when they receive the blessing is to help with the gene deficiency they possessed."

"That's correct, Holy Sword-user-girl." Valper confirmed, reaching into his robes and pulling out a shining gem of some kind. It radiated a feeling that was similar to that of a weapon of light or a Holy Sword. "It was only a great deal into the project that I came to fully understand the process by which I could extract it. It would then be crystallized into gems such as this one and implanted into the bodies of others. This crystal in my hand contains the correct quantity of the gene. It's the last one made from those pathetic little brats!"

"...!" Kiba stared, stunned. It wasn't hard to comprehend why.

Even if it was just a part of them, Valper held what could have very well been the remains of all of the children of the Holy Sword Project. His friends.

"Hyahahahaha!" Freed cackled. "Other guys besides me died halfway in because they were too weak to take in all of the gene goodness! If you think about it, that makes me what of a kind!"

"A one of a kind crazy maybe." Kalawarner muttered offhandedly.

"I HEARD THAT, BITCH!"

Kalawrner rolled her eyes. "Is that okay?" She spat sarcastically.

"As a matter of fact, go fuck yourself!"

"Those hypocrites at the Church, shamelessly casting me out as a heretic immediately after my research improved only to steal it for themselves. How dare they?" Valper asked, furious. "That Michael, making me out to be a criminal only to have the project succeeded by someone else? The sheer arrogance! I bet, even if he took the genes from his subjects, he didn't take the time to kill them! Kukukuku!"

"There was no reason to kill us either...!" Kiba growled, his arms falling to his sides. "How could you...?!"

"You were nothing more than materials used in a top-secret project. We had what we needed. What were we supposed to do?"

"We thought what we were doing was for God. We bore everything because of that faith..." Kiba almost dropped his sword, his emotional agony clear on his face. An intense aura radiated from his body. "...And then, you just threw us away...like trash...Valper Galilei, how many people have you sacrificed for your selfish desires?"

"Hm. If you say that, then this one is yours for the keeping." Valper said, haphazardly tossing the crystal onto the ground in front of Kiba. "It's gotten to the point where we can produce higher quality crystals anyway. No martyrs required. First, I will destroy this town with Kokabiel. Next, I will gather the legendary Holy Swords stored around the world andI will mass produce Holy Sword-users needed to wield them and start a war against Michael and the Vatican with the combined Excaliburs. I'm going to show the result of my research to those foolish Angels and their followers who have convicted me."

"You monster!" Shirou accused. "Using innocent children as pawns, throwing them away, all so you can get some petty revenge!? Someone who used orphan children and slaughtered them like cattle...I...I won't forgive you!"

"High and mighty words coming from the child of a woman known as a "demon"." Valper taunted. "If you truly believe me to be evil, then you must cast that same shame upon your own filthy roots. Do you truly believe this is the first atrocity that Ruri Oda had cooperated in or induced? Why, the woman revered as a true "Human Devil" has committed more atrocities which number more than the years of your life span, child of Oda."

"My mother may have done evil things..." Shirou admitted, getting back to his feet. "But even if she's done hundreds or even thousands or horrible deeds, even if I end up being the one to pay for her sins," Shirou summoned out his sword, pointing it in Valper's direction, "I will start by cleaning up the one carried out by you, Valper Galilei!"

"Everyone..." Kiba held the crystal close to his chest, crying from a mixture of sadness and anger. "...I wasn't able to..."

That was when the crystal started to glow...

It began to radiate a dazzling line that began to spread around Kiba, forming humanoid shapes. Faint at first, but then they began to take more and more human appearances, boys and girls, children.

"What's this?" Shirou looked on at the incorporeal forms that surrounded Kiba. "They look kind of like people."

"It's probably the different powers from the battlefield combining." Akeno explained. "And Kiba...our powers on top of the trembling of his heart must have freed the souls from the crystal."

"That's actually a pretty dead-on explanation, Cow-Udders." Everyone turned in surprise to see Mikoto limping towards them, clutching her arm, her eyes still swollen.

"Ka-san! Are you alright?"

"Yeah, thanks to Asia-chan's healing, I'm right as rain." She hardly sounded convincing. "It's a rare, but not impossible situation. In places with high amounts of magical power, diverse in nature, it's possible for the spirits of the departed to gather-not in body but soul-if their regrets are strong enough. Normally, a situation like this produces evil spirits, those who have long since passed who bear grudges towards the living. However, in this case, it was not their regrets, but Yuuto Kiba's, that called them back from beyond the veil. That along with the crystal which contained their power provided the right situation for them to manifest."

It made sense. The Red Dragon Emperor, the Power of Destruction, Kokabiel, the Excaliburs, the crystal, it all fit.

"So it's really them...the victims of the Holy Sword Project..."

The spirits looked at Kiba with clear and sad expressions.

"Everyone! I…I...!" Kiba looked pained just trying to face them. "I prayed...and wondered "Why was I the only one? Why me?"...It wasn't fair for me to have survived...There were kids with bigger dreams than I did...Kids who wanted to live more than I did...It was a mistake...! Someone better than me should have made it out of that nightmare...!"

One of the spirits, a young girl perhaps Kiba's age walked up to him, her face blank before warming into a soft smile. Even if Kiba could not physically feel her, he still found himself crying as she wrapped her arms around him, holding him in a loving embrace.

[We're fine now, so live. That is what matters to us most.]

Even if it was faint, Shirou heard her words clearly.

Then the spirits of boys and girls started to move their lips in a rhythm, a peaceful, warm melody passing into the air.

"What is this...?" Shirou looked around, wiping his eyes as unwanted tears flowed down his cheeks. "I can't stop crying...!"

"It's the Sacred Song." Mikoto stated, smiling as her own eyes began to water. "It's a holy melody that is rumored to touch even the most wicked of hearts. Even Devils, whose existences are opposed to light, would gladly weep and perish if only to hear its sweet sound...It's been so long since I've heard it."

The souls of the children began to gather around Kiba.

[It's okay.]

[Let's all gather together.]

[Take us in. It's time.]

[You don't have to be scared, even if there is no God.]

[Though God may not be watching over us...]

[Our hearts are always...]

[ONE.]

Kiba smiled, placing a hand against his chest, his body surrounded by a light-blue light.

[The Knight's Sacred Gear has reached the breaking point.]

"Huh?" It was then that Shirou realized the voice originated not outwardly, but inwardly. The wolf. "Breaking point?"

[The tool known as Sacred Gear which was granted to you human pups by the Angels' God possesses a power that is normally unreachable by you. When the thoughts and wishes of the user become powerful enough, opposing the very laws of nature, they are able to reach a level that surpasses that of its normal limits. I have seen it a number of times...]

"This power..."

[Balance Breaker.]

Kiba stepped forward, his face showing a much stronger resolve than before, determination burning in his eyes.

"My comrades never wished for me to take revenge." Kiba said, stepping forward. "They wanted me to be free, but I'm not. First, I need to destroy the evil in front of me. That way, no one else will have to suffer." Kiba summoned a new sword. "No one but you! Prepare yourself, Valper Galilei!"

Fear showed on Valper's face, uncertain how to react to the sudden confidence expressed by the Knight of Gremory. "Help me! Freed!"

"You called~?" Freed asked, appearing by Valper's side. "I'm here!"

"Heh!" Valper smirked. "You are such a little fool. You should have let yourself get killed with the rest of them."

"Kibaaaaaa!" Kiba turned to his group, Issei calling out at the top of his lungs. "Go on and kick that Freed-bastard's ass along with those Excaliburs! No point in wasting your friends' feelings now or their souls!"

"Issei..."

"You can do it, Yuuto." Rias said proudly. "Fight like a member of the house of Gremory! Take them down! Besides, no true Knight of mine would ever lose to such a pathetic foe."

"Come on, Yuuto-kun! We all believe in you!"

"Buchou...Akeno-san..."

"Kiba-san!"

"We all know you can do it, Knight-boy!"

"Asia-san...Kalawarner-san..."

"Aren't you young'uns all about showing up the older generation?" Mikoto said teasingly. "Why don't you show me the power of the current generation's swordsmen!"

"Even Fujimura-san..."

"I want to see blood."

"That's a scary thing to say, Koneko-chan..." Still, Kiba appreciated the sentiment. Then his eyes settled on the last of the group.

The awkward-looking white-haired boy who looked as though he was considering trying not to be noticed. Shirou, whose true name was "Oda", was the child of the woman who gave Valper the research needed to carry out the Holy Sword Project. Naturally, things would be uncomfortable.

"Kiba!" Ultimately, Shirou chose to speak his thoughts as well. He bowed profusely, never once raising his head. "I know I have no right to ask you this, but I have a request only you have the right to carry out: Destroy the evil that began with my birth mother's disgusting research!"

"...Of course!" Kiba gave a reassuring smile, noticing Shirou's relief at the soft gesture. "Everyone...thank you."

"Ewwww! Another scene from the house of Gag-me-Gremory!" Freed whined, a look of nausea on his face. "It's making my skin crawl and it's creeping me out! I can't take it! I need to kill you! YES! That will make me feel much better!" He brandished his sword with a maniacal glee.

Kiba lowered his head, focusing on the the blade in front of him. "Time for a new sword." He said. "Dear comrades whose souls have become one with mine, we shall overcome this together." He raised his blade into the air, two auras, one white, the other black, swirling around it and joining at the tip. "All our dreams which were stifled will now come true. I will create a sword for Rias and all of my fallen friends! _Sword Birth, go_!"

Kiba's blade shined brilliantly, the powers of light and darkness carved deep into the very essence of the sword.

"Balance Breaker! The Sword of the Betrayer! A sword vested with both holy and Devil powers! Just try and stop it!" Kiba charged Freed, his speed so great that even the former Exorcist had trouble keeping up.

"Guaaaagh!" Freed didn't even realize Kiba had cut his shoulder until blood spewed out from the open wound. He turned to Kiba, glaring with murderous intent. "Damn you, shitty Devil!" He tried it again, charging after Kiba while using the speed of Excalibur Rapidly. However, every time their blades met, Kiba's sword held strong, not even cracking under the power of the Fused Excalibur. "What?!"

"Your sword will not destroy the blade forged by the combined feeling of my friends!" Kiba declared, striking back with even stronger blows than he had before. Unlike before, Kiba's resolve was stronger. It was not hatred that brought forth this power, his Balance Breaker. It was the only power that could surpass it-

"Love." Mikoto said, snapping Shirou out of his thoughts. "It's his love for his friends that are allowing him to become so much stronger."

"...Were you hearing my thoughts or was that just a coincidence?"

"Your face isn't very hard to read, Shirou."

"Sh-Shut up!"

Freed backed away from Kiba, pointing his sword forward. "Let's see how you handle this then!" Freed screamed, the blade of his Excalibur extending and separating into four whip-like tendrils.

"That won't stop me!" Even if Freed's attacks were plentiful and diverse, they were still easy to read due to his poorly-hidden killing intent. With a powerful swing, Kiba broke all of the tendrils, the sword returning to its original form.

"What happened?" Shirou asked, turning to Mikoto.

"He broke the first fragment." Mikoto said. "Even if it possesses the abilities of all four of those Excaliburs they stole, it's still just a hackjob fusion. It's like sticking together a rocket launcher, a tommy-gun, and a flamethrower with ducktape and calling it something new. That Excalibur is nothing more than a cheap imitation, a broken Holy Sword. Naturally, it's fragments can still be easily taken off. Freed will no longer be able to use the Mimicry fragment."

"Damn it! Why isn't this working!?" Freed screamed, his glare directed more at his own sword than his enemies. "You are supposed to be the unrivaled holy-sword-sama, aren't you!? Weren't you supposed to have lots of legends of being the ultimate sword!?"

"You could have an atomic bomb and it would still be useless in the hands of a novice like you." Xenovia taunted, taking a step forward. "It's my turn now." She stabbed her Excalibur Destruction into the ground, extending her right hand to the side. "Oh, Peter. Saint Basil the Great. Saint Denis. The Blessed Virgin Mary. Please hear my prayers." The space next to her began to distort, the hilt of a blade wrapped in chains slowly exiting through the distortion. "In the name of the Saint whose spirit resides in this blade, I hereby set you free!" Xenovia grasped the hilt of the blade, ripping it free of its chains. "This is called Durandal!"

"Durandal...?" Kiba wondered.

"It's a Holy Sword!" Issei realized.

"Not just any Holy Sword, a legendary one!" Shirou pointed out. "Even I've heard of it! It was once wielded by the Paladin of the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne. The man known as Roland!"

"That would be the one." Mikoto confirmed. "To think I would see it in a place like this...It's a sword on par with Excalibur. Said to be able to cut anything in this world."

"Impossible!" Valper growled. "My research didn't go into how to use Durandal! Nobody should be able to wield that thing!"

"You're wrong." Xenovia said, pointing the sword at Valper. "Unlike Kiba and Irina, I am one of the rare natural-born Holy Sword-users."

"One who is perfectly suitable?!" Valper gasped. "Also known as a true Holy Sword-user!?"

"This kiddo cuts whatever he touches to pieces. He doesn't always listen to me either." It wasn't hard to see what she meant. The blade which she wielded, it was faint, but it could be noticed twisting slightly in her grasp, as if begging to be let free. "Besides that, he's infinitely dangerous if not stored in a different dimension."

"HAX!" Freed shouted. "I call hax! I don't believe a single word of this!" Freed vanished, his intent to kill just as obvious as it had always been. He slashed forward with all of his might-

GAKIIIN!

It only took Xenovia one slash to shatter the Excalibur's blade to pieces. Even with just that small attack, there was enough pressure to carve a huge hole into the field.

"My sword broke!" Freed cried, staring at his remaining half of a sword.

"Without the other fragments of Excalibur, your sword is no match for my Durandal!"

"No way! No fucking way!" Freed shook his head. "Isn't this supposed to be the unbeatable sword of legend!? What the fuck happened to that!? What happened to the part when I was killing your asses!? Can we go back to that? I liked that part better! This is unfair! I'm Freed Sellzen! How could I be beaten by a bunch of lowly Devil scum! There's no way a handsome guy like me can die in a place like this!"

"Accept your end with dignity!" Kiba shouted, rushing at Freed once more.

"Fuck yooooooou!" In vain, Freed lifted his sword to strike.

It didn't stand a chance.

BAAAKIIIN!

A shallow shattering sound echoed. The sound of the Excalibur crumbling.

"Did you see it? Our powers have surpassed Excalibur."

Freed fell to the ground, defeated.

It...was over.

In that instant, Yuuto Kiba had defied the rules of nature itself and destroyed the Excalibur with the power of light and darkness. He had shattered the blade and all of his regrets with the power of his bonds with his friends.

The ORC-led alliance could not help but stare in awed silence at the sword in Kiba's hand whose mere existence was in conflict with the world itself.

"How is this possible...!?" It was Valper Galilei's disgusting voice which broke the silence. "Inferring the fusion of Devil and holy powers is-"

"Valper Galilei!" The old man fell back in fear of the Holy-Demon Sword wielded by Kiba. "Prepare yourself!"

"The Black Page!" Valper gasped. "I finally understand it now!"

Kiba stared curiously at Valper, wondering whether the old man had already gone insane...more insane from fear. "The Black Page?"

"Ruri's research was right!" Valper shouted, although it was clear it was the ramblings of a madman. "The final page...I thought it was nonsense. Something that was impossible...I wrote it off as sheer heresy, there was no way it could have been possible...I didn't even bother decoding it it was so ridiculous! But here it is! Her brilliance truly outshone my own in every regard! I didn't even account for this event because it seemed to implausible but she saw it all!"

"Ruri...?" Shirou stepped forward, sword pointed at Valper. "What are you talking about...?"

"The final page of her research inferred the possibility of such an event like this!" Valper rambled. "The fusion of holy and Devil powers which is supposedly impossible...!"

"My birth mother knew about the Holy-Demon Swords?" The more Valper spoke, the less it made sense. "Kiba's is the first one," Shirou turned to Kiba, "...isn't it?"

"I don't know." He admitted. Back when he attempted to create the sword, Kiba hadn't even been entirely certain it was possible. He merely did what his thoughts and feelings drove him to do- To create the powerful sword blessed with light and darkness, his Balance Breaker.

"It was only a theory...one that should not have been possible!" Valper cried. "But, it's the only answer! Ruri knew it even back then! If the balance between holy and demon power is disrupted like this, it could only mean she was right! That not only the Maous, but also Go-AUUGH!"

In that instant, just as Valper realized something great and terrible, a light spear larger than a human being impaled him through the chest.

Everyone looked on in shock as Valper's body burned and was reduced to ashes.

"Holy shit!" Shirou watched as what had been Valper Galilei dissolved onto the ground. "...He was _really_ dry. Oh well, good riddance."

"But didn't you need answers from him about your mother?" Kiba pointed out.

Shirou was silent for a moment, letting this thought sink in.

.

.

.

"FUCK!"

"Oh Valper, you really were very talented. Unfortunately, you weren't supposed to figure that part out." Kokabiel laughed mockingly as his former ally perished.

"Wasn't that guy your comrade?" Shirou snapped. Valper was an absolute horrific, piece of garbage who soiled the species known as "humanity", but he had served Kokabiel loyally. Although he was actually relieved that Valper was no longer around, he found it shocking and a little nauseating that Kokabiel could kill him for no legitimate reason. Perhaps he was angrier that he wasn't able to interrogate Valper for answers prior to his death. "Why would you kill your own comrade?"

"Comrade!" Kokabiel spat it as if it was something tasteless. "The word "comrade" is a pathetic title people use for others without whom they would become useless. The weak become "comrades" with one another under the illusion that they will become stronger. I have no need for such useless things. I could have easily accomplished leveled this town and started a war without Valper. I just thought it wouldn't have been as much fun to watch. I wanted a really good show to watch as the war was sparked."

 _"Wow, he's evil!"_ Shirou glared at the Fallen Angel above.

"Of course, now that he's dead, I've already become more bored than when this whole affair began." Kokabiel said with a sigh. He noted Issei, his eyes narrowing at the gauntlet on his arm. "Hey there, little boy."

"Yeah? What do you want?!"

"Raise the Dragon's power as much as you can and then transfer it to one of them."

"Why would you want me to do that?"

"So are you offering to give us a chance?" Rias asked coldly. "Don't bother! We don't need it!"

"You're being ridiculous, Rias my dear. You're going to need more than a little power-up." Kokabiel gestured to his wounded body. "Even the supposed Slash Empress could only make a few non-critical wounds."

"He's right, Rias-chan." Mikoto agreed reluctantly. "Kokabiel is an enemy we won't be able to defeat in terms of basic raw power and waiting for the Maous is no longer an option. Most of us are already growing tired from exertion and we've each already suffered several injuries. Even with Durandal, Boosted Gear, the Holy-Demon Sword, and my trump card, we're starting at a lower place than him. In war, you mustn't waste a single chance, even if it is merely pity from the enemy."

Rias didn't look happy about it, but she understood. "…Issei, activate your Sacred Gear."

Issei nodded.

 **[BOOST!]**

Hand-in-hand, the heiress of Gremory and the Sekiryuutei, the Red Dragon Emperor, approached the enemy of all Devils and Angels.

The final battle had reached its climax.

Only fate could determine its outcome now...

* * *

 **Elsewhere...**

"...And you confirmed this yourself?"

"Yeah! That's right!"

"I know it sounds crazy, but it's true!"

Five figures had gathered on a rooftop not too far from the battleground. Through special methods, they were able to observe the conflict with curious eyes.

One of them, Jeanne, flailed her arms anxiously. "Look! I know Oda and there's no mistaking that face of his! It's just as cute as it's always been!"

"That seems a pretty circumstantial thing to base this assumption on." The fourth figure, a Magician with thin-rimmed glasses, said. "It will be very dangerous if you end up wasting time like this. I have no interest in this matter regardless."

"I know it sounds weird, but it's _him,_ " said the young man who was almost the size of a small building, Heracles. "The moment I looked at him, it was like I was staring at a ghost. I know Jeanne says a lot of crazy things sometimes, but this time it's for real!"

"...If it's really him. I want to know." The youth, a young boy of perhaps middle school age, said in a melancholy tone. "But I don't want to get caught either..."

The fifth member of their group considered the thoughts of all of those involved.

"...Has Kaido been removed from the board?"

[Yes!]

Heracles and Jeanne said it simultaneously.

"Come oooon! Pleeeeaaaase!?" Jeanne begged. "I'm telling you, it's _him_! It's Oda! Please please please please please please please please PLEEEAAAASSSE!?"

"Jeanne," The fifth youth said calmly, "you know full-well that we cannot afford to compromise our objectives. The White Dragon and the Fallen Angel Governor are also in the vicinity, so that makes the situation all the more treacherous. We cannot be revealed before we have completed our plans for Kyoto. We cannot afford to miss a single thing."

There was quiet feeling of dissension in the air among three of their group members. However, in the end, none of them found the courage to speak their thoughts.

[Yes, sir...]

"Good. We must leave before they catch wind of us." The 5th said. "Georg."

The Magician, Georg, nodded. "Of course." He drew the formulas, creating a magic circle on the rooftop they stood on. "Let's return."

"...But don't you at least want to stay and see how this plays out?" Jeanne asked.

For a moment, the 5th paused. "There's no need..." He turned and smiled softly. "Oda will win after all."

He did not stay to see the way Jeanne's face lit up from his words, instead opting to proceed into the magic circle as they all returned from whence they came.

Not a single person was aware of the nature of the unknown events that occurred on that night...

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** The Truth Revealed! What Lies Beyond A Secret! (Part 3 of 4)

* * *

 **Almost done! The Excalibur Arc is close to reaching its end. Shit shalt be goin' down.**

 **Ummm...Hm. Not sure what else to say here.**

 **I guess that's it.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	40. Chapter 35: Excalibur Arc Finale Part 3

**Time for a new Disclaimer!**

 **Disclaimer: I'm just going to go out on a record and say I don't own a damned thing besides Shirou. High School DxD, High School DxD New, High School DxD BorN, and all related media are the property of Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Funimation, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the offical release!**

* * *

 **Chapter 35: The Truth Revealed! What Lies Beyond A Secret! (Part 3 of 4)**

"…I'm ready now. Are you?"

That was what Issei said as the gem in his gauntlet began radiating a brighter-than-normal light.

Every single person still alive or conscious on the battlefield held their breath in anticipation. Xenovia with Durandal, Kiba with his Holy-Demon Sword, Mikoto with her sheathed medieval sword, Koneko with her Senjutsu, Kalawarner with her light spear, and then there was Shirou with his Canis Regalia's Ice Devil's Fang.

"Absolutely." Rias tightened her grasp on Issei's hand. Even she, who wielded the Power of Destruction, could not help but feel anxious.

Every single one of them knew it was do-or-die time.

Their final opponent: The Fallen Angel, Kokabiel. If they won, peace would be restored to Kuoh Town. If they lost...

None of them needed to even finish that thought. If they lost, there wouldn't _be_ a Kuoh Town anymore.

Issei held up his gauntlet, closing his eyes. "Boosted Gear Gift!"

 **[TRANSFER!]**

The green aura that surrounded Issei traveled through his arms, spreading to Rias through their interlocked hands and surrounding her entire body. A soft moan escaped her lips, the aura surrounding her changing from green to red...

Then it exploded outwards.

Even from afar, every single member of the allied group could feel the immense power radiating from Rias.

"Holy shit!" Issei commented eloquently.

"She's amazing!" Asia gasped in awe.

"I can feel that from all the way over here!" Kiba said, astonished.

"I can _taste_ that from over here!" Shirou retorted. "Really, if I didn't know Buchou, I wouldn't know she was showing off!"

Even Mikoto looked impressed. "I know that the Red Dragon's power is great, but to think it could make her this powerful..."

"Fuhahaha! Now things are really getting interesting!" Kokabiel bellowed mirthfully. "That flow of demonic power! This power is on par with that of an Ultimate-Class Devil! A little bit more then you would reach that of a Maou, Rias Gremory! Looks like you have a talent equal to that of your brother's!"

"In that case: BE GONE!"

 **GOOOOOOOOON!**

The blast of raw demonic power that Rias fired released waves that made the air itself tremble as if in fear of being destroyed by her power.

"She might actually do it..." Shirou thought aloud, awed by this power. He had never seen something of such magnitude. It surpassed that of even the spear Kokabiel destroyed the gym with.

[Don't get overconfident, pup.]

"Wolf?"

[Can you not tell by the expression on the crow's face? He is a feral dog taunting the pack which is weaker than him.]

"What do you mean? Kokabiel's strong, but he himself said Rias' power was on par with that of a Maou, didn't he?"

[Yes, but can you not remember who he had fought with during the Great War?]

"Yeah. He fought against the Angels led by God and the Devils led by the Maoooo-Oh fuck."

Kokabiel didn't even attempt to dodge the attack. He took it head-on, blocking it with two hands.

"So much better and far more interesting! This is almost as powerful as Sirzechs!"

Shirou tried to remain hopeful, that Rias' attack was getting through, but he could tell the truth from the looks on their faces. While Kokabiel seemed to be feeling more and more alive while Rias began looking more and more drained. Even as she tried pushing forward, the aura around her was already beginning to weaken.

"She still can't control the flow of her power...!" Shirou realized.

"Even though she certainly has talent with her family skill, she is still a novice in terms of fighting ability. Her inability to control her emotions in a time like this caused her to waste power unnecessarily." Mikoto commented. "Still...I think I envy her for that. For you kids not knowing what it means to fight for your life...I wish it could always be like that."

"Ka-san?"

In the end, Rias was the one whose stamina wavered. The blast gradually weakened until Rias looked too dizzy to stand properly, causing her to lose her balance and fall backwards.

"Buchou!" Naturally, Issei was the first to her side.

Rias struggled to sit upright, turning to the sky. "Go! Akeno!"

"Ring out! Thunder!" The girl wearing the outfit of a miko released a massive blast of lightning from her hands directed at Kokabiel.

However, Kokabiel merely spread his ten wings, wrapping them around his body like a protective shield. If anything, Akeno's attempts to attack him amused him. "Could it be she who possesses the power of Barakiel is trying to fight?!"

"Don't speak that name!" Akeno screamed viciously. "I am nothing like that _creature_!" The power behind Akeno's attack seemed to increase in strength but decrease in stability.

"Barakiel...?" Issei frowned, staring pensively. "...That name sounds familiar..."

"He's a Fallen Angel." Shirou said. "I remember that name back when Buchou was teaching us about the three factions and the leaders of each group. He's a pretty big guy in the Grigori too, a leader whose rank surpasses Kokabiel's I think."

"Hahahaha!" Kokabiel laughed. "Oh dear, say it isn't so! Why choose to fall so far as to be a Devil! What an amusing House, Rias!" Kokabiel looked down upon them all from his position in the air, taking cruel amusement in their plight. "The Sekiryuutei, a ruined Holy Sword Project subject, the child of the cursed Oda Clan, and Barakiel's daughter!"

"Barakiel-sama's daughter?!"

"It can't be...!"

"Wait...then Akeno's...?"

The gazes from her friends, Akeno couldn't stand it. She couldn't help but seethe in fury.

She hated it.

Her dirty blood and, above all else, her worthless father.

"How terribly amusing!" Kokabiel said. "You have the same weird tastes as that brother of yours, Rias! Truly, to think, even someone with dirty blood like hers would-Ugh!" His words were cut short by a rock that hit him square in the face. It didn't really hurt and it certainly didn't wound him, but it was still fairly annoying. "Who dares?!"

"I dare, dickhead!" The Fallen Angel's eyes fell upon the white-haired boy clutching an even larger rock in his hands. A vein popped out on his forehead, his anger clear on his face. "There's no way in Hell I'm going to let you get away with dissing my friends like that! As soon as I find a ladder, I'm gonna come up there and kick your teeth in, Kokabiel! Why the fuck does it matter if my Senpai is half-Fallen Angel or not!? It doesn't matter if she's a human, Devil, or has some kind of mixed blood! She could be half-werewolf for all I cared and it still wouldn't matter! Don't you dare try to talk down to her because she's not a so-called "true Fallen Angel" or a full-blooded human! Akeno is Akeno, you asshole!"

Akeno stared with wide eyes, a light blush appearing on her face. "Shirou..."

"You know what, Kokabiel!? You better say your prayers! Coz the Sekiryuutei, the Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess, Durandal, the Holy-Demon Sword, and the Demon King of Kuoh are all comin' up there to send you straight to Hell!" Shirou spun on his heels. "Rias! Where is the nearest 100 ft step-ladder!?"

"...Don't you have wings?" Mikoto asked.

"I wasn't taught how to use them yet!" Shirou declared with the same level of intensity. "Issei!"

"Yes?" Issei blinked, uncertain why he was the one called out.

"Keep boosting your power!" Shirou commanded. "This isn't an enemy we can beat with tactics! Our only chance is to group up and hit him til he dies! We need to pull out all the stops!"

Issei smirked. "You got it!" The gem on his gauntlet began to glow again. "Let's give this shitty birdbrain a piece of our minds!"

 **[BOOST!]**

It was surprising to see Shirou exhibit such an unusual level of authority. In terms of tact, Shirou had never been very strong, but his charisma and his authoritative aura appeared to have peaked in a way none of them thought possible. It was strange.

"Kiba! Xenovia! Guard his ass until he reaches a high enough level!" Shirou ordered to the two swordsmen. While surprised, the two gave a nod of confirmation, quickly running out in front of Issei with their blades drawn. Then he turned to his mother. "Ka-san! You're still injured, so your job is to protect Asia! If we lose our healer at such a critical time, we're fucked! Everyone else...Go crazy!"

"Really? Are you that confident?" Kokabiel asked condescendingly. "It appears foolishness runs in the Oda bloodline. Even your ancestor, your namesake, had the habit of biting off more than he could chew. Tell me, Nobunaga Oda, do you possess that same level of arrogance as that man, or is this merely an act desperation?"

"It's not arrogance if you can back it up." Shirou declared. "Mark my words, Kokabiel: This is the day your head will roll! This is my town, you hear me!? NOBODY fucks with my town!"

"Ha! Then go ahead and try to take my head, child of the cursed Oda Clan, Nobunaga Oda!" Kokabiel taunted, laughing as he descended to the ground. "I am the one who has always been the arch enemy of the Devils! You may never get this chance again!"

"Honestly, I would have been more satisfied with living in peace. I never really cared about stupid shit like that..." Shirou sighed. "...But you've really pissed me off! Let's go!"

[Right!]

Kiba and Xenovia were the first to charge in, Holy-Demon Sword and Durandal posed to strike. They rushed at Kokabiel from two different directions.

A pincer attack.

Against any other foe, such a move might have been effective.

With Kokabiel, on the other hand, they may as well have been children trying to make an adult dizzy. He summoned out two swords made of light, casually extending his arms to block their strikes. Kiba and Xenovia appeared to be pushing forward with everything they had, but Kokabiel didn't appear to be even breaking a sweat. "What's more fun than Holy Sword and Holy-Demon Sword attacks at the same time!?"

"From above!"

"The powers of light and nature!"

Koneko and Kalawarner, using their flames of Ki and spears of light respectively, struck from the air, raining down their attacks upon Kokabiel's head. Koneko's Ki swirled around Kalawarner's sphere in a spiral, forming a column illuminated by her light.

"Naive!"

Kokabiel extended his ten wings, using several as blades to push Kiba and Xenovia back while the rest extended skywards. Kalawarner quickly grabbed Koneko, shielding the smaller girl with her own wings before Kokabiel struck.

The older woman let out a cry of pain, Kokabiel easily ripping through her more fragile wings and causing her to crash land while using her body to cushion the fall for Koneko.

"Bastard! Ice Wave!" The moment Kokabiel's wings had all extended, Shirou channeled all of his freezing aura into his blade. He rushed forward, swinging his blade downward as hard as he could with his one hand.

"Is that the best you have?!" Kokabiel extended his bare hand, catching Shirou's sword in the palm of his hand. "Compared to the Durandal and the Holy-Demon Sword, your blade has no power!"

"What it lacks in power, it makes up for in technique!" Shirou countered, the freezing aura from his sword spreading to Kokabiel. Glowing runes began to light up on the flat of Shirou's blade. "New Technique: Arctic Slash...!"

"What?"

However, it was not surprise from an attack that Kokabiel experienced...Rather, it wsa the surprise from a lack of an attack.

Even though the freezing aura surrounding Shirou's sword grew, nothing happened in the slightest. "Wha-"

"-Fake Out!" Before Kokabiel could even consider he had been deceived, Shirou discarded his sword, throwing his fist as hard as he could, punching Kokabiel in the deep gash in his shoulder.

"Gaugh!" Even if he was near immune to new damage from them, Kokabiel had still sustained wounds from his duel with Mikoto which were exploitable. Kokabiel attempted to raise his hands to catch Shirou's fist, but found the blade reluctant to release him. The freezing aura which surrounded the blade had frozen his hand to it.

"Double Punch!" Shirou struck again before Kokabiel could even understand what was going on, more blood oozing out from the previously opened wound. "Triple Punch! Quadruple-Augh!" It was on the fourth attempted blow that Kokabiel back-handed Shirou with surprisingly tremendous force, sending him flying. "Augh! Gaugh! Fuck!" His body bounced three times before finally landing flat on the cold hard ground. He had only just gotten done brushing himself off when he noticed Kokabiel's hand extended in his direction. "...Oh shit!"

He barely had the time to call out "Promotion: Queen!" before he was hit head-on by a blast of light from Kokabiel's hand, blowing him away-

"Ow!"

"Ugh!"

That is, until someone conveniently got in his way and stopped his flight early.

"...Uggghhh..." Shirou groaned, now understanding how people who spent too much time in a tanning booth felt like. "...Sorry-um..." He looked down at the person he had hit, recognizing her by her green hair.

"...Could you please get off of me?" Xenovia asked politely ("politely" in regards to her normal treatment of Shirou). Shirou wanted to argue about her tone, but he _was_ , in fact, sitting right on her stomach and compressing her diaphragm.

"Right...Sorry."

"And could you also remove your hand from my breast as well?"

"Hm?" Shirou looked down at his hand, his face flushing as he noticed how tightly he had been groping Xenovia's breast. He scrambled to stand up. "OK! For that one, I am REALLY sorry!"

"Senpai..." Shirou felt a dark chill go down his spine. Cat-like nails dug softly into his back, letting him know it was Koneko behind him. "...is that your preference?" It also let him know that, if he turned around now, he would see a sight straight out of Hell.

"N-N-No!" Shirou answered quickly. He quickly spun on his heels, prostrating on the ground. "Please don't turn me into a scratching post, Koneko-sama! My flesh is already roasted and tender! I wouldn't survive!"

"This isn't over, Kokabiel!" Kiba roared, charging forward at the Cadre-class Fallen Angel. A powerful aura surrounded him. "Sword Birth!"

Numerous swords appeared in a circle around Kokabiel, leaving the only options of escape by the air from which Kiba himself was striking.

"Kiba! Aim at his left side!" Shirou shouted. Kiba didn't bother questioning. He simply acted.

"Hraaaaagh!" With a warrior's roar, Kiba swung his his Holy-Demon Sword at Kokabiel's left side as Shirou had instructed. That was when something shocking happened.

"Graugh!" Kokabiel desperately outstretched his black wings, managing to avoid the direct blow to the heart, but only managing to knock the tip of the blade off-target, instead lightly stabbing the outer edge of Kokabiel's left arm. Kokabiel's eyes widened in shock and outrage. "How dare-" However, he didn't even get the chance to finish that thought because Kiba had formed a second blade in his other hand, bringing it around for a second strike. This time, Kokabiel was prepared, catching the second sword with his bare hand. With both arms restrained, Kiba was left with no options of attack or retreat. He then used his wings to shatter each and every one of the blades Kiba had surrounded him with. "Hmph! Give up yet?"

"Never!" Thinking quickly, Kiba opened his mouth wide, creating another Holy-Demon Sword between his teeth. Biting down tightly, Kiba swung his third blade as hard as he could across Kokabiel's face.

Although it wasn't the decapitation that Kiba was aiming for, the shock from the cut Kokabiel sustained to his face.

"Ergh!" Kokabiel touched the blood on his face. "You cut me! Not once but twice!"

"How did you know that would work?" Issei asked.

 **[BOOST!]**

Shirou had lost track of how many times that made it that Issei had increased his power. "It's because it's common sense." Shirou explained. "No matter how strong you are. You'll always try and block from the opposite direction of your opponent. I noticed it when I got close to Kokabiel earlier. Because of the wounds Ka-san gave him, his reaction speed with his right arm was slow, so he couldn't risk trying to catch the sword in case Kiba took him by surprise. Naturally, he would attempt to make up for this slower reaction speed by trying to block with his left arm, a poor move considering the awkward angle." He smirked. "You're tough, Kokabiel, but you're too easy to read!"

"Then try _this_ on for size!" Kokabiel retorted, firing a powerful blast of light energy from his open palm.

"Shit!" Shirou extended his arms forward. There was no chance of deflecting such a powerful attack, so Blizzard Ring was useless. "Ice Barrier!" Deciding to take the simplistic approach, Shirou extended his arms, drawing several runes of ice in the air in front of him while also using his Sacred Gear's power behind that. A large, diamond-shaped wall of ice formed in front of Shirou. "Damn it...! Can I block it with this?"

"Not alone, you can't! Multiply 10x!" came a voice from behind him before a small hand slapped against the inside of the Ice Barrier.

Before Shirou could even blink, nine individual spaces ahead of his ice barrier began to warp, his ice barrier trembling before there was a small flash. When it cleared, there were nine other similar-looking barriers in front of it. Each was smaller and looked more fragile than the last, but still had the power of Shirou's runes standing behind them.

The first barrier gave way to the second immediately after Kokabiel's attack hit. The second quickly gave way to the third. However, one-by-one, the attack's approach gradually slowed.

It only just barely cracked the final barrier behind which Shirou stood.

He stared in surprise, looking down at Mikoto. "That was cool."

Mikoto covered her mouth, coughing as her expression contorted in pain. "J-Just try not to make that a habit." Her fit of coughing didn't seem to cease.

Shirou blinked, concerned for Mikoto's health. "Are you alright, Ka-san? Were you hurt?"

After a few seconds, Mikoto stood from the ground, shaking her head. "N-No...It's just copying your runes along with your barrier took more stamina than I was prepared for."

"Copying...?" Shirou tilted his head to the side in confusion.

"It's part of my power." Mikoto explained before pausing. "...My Sacred Gear."

"Hold up! You have a Sacred Gear too!? Then what Kokabiel mentioned before..."

"That is correct." Kokabiel answered in Shirou's stead. "It's the power the current Slash Empress was rumored to possess. However, the rumors were never properly confirmed until now. [Twisted Doppelgänger] is its name, isn't it? A Sacred Gear that allows the user to create duplicates of whatever they touch. Considered low-tier due to the dangers of its use and its drastic side-effects. It's to the point its possessor is supposed to be better off not using it. The only rumored user to have ever made actual use of this Sacred Gear is the Slash Empress, Mikoto Fujimura!"

"Tch!" Mikoto clicked her tongue, narrowing her eyes at Kokabiel.

"I mean it when I say you have not only Azazel but even me impressed." Kokabiel said, clapping his hands. "I do not compliment humans lightly considering what a weak species they are, but you are one of the few whom I truly used to admire. You can tell just by the way you recklessly use that Sacred Gear of your the type of person you are. One who is willing to rip your enemies apart limb by limb regardless of the cost to your own body, is that not correct? One who lives for the thrill of battle and staining their blade in the blood of their enemies. In your heyday, you were a true demon. The bearer of the title that made even Ultimate-Class Devils cower. Now look at you. You let brats like these take you down from your pedestal."

"Don't you dare talk to Ka-san like that!" Shirou snapped, stepping protectively in front of his adoptive mother. "She's not some kind of monster like you are!"

For a moment, Kokabiel looked perplexed, something that instilled an odd sense of dread in Shirou's heart. That dread only strengthened when his grinned. "This child truly doesn't know, does he?"

"Doesn't know what?" Shirou frowned. He turned to Mikoto. "Doesn't know what, Ka-san?"

Mikoto's sharp gaze didn't change in the slightest. She didn't answer.

Kokabiel buried his face into his hand, chortling in amusement. "Hysterical! Simply hysterical! In regards to you, Slash Empress, the amusement never ends!" He shook his head. "In a way, I think I'm glad. Ever since this battle began, I had surely thought you were using him to create a replacement! If it's this brat's child, the next Slash Empress would have been incredibly disappointing! Such a loss for one who held such power in their prime! Haha!"

"OK, seriously! Can you stop being so damned cryptic!?" Shirou snapped, scratching his head. "What do you mean "replacement"? And what's this about a child!?"

"Shirou..." Mikoto couldn't bring herself to finish. She looked away from him, a pained look on her face.

"So, do you guys know what's going on? I'm not the only confused one here, right?" He turned to his friends and allies and his heart fell as he noticed the looks on their faces. They all looked...ashamed. Even Xenovia looked a little awkward. The only other two who seemed to be out of the loop were Issei and Asia. "Right?...Guys?" This wasn't the response he was looking for. "Hey. What...What's going on here...? You guys?"

"So I _was_ right." Kokabiel said, a twisted glee in his eyes. "How cruel! Keeping the truth from the boy regarding his own caretaker! You truly _are_ Devils, aren't you? Hahahaha!"

"Enough of this cryptic bullshit, Fallen Douchebag!" Shirou snapped, feeling more and more alarmed as the situation progressed. "Tell me what the Hell you're talking about! What truth? What don't I know!?"

"Very well then. Tell me, do you really _know_ what it means to be the Slash Empress?" Kokabiel asked. "Do you truly even know who your dear adoptive mother is?"

Shirou pursed his lips. "Well...yeah!...I mean, the Slash Empress is like the strongest female swordsman, ain't she? Like, someone who is Queen Big Tits compared to other swordsmen..."

"Yes, but that is only part of the bigger meaning." Kokabiel said. "Do you know how the Slash Empress is selected from generation to generation? What it means to behave as one bearing this title?"

"Well...no." Shirou admitted. However, he quickly retorted, "But what the Hell does any of this matter?!"

"You were the one who sought the truth." Kokabiel pointed out, leaving Shirou with no more retorts. "As I'm sure you know, the Slash Empress is a powerful asset among factions. Almost as rare as legendary Holy Swords or the Heavenly Dragons considering they have all started out as humans." Kokabiel pointed to Mikoto. "However, as all humans do, the Slash Empress inevitably ages and turns to dust, so they hold it in high importance that they find and train a successor. One who will inherit their skills and their blade. To this end, they often reproduce with specimens who bear high potential in regards to producing strong children. In the case they are incapable of reproducing themselves, they will often adopt a child of their own on the condition they possess a strong enough will."

"...What?" It was impossible for Shirou to even come up with a proper retort to that. For the moment, he just couldn't even comprehend what Kokabiel just said.

"In the case the child they birth or adopt happens to be a boy, they themselves would be used to breed with a worthy female of the title holder's choosing and produce a powerful child of their own." Kokabiel explained. "The cycle would repeat again and again until a strong female child was born. So tell me, you are her adopted child who was originally from the once-powerful Oda Clan; What do you think that makes you in regards to her?"

"I..." It was like he was being slapped in the face repeatedly, unable to form a single coherent thought.

"Don't listen to him, Shirou!" Akeno extended her hands towards Kokabiel. "Resound! Thunder!" A powerful bolt of lightning shot from her hands, but Kokabiel casually caught it only to throw it back like a grenade that had yet to blow. Unprepared for her own attack, Akeno was blown backward, landing in Rias' open arms.

"Akeno-senpai!"

"Akeno-san!"

"Himejima!"

The others attempted to rush forward only for Kokabiel to aim a powerful light at them. He stared sharply at them. "I'm in the middle of telling a story right now. The next person to interrupt will be the first to die, am I clear?" All of them desperately wanted to oppose him in such a situation, but with Shirou next to immobile and Mikoto refusing to run away, they were in even more danger than they were. All they could do was bide their time and wait for Kokabiel to lower his guard and attack then.

"That nasty piece of business isn't even the best part!" Kokabiel continued. "I haven't even told you about the true nature of the Slash Empress! You see, the truth of the Slash Empress is that, yes, they are powerful swordsmen, but there is a much darker side to them. You see, the nature of the Slash Empress is one filled with bloodshed and carnage. Regardless of what faction or group they ally with, their path is always a sea formed from the blood of their enemies. They are murderers, killers, assassins, their only objective in life being to slay whomever the one holding the other end of their leash desires. Cold-blooded to the core, all of them. This is signified by the trial they are forced to undertake."

"What trial?" Shirou asked in a trembling voice.

"It's a simple yet cruel one." Kokabiel commented. "I believe that something similar to this was undertaken by a certain group in Germany during World War II as a form rite of initiation. The final trial needed for one to take on the mantle of Slash Empress involved the participation in the "repellent task", to become psychologically involved in the killings. To help them obtain meaning in their acts of murder. To numb them to the idea of utterly extinguishing every life before them if it was asked. Honestly, I believe their methods were borrowed from the Slash Empress of that age, who had been the beloved of their leader at the time."

"A "repellent task"?" Shirou felt his breathing become short. He was no straight-A student, but he had learned quite a bit about the group Kokabiel spoke of in History. The atrocities they committed...There were too many to count. "What kind?"

"It's simple, really. If they possessed the cold-blood necessary to accomplish it, they would earn the title. If they didn't, the Slash Empress would await another worthy successor."

"What task!?" Shirou asked more impatiently.

"Over the course of their lives, the potential successors were to be raised by the Slash Empress or, in the case they were born to the Slash Empress' child, blood-related or not, by their parents." Kokabiel explained. "It was necessary to strengthen that bond as much as possible, both to ensure continued loyalty and to make the final trial all the more heart-numbing for them should they accomplish it. The final trial, the most brutal of all of them, required them to kill one person."

"Only one...?" And that was when it finally hit Shirou, disgust and horror overwriting his expression. "No..."

"That is correct." Kokabiel grinned maliciously as the dumbstruck look on Shirou's face. "The only way for a Slash Empress candidate to properly obtain their title is by killing the one who raised them be it their teacher or their teacher's child! You were born male, so I guess, in this scenario, you drew the short straw, Oda Nobunaga! Hahahahaha!"

"No...No way...!" Shirou turned to Mikoto. "That...That isn't true, is it, Ka-san?"

Mikoto bit her lower lip. "Shirou, I..." She felt the strong desire to shrink beneath Shirou's gaze. "Well, yes, but-!"

"And you guys knew all this!?" Shirou snapped harshly, turning to face his "comrades" from the Occult Research Club. Not a single one of them met his gaze. Xenovia, Issei, and Asia seemed to stick out, all three of them neutral due to their lack of information. "This whole time, you all knew!? Was I the only one who didn't realize this...?! HUH!?" His put his hand to his face. His eyes began to sting after that. "I kept saying all that stupid shit...That being the child of the Slash Empress was cool! That she was so strong and powerful and you all let me go on thinking shit like that!? Why!?"

Akeno reluctantly turned to face Shirou. "It wasn't that we didn't want to tell you...We just _couldn't_." She said. "We all knew what being the Slash Empress meant, but, after meeting Fujimura-san, and after seeing how attached you were to her, we couldn't bring ourselves to tell you that she may have been that kind of person."

"What were you going to do if I gave her the female child and they came for my head...?" Shirou asked with obviously-suppressed rage. "What were you going to do then...?"

"Shirou, I know you're upset-" Rias said, trying to calm him down.

"UPSET!?" Shirou screamed. "You were going to keep me in the dark until the day came where I would end either needing to kill my mother and possibly my own child or be killed by them instead! Upset doesn't BEGIN TO DESCRIBE IT!" Shirou lowered his head, his whole body trembling. "I'm surrounded by liars...Ka-san, who kept my past from me, all of you who told me sweet words, pretending to be my friends while you all hid behind my back and laughed at my unfortunate circumstances!"

"Shirou...I..." Mikoto seemed at a complete loss of words. Out of everything she had ever prepared for in her life, this was not one of those things. "Look, it's not how it sounds-"

"DON'T TOUCH ME!" Shirou slapped her hand when Mikoto reached out to him. He may as well have slapped her in the face for how hurt she looked.

Issei stepped forward. "Shirou, we weren't laughing at you! We would never-"

"SHUT IT, RED DRAGON DOUCHEBAG!"

"..."Douchebag"?" Issei parroted.

"What an absurd world this is..." Shirou said, burying his face into his hand. "You use me as your weapon, your beast of war, and you ensure I remain ignorant to everything!"

"That is the truth of the world, little boy." Kokabiel agreed. "Sooner or later, you find that all of your so-called "allies" will let you down in the worst possible way. It's surprising they all fought as hard as they have so far. After all, the only thing those Devils and priests all serve is a group of losers who've lost their masters, every last one."

"Hm?" Shirou raised an eyebrow at Kokabiel's choice of words.

"What?" Xenovia raised her head.

"Mind clarifying?" Rias asked.

"Kokabiel!" Xenovia snapped. "Tell me what "lost their master" is supposed to mean!?"

"Whoops, that slipped right out, didn't it?" Kokabiel said absentmindedly.

"Answer my question NOW!" The blue-haired swordsman demanded.

"Fuhahahaha...Fuhahahahahahaha!" Kokabiel suddenly burst out into laughter. "I guess I _am_ trying to start a war! There's no point in hiding it any longer. I may as well tell you the brutal truth." His grin became so malicious that it was almost nauseating. "In the previous three-way war, God was actually killed with the four original Maous!"

"No way..." Xenovia gasped. "God's dead...?"

"What? God's dead?" Even Rias and the Devils were stunned by this announcement. "You-You're lying! I've never heard anything like that!"

"Yeah!" Kalawarner agreed. "Wouldn't we have heard something like that!?"

"It's normal for you guys to not know about it." Kokabiel said. "Who can say that God has died? Humans are a pathetic, incompetent lot. Without God, they cannot control their hearts and obey the laws, you know? Even us, the Fallen Angels, and Devils couldn't tell this to those below us. You won't know where the information about God will be leaked from. Even among the three powers, only the people at the top and certain exceptions know about it. Though it seems Valper noticed it earlier."

"I see..." Shirou crossed his arms, a pensive look on his face. "And it's because he figured out the truth that you killed him..."

"Indeed." Kokabiel confirmed. "Although, it may have been a hasty decision on my part considering the fact I went ahead and revealed the truth anyway. While losing Valper's brilliant mind is a loss, he is still only a lowly human."

"After the War, what was left were the Angels who had lost their God, the Devils that lost their Maous and the majority of High-class Devils, and the Fallen Angels who lost most of their numbers apart from their leaders. So it wasn't a simple state of exhaustion. The numbers held among each faction were so low that they had to rely on humans to continue their generations or risk extinction, especially the Angels and Fallen Angels who could only continue their generation by mating with humans. Unfortunately for the Angels, increasing the numbers of their Pure-Bloods was impossible after God's death. And Pure-Blooded Devils are just as rare, aren't they?"

"You...You're lying..." Xenovia said, falling to her knees in despair. "What you're saying can't be true...!"

"Grow up and realize the truth." The harsh words came from none other than Shirou, his gaze especially spiteful. "Doesn't it actually make a lot of sense? Not only was Kiba able to fuse Holy and Devil powers into his sword, but the current state of the human world was always pretty shit. Not just them, but all of the conflicts between the three powers since then... Don't you think any God worth his salt would have picked up on that and done something?"

"Hahaha! Well-said!" Kokabiel agreed, laughing uproariously. However, his expression quickly contorted into one of pure aggravation. "The truth is that another big war wouldn't happen unless someone were to ignite it deliberately. However, it was decided that it was meaningless to continue having a war with both God and the Maous dead. Even that bastard Azazel declared that there would never be another war! It's hard to bear! It really is! Why the Hell would you lower your gun after you've already shot it!? Don't fuck around. Don't fuck around! If we continued on from there, we could have won! Even so, he...! Is there any value in Fallen Angels who can only live by inviting humans who possess Sacred Gears!? I'm so sick of this meaningless world! If we have to live in this disgusting peace of his, I would rather it all burned to the ground in the glory of battle!"

"I can appreciate that..." Shirou commented, averting his eyes as he rubbed the back of his neck. It was these words that caused everyone to stare at him in shock.

[What?!]

Shirou chuckled. "Really, what point is there in a boring world like this one? I originally aspired to kill God, but now that he's dead, what point is there in continuing to get stronger? In the end, I would be forced to actually work down the food chain from the Archangel to the most insignificant Angel they had. By this point, I don't even give a damn."

Even Mikoto found herself staring in shock and disgust of her own child. "How can you say something like that!?" She asked. "If the war had gone on, or even if it continued now, there would be countless casualties!"

"So?" Shirou countered so coldly. "Is the woman who is known as a murderer really lecturing me?" Even Mikoto recoiled from the severity of Shirou's remark. "As long as one of those casualties isn't me, and as long as I had my fun, I could care less."

"Hahahaha!" Kokabiel grinned, this time genuinely pleased. "This child here has the correct attitude! If more people were of this kind of mind, the war definitely would have been able to continue! Unfortunately, God's death put a damper on everything and everyone's cock went limp..."

Asia-chan shook her head. "…B-But, if God is dead...then where is the love given to us coming from?"

"Heh! Michael has been holding his own so far. He has been the one holding the Angels and humans together in His stead."

"The Archangel Michael has been acting as God's agent...?" Xenovia asked, her entire body trembling. "Then that means...all our prayers..."

"As long as the system works, exorcisms and prayers will endure to a certain extent. I'm sure _someone_ has been listening."

With that, all color seemed to drain from Asia's face, the girl going limp and falling to the ground, almost completely passed out.

"Asia!" Issei called out.

"That's a natural reaction..." Xenovia said. "I'm surprised I can still think right now..."

"It probably doesn't help that the number of God's followers has drastically decreased since that time..." Kokabiel said. "Just as the child of the Oda Clan said, the lack of balance between the powers of light and darkness have allowed for contradicting existences such as the Holy-Demon Sword to exist. Which means the war must continue! I will get it going by taking your heads if I have to!"

"Question." Shirou raised his hand, his eyes half-lidded. "If we at least _used to be_ humans and are not true Devils, does that mean we're allowed to change sides?"

"Shirou...?" Akeno turned to stare at the white-haired boy, his expression of indifference most unsettling.

"Hm?" Kokabiel raised a brow in curiosity. "What are you proposing?"

Shirou pursed his lips. "To be honest, your side seems like the most fun to be on. I mean, look at all that you've done here!" Shirou gestured to the destruction caused to the battlefield. "Aside from this, in about eight or nine minutes, the entire town I've hated since childhood will be completely leveled...I mean, your side seems like where the REAL party is. Can I join?"

There was a long, stunned silence in which everyone took part. Even Kokabiel could not help but be surprised by the apparent audacity this boy possessed.

"You would willingly stab your former comrades in the back just to save your own skin?" Kokabiel asked with half-lidded eyes. "For someone who was only recently preaching about "the value of comrades", I find this hard to believe."

"You just showed me my cold-blooded, murdering adoptive mother was using me as a breeding dog to create a strong child and that my friends have been lying to me about everything for months." Shirou pointed out. "Logically, how else would I feel? I mean, what can I say? You were right. Comrades are completely and utterly worthless. We can't beat you anyway. This war is going down, so I may as well pick the winning side, you know?"

"All of this coming from the Devil servant of Rias Gremory." Kokabiel spat.

"Hey!" Shirou snapped, jabbing a thumb at Rias. "You think I _wanted_ to be that spoiled brat's servant?" Rias' eyes widened at the insult. "The only reason I became a Devil was because I died saving her stupid-ass Queen." Everyone could only stare in shock as Shirou continued with his tirade. "My reward? Becoming everyone's bitch! Insulting me, demeaning me, treating me like I'm some kind of dog! And every other Devil asswipe I've met so far is essentially the same! At the very least, even if you still kill us all here, I would never have to deal with that crimson-haired bimbo, the sadist, the sword-freak, the annoying shorty, the future sex offender, and the idiotic, ditzy nun ever again. However, if I could make a request? Could you kill Xenovia first?" Xenovia blinked at the question. "Coz, honestly, I always hated Rias, but Xenovia earned her place at the top of my shit-list in the matter of a few days. It's more frustrating because she was always spewing that bullshit about God's love and-ugh! You know what I mean? Where does it say in the Bible that those Christians always have to shove that garbage down your throat?"

Kokabiel nodded. It was one of the many things he had loathed when he had been an Angel. He had been a pious believer back then, a wretched choir boy, but the disgustingly zealous nature of God's followers was always obnoxious.

"So what do you say?" Shirou asked, offering his hand. "I can even be a meat-shield if you want. I've gotten a lot of practice while working with these losers. At the very least, I'll _know_ I'm being used if I side with you. Surviving today would just be an added perk."

None of his " _former_ " comrades knew what to say. They could only watch with slack-jawed shock and horror as the boy openly offered to commit treason against his comrades, his family, and his master.

Kokabiel narrowed his eyes. "You are a contemptible piece of traitor scum who is willing to betray every single person who ever believed in you solely to save your own skin, too low to even be classified as garbage." Then a twisted grin appeared on Kokabiel's face. "Those are the types of traits I absolutely treasure in a subordinate! Not knowing when they'll try to slip the knife in is always an enjoyable situation! Freed and even Kaido, this is why I employed them to fight under me! Hahaha! If you possess these traits, then join me, Oda Nobunaga, descendant of the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven! Regardless of whether your desire is power, wealth, or women, you surely will not suffer under my command!"

"I'll be takin' that as "Welcome aboard" then." Shirou said with a malicious smirk. He shoved his hand into his pocket, walking to Kokabiel's side of the battlefield. He had only taken a few steps before Akeno reached forward, grabbing him by the sleeve.

"What do you think you're doing?" Akeno asked, tears in her eyes. "Are you really going to throw all of us away?"

"Weren't you all the ones who were preparing to throw _me_ away?" Shirou countered.

"Shirou, it's not like that!" Akeno defended, tightening her grasp on his sleep. "We didn't intend anything bad by hiding the truth! Kokabiel is trying to manipulate you! He's gotten inside of your head! You have to think clearly!"

"I am." Shirou ripped his arm free of Akeno's grasp. "If anything, I'm thinking clearly for the first time in my life. Now don't touch me again, _half-breed_."

He may as well have slapped her, back-handed her, run her over with a bus, stopped, and backed over her again and again until she was mush.

The shock was too great for her, causing her to lose her balance and fall to her knees.

"Akeno!" Naturally, Rias was the first to her side. She tried to support the girl, but she seemed to have gone completely limp, the light having completely faded from her eyes. Rias and the rest of the Occult Research Club could only watch as Shirou took his place by Kokabiel's side.

"I believe this is end game, Rias Gremory." Kokabiel taunted. "Even your own servants have lost all faith in you."

Rias looked from Kokabiel, then to Shirou, her former servant smirking tauntingly. Then she turned back to her remaining servants and allies, their reactions ranging from shock to disbelief to sorrow. She looked to Akeno's apathetic, empty face. Then to Koneko and Asia, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes. Kalawarner was absolutely frozen and Mikoto looked as though she just couldn't cope.

For a moment, Rias felt her heart break as well...and then it began to burn. All of her bitterness and sadness, it all turned to anger. A single person, someone whom they had trusted, had driven them all to this state. He was their friend, their _family_ and he betrayed them all! All of the time they had spent together in that old club building had been thrown away so easily by him!

"Very well then..." Rias said in a dark voice. She looked up, burning rage in her eyes. "Then I hereby cast you out, Fujimura Shirou! Coward to the highest degree, traitor of the Gremory family, I name thee a Stray! In accordance with the law of the Devils and in the place of the Archduke, I will punish you for your actions!" Large amounts of crimson aura seemed to explode outwards. "Even if we all die here today, you will suffer greatly for hurting my servants in such a way! I will take you down with me! Sinner of the lowest circle, traitor to the highest degree, do you have any final words before I give thee thy punishment?!"

"Hehehehehe!" Shirou cackled like a hyena. "Only two."

"Name them!"

His smirk suddenly became a goofy grin. "Psych out~!"

"Wha-?"

SSSCHHLLKKK!

Everything suddenly went silent, only the sound of metal passing through flesh permeating the air.

Everyone, regardless of their state of shock, pain, or self-induced apathy towards the world, found themselves absolutely thrown for a loop.

They stared at the blade poking out of Kokabiel's abdomen from behind him.

"Guagh!?" Kokabiel looked down, coughing up blood. Then the shock wore off and the pain hit him. "Aaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuggggghhh!"

Without mercy, Shirou withdrew his blade through Kokabiel's side, leaping back several feet so as to avoid any potential counterattack. "Hnhnhnhnhahahahaha! You know, Kokabiel, considering the fact you yourself said you would have to guess when I slipped the knife in," He said, giving Kokabiel the middle finger, "this really can't surprise you." He turned to the others, still grinning as they stared in shock. "See that? THAT is how you screw over a fucking insane Fallen Angel! Hahahaha!" He turned to the others, still laughing. "You should have seen the looks on your faces! You were all like "Oh my Gooood, Shirou became a bad guy!" then I was like "FWOOSH! Stabbed'em in the chest!" then you were all like "Whaaaaat!?" and then I was like "Haha! JK! Fooled you"! What did you think of my little performance?"

They were at a complete loss of words.

"Guys...?" Shirou frowned, realizing that they were all still staring. He waved his hand. "Hellooooo?"

It was Kiba who regained his bearings first, deciding it alright to take a cautious step towards Shirou, his hand still tightly grasped around his sword. "Shirou, I think I speak for everyone when I ask: What-the fuck-was that?"

Shirou gestured at Kokabiel with his thumb. "That was me critically wounding Kokabiel." He answered plainly. "...You're welcome."

"You!" Kokabiel said it in a voice reminiscent of nails on a chalkboard. "You deceived me!"

"Oh, don't take it so personal, Kockabell" Shirou said, waving him off. "I deceived _everyone_."

"B-B-B-But," Issei sputtered, "what about all of those things abou-about feeling betrayed?! All that stuff about Fujimura-san being Slash Empress, about all of us keeping stuff from you!? You even started crying!"

"I _teared up_ ," Shirou corrected sharply. "I'm no good at crying on demand unless I focus on thinking of something really sad. Like, dead puppies, or orphans...or dead, orphan puppies...or..." Shirou trailed off, his eyes beginning to water. "Anyway, yeah-no. All of that was a ruse so I could get one over Kokabiel. I managed to wound him and freeze one or two of his organs on top of that. I also managed to by Issei some extra time to increase his power. All in all, I would say it was a successful trick worthy of a delinquent. Although..." He paused, rubbing his chin. "...looking at you guys now, I may have gone a little overboard in trying to sell the whole "furious betrayal" bit. I'm sorry about that..."

"Then...Then all of those awful things you said to us...?" Asia asked, wiping tears on her sleeve.

"All lies." Shirou answered. "I mean, come on, guys. Really think about what I go through on a daily basis around you all. If I was going to have a mental breakdown about stupid childish shit like that and betray you, don't you think I would have done it before now?"

They could not really argue. Shirou used to be literally everyone's punching bag in ORC, especially Koneko's. If that didn't break him, nothing would.

"Still..." He walked over to Akeno, kneeling on the ground while lowering his head to her. "...I said things that may have been a bit much, and I'm sorry. I'll gladly let you guys beat the shit out of me later if it means I'll be able to dispel any grudges." Shirou stood up from the ground, turning to Kokabiel. "But, right now, we only have six minutes to defeat Kokabiel and stop him from destroying our town."

Kokabiel stood, clutching his severe flesh wound while trying to staunch the bleeding. "Damn you...! Damn you!" He screeched. "You sniveling, pathetic insect! How dare you!?"

"I already told you, Kokabiel." Shirou said, his gaze becoming harsh. "You made a big mistake! You threatened my _home_ , my _friends_ , and my _family_. I'm sending you to Hell even if I have to drag you there myself!" He turned to Issei. "Do you think you've built up enough power to do some serious damage?"

Issei blinked before quickly nodded. "Y-Yeah! I think so."

"Good, coz we're gonna need-" And it was at that point in time that Shirou was socked right in the face. "Augh!" Shirou rubbed his jaw, making sure it wasn't dislocated. "Damn it, Koneko! I said to save it for...!" He trailed off, noticing that the bust of his attacker was far too large to be the petite nekomata. He looked up, seeing Akeno with a _very_ unhappy expression, her eyes still watering. "...Oh. You're more angry than I had accounted for. Look, I'm a shithead! I admit it! And I'm _really_ sorry about what I said and I will gladly suffer any twisted S &M torture thing you want when this is over, but-" She punched him across the face again. "Augh! OK! TWO things-" She punched him in the eye that time. "STOP DOING THAT!"

Akeno bent over and picked Shirou up by the collar. For the moment, he was more scared of her than he ever had been of Kokabiel. "Don't you EVER do something like that again, you hear me?" She asked (more like _commanded_ ).

"Y-Yes, Senpai!" Shirou answered.

"Yes, _mistress._ " Akeno demanded, her eyes glowering dangerously.

"Yes, mistress!" Shirou squeaked, wishing ever so much that he could shrink. "Never again!" It was only after ensuring Shirou was thoroughly whipped that Akeno's expression finally softened, petting Shirou softly on the head.

"I see..." Kokabiel stood up, glaring bloody murder at Shirou. "In the end, you've still learned nothing. You foolishly rely on those comrades of yours even knowing the truth. If that's not enough, you place your fate in the hands of one who bears the bloodiest titles a swordsman can ever receive."

Shirou shrugged. "S'kay, I guess. I mean, it's a little cold of me, but that kind of thing doesn't really faze me anymore." Shirou said. "I mean, it'd be one thing if I actually witnessed those people being killed, but another if it all happened a long time ago. Over the past several months, I've seen my own friends kill people...Kiba literally _just_ killed a guy and Rias has killed _several_. Actually, out of all of us aside from Ka-san, I think she has the highest kill count. I mean, there's Viser, there's Raynare, there's those slimes she murdered, the Cerberus, and of course that one ice cream guy who turned out to be a man-eating Mimic...Never did get my ice cream sandwich." He pursed his lips. "I mean, honestly, I think _you_ may have killed more people than Ka-san. However high her kill count, I'm pretty sure you've killed more over your centuries-long life. I am genuinely surprised you didn't figure out I was lying the second I opened my mouth, ya moron." He paused. "But I guess that's kind of besides the point...I mean, it's not as though what you told me didn't surprise me, but it's not like I can just go back to doubting my friends and family over things that _may_ happen."

"What?"

"Doubting others is the reason my life was so shit before. I was alone because I was always afraid of being hurt by others, so I pushed them away because "They might do this" or "They could do that"." Shirou closed his eyes, his expression seeming much sadder than before. "But Akeno, Buchou, and the others showed me I was just being a fuckin' idiot. I've been through a lot with these guys. What would be the point in beginning to doubt them now? If I get tricked, then I'll just deal with it when that time comes. Things are simpler that way, so there's no point worrying about it before then. I remember saying that once."

"Shirou..." Mikoto nervously approached him, twiddling her fingers. "...Shirou, I need you to know that it's not...What Kokabiel said about the Slash Empress is true, but I...you...You're my son and-I...It's not like...What I'm trying to say is-" However, she was silenced when Shirou gently placed his hand on top of her head, smiling softly.

"Don't worry about it. I never doubted you for a second, Ka-san." Mikoto stared in surprise as Shirou chuckled. "I was unsure for a moment, but then I remembered everything you've done for me my entire life. I may have been a tool, an empty vessel, once, but instead of leaving me like that, you did your damned well best to make me into a human. Even as the world rejected me, you were the first to accept my existence. In that room of white, you reached out your hand to me...and that's something I will never forget. Even since then, you've always been looking out for me. I don't like how you keep secrets, but I know you wouldn't have kept them if you didn't actually care about me. If you saw me as only a tool for your own purposes, you never would have bothered protecting me from the truth. So, no matter what is said about you, even if a thousand corpses lay in the path you once walked, what matters is that you're a different person now, and you will always be my mother."

Tears immediately started dripping from Mikoto's eyes. "Oh Shicchaaaaaan!" She lunged forward, clinging to Shirou's chest as she buried her face, staining his shirt with wet, salty tears. "I'm so sowwwyyyyyyyyyy!"

"Oh blaaaugh!" Kokabiel let out a noise of nausea, quickly ruining the touching moment between mother and son.

"Oh shit, that's right! We're on a time limit! I keep forgetting that!"

"So what?" Kokabiel asked tauntingly. "Suppose you manage to defeat me then. What will happen?"

"Hm?" Shirou stared curiously.

"It's as you've said before," Kokabiel continued, "now that God is dead, you Devils have nothing to strive for or fight against. You, who is descended from Oda Nobunaga, does that thought not make your blood seethe?"

"Not particularly." Shirou said, looking rather indifferent. Then he smiled. "If anything, that makes things a lot easier for me. With God dead, that's one major roadblock out of the way for me."

"What are you saying!?" Xenovia snapped, Shirou's words angering her enough to snap out of her shocked stupor. "What world is there if God is dead?"

"The one we're living in apparently." Shirou answered as if it were obvious. "Think about it: God died in the war centuries ago, but we're still here. We've lived healthily and the world has shown no signs of decay. Hundreds of years and the continued evolution of humanity have proven it without a doubt-Even without God, the world keeps moving forward." He shot Xenovia a sharp look. "But it means something much more than that, you know? If God's dead, then everything under the Heavens is free game."

[...What?]

Surprisingly, it was the spirit inside of his Sacred Gear who voiced surprise rather than the many individuals surrounding him, who had been stunned into silence.

"As long as God and the Maous existed, a world of peace where dreams could be accomplished was impossible." Shirou explained. "Peace, prosperity, individuality. With existences who control every part of our lives, such things were impossible. But with the biggest obstacles out of the way, the world should be our fucking oyster! You want to know why we're still unable to enjoy it?" Shirou pointed at Kokabiel. "It's because of pathetic, bitching warmongers like this douche who can't accept that the war is over. There is literally no reason to fight, but guys like Kokiabiel won't let it go. The only solution is to beat them into the dirt! If that task is too much for you, you're more than welcome to go home, sit in a corner, and cry yourself to sleep over your so-called God. Everyone else, help me kick Kokabiel's teeth in!"

"Are you insane...?" Xenovia asked, more stunned than doubtful. "You'll never be able to defeat him!"

"Tell that to my fist!" Shirou shouted. "So long as you draw breath, never give up! Even if every bone in your body is broken, grit your broken teeth and drag your bloody carcass forward! No matter what! We will protect our school, our town! We _will_ survive!"

GAO-GAO!

There was a mighty woof followed by a series of small earthquakes as Shirou's pet Cerberus, Mr. Fluffles, bounded to his side.

"Well, I really don't know how to top that." Rias admitted, smiling to herself. "That sounds like a plan."

Akeno laughed into her hand. "I really think he's the only person who can beat you and Issei in terms of flashiness."

"On my pride as a Knight, I will never falter again."

"It would be kind of lame if we all walked away after Senpai said something that was actually cool for once."

"I-I'm no good at fighting, but I'll do my best to heal everyone's injuries!"

Kiba, Koneko, and Asia all stepped forward, their determination restored.

"Hell yeah!"

 **[BOOST!]**

Issei's gauntlet glowed a light brighter than anything before. "That neat speech of yours has got me all fired up now! Besides, if Kokabiel succeeds, I'll never be able to become a harem king!"

Kalawarner bowed respectfully. "My life has always been yours, Young Master. I will follow you, even in death."

"Alright then!" Shirou grinned, satisfied that everyone's spirit was burning as brightly as his. "Then let's go show that bastard what we're made of!"

He was about to start dashing ahead when he noticed yet another figure walk over to his side, hefting her human-sized blade over her shoulder.

"Xenovia?"

"Hmph!" She avoided locking eyes. "God is dead...There is no changing that. But, for right now, Kokabiel poses a threat towards both Heaven and humanity. Right now, as an Exorcist, my sole duty is to defeat him even at the cost of my own life!"

"Glad to hear it!" Shirou said before pausing. "But, it would probably be for the best if you put off dying for a little while."

"Hm?"

"After this, we're going to throw a killer party!" Shirou said, snickering. "You're welcome to come if you want."

For some reason, Xenovia found herself laughing at this. "I'll consider it."

They all turned, standing in clear defiance of the enemy who survived the war against the Maous and God, their wills resolute.

 _"Those young'uns, they're willing to risk everything..."_ Mikoto found herself in awe, her eyes wandering down to the sword-arm at her side. _"...and I can't even bring myself to use it..._ " She grit her teeth, tightening her fists at her side. She knew what awaited her at the end if she used it, but... "Screw it!" Before she could finish thinking, she ran to the front of the group, extending her arms to keep them from running forward. "I'm taking another crack at Kokabiel!"

"But, Ka-san, your injuries-!" Shirou quickly shut his mouth when Mikoto turned and shot him a sharp look.

"I'm no more injured than the rest of you." She said, removing the sword strapped to her thigh, holding it out in front of her. "I am the Slash Empress whose only purpose is to kill the enemy before me. My will, my life, has always been an instrument of death and carnage. But, thanks to you, Shirou, I was able to find my own purpose. And thanks to you and the others, I was finally able to understand it just as well as you; What it means to have a "family". And all the same, I'm just as willing to put my life on the line to protect them!" She snapped open two clasps on either side of the sheathed blade that kept it locked in place. "Now it's time to use _my_ trump card!"

The air itself became still as Mikoto closed her eyes, tightening her grasp on her blade's handle.

"[Level 3 Restraint: Release!]"

There was a soft _click_ as the guard of the sword snapped away from the sheathe, electricity crackling between the two.

Then there was the sudden outburst of demonic energy that tore through the air like a sonic boom. The members of the allied group were almost blown away by the sheer weight of its pressure. Asia, the least combat-ready of the group, had to cling to Issei's back in order to keep from being completely blown away.

"OK! First: WHAT-!" Kokabiel screech, shielding his face with his arms from flying debris. "Second: -THE FUCK!?"

Mikoto opened her eyes, a steely cold gaze directed not at Kokabiel, not even at the world before her, but at the very blade she held in her hands, as if challenging it to disobey her.

" _I call upon thy blade, oh Black Knight..._ " Mikoto chanted. " _Oh Shining Blade, stained black in the blood of thy comrades...Let light fade to darkness, hope warp into despair...I release thou from thine bonds of madness in order to grant my wish! I call thy name in order to serve my will! **Arondight!**_ "

"What the Hell is this...?!" Issei groaned, shielding his face as his skin was almost cut by the sharp gusts. "That thing's power is terrifying...!"

"It's not as strong as Durandal, but its presence is nauseating!" Xenovia shouted over the wind. "There's no doubt about it...!"

"It's a true Demon Sword!" Kiba gasped, his eyes going wide.

"Like the ones you make?!" Shirou asked.

Kiba shook his head. "No! Just like the swords of light of Exorcists compared to Holy Swords, my swords pale in comparison to a true Demon Sword!"

"So, what you're saying is-!"

"Aside from Durandal and Boosted Gear, all of our weapons and powers aren't worth SHIT in comparison!"

The wind currents suddenly began to reverse. Rather than exploding violently outward, they began to blow back the way they came, a small "sheathe" of wind surrounding the obsidian-black sword Mikoto held in her hands.

"Wait, so if Ka-san had a weapon that powerful, why didn't she use it earlier?!" Issei asked.

However, the answer became clear when both Kiba AND Xenovia showed troubled looks.

"Because of the nature of the swords of heresy, the Demon Swords!" Xenovia answered. "Simply touching one in itself almost always poses a great risk!"

Shirou's eyes widened in horror. "What!?"

"Real Demon Swords bear a curse and usually ask for a steep price, be it an exorbitant amount of mana or even one's lifespan! Either way, using them could potentially result in death!"

"WHAT!?"

As if on cue, Mikoto hunched over, falling into a fit of coughing as her balance began to break. She covered her mouth with her hand, but Shirou could see the blood leaking between her fingers.

He wanted to object. He wanted to tell her to put the goddamned sword away. He wanted to tell her to focus on surviving over winning.

But he didn't.

After what he said, he couldn't afford to act selfishly.

Rias, Akeno, Asia, Koneko, Kiba, Issei, Xenovia, and even himself. They were all willing to put their lives on the line. It was selfish to forbid Mikoto from doing the same when he had only recently gotten upset for her trying to protect him from everything.

They all had to fight together if they wanted to have any hope of defeating Kokabiel.

"Ka-san, do you think you can open a path for us to begin our final attack?" Shirou asked, brandishing his sword, ready to fight.

Mikoto lowered her sword so the blade was resting just in front of her face. "With Arondight? 50% sure."

"Well, those are still the best odds of success we've had all night." Shirou noted. He smirked. "Alright then! Let's move!"

[Right!]

"Take this!"

"Resound! Thunder!"

Rias and Akeno struck forth, firing the first shot as they both unleashed their respective magics at Kokabiel.

The Fallen Angel merely laughed condescendingly. "How many times will you fools repeat the same trick before you realize it's futility?" He extended his hands, grabbing both attacks without much effort. "Your powers will never be able to stand up to mine! That is a fact in this world!"

"Then try this on for size!" Mikoto rushed forward channeling heavy amounts of demonic aura into her sword. "Guraaaaaaagh!"

GOOOOOOOON!

A heavy wave of demonic energy was released in a single stroke against Kokabiel. "Do you really think this will defeat me!?" Instinctively, he outstretched his hands to block the attack only to remember what he had been holding. His eyes widened. "Wait-No!"

But it was too late.

The moment Mikoto's attack made contact with the two separate magical attacks held in the Fallen Angels hands, it became a sight similar to the crushing of two water balloons with the explosive force of several dozen hand grenades. Even someone like Kokabiel couldn't help but be stunned and burned by an attack of that magnitude, his body still struggling to disperse the power before him.

Mikoto didn't waste any time. During the few seconds in which Kokabiel was distracted, she rushed forward, swinging her blade at the Fallen Angel's neck.

However, she was a second too slow. In that second, Kokabiel managed to divert the power skywards and create a sword of light. "Did you really think that pathetic trick would work on me?" Kokabiel taunted, parrying Mikoto's blade. "Even if yours is a legendary Demon Sword, it's still no match for my power."

"You're right," Mikoto agreed, exchanging blows with Kokabiel at high speeds that even Kiba had trouble keeping up with, "my power cannot compare to that of a Fallen Angel from the Bible...but that's what so great about humanity and youth! We can overcome our weaknesses in terms of power through technique! Observe!" That was when Kokabiel noticed it. The speed at which Mikoto was striking was steadily increasing. It was only due to his swift, broad strokes that he was able to defend, but second by second, it became an almost impossible task, nicks and cuts quickly scarring his flesh. Not only that, but the power behind each swing was increasing as well, bearing Arondight's channeled aura in each attack. "Now!"

"Right!" Shirou quickly circled around Kokabiel, blade pointed forward as he charged, blade pointed to pierce through the man's back.

"Don't you remember how strong my wings are?!" Kokabiel unfolded his ten, black wings, forming a perfect shield surrounding his back. "They're harder than even diamonds!"

"Shit!" But Shirou didn't cease his attack. Even if Kokabiel's wings were strong, he at least had to provide a distraction. So he pushed forward, stabbing his sword forward, an oddly, ghostly white aura surrounding the blade. "Damn iiiiit!"

And that was when something strange happened, something that nobody expected.

SSHHHLLLCK!

Rather than bouncing off of Kokabiel's seemingly metal-hard wings, Shirou's blade passed through them as if they really were just feathers, sinking deep into Kokabiel's back.

"Auuugaaaauuugh!" Kokabiel let out a scream of pain, trying more desperately to block Mikoto's attacks. "WHAT!?"

"What?" Shirou was just as surprised as he was. Even if he had been in peak condition, which he wasn't, he never should have been able to pierce through Kokabiel's defense.

[That is because, even in the hands of a novice, your blade carries the trait of my fangs.]

 _"What?"_ Shirou asked.

[My fangs, which can pierce even a god, can make light work of an unresisting defense such as this. Strike fiercely and savagely!]

Shirou was still surprised and confused, but that didn't stop him. With renewed confidence, he pushed forward, stabbing through Kokabiel's torso until his blade was hilt deep, the other end passing out of Kokabiel's front-side. "If you think that hurt, what about _this_!?" Following up, Shirou used his stuck sword as leverage swinging himself through the air and delivering a sharp kick to Kokabiel's side, right where he had cut him during his staged betrayal.

"Guuaaaauuugh!" Kokabiel's eyes flared as he twisted his head, lashing out with his arm and grabbing Mikoto by the front of her shirt before swinging her around like a medieval flail and throwing her at Shirou, knocking them both to the ground. "I will NOT be made a fool of by a bunch of rotten brats!"

"Then maybe you should split!" Kiba raised his sword high into the air. He was clearly winded. He had never had to use his Sacred Gear to such an extent before. That, combined with his use of Balance Breaker, has left him seriously drained. "One more time." He took a deep breath before stabbing his sword into the ground. "Sword Birth!"

Countless blades shot from the ground, piercing skywards in vain attempts to impale Kokabiel.

The Fallen Angel lashed out with his hands and swords of light. "Is _this_ truly the power of your Holy-Demon Swords?!" He asked, laughing mockingly. One after another, Kiba's blades broke beneath Kokabiel's power.

Kiba smirked. "No. _This_ is a distraction."

 **[EXPLOSION!]**

Issei's Sacred Gear released a powerful burst of green light, the aura surrounding Issei almost completely overwhelming. It wasn't on the same level as Kokabiel, but it was nothing to scoff at.

Before Kokabiel could even say "What?", Issei rushed forward, pouring a large amount of his power into his left fist. "Damn it!" Still carefully defending against Kiba's swords, Kokabiel hurriedly conjured a heavy light spear, one on par with the one he used to destroy the gymnasium earlier, and threw it.

Issei destroyed it with one punch, continuing to fly through the air before decking Kokabiel right across the face, sending him tumbling through the dirt. "How do you like me now, Fallen Angel douchebag?!"

"Why you-!" However, Kokabiel didn't finish that thought due to suddenly noticing all of the oddly-shaped shadows hovering above him. "Wha-"

"Splintering Iceberg!" Jagged blocks of ice, the size of basketballs, rained down on Kokabiel's body, savagely cutting what they could and brutally beating what they couldn't.

"Damn it! Damn iiiiiit!" Kokabiel extended his wings, using them to crumble all of the blocks into little pieces of ice.

GAO GAO!

He spun on his heels again, knocking away a fireball and using his arms to stop one of the maws of Mr. Fluffles from biting his head off. "Miserable, traitorous mutt! I'll see you locked up in the deepest bit of Tartarus for this!" With the strength of fifty men, Kokabiel lifted the beast up into the air and threw it straight through the roof of Kuoh Academy's main building. He immediately swung his blade of light to meet Mikoto's, the woman's blade coated heavily in demonic aura. "Why won't you miserable species just die out like you were meant to?!"

"Coz we're all stubborn as an ass!" Mikoto spat back, shattering Kokabiel's sword of light. "It's about time someone clipped your wings, birdbrain!" She lunged forward with the speed and agility of a trained acrobat, bringing her sword down (up?) halfway through her flip over Kokabiel's body, severing not one, but two of his ten feathery wings. Blood spewed from the wounds she left, causing Kokabiel to cry out in agony.

"You miserable wretch! How dare you scar my body!?" He extended his hand, a bright light glowing in his palm. A light spear, one more powerful than any used thus far, appeared in his hand. "Be gone!"

Mikoto wisely extended Arondight out in front of her, using its demonic aura to counter Kokabiel's attack, but the force was too great. Even with a Demon Sword from legend, she was thrown through the air like a child, hitting the ground far too many time than one could ignore.

"Ka-san!" Shirou's eyes widened as Mikoto struggled to get up from the ground, a large grimace of pain on her face. The expression on her face each time she tried to stand told Shirou that a few of her ribs might have been broken again. He turned to Kokabiel, rage clear in his eyes. Without even considering it, Shirou started sprinting, his fist clenched tightly. "Kokabiiiieeel!"

"Oh cease your whining prattle!" Kokabiel fired another beam of light, this one less powerful than Kokabiel's spear, at Shirou.

"I got your back!" Xenovia swooped down from the air, using her Durandal to cut the blast in half, dispersing it.

"Thanks!" Shirou leaped onto Xenovia's shoulder, using her to vault into the air, his arm pulled back as he channeled his freezing aura into his fist. "First Form!" His Sacred Gear reverted back to its original state, the gauntlet in the shape of the maw of a vicious wolf.

"When will you brats recognize futility?!" Kokabiel opened his hand at Shirou, preparing to unleash another attack.

DOON!

BZZZZT!

He couldn't get off a single blast before he was struck unawares by a blast of demonic power and a blast of electricity.

"Would you all-" Then he was pummeled by a barrage of blue flame-like Ki. "Just stop it-!" He used his wings to destroy several spears of light. "Stop it!" He was hit by another blast of demonic power from behind. "ANGRYYYY!"

"Then maybe you should _chill out_!" Shirou fell from the sky, delivering a heavy blow to the side of Kokabiel's face. Not even considering retreat, Shirou brought his arm around, back-handing Kokabiel with his knuckles. Then he struck him again and again. Punch, back-hand, punch, back-hand, a long cycle.

Kokabiel was too disheveled and too frustrated to react properly. He had always been the type to one-sidedly punish his enemies. His power was almighty and yet, here he was, being beaten to such an extent by _children_! Humans even!

Shirou grabbed the man by his hair and yanked his head down, kneeing him right in the center of his face. There was a soft _crack_ as his nose was broken in seven pieces.

That was the final straw for Kokabiel.

He viciously extended his wings, cutting Shirou's chest and severely shredding his shirt, again lowering his Shirt Count. Blood oozed from Shirou's wounds, allowing Kokabiel the opportunity he needed to escape into the air.

"I've toyed with you fools for long enough!" He screamed, flying so high that they were surprised he had yet to hit the barrier erected by the Student Council. "It's time for me to end this! The war will begin _now_!"

Nobody was able to react properly. It had happened in a matter of a split-second.

They remembered the pillar of light.

Then the explosion.

Then darkness.

* * *

It would have been easier to count all of the bones in his body that _weren't_ broken. His grimace only worsened as he tried pushing himself up onto all-fours...all-threes. He could physically feel his ribs creaking, threatening to break beneath the pressure. His vision was blurry for a moment before clearing, hinting at a potential concussion if not a fractured skull.

In short: Shirou felt like shit.

He pushed himself upright, looking at the area around him.

Immediately, his eyes widened in horror as he looked at the numerous bodies littering the battlefield, each and every single one of them belonging to one of his comrades.

Xenovia had been thrown hard enough to be buried halfway into a huge pile of rubble.

Koneko laid on top of Akeno in a large crater as if they had been literally blasted through the ground.

Kiba laid on the ground, the shattered remains of his swords laying around him.

The only two who seemed to be in at least fair condition were Rias and Asia...

Unfortunately, that only appeared due to Issei shielding them with his back and arms, a great deal of his clothing and flesh seared from the explosive powers Kokabiel possessed.

Kalawarner laid in a crumpled mess of blood and black feathers, so still that Shirou was beginning to feel genuinely afraid. Mikoto kneeled in front of her, trying to use her Arondight to help herself back up to her feet.

"Damn it..." The woman cursed. "...Even though I used Arondight...we didn't stand a chance..." Then, the cracked blade finally gave way, breaking into pieces and dropping Mikoto to the ground.

It wasn't just his friends who were in a sorry state. The entirety of the school grounds look as though a cyclone had hit the place. All of the buildings had been reduced to giant piles of debris and rubble...Everything was gone.

"And now you finally understand..." Kokabiel's malicious cackling made the defeat all the more excruciating. Despite the fact his top and lower halves were barely attached and the many wounds across his flesh, he still seemed as powerful as ever. "Never once since this battle begin did you ever have a chance at victory. In less than a minute, this entire town will be destroyed. It would be for the best if you all just laid down and accepted your fate."

"Go...to Hell..." Shirou growled out. "No matter what...I'm not going to let you destroy this town...!"

Kokabiel let out a throaty growl, kneeling down and grabbing Shirou by the throat and lifting him up into the air. "Don't you get it yet, you insignificant bat?" Kokabiel snapped. "You have lost! You and all of your precious "comrades" will die! Soon, you will all die and I shall be the victor! You can preach about ideals and camaraderie, and the weak can prop one another up to give the illusion of strength, but in the end, it's all meaningless. In the end, it is he who stands above the corpses of all others who is the winner. Hehehehahahaha!"

"You're wrong..."

"Hm?" Kokabiel raised a brow, relishing Shirou's whine of pain as he casually shook Shirou from his head, as if sadistically rattling a bobble-head from the wrong end.

Shirou grabbed Kokabiel's forearm, glaring mercilessly into the Fallen Angel's eyes. "The one who stands above the corpses is the winner?" Shirou scoffed. "...You're wrong! Throwing away your allies...just for the sake of winning!?...That's absolute bullshit!" He groaned as Kokabiel tightened his grasp on the young boy's skull, viciously testing its durability.

"Perhaps I haven't beaten the lesson deep enough into you..." Kokabiel wondered, narrowing his eyes at Shirou as he brought his other hand to cup the cap of his skull. "If you believe your ideals are so righteous, then why is it I am the one who won this battle? I, who gladly threw away all of those useless tools you refer to as "comrades" as they quickly became dead weight, have thoroughly beaten your pathetic resistance, which relied on those same tools, only sacrificing yourselves for one another without benefit?"

"What does it matter if you win...?" Shirou croaked, biting back the urge to scream as he felt his skull slowly begin to cave in beneath the increased pressure of Kokabiel's fingers. "After we step on our friends, what lays at the top? After throwing away everything important to you, what's the point in even fighting anymore?! If I have to fight, I want to fight protecting my precious comrades. It's not the last one standing, the one who survives, who is the victor. It's the one who can survive any scar and still smile, feel the joy that comes with the bond with others, that's the winner...!" Shirou cackled, trying to laugh away the agony as he felt Kokabiel's nails digging through his skin, bones, and possibly even into his brain. "That is why...even if you kill all of us here..." He smirked tauntingly, "You, who throws away everything, discarding people like tools, will _always_ be a loser in my eyes."

"And every word out of your mouth does not cease to annoy me." Kokabiel growled, removing one hand from Shirou's skull and wrapping it around his neck. He paused for a moment. "I will certainly reduce this entire town to ash. But you? I will deal with personally. I believe I have developed something of a personal grudge against you."

"What? Why?" Then Shirou's eyes traveled downward to the loosely attached lower torso of Kokabiel's. "...oh...right..."

Kokabiel tightened his grasp to the point he almost completely crushed Shirou's throat. "Do you have any final words?"

"Yeah. Only three..." Shirou chuckled, blood dripping from the edges of his mouth. He spat a blood-mixed loogie right at Kokabiel's face. "Go fuck yourself."

"Hmph..." With that, Kokabiel raised his other hand to the center of Shirou's chest, a powerful light glowing in the palm of his hand. "Now die."

GOOOOOOON!

A large beam of light pierced straight through Shirou's chest.

" _Guaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh_!"

* * *

[Now boarding for Tokyo!]

Kiyome grabbed the handle of her suitcase, tightly, a pit forming in her stomach as she approached the doorway. She was anxious. It was hard for her _not_ to be. Her boyfriend was off fighting God knows what and here she was, essentially running away. She didn't like it in the slightest, but the way Shirou sounded and the commanding way he spoke to her, she knew there was no room for argument. When a situation was serious, there was no person more stubborn than Shirou Fujimura.

She did her best to steel her nerves. She had rented a hotel in Tokyo for the time-being until she received the all-clear, but...

Something was wrong. That much she knew.

The moment she took the first step onto the train. Her entire body felt frozen in time, as if her instincts were trying to tell her something.

It was like every muscle in her body had tensed at once, completely paralyzing her.

Out of confusion and curiosity, she did the one thing Shirou told her not to do: She looked back.

The moment she saw the shining light in the sky, she immediately regretted her decision. Normal people seemed to pay no mind to it, but that was because they were not attuned to the supernatural. The moment she saw that beam of light in the sky, she knew something was wrong.

"Shirou...?"

In that moment, there was no doubt.

Something terrible had happened.

* * *

It went on for one second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Four seconds.

The clock kept ticking, indifferent to his agony.

It felt like eternity before the screaming finally faded back into cold, ominous silence.

"..." Shirou's eyes became empty, his body showing no further movement.

"Shirou...?" It was Akeno who raised her head from the ground, gently pushing Koneko off of her. It took a few seconds for her to regain her bearings and vision...and that's when she saw her junior...hanging in Kokabiel's hand...a soccer ball-sized hole in his chest. "...S-Shirou...?"

"N-No..." Mikoto gasped, her entire body trembling. "Please...God, no...Not my baby...Please...!"

"...W-What?" Kiba shut his eyes, unable to bear looking at the sight any further. "No way...!"

"Shirou-san!"

"Shirou?!"

"Sen...pai...?" Koneko called out weakly. Even though she couldn't move her body, she could still feel it...the sudden missing presence of life.

"Huh...?" Even Issei, as weak as he was, managed to turn around and observe the horror unveiled before him.

Xenovia sat upright, trying to dislodge herself from the rubble that had buried her. "Even the Dog...? Is he really...?"

Akeno winced, pushing herself to her feet even though she was certain one of her heels had been broken from her harsh impact. "Shirou...? What are you doing just sitting there?" She asked. It was...impossible. No, he was faking. He had to be. "Wake up...! If you don't, you'll really die, you know...!" However, the boy didn't even stir. His head slumped forward without resistance.

"You can have this." Kokabiel said, cruelly throwing Shirou's body in Akeno's direction. "I'm done with it."

Akeno tried running forward, but overestimated her ability to keep her balance, tripping and falling to the ground mere inches from where Shirou's body landed. More determined than ever, she crawled over to his side, pushing herself onto her knees. "Shirou!" She tenderly lifted his body up, holding him in her arms. "Wake up...!" She tried shaking him, but to no avail. "Stop playing tricks like this and wake up already! We need you...! _I_ need you! I told you I would punish you if you did something like this again, so get up right now!"

"Akeno..." Rias couldn't bear to see her like this. It felt like a knife was ripping through her heart and there was nothing she could do about it...

To every single other person on that battlefield, it was obvious.

Shirou Fujimura was...

"Stop playing around and wake up...!" Tears had already begun streaming from Akeno's eyes. "Just...wake up..." She hugged him tightly, placing her face against his. "You can't just leave me alone like this...Don't leave me alone...!"

"Bastard..." Issei tried standing up only to immediately fall back down. He grit his teeth, a grunt of pain as he tried pushing himself up again. "YOU BASTAAAAARD!"

"I already told you!" Kokabiel said, laughing cockily as it became less and less possible for the resistance to stand let alone fight. "There will be a war! Your blood will be the first of many to be spilled! Now watch as you and your precious town are reduced to nothingness!"

The ground below her feet began to glow, the world suddenly beginning to tremble violently.

"Damn it..." Rias cursed. She looked from the intricate lines of the magic circle tracing beneath their feet. Once those lines connected with the rest of the others and formed a complete circuit, the spell would officially be cast. In such a situation, there was only one option. "Everyone! Fall back! Even if you have to drag yourselves, we have to leave-NOW!"

"But, Buchou...!" Issei tried to object, Asia supporting him. "But the town! Otou-san! Oka-san!"

"No...We can't..." Rias lowered her head in shame, fighting back tears. "We've lost this battle...We have to retreat or we'll all die too! Issei, we just don't have a choice anymore! I'm sorry...! I'm so sorry...!"

"But what about Shirou?" Kiba asked, receiving a helping hand from Xenovia. "What about Akeno-san?!"

Rias turned, staring pityingly at Akeno as Fluffles burst out of the rubble of the school building and ran over, first to Koneko, then to Kalawarner, then to Mikoto, picking up each of them in each of his respective mouths and running towards the rest of them.

"Akeno!" Rias called out. "Akeno! We have to go _now_! The town's lost! If we stay here, we're all going to die!"

However, even from afar, Rias could see Akeno never heard her words.

The girl simply held Shirou in her arms, sobbing to herself as she cried out in denial.

"You're going to be alright...You can't die, Shirou..." She sobbed. "Shirou...Shirou...!"

"Akeno!" By this point, Kiba and the others were dragging Rias away. "Come on! He's...There's nothing you can do now!"

"I won't leave him alone!" Akeno screamed. She lowered her head, looking at the face of the boy who had once been Shirou Fujimura. The ground beneath her began to crack and rumble, slowly beginning to collapse in on itself. "He hated being alone...That was always the one thing that he was terrified of...I won't subject him to loneliness like that. Not ever again."

"AKENO!"

The Queen of Rias Gremory smiled sadly. "Good-bye." She closed her eyes, waiting for the end.

And then the world seemed to slow down.

First figuratively...then literally.

It was an odd sensation at first, coming to terms with her death, but Akeno had been wholly prepared to die in that place.

Then, all at once, the trembling stopped. For a moment, when she opened her eyes, she had thought she had already died. Then she saw the others, staring at her with surprise matching her own.

The only one who seemed more stunned was Kokabiel, who ceased his fist of maniacal laughter as he floated in the air to stare. "What happened!?"

That's exactly what they wanted to know.

The magic circuit tracing through the ground stopped before it reached the outer edge of the barrier, as if blocked by an unknown force.

Akeno's tears paused, her eyes unable to comprehend the sight occurring before her.

"WHAT IS THIS!?" Kokabiel yelled, increasingly frustrated at the lack of catastrophe. "Don't tell me that bumbling oaf, Valper, messed up the spell!"

That wasn't it. Akeno knew that much. Despite Rias' claims, Akeno was by far the most well-versed in the use of magic out of everyone in her Peerage. It was one thing to negate a spell or to interrupt its casting, but it was near impossible to stop a spell halfway through its effect outside of the obvious barrier, but the Student Council's barrier was in no way equipped to handle a ritual spell of this magnitude. The spell had certainly been cast, but it had somehow been completely stopped in its tracks. She knew that _a certain someone_ had the power to stop time, but their control over their ability was poor and would have frozen all of them rather than just the spell if this had been their doing.

"How did...?"

However, Akeno didn't even have the chance to finish her thought before a new type of trembling began.

"What is it now!?" Rias called out, still ushering her other servants back.

They all knew that this new sensation was completely different. It was not the ground, but the very air itself trembling with a heavy pressure that seemed to pass in waves. It certainly wasn't Kokabiel for he seemed just as stunned as the rest of them.

 **BADUMP BADUMP**

It was the sound of a heartbeat, Akeno realized. Not her own. Her heartbeat had long-since been drowned out by the trembling world around her.

"Akeno-senpai...!" It was Koneko who spoke, turning her head from her position in the maw of the Cerberus, Fluffles. Even though the effort clearly pained her, the junior student had called out. "You...You have to run...! The black aura...!"

"What...?" It wasn't until Akeno turned back to the "bundle" in her hands that she finally understood the meaning behind Koneko's words.

Shirou's body had suddenly been covered in a black, misty aura that seemed to be expanding outward. "What is-? OW!" She tried to adjust his head, but the moment her hand made contact with his skin, her hand was burned. In a fit of pain, she unintentionally dropped Shirou to the ground. "...What?" She stared at her open hand and forearm...shocked by the charred, 2nd degree burns. Even though she possessed the Rook trait as part of her abilities as a Queen, just touching the aura had injured her.

Not just her own flesh, but the ground surrounding Shirou seemed to undergo instantaneous combustion, burning to ashes before any flames could be born.

 **"I will fight..."**

Akeno's eyes widened as she heard the sound of Shirou's voice...She could have sworn his mouth had moved, but that was impossible...

 **"I will fight..."**

That was when his body finally stirred, not only moving, but literally standing up from the ground, his stance unsteady.

"Shirou...?" For a brief moment, hope began to fill Akeno's heart.

That was when she noticed the obvious things wrong with him. Despite the blood raining down from his open chest wound, Shirou's body showed no sign of debilitation aside from slight unsteadiness.

 **"I will fight..."**

The black aura surrounding him, rather than continuing to grow outwards, instead seemed to implode, gathering in the massive hole in Shirou's chest, filling it up like a bucket with water. There was no "dramatic healing" or "sudden resurrection". The wound was certainly still there. It was more like the black aura was... _treating it_. Giving it a temporary solution at best. A black, circular orb grew until it perfectly matched the edges of Shirou's wound, completely filling the whole. The rest of his aura traveled down the stump which had once held his left arm, molding into a black, demonic appendage ending in five sharp talons reminiscent of fingers. It was neither gaseous nor solid, possessing a single shape even with a great deal of aura flowing from him.

 **"I will fight..."**

Then, the darkness began to change shape across his skin, forming a small, peculiar shape over where his heart was...

"A Mokkou...?" Akeno recognized the flowery-shape that formed like a tattoo over Shirou's heart. She knew that mark from somewhere. Then, the flower was surrounded by another circle of darkness, that too developing into more flower pedals. "No...an Oda Mokkou! But that crest...!"

 **"I will fight...I will fight...I will fight...!"**

Shirou's hair seemed to darken, as if all light was being drained out of it. It lengthened to his shoulders, growing shaggy and untamed. Like some kind of beast's mane.

"No..."

"Hm?" The only person not shocked nor horrified was Kokabiel, who had, despite his injuries, apparently obtained a new-found interest in the event occurring before him. "What is this...?"

"Shirou" placed his hand over his heart. That one spot began to glow, a heavy bluish-white aura mixing with the black aura already radiating off of his body, forming a disgusting mix of silver, gray, and dull-blue.

 **"I will fight! Come forth, Gungnir!"**

"Shirou's" hand withdrew from his heart, clutching the light tightly in his hand before it extended and expanded, forming a familiar shape that they had all thought broken beyond repair. Much like it had always been, the pole-arm was slender, the blade at the end large for a normal spear, close to that of a halberd, the emblem of a wolf decorating either side of the spear's massive blade, a hole in the area that had been made into the wolf's open mouth.

However, there was one stark contrast between what it was now and what it had originally been.

It had once been a symbol of purity, a brilliant white color like that of snow, its blade a shining, reflective silver. An absolutely flawless form.

Now it was pitch-black, its blade a dull gray. Throbbing tendrils extended down the shaft all the way to the blade, almost alive, two additional iron prods extending outward from the middle of the blade. It was around that weapon that the aura became the most intense.

This was no masterpiece. It was an instrument of death.

And its aim was one certain Fallen Angel.

The most startling feature about "Shirou's" new appearance was his eyes. It was not that they changed in terms of color so much as in terms of intensity. Akeno could swear his irises were glowing.

"I don't know you." Kokabiel commented, crossing his arms and extending his wings.

"Shirou" showed neither anger, frustration, nor irritation. Only cold indifference.

 **"I am he who covets this world. The defiler of all that belongs to God. I am he who tarnished the Sixth Heaven, earning my place as its despised Demon King! My name..."**

The mixed aura exploded outward, almost completely blowing Akeno away.

 **"-is Oda Nobunaga!"** Shirou/Oda brandished his spear in hostility towards his foe. **"And it shall be I who slays you, Kokabiel!"**

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** Final Clash - Demon King's Rebirth and the Bitter Farewell! (Part 4 of 4)

* * *

 **And we are nearing our final conclusion to the Excalibur Arc!...Thank. God.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	41. Chapter 36: Excalibur Arc Finale Part 4

**And here is the final chapter of the finale! Enjoy! *Laughs evilly* You're all in for a treat~! X3**

 **Disclaimer: I'm just going to go out on a record and say I don't own a damned thing besides Shirou. High School DxD, High School DxD New, High School DxD BorN, and all related media are the property of Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Funimation, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the offical release!**

* * *

 **Chapter 36: Final Clash - Demon King's Rebirth and the Bitter Farewell! (Part 4 of 4)**

 **"I shall destroy all who oppose me."** The boy...the man... _the_ _entity_ referring to itself as "Oda Nobunaga" declared. **"Fallen Angel Kokabiel, know that your head will be the first of many to be claimed by Oda Nobunaga!"**

For a long time, there was an impressive silence, not a single person daring to move nor knowing whether or not staying in one place was a good idea.

"Hnhnhnhnhahahahahahaha!"

It was the sound of laughter that shattered the heavy silence that followed, its source being none other than that of Kokabiel. The Fallen Angel seemed to beside himself with amusement.

"Quite a clever ploy, child of the Oda Clan," Kokabiel said dismissively, "but a ploy and nothing more. The power of your clan runs strongly through your body considering how easily you stopped the spell from leveling your town and treated your fatal wounds, but even with it, your body is one of flesh and cannot be protected forever. You have done nothing but delay the inevitable."

 **"What a noisy crow,"** Oda Nobunaga said so passively that one might not have registered it as an insult. **"Perhaps it would talk less if I clipped its wings."** Nobunaga didn't seem to speaking _to_ Kokabiel so much as _at_ him. He also failed to properly address the rest of the bystanders nor did he classify them as friend or foe. The only being he seemed interested in was Kokabiel.

Kokabiel sneered. "When will you quit this charade? You may possess his power, but you're nothing close to the level of your ancestor. This is-"

Nobunaga extended his hand, Shirou's hand. **"Burn."** With a slight of his hand and a single word, Nobunaga cast more of his black aura across the ground, turning it into a charred, barren land wherever it touched. **"Black Ice. Impale."**

While his instincts weren't as honed as most warriors, Kokabiel was still perceptive enough to retreat into the air moments before sharp spires of ice shot forth from the ground, almost stabbing him in places where even the brightest star could never shine.

A chill went down everyone's spine. It wasn't the attacks themselves that made them uneasy. It was the presence behind them. Shirou's attacks were always fierce and violent, of course, but his powers and his Sacred Gear always held a hint of beauty in them. The powers displayed by the individual known as "Nobunaga" were nothing of the sort. Even if he showed no hostility, no real murderous intent, his power held the very essence of "evil". Unlike Shirou's powers, unlike his weapons, Nobunaga's power, his weapons, were corrupt, _broken_. Things even a Devil would hesitate to use.

It was necessary to end the battle before it truly began. That was what Kokabiel had decided, lunging forward with a spear of light in his hands.

Nobunaga grasped his spear with both hands, swinging it forward to match Kokabiel's strike with his own. Neither fighter even flinched at the massive shockwave that resulted from the force of the collision. Nobunaga brought his fist around, hitting Kokabiel with enough force to send him back to earth, dirty splashing into the air on impact. He brought his spear around again as a spear of light shot forth from the dust cloud that enveloped Kokabiel, meeting it with his own spear.

The Occult Research Club and its allies, on the other hand...

"Shirou-san's in danger!"

"Keep your distance!" Rias called out, she and Asia tightly holding Issei so that he would not be blown away in his weakened state. "It may look at him, but there's no doubt in mind mind; That isn't Shirou! It's something else entirely..."

"It's Nobunaga Oda...!" Limping severely while clutching her chest, Mikoto turned to face the two Devils, surprisingly nowhere near as affected by the raw power displayed before them. "At least...it's a part of him."

"A part of him...?" Issei asked weakly. "So, is Shirou actually him or something...?"

"No." Mikoto shook her head. "He is neither the true Nobunaga, and it is just as unlikely that this is a case of reincarnation...If that were the case, Shirou's personality would never have existed in the first place. In all likelihood, there's two of them."

"Two...?"

" _Two souls, I believe is what she meant."_ said a feminine, mewling voice that suddenly appeared right next to him. Rias was, indeed, injured from the previous conflict, but she knew damned well that there had not been a black cat-a TALKING black cat-sitting in that spot only moments before. _"It was always weak, so I thought it was just the spirit of his Sacred Gear, but it looks like Shirou-chin's body is home for more than just one person-nyan~"_

"Um...Fujimura-san," Rias said, pointing to the cat, "who is that feline and why is she talking?"

 _"I'm Miko-chin's new best friend and Shirou-chin's lover~!"_ The cat answered the question in a teasing voice, causing Rias' expression to drop, a look of disgust on her face.

"...That probably would have been more effective if you were in human form." Mikoto said, her brow twitching above her narrowed eyes.

 _"Actually, that's the exact expression I wanted her to make~_ " The cat said, looking oh so pleased with herself while Kokabiel and Nobunaga continued trading blows before them. _"To be honest, I only came because I sensed Shirou-chin's life force fading, but it appears I came just a little bit too late."_ She turned her head, letting out a small sigh. _"At least Shirone is still alright. I won't be leaving completely empty-handed."_

"Shirone...?" Rias looked from the black cat over to the white-haired Nekoshou held tenderly in Mr. Fluffles' maw...well, as tenderly as a mouth full of sharp fangs could holder at any rate. Fluffles made sure to keep Koneko centered in his mouth, mainly on his tongue with only her left arm hanging limply over one of his rows of sharp teeth. The poor animal looked as though it was desperately trying not to close its mouth, swallow, or breathe so as to avoid injuring her. "...Why do you know that name?"

 _"What kind of big sister wouldn't know their only family's name?"_ The cat teased, her smirk. However, there was not a shred of the same amusement as before. Instead, there was only the slightest hint of malice.

It was then that the pieces clicked together, Rias extending her hand towards the cat. "Kuroka!" The magic circle materialized in the palm of her hand for several seconds before-

SLAP!

"Knock it off, Rias," Mikoto said, smacking Rias' hand away and disrupting her concentration. "We have enough problems without you picking a fight with a woman who out-classes you in every aspect of magic."

"Who's this Kuroka...?" Issei asked, letting out a sigh of relief as his wounds began to mend under Asia's healing aura. He was still far too exhausted to put up a decent fight, but he wasn't in any danger as a result of his injuries anymore. "Does Kurokneko know this Kuroka...?"

"Her name _is_ Kuroka," Rias answered, not daring to take her eyes off of the feline. "She is an SS-class criminal who-" Rias paused, finally processing Issei's words "Kuroneko?"

Issei nodded, having the faint suspicious he said something wrong. "Yeah...She's a friend of Shirou's. Apparently they've known each other for a while, although he figured out she could talk only not too long ago. She was the one who helped me and Shirou get into Raynare's hideout without being detected...for the most part."

"So Shirou knew about her already?" Rias' eye twitched and Issei was left with the impression that he had just gotten his best friend into a heap of trouble.

Issei shrank beneath her burning gaze. "Y...Yes..."

"He and I really need to have a talk about things like "trust" and "harboring fugitives"."

"Can we all FOCUS!?" Mikoto snapped, wincing as she clutched her chest. The attention of those still conscious turned to her. "We don't have much time! We have to-Ugh!" Mikoto felt to her knees, beads of sweat dripping off the sides of her face. Even though she didn't seem to exert much strain, her face held nothing but agony.

"Fujimura-san...?" Rias quickly forgot her previous anger, kneeling beside her and reaching out her hands to help Mikoto remain upright. "Fujimura-san! What's wrong?!"

And that was when it happened.

The moment Rias hand touched Mikoto's shoulder, it disappeared.

Not dissolved or broke or turned invisible. It just disappeared. Rias' hand passed through mere empty air as though nothing was there. Five seconds felt like five years as Rias came to try to comprehend what had just happened. Her eyes widened in alarm, countless horrible scenarios running through her mind before-

FLASH!

As though nothing had happened, Mikoto immediately reappeared, but her form was flickering-"glitching" for lack of a better word. It was several moments before the "episode" ended, Mikoto's face twisted in pain and despair, her eyes shut tight as if she was trying to focus on something with all of her might. She would have fallen face-forward had Rias not held her up.

 _"...It's finally happening, isn't it?"_ Kuroka asked, a hint of what Rias could have sworn was sadness in her otherwise passive yellow eyes.

Mikoto, breathing heavily while clutching her heart, nodded. "Using my Sacred Gear and Arondight both in the span of an hour have taxed me too greatly. There's not much time left...I won't last..." She attempted to stand, only to let out a groan of pain and falling to her knees. "Uuugh!"

"Mikoto-san!" Asia quickly hurried over to the woman, extending her hands to heal-

"No!" Mikoto quickly shoved Asia away. "Save your energy. The others are still more wounded than I am and we still have Nobunaga and Kokabiel to worry about..." She wore a bittersweet smile on her face. "Besides, it wouldn't make a difference..." She turned to Kuroka. "Do you think you could use your Senjutsu to reawaken Shirou?"

Kuroka shook her head. _"I can't say. Even if I could, Maou knows I'm not walking into the middle of that..."_ All of them turned their heads to see Kokabiel drive Nobunaga straight through the rubble of what had once been the academy's main building. _"I don't think even I have enough lives to survive a shit storm like that."_

"And would we really want to place Shirou's life in the hands of a _criminal_ anyway?" Rias asked harshly, crossing her arms and doing very little to hide her distaste for the feline next to her.

"That "criminal"," Mikoto spat back at Rias, "has protected Shirou's life more times than you or I could count. Why else do you think I never severed her head and mounted it on my fireplace?"

 _"Animal abuse laws?"_ Kuroka suggested jokingly, earning a round of dirty looks.

"Rias, we don't have time to argue." Mikoto reiterated, wincing before rushing her hand to her mouth, coughing up blood. "Whether you like it or not, Kuroka is our ally. In a situation like this, you don't have any right to choose..."

Rias didn't object although it very much appeared as though she wanted to. "So what can we do...?"

Mikoto stared at her. "Honestly, Rias? I don't know."

On that solemn note, all of them turned back to face the battle, watching as Kokabiel avoided a narrow beheading.

The two titan-like beings went at one another over and over again. It was a difficult battle to judge. Kokabiel had the advantage in raw power, but Nobunaga had shown himself more than durable. Every time he was wounded by Kokabiel, the cut or puncture would just immediately be sealed up by the fiery shadows surrounding him. In terms of combat capability, they were evenly matched. Both were distinctly matched in terms of close-range and long-range combat. Whenever Kokabiel attempted to flee beyond the reach of Nobunaga's spear, Nobunaga would attack with his shadowy aura and black ice. Whenever Nobunaga attempted to flee beyond Kokabiel's reach, Kokabiel would attack him from afar using light spears.

By this logic, both combatants knew that the best course of action was to keep close quarters, for it would be the one who fell back first who would be disadvantaged...that was the way most of them saw it anyway.

"I don't know what game this is you think you're playing at, boy," Kokabiel said, a bloody grin on his face, "but you are no match for me! I have existed since time immemorial! I am the oldest enemy of both Heaven and Hell! You cannot-HRGGFFLK!" It was at that moment in time that Nobunaga took the opportunity to punch Kokabiel in the face.

 **"I always found those who bluster more than they fight to be intolerable."** Nobunaga said plainly, swinging the blade of his spear around to meet Kokabiel's strike. **"You may indeed be Heaven's eldest enemy, but your anger is pathetic. You are nothing more than a spoiled child raging about with flailing arms."** With another heavy swing, he threw Kokabiel back. **"I have not even adjusted to this body and I still have more than enough power to deal with vermin such as you."**

The two soared through the air, each clash of power producing a shockwave with the force of hurricane winds. Blow after blow, neither appeared to gain any real ground.

It was endless.

"Are you not the one blustering?" Kokabiel cackled, conjuring a spear of light. "I can level this entire town with one hand. That is the power of a true Fallen Angel. You are nothing more than a lowly human-turned-Devil masquerading as a warrior. This entire duel, you've done nothing but defend without dealing any major blows on my bo-"

 **"Just shut up already."**

SSCHHKKK!

A sharp, jagged piece of black ice flew through the air and embedded itself halfway into Kokabiel's shoulder.

Kokabiel let out a growl of pain, reaching out and ripping the piece from his body. "A sneak attack?" He covered his arm, groaning in agony as black mist began to pour out of the open wound, Kokabiel's eyes widening as he clamped his hand over it, trying to keep the aura from spreading. Even then, he could feel the burning sensation permeating his open wound, scalding the palm of his hand. The aura gradually swallowed the entire arm, slowly burning it to a crisp beyond use. "You cowardly wretch!"

 **"Cowardly?"** Nobunaga looked curiously for a moment before smiling, letting out a small laugh, his smile being the first change in expression he had shown since he had first "arrived". It was not a pleasant look. **"Weren't you the one who said the one preaching about how the one who stood atop the pile of corpses at the end was the winner? In that case, what difference does it matter how one scales it?"** He extended his hand. **"Third Form: Devil's Arquebus."**

The spear in Nobunaga's hands began to glow, radiating a malevolent light as its form began to gradually shift, becoming smaller, curved. A rifle held in one hand, more ornate than Shirou's "Flurry Rifle", but its black and gray form gave it a more putrid presence.

"I would say "Kneel before the Lord"," Nobunaga said, a smirk that had no place being there appearing on his cold face, "but neither of us believe in God."

He pulled the trigger.

* * *

 _He was crying..._

 _It was all his fault..._

 _The cold, pouring rain, soaked him to the bone, but that wasn't why he was trembling._

 _It wasn't fair..._

 _He looked at the bloody, tortured mess in front of him._

 _He shouldn't have left the window open! He knew he shouldn't have! But it was too hot inside!..._

 _"Shicchan...?" Mikoto held her umbrella over Shirou's head, watching pityingly as the boy wiped his eyes with his tiny hands. "We...We can give her a proper burial..." She tried touching his shoulder, trying to make him look away from the bloody corpse that the rain seemed to be desperately trying to wash away._

 _One never would have believed that it was once a kitten._

 _Its ears were missing, its jaw blown clean off (likely with some kind of firework was forced inside its mouth), and a hint of agony and fear could still be seen in its frozen face, as if its spirit was unable to leave its dead body..._

 _"I'll kill'em..." He bit his lower lip, tightening his fists as he fought back tears. "I'll kill'em! I-I'm...I'm gonna find and kill all of those bastards!"_

 _His only friend..._

 _Dead._

 _He was selfish, pathetic. Complained about the heat...He let her go out the window and..._

 _He knew who had done it._

 _A group of high school students who were always hanging in a spot between Shirou and his school. Every time Shirou's eyes met theirs, he saw no soul. There was only a twisted glee, as if they were deciding how best to make pain, enjoy pain._

 _He saved the cat. He made them angry._

 _They beat him up. Wasn't that enough?_

 _He had to make them pay...He knew that, but..._

 _It was so unfair...It was so unfair..._

 _"Shicchan..." Mikoto dropped her umbrella, kneeling beside him and wrapping her arms around his body, holding him close to her heart. "It's okay...It's okay..."_

 _He spent the entire night crying...crying...crying..._

 _'Humans have such wretched souls...'_

* * *

The ungodly mass of demonic power that fired from the barrel of Nobunaga's gun was more than any of them ever expected.

Kokabiel extended his hands out in front of him, only to find his wounded arm failing to respond to his commands. "What?!" He groaned and winced, but the only thing that happened was that more of the black aura seeped out of his wound, like smoke from a fog machine. "Damn it!" He looked from his lame arm to the incoming attack, his sense of urgency becoming greater and greater. He extended his only remaining hand forward, unleashing a magical blast of his own. "I will not lose to some pathetic relic!"

Nobunaga looked unconcerned, watching passively as his beam met Kokabiel's, the two powers colliding in a brilliant array of light and dark colors. One side pushed against the other, trying to gain more ground. However, there was one deciding factor:

The looks on both Kokabiel and Nobunaga's face.

Kokabiel was strained, between his immobilized arm and his wounded state, pouring every ounce of his will into pushing back the new, obnoxious foe who dared to challenge him.

Nobunaga stared blankly, largely unconcerned as if Kokabiel was nothing more than a bird he was trying to shoot out of the sky.

The result was obvious.

Kokabiel's attack gradually pattered out, weakening before dissipating entirely, Nobunaga's shot continuing unabated and, despite Kokabiel's attempt to shield himself with his wings, the Fallen Angel met the full force of the attack, letting out a scream of pain as every corner of his flesh was seared by what may as well have been the burning fires of Hell themselves.

* * *

 _"I did what you told me to! Just leave me alone already!"_

 _It was humiliating..._

 _Prostrating before this wretched person..._

 _The Student Council President cackled before casually resting her foot on Shirou's head, pushing his face against the ground. "A pathetic dog shouldn't talk back to its owner."_

 _A harsh growl escaped Shirou's lips before he smacked her leg off of him. "Screw this!" He snapped, scrambling up from the ground. "We're done here and you can go to Hell!"_

 _"Oh, officer, it was terrible!" Her voice made Shirou freeze in his tracks, his hand tightly gripping the knob of the door. "That delinquent came out of nowhere and attacked me! The things he did were unspeakable!"_

 _Shirou clenched his fists so hard that his knuckles turned chalk white. He released his grip on the knob, leaving it horribly mangled. Gritting his teeth, he trudged back to the President, lowering his head._

 _"The sad part is that if you had done this in the first place, you wouldn't be in an even worse position than before~" She taunted, strolling towards him without fear. She brushed her hand against the side of his face, a gesture that would have tender and warm if it had not been done by such a revolting human being. "You're already too deep. What little faith people could have had in you is gone and now all you are is just a lowly Dog. Now, be a good boy and lick the scum off of my shoe~" She lifted her foot and showed the sole of her shoe. "I got it dirty walking over to you."_

 _"No! I won't..."_

 _"Aww, but won't mommy be disappointed if her precious baby were to be expelled?" Shirou didn't dare respond. The only thing he showed was a look of defeat. The President smirked. "Now, on the ground, Dog." Shirou didn't move. "I said "HEEL!"" Shirou still didn't move, even when she drove her knee into his groin, effectively dropping him to the ground in front of her. The President took a seat on the desk in front of him, motioning to him with her foot. "Now be a good dog and clean your master's shoe."_

 _With a churning stomach and tears of humiliating welling up in his eyes, Shirou grasped the girls foot in his hands. How tempting it was just to twist it until it broke..._

 _"And after this, your master has a few errands for you to run for her~" The President teased._

 _"...What errands?" ...He knew full-well. The same as always._

 _"Oh, nothing too big~" She lied. "Run around, pick up a few groceries...deal with a few noisy pests who keep gossiping about me in the halls~"_

 _"Deal with" was in no words vague..._

 _Students who opposed the President found themselves injured on more than one occasion._

 _This wasn't what he wanted strength for..._

 _He wasn't some pet...!_

 _Not some feral dog...!_

 _He didn't want to hurt..._

 _Why couldn't anyone see...?_

 _Why wouldn't anyone save him...?_

 _'...They're so arrogant and cruel...'_

* * *

Kokabiel fell to the ground, creating a large, smoking crater with his impact and still clearly alive and very pissed.

"Damn it...How can this be happening...?" He tried to climb out of the crater, wincing before staring at his broken arm and his other immobilized arm. He was forced to crawl like a worm. "You're a counterfeit! Just some brat! A worthless beas-" Nobunaga leaped through the air and stomped his heels into Kokabiel's back. "GUAAAAAUGH!"

 **"Oh egotistical crow, just accept your defeat."** Though Nobunaga said something arrogant, there was not a shred of conceit or confidence in his voice. More as though he were simply stating a fact. **"You have clearly lost this fight. You are clearly powerful, but, despite being an Angel, you are more flawed than any of the humans and Devils you look down upon."**

"Don't give me that bullshit!" Kokabiel shrieked, spitting blood onto the ground as Nobunaga pressed his feet further into his spine. "Fallen Angels are the ultimate existence! You were just a human and now you're not even that! An image of a fossil who lived and died as a failure!" Kokabiel's wings all shot upward in a vain attempt to impale Nobunaga, but a small step back was all it took to avoid the attack.

It was faint. Only someone with keen eyesight like Kiba, Xenovia, or Akeno would have seen it, but, in that moment, a the smallest hint of displeasure and possibly even anger appeared on Nobunaga's face.

Without a word, the youth(?) lashed out with his hands, grabbing a handful of about four or five in each hand from Kokabiel's back...and he ripped them out.

"AAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGHHHH!" If Kokabiel's shrieks hadn't been hellish before, they were now.

 **"A wingless crow should not lash his tongue out at those standing above him."** Nobunaga said. However, his voice seemed to boom louder, and even those with weaker senses could feel the anger coming off of him in waves. He watched as Kokabiel writhed underneath his feet, his eyes large and bloodshot as he frothed at the mouth. **"Ah, I forgot. The wings of Angels and Devils are sensitive aren't they? That explains why you were always so desperate to harden them. Having them completely ripped out is probably a pain on par with having your genitals cut off, no?"** The pleasure Nobunaga took in Kokabiel's agony was no big secret even if he showed it in neither voice nor expression.

"H-HOW...!?" Kokabiel screamed trying to move his limp, unresponsible arms and kicking with all of his might like a toddler who didn't know how to walk yet. "HOW COULD I POSSIBLY LOSE TO YOU!? I'M ONE OF THE EARLIEST EXISTENCES! Thousands of years old! Even if you were the bane of the Heavens, my power is far greater! It should easily surpass yours!"

 **"You're right about that. This body is rather weak. Nothing compared to how I was in my prime."** Nobunaga said, pursing his lips. **"Your power is incredible, but that's also your weakness. You rely on overwhelming power, nothing else...Even if I broke this body and pushed it past its limits, I would still be no match against an enemy with your power if they had mastered just one weapon, skill, or style. But a fraud of a warrior like you, whose only skill lies in carelessly throwing your power around? There was no way I could lose to you."**

"..." Kokabiel growled, still trying to break free despite knowing the futility of it all.

 **"As the victor, the spoils are mine."** Nobunaga pointed his barrel at Kokabiel's forehead. **"I think I'll start by taking your head off."**

"W-Wait!" Kokabiel said quickly, shaking his head. "We can work together!" For a moment, Nobunaga paused, raising a brow in passive curiosity. "With your power, I wouldn't mind being second-in-command! Regardless of who's in charge, nobody would stand a chance! We could rebuild your empire, unite not just one country, but the world in your name! Japan is already in one piece and right to be taken! We could easily trample the Devils underfoot! You could even finish what you started in the Heavens all those years ago!"

There was a brief pause. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Nobunaga's answer.

They knew what it would be. The answer was obvious.

It was the nature of the pause itself that gave it away.

It wasn't a pause of consideration or confusion.

Issei knew this very well. The pause of mercy.

The same pause Rias had showed before erasing Raynare's existence.

 **"No** **."** With an indifferent, anticlimactic answer of one word, Nobunaga pulled the trigger.

Kokabiel didn't even get the chance to scream before the entirety of his upper body was obliterated in one single, blinding blast of black energy.

It wasn't as ceremonious, clean, or even dramatic as any of them had imagined it being. It was just so...swift.

One second, Kokabiel has a head. BOOM. Next second, no head.

The entity who identified as Oda Nobunaga had done in five minutes what they couldn't have done even if that night stretched on for five years.

Nobunaga did not appear to relish his achievement yet he certainly didn't seem remorseful for taking Kokabiel's life either, even as the spell which threatened their town quickly disappeared in a flash of light. He held up the hand which held his gun, the weapon itself glowing a dull yet concentrated light, shrinking in size and shaping into a tiny sphere, no bigger than a marble. The marble of light quickly dissipated, as if nothing had existed there to begin with.

The day was saved. The evil villain was vanquished. Everyone was (surprisingly) alive and the outbreak of a second Great War had been averted.

Yet there was no sense of finality in that scenario.

Those still conscious knew very well why.

They looked the cause of their unease literally right in the face, the youth showing little interest once he noticed their gazes.

 **"Ah, that's right. You were the ones fighting Kokabiel before I obtained this body."** He noted without any emotion. **"..."**

[...]

A tense silence ensued as the two parties stared one another down, neither daring to move a single muscle.

As fate would have it however, it would be Nobunaga who relented first, letting out a small sigh of content. **"So you're all Devils, huh?"** The odd inflection in his voice indicated that he might have been relieved...maybe even happy. He started rotating his right arm, the one made of flesh and blood rather than his black aura, in its socket. **"This body is already at its limit. The brat hasn't submitted yet, so I can only do so much to keep it together. If it weren't for my power, every last muscle in his body probably would have snapped by this point. You've made it very convenient for me by being Devils, so I don't have to kill you."**

The chill that went down their spines wasn't a result of what he said or the casual way he spoke.

It was the fact he smiled at his own words. For someone who killed so mercilessly and without hesitation, it was stunning to hear him say words like that.

It was an expression made even more disgusting due to the fact he made it using the face of their friend.

They tensed when his eyes landed on Xenovia, still struggling to remove herself from the rubble.

 **"...Well, except for that one, but it seems needless. If anything, a novice like her possessing a powerful sword like that is an advantage considering someone more competent isn't wielding it...Hmmm...The world really changes after several centuries of being locked up in limbo..."** Nobunaga said, his tone unchanging but the volume of his voice indicating he was trying to speak more casually as he examined the world around him. **"Really, it's such a piece of shit now. I would have thought they would have at least invented artificial lights. Everything looks so bizarre through the Devil eyes this brat has. Humans are just as worthless as Angels if they can't do something as simple as creating artificial light."**

.

.

.

Everyone hesitated to respond to that remark. It was incredibly stupid, the urge to comment very powerful, but they (with good reason) deeply feared earning Nobunaga's ire.

 _"They do."_ It was the talking cat who commented first.

 **"Hm?"** Nobunaga looked down, as if just noticing the black-furred cat that had somehow mingled among the group. **"What was that little one?"** It was...odd. His tone still retained the same passiveness, but his voice became softer, as if he was trying to speak tenderly.

 _"First of all, it's not "little one","_ The cat replied haughtily, her form disappearing in a huge cloud of smoke, "it's "grown-ass woman", you got that?"

"Guraugh!"

"Issei, NO!"

"Hurry and heal him, Asia!"

What appeared from the smoke was not a black-furred cat, but a voluptuous, human-looking woman with black hair and golden-yellow eyes. Her most notable features were, of course, the pair of black cat tails extending out from the lower part of her back or perhaps the pair of cat ears resting lazily atop her head.

Her beauty and nudity was a critical attack Issei had been too weak and injured to take.

 **"A Nekoshou, hm?"** Nobunaga rubbed his chin pensively. **"What is this you were speaking of before?"**

Kuroka casually crossed her arms beneath her chest, unconcerned with the fact that everything was out in the open for those still conscious to see. Any other woman would have been embarrassed, humiliated, to be seen in such a state. "I'm saying that humans have achieved far more than that 'artificial light' you're so huffy about." She said, puffing out her chest.

 **"They have?"** Nobunaga appeared to be genuinely surprised by this piece of common information. **"This boy was the first vessel I was able to take on in over two centuries. If the world truly had advanced, its heartening to know that that pathetic species isn't totally incompetent."** He looked around at the rubble surrounding him. **"If human civilization looks even slightly better than this, I'll be amazed. Still, it would be nice to see how much the world's changed since I last fell into slumber..."**

"If it would please you, your excellency," Kuroka said, bowing, "I would be more than happy to be your guide. I possess several close associates who would be very much interested in meeting with you."

"Wha...Kuroka!" Rias started forward, prepared to blow the Stray Devil away in a rage. She was planning to sell off her Servant to someone else! "Don't even think about it!" However, she didn't even make it two steps before Mikoto grabbed her by the arm, a shake of her head telling Rias that things weren't as they appeared.

 **"Oh?"** He wondered, raising a brow.

Without even a shred of caution, Kuroka approached the youth, her hand extended as if to shake his hand. "Yes, they would be very interested to meet you. We could be with them in a matter of mom-Augh!" It was a mere second before her hand touched Nobunaga's shoulder, a few centimeters at most, when the spirit residing in Shirou's body lashed out, grabbing Kuroka by the arm and twisting her over his shoulder, planting her harshly against the ground while placing his foot on her neck.

"Kuroka!" Mikoto called out, reaching out to the cat-girl before falling to her knees, clutching her many broken ribs in agony.

 **"How foolish did you think I was?"** Nobunaga asked in a way that was just BEGGING to have a taunting tone. **"Your intent was obvious from the moment I realized you were a Youkai. You attempted to release pheromones so that, along with your nudity, I would be thoroughly distracted long enough for you to place your hands on my body and attempt to interfere with my soul's control over this body. Did you truly believe this childish plan of yours would work on a man who has lived even beyond his own time let alone yours?"**

"Go eat a dick." Kuroka grunted eloquently, trying to pry Nobunaga's foot from her neck. His black aura was already counteracting her attempts to use Senjutsu, requiring all of her focus just to keep from being burned alive.

Nobunaga turned to the rest of the group. **"Just so you all know, I bear you all no ill will as most of you are not humans or Angels, but I have no intentions of releasing this body."** He stared. **"OK?"**

Even though it was a question, the aura surrounding him made it feel more like a demand.

 **"I mean, even if you chose to fight, just look at yourselves."** Nobunaga said, pointing at them. **"You're all on your last legs just from fighting Kokabiel and one of you is already nearing your final moment. In the end, it's all pretty futile, so please don't waste your energy trying to defeat me."**

"Please..." Nobunaga looked down as a trembling hand grabbed him by the wrist. Akeno looked up at him, her tear-filled eyes unwavering. "Please...Just give Shirou back to us...!"

They all knew what his answer was going to be because he bore the same cold, dull expression he had worn when he had killed Kokabiel.

 **"No."**

Akeno didn't even have time to scream before she was completely engulfed by the black aura oozing from Nobunaga's person.

"Akeno, no!" Rias could only watch in horror as her friend since childhood was consumed by the flame-like darkness that spread from Nobunaga's body. She turned to the possessed-Shirou, her shock and horror quickly replaced by outrage. "Oda Nobunaga, you'll pay for that!"

Nobunaga looked from Rias to the cloud of black aura next to him. He let out a soft smile before raising his hand. As if obeying some sort of remote control, the black aura immediately vanished, revealing Akeno laying flat on the ground. Her clothes had almost been completely burned off and a great deal of flesh between her neck and shoulder was burned. Other than that, she seemed alive and well.

 **"Merely a demonstration."** Nobunaga said, removing his foot from Kuroka's neck and stepping away from both her and Akeno. The corners of his mouth curved into a smile...only, this one bore no good will or pleasantness. Only malice. **"I'll say it once more: I have no intention of giving up this body."**

* * *

 _"He's dying!"_

 _'Oda' sobbed, tightly clutching Aniki's shirt._

 _It had been days. They wouldn't last much longer._

 _Aniki had already faded in and out of consciousness several times that day._

 _They hadn't had anything to eat or drink for several days. They were already becoming gaunt with hunger._

 _If 'Oda' hadn't been there supporting him, Aniki might have caved in to his exhaustion, hunger, and dehydration and fallen into a sleep there was no waking from._

 _"Please!" 'Oda' pleaded, tears streaming form his eyes. "Please! Kill me! Kill me, but save Aniki! PLEASE!"_

 _They were watching. Always watching._

 _They didn't even bother trying to hide it._

 _One patch of light in an otherwise flat sea of steel-gray. A window._

 _They were far away, but 'Oda' could still see their silhouettes._

 _Watching. Judging._

 _The people in white coats who decided their fates. 'Oda' couldn't understand. Aniki was obviously the winner. Why don't they just kill Oda and be done with it?_

 _"Kill me! KILL! ME! It's over! I lost! Save Aniki! Please!" But no matter how much 'Oda' begged and pleaded, the people behind the glass refused to so much as speak let alone aid them._

 _It was their experiment._

 _Always their experiment._

 _They were tools._

 _Subjects._

 _Their lives meant nothing._

 _'Oda' whined, feeling his stomach begin to growl softly. "...So hungry..."_

 _"It'll be fine, Oda..." Aniki said, his eyes brightening slightly as he came back to consciousness. "We're going to be fine..."_

 _"Aniki..." 'Oda' stared with tear-filled eyes. Things certainly were NOT going to be fine. Aniki could barely stand and Oda wouldn't last for much longer. "I'm so hungry..."_

 _There was no food. No water. Nothing to be given to the children until the trial was completed and a winner was decided._

 _"I know, I know..." Aniki smiled softly, clearly trying to reassure Oda with a soft pet on the head. "It'll be alright...We just need to..." His head lolled off to the side, his eyes beginning to slide shut._

 _"Aniki...? Aniki?" Oda tried to shake Aniki once, but he didn't respond. "Aniki!?"_

 _It was that time that Aniki snapped back to attention._

 _"Huh...?" Aniki blinked once, then twice._

 _"Just hold on! We can...We can get out somehow...!" Oda cried, his stomach's growling almost overshadowing his words. "I...I don't wanna die, Aniki...!"_

 _Aniki's eyes softened, his hand weakly brushing against Oda's cheek, his smile again giving the reassurance that everyone would be fine. "...Oda, do you want to live?"_

 _Wiping his eyes on his dirty, blood-stained sleeves, Oda nodded. "I...I want to live...I want to see Jeanne, Herc, and Leo again...!" He choked back sobs, his entire body trembling. His trembling was soothed when Aniki brushed a hand through his hair._

 _"Then...I need you to listen carefully..." Aniki said, coughing into his closed fist. "Oda...will you do anything to survive...Will you promise to do anything to survive?"_

 _Oda nodded immediately in desperation. "Y-Yes!"_

 _"...If so, you need to do something real bad." Aniki said, averting his eyes. "If we both want to live, we need to eat...we need to drink_ ** _something_** _. If we don't, we're both going to die. That's what's going to make this task all the more repulsive, Oda."_

 _"What task, Aniki...?"_

 _"Oda, we need to eat something..."_

 _"B-But what?"_

 _"We need to eat **something**."_

 _"I-I know that, b-but there's nothing to eat...No plants or animals or anything!"_

 _"That's not true..." Aniki said, wincing as his stomach experienced another sharp pang of hunger. "Oda...if you cook it, almost anything is edible."_

 _"But there's nothing to ea-" It was then that it finally clicked in the boy's head. He looked around in horror. The blood...the gore...the corpses. Some of them fresher than others and others in late stages of decomposition. "No...No!"_

 _"You promised, Oda...!" Aniki said, raising his voice as much as he could. "It's the only thing we can possibly eat and it's only a matter of time before the meat becomes rotten and inedible. We **will** die then, Oda...This one time, I need you to be strong..." Aniki pointed to a knife several feet away, one that had been discarded by one of the first victims. "You need to use that if we want to be able to cut the meat from the bone...Go get it, Oda."_

 _"Aniki..." Every fiber of his being squirmed in revulsion...but he couldn't deny Aniki's words. There would be no mercy from the window above, so they had to work to survive down below. "I..." He looked over tot he knife, then to his "brother". If he didn't do something, Aniki would die too. "...OK."_

 _For Aniki's sake, he would discard his humanity..._

 _That was what he thought as he walked over to the knife, swallowing hard as he finally came to notice the layers of dried blood caked on the blade and an ooze he suspected to be the remains of a human eye at the tip. If he had anything in his stomach, he would have thrown up._

 _"For Aniki..." Oda said to himself. "For Aniki...! For Aniki...!" Before he could change his mind, he reached down and grabbed the handle, feeling queasy at the slimy substance he felt on his hand. It took a few moments for him to grow accustomed to the unpleasant substance touching his hand. He took a deep breath before turning around. "Anik-"_

 _There was a blur..._

 _Then an unpleasant, fleshy thud and the sound of metal piercing flesh._

 _Oda felt something warm and thick splash onto his hand._

 _Aniki smiled despite also being in immense pain. "It's alright..." He said, blood staining his white gown a crimson-red. He tenderly touched the wound, coughing up blood that splattered against his cheek. "...as long as you're alive, it's alright..."_

 _"A-Aniki..." He could only stare in horror, his hands tightly wrapped around the knife's handle. "I...I'm..."_

 _Even with the knife pierced through his heart, Aniki still smiled, reaching out his hand. At first he thought that Aniki was going to hit him, smack him, or push him away. He closed his eyes tight in anticipation._

 _Instead, he felt the sensation of a soft, gentle hand brush against his cheek, wiping the blood with his finger._

 _"The first lie I ever told...Not too bad, huh...?..." Aniki gasped out, smiling softly. "I'm sorry...It's not your fault..."_

 _"A-Aniki..."_

 _"...It's not...your fault..." Aniki slumped forward, the color leaving his face._

 _"ANIKIIIIIIIII!"_

 _This was their last goodbye...  
_

 _'Disgusting humans...all of them...I hate them all...! They should all just die...! Every human should just die!'_

 _..._

 _'No...that's not...it's not that...'_

 _[...Shirou...]_

 _'I don't...'_

 _[Shirou...!]_

 _'Aniki...wanted me to...to live!'_

 _[SHIROU!]_

 _'I WANT TO LIVE!'_

* * *

None of the allied forces knew what to do in the face of Oda Nobunaga's declaration.

"Why?" Issei asked. "Why are you doing this?!"

 **"Because I want to."** Nobunaga said plainly, closing his eyes. **"Honestly, I really am curious to see how much this world has changed in the past few centuries. Are humans just as worthless as I remember? I doubt that Heaven has changed much in regards to their hypocrisy."**

"Give him back..." Akeno's body trembled weakly on the ground, struggling to push herself up despite her wounds. She grasped Nobunaga's pants leg, staring up at him with pitiful eyes. "Please, just give Shirou back to me..."

 **"That brat had his chance."** Nobunaga said coldly, not even attempting to keep up the facade of neutrality. **"If it had not been for me, he would have died. By that logic, he is dead. And now this body belongs to me."**

"No..." Akeno shook her head, her tears renewing in force. "That can't be true! Shirou gave his life trying to protect everyone! You can't...He can't just leave us without so much as a goodbye...! So please...give him back!"

Nobunaga tilted his head off to the side. **"A little impetuous of you to demand things of me considering you all only live by my good grace. If you would prefer, I could take back this kindness."** He extended his left arm, the hand warping and sharpening into a blade. He grabbed Akeno by her pony tail and yanked her up. **"If you apologize quickly, I guarantee we shall have no more quarrel."**

"No..." Akeno shook her head. "...I won't...You took Shirou away...You may as well kill me now! I will never apologize!"

 **"Foolishness born from grief...you truly are a human."** Nobunaga thrust his sword-hand forward.

Akeno closed her eyes, waiting for the end.

SCCHHLLLK!

The sound of metal passing through flesh rang in her ears and, when she realized the lack of pain, she had thought she had died instantly.

 _"Don't you lay a hand on her, fucker!"_

 **"What?"** Nobunaga called out in shock.

"What?" Akeno called out in shock.

When she opened her eyes, she noted the distinct lack of a blade through her heart. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw a sword, not pointed at her, but run through his own, black arm.

 _"Landlord!"_ The familiar voice shouted. _"You're evicted!"_

 **"No...! No!"** For the first time since he manifested, Nobunaga showed an outward expression of outrage. The glow in his right eye had complete faded, its movement differing completely from the other one. **"Damn you! Why are you defending them?! This sick, disgusting world...! You who experienced such torments, why are you opposing me!? Together, we could crush them all! We could make the world rue what they've done! The Heavens must be made to pay for their mistake called humanity! The humans who wallow in their arrogance and cruelty are abominations and step upon those weaker than themselves! Why can you not understand that?!"**

 _"You're not wrong..."_ It was the same voice, the same mouth speaking them. _"Humanity is full of cruel, incompetent people who treat each other as disposable...as tools. I experienced that first-hand. You had me relive the worst moments of my life, showed me the worst parts of humanity... But, at the end, I remembered that there's also a lot of great people out there. People like Kiyome, like Akeno, Issei, and the others. People who are willing to believe in each other, to do what is truly right. People who aren't blinded by the beliefs of others, who are just as willing to show kindness towards one another, to have faith in the goodness innate to every man, woman, and child."_

 **"So you're willing to just overlook everything they've done!?"** Nobunaga snapped. **"The atrocities that they've committed all for the sake of their greed and arrogance!?"**

 _"I never said I was denying their sins."_ The other voice said. _"But if I've learned anything, it's that we can never let the chaos and injustice make us so blind with anger that we become part of the problem. Understanding, compassion, kindness, and love are the only true revolutionary ideals. When we compromise those, we become that which we despise. You're no different. You claim humanity is full of sin, that they should be eradicated, but you carry those same sins on your own back. I'll never let a hypocrite like you lay a hand on anyone let alone take my body!"_ Shirou's hand drove the blade deeper into Nobunaga's arm of darkness, curving the blade. "Uraaaaaauuugh!" With one swift move of his wrist, he completely severed the artificial limb. "SO GET THE FUCK OUT!"

The black arm writhed on the ground, as if it were alive, before dissolving into a stream of black smoke.

 **"Hmph...It appears you're still so naive..."** Nobunaga noted, streaks of white slowly beginning to appear in his hair.

"Maybe I am." Shirou agreed, appearing to struggle as he lifted his sword arm up, twisting the blade around and pointing it at his throat. "Now...you have two choices: Give me back my body and go back to the deepest corners of my soul...or we _both_ die here?"

That gave Nobunaga pause. **"...You're bluffing."**

The sword's blade dug a centimeter into Shirou's throat. "You tried to steal my body, you threatened my friends, you hurt Akeno-You're no better than Kokabiel! I'll kill your ass even if I have to die with you!" The black aura still attached to his left side and filling his torso started to "leak". It was a slow process at first. "So, what's your answer?"

The aura started to dissipate faster and faster untill all that remained was a large hole in Shirou's chest, his hair having brightened back to its original shade of white...albeit an odd shade lower. Shinier.

It felt like he had been run through all over again. He vomited blood from his mouth.

He suddenly lost balance, falling to his knees as blood spewed from his newly reopened wound, the aura that had been keeping him intact having completely dissipated. Shirou desperately pushed against the wound, trying to both stem the blood-loss and prevent his organs from slipping out.

[Shirou!]

Mikoto was the first at his side, aided by Akeno in keeping him upright as Asia knelt in front of him, quickly extending her hands, coated in green-healing aura, to his wounded torso.

 **"You win this time, child of mine..."** The voice did not come from Shirou's mouth, but rather, it was something he only heard inside his own head. **"I will wait. Wait for you to understand the true evils of this world. And once you let your heart grow weak from the shock of your shattered idealism, I shall take this body and finish what I started all those years ago in the Sixth Heaven..."**

 _"Then I guess I just have to be damned sure that doesn't happen..."_

There was no response. Nobunaga's voice quickly grew faint and any feeling of his presence in his mind vanished.

With that, Shirou let his body go limp, all traces of the magical glow having completely vanished from his eyes and his hair having (almost) completely returned to its normal white shade.

Relief only came once all of his ruptured and destroyed organs were completely restored by Asia's healing aura along with the large amounts of flesh lost from his wound. The scar from after the Rating Game against Riser still existed, but it was hardly debilitating.

He let out a sigh of relief, quickly growing uncomfortable as he took into account the plentiful stares of his friends and family. He did his best to ignore them, trying to feign unconsciousness, but it was too awkward. He couldn't stop beads of sweat from welling up on his face.

"Shirou...?"

It was Akeno's voice. He couldn't do anything to resist as she slowly tilted his head upward, forcing him to look her in the eyes. Tears stained her dirtied and bloodied face, but she was immediately flooded with relief.

He sighed. "Akeno...Geez, you're acting like I'm dead or something..." He cracked a weary smile. "I got lost for a while back there...but I'm back." He raised his arm, now stiff and sore as if he had been lifting weights for several days, and scratched his cheek. "I know I owe you guys a lot for the grief I gave you, but-"

"SHIROOOU!"

"Uwaaugh!" Akeno wasted no time in tackling him backwards onto the ground.

"Uwaah! Akeno-san! You're going to reopen his wounds!" Asia screamed, her eyes going wide as plates. However, Akeno paid no heed to Asia's words, wrapping her arms more tightly around Shirou's body.

Shirou sighed, closing his eyes. "Just leave her alone, Asia. Let her vent a little." He smiled softly as he sat up, returning Akeno's embrace. _"That's right..."_ Shirou thought to himself, closing his eyes. _"Back then...it was this same warmth that saved me..."_

Back when he escaped from that Hell...he had been found by _that person_. It was a vague memory, but he could never truly forget a warmth like this...

He froze when he felt something soft touch his lips. "Hmph!?" His eyes immediately shot open, the first sight he saw being silky raven-colored hair. Akeno gently place her hands on the side of his face, deepening their kiss. It wasn't even chaste. She was really working her tongue inside of his mouth. He could only sit there, stunned by shock and shyness as she essentially had her way with him.

It was several moments before Akeno pulled away, a trail of saliva quickly coming undone between their mouths. "Not bad." She said, blushing slightly.

"W-W-W-W-W-WHAT WAS THAT!?" Shirou screeched, blushing deeply as every single one of his wounds throbbed painful in unison.

"It was a kiss, of course~"

"Don't be a smart-ass!" Shirou snapped, flustered. "I mean...Do you...I mean...what!? I just got back from a state of limbo and I don't understand anything anymore!"

"That was my first, you know." Shirou blinked when he looked at Akeno's face again, pulling away from her. She looked slightly embarrassed herself. "This means you have to take responsibility."

"Wait, you-?!" However, before he could properly voice his question-

Issei threw his arm around Shirou's neck and, while it appeared to be some kind of embrace at first, Shirou quickly realized that Issei was trying to put him in a choke hold. "What the Hell were you thinking, asshole!?" Issei screeched, eyes watering. "You know how hard it would have been for me to find a new best friend!?" By that point, Issei's choke hold was so tight that Shirou was certain he was trying to kill him in a jealous rage.

"I'm glad you're okay." Kiba said, trying to play it off as dirt in his eye when he wiped his face on his sleeves.

Asia, on the other hand, couldn't even stop crying long enough to get a few words out.

"Glad to see you're not dead, nitwit." Kuroka said, smiling mischievously.

"Yeah, well-" Shirou froze, finally taking into account Kuroka's human-like form...and her stark nudity contrasting with the mood of this moment. "...Oh fuck they know, don't they?"

"That cat is out of the bag." Kuroka agreed merrily. "I let them know all our _dirty little secrets_ ~" Even though the suggestive tone wasn't necessary, Kuroka seemed to take amusement in the flustered look on Shirou's face.

Shirou turned to Rias, quickly panicking. "OK, Rias, I know you have a lot of questions and you're probably pissed about me keeping secrets, but let me state, for the record: Kuroka and I never did anything! She's just..." He trailed off, noticing Rias' expression.

Rias remained silent for moment, clearly trying to look strong for the others' sake, before turning to Shirou, giving him a nod and a soft smile. "You're in big trouble, you know that...?" She couldn't keep her voice from cracking.

Shirou smiled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked over to Fluffles, the Cerberus taking a well-deserves nap while curled up into a ball, both Koneko and Kalawarner resting their own weary bodies against him. "Are those two going to be alright?"

"They were both badly injured by Kokabiel's attack," Kiba answered, "but not too worse than the rest of us. They probably only passed out due to exhaustion...Ugh...and what a fun idea that sounds like right about now." On that note, he lost his balance, falling flat on his butt.

"No kidding!" Issei copied Kiba's gesture and fell to the ground, sprawled out on his back. "It feels like I got run over by a truck..."

"-only for it to back up right over you several times." Shirou whined in agreement. "Buchou, I know we're in trouble for several things we did in the past 24 hours alone, but can it wait 'til tomorrow?"

"Well, considering the circumstances..." Rias examined her servants, every last one of them showing signs of utter exhaustion. Even Asia was beginning to look pale from the exertion of using her power so many times. "...I suppose I can make the one exception."

The three male Gremory servants let out sighs of relief.

"Thank Dead-God for that." Shirou sighed out. Then Rias hit him on the head. "Ow! What was that for?!" Rias only shook her head, gesturing towards Asia, the girl lowering her head. "I don't see-oh...right. My bad. That was in bad taste." He lowered his head, feeling awkward for a moment until a thought came to mind. "Hm?" He quickly raised his head, looking around.

"Something wrong?" Akeno asked, more alarmed than she should have been.

"N-Nothing...I mean...that's kind of the problem." Shirou said, looking around. "I'm surprised that Ka-san isn't around, trying to glomp me or whatever."

"She's over there." Kuroka said, pointing helpfully.

"Thank you and can you please either put some clothes on, become a cat again, or just overall go away?" Shirou said all of this without skipping a beat.

Kuroka sighed, her human-looking body vanishing in a puff of smoke, replaced by a black cat. _"You're really no fun nowadays, you know that?"_

However, Shirou ignored her comment. He tried to stand up on his own, waving off Akeno's attempt to stop him. "It's fine. I'm fine. I can walk at least a few feet on my own." He walked over to the lone, white-haired girl standing apart from the group, looking towards the east. Shirou could see the sun beginning to peek over the horizon.

"Nature's so damned cliche, don't you think?" Mikoto said teasingly, not even turning to face Shirou. "Still, we survived the night, so I guess that's something to be grateful for."

"Yeah." Shirou agreed, rubbing the back of his neck. "So much shit has happened."

"Life...it's really a precious thing." Mikoto said. "Shirou, no matter what, no matter how painful it may become, I want you to cherish it."

That time, tiny alarm bells went off in Shirou's head. Something definitely sounded "off" about that statement. Something about the way Mikoto spoke...

"Ka-san?"

"I'm so proud of you, Shicchan. Of the person you grew up to be, even with a worthless mother like me."

"Ka-san, you're scaring me." Shirou placed a hand on Mikoto's shoulder. "Can you just face me and tal-" His face went chalk white, his jaw dropping in absolute terror. "What the fu...Asia...ASIAAAAAA!" Alarm and dread immediately filled Shirou's chest. He turned back to his friends, screaming at the top of his lungs. "ASIAAA! HURRY! IT-IT'S KA-SAN!"

The others quickly scrambled to their feet, rushing over as fast as they could (in respect to their high levels of exhaustion and injury).

"I'm here!"

"Shirou, what's going on!?"

"Is Fujimura-san injured?!"

One-by-one, the others (excluding Koneko, Kalawarner, and Xenovia) rushed over, all of their eyes widening at the sight that they beheld.

"Yeah, I know it's a little messed-up to look at..." Mikoto said, sighing. Her dress shirt was unbuttoned, revealing, dead-center in Mikoto's chest...It was a large...hole. That was the only way to describe it, its edges glittering an unfitting light as the hole slowly expanded, like a beautiful virus that was slowly consuming her body.

She turned to Shirou, pausing for a moment, and smiled softly, raising her hand and gently stroking his cheek. "Sorry, but...I think this is as far as I go..." Asia rushed over to Mikoto, putting her hands to the "wound" and using what little energy she had left in an attempt to heal it.

"What is this...?!"

"I'm "fading", Shirou..." Mikoto answered, her face looking paler and weaker than before. "I failed the Original's mission...My purpose has long-since been void...Just hanging on this long has been a trial...I'm afraid...this is where I leave you..."

"W-What...?" Shirou shook his head, tears welling up at the corner of his eyes. He reached for her hand, gasping in horror as it dissolved into light dust the moment he touched it. "What are you talking about...?" The hole in Mikoto's chest refused to close, no matter how much Asia exerted herself. He turned to the nun. "Why aren't your powers working!?"

"I don't know!" Asia replied, just as alarmed as Shirou was. "Even if it was some kind of curse or critical injury, Twilight Healing should be able to heal it!"

"Of course it wouldn't work." Mikoto noted. "There would have to be a "presence" to heal to begin with..."

"You're making less sense than usual, Ka-san...!" Shirou bit his lower lip. "I don't get what's happening! What's wrong with you!?"

"You're a copy." Shirou turned, teary-eyed, to Rias. She looked upon Mikoto with not pity, but solemn respect. "Your Sacred Gear, Twisted Doppelgänger-No, _her_ Sacred Gear...that's where you came from, isn't it?" Rias didn't appear to acknowledge Shirou's look of shock. "I'm sure you noticed it too, Shirou. Her form isn't stable, like she was a glitch in a computer program. She's not a true human."

Rather than deny or argue the question, Mikoto closed her eyes, still smiling despite the fact another "hole" began opening at the edge of the left of her right hand. "Seven years ago, I was "born" with only one purpose: To protect a certain child as part of an oath between the Original and _her_...Shirou's mother." She winced, reaching for her disappearing left shoulder with her remaining hand. "I was to be her eyes, ears, and, if need be, her sword...My objective, my only reason for existing, was to protect Shirou...To give him a good life, to make sure he never came to harm...That objective was failed the moment he died by that Stray's hands..."

The members of the Occult Research Club all knew what this meant...and all they could do was watch in despair as the inevitable occurred before their eyes.

"The blame rests...solely with me..." Mikoto said. "I don't...want to see any of you brats feelin' guilty about this..." It was clear that this was directed more at Akeno as she appeared to look even more guilt-stricken. Back then, Shirou had given his life to protect Akeno...and, unwittingly, he had traded Mikoto's life as well when he deigned to take that fatal blow. "I should have been around more...I underestimated the dangers...Shirou, I-"

"It's alright!" Shirou shouted quickly, resisting the urge to grasp Mikoto's other hand for fear it too would disappear. "I forgive you! Just-Just hold on! We can still find a way to save you! If we can-I don't know-find the original you and get her to give you more mana again-"

Mikoto shook her head, her expression tinged with regret. "...All connection to the Original was cut the moment I failed in my duties. She probably didn't even expect me to survive this long...She probably assumes you're still dead and that's why the connection hasn't reopened..."

"Then why are you still here...?" Shirou asked, tightening his fists so hard his knuckles turned a chalky white and his nails began to dig break his skin. "If there wasn't a way to preserve you, how were you able to last this long?

Another "hole" opened right where her left eye had been, but Mikoto showed no additional discomfort. "It's the same reason I was "born"..." She smiled softly. "It was because of you, Shirou..."

Mikoto's warm smile felt like another nail driven through his heart. "I don't...I don't understand." Shirou shook his head.

"When I came into this world...I was really just a collection of somebody else's thoughts and memories..." A fair majority of Mikoto's torso was gone by that point, making it highly questionable how even Mikoto was still able to speak. "I had no real "self"...My only reason for existing was to protect you in her stead. If I died, I would have felt nothing. I would have just been replaced by another...Then, you smiled at me."

"Ka-san..."

"I don't know why, but...I came to see myself as...myself..." At some point since she had been talking, the lower half of Mikoto's leg vanished entirely. ""Shirou" wasn't the only person "born" that day, in that room of white...That day, you smiled at me and..." Tears streamed from Mikoto's remaining eye. "...and I just felt so happy...My "job" became the happiest experience...one I never thought a copy like me could ever have...Because of you, this voice, this personality, they became my own... _My_ voice, _my_ personality, _my_ will...And, after a while, I... I began to make brand new memories of my own. All of these things are what make me who I am..."

"Please...stop..." Shirou choked, unable to bear looking at the woman who had raised him for seven years.

"There are so many things I wish I could say right now..."

"Just stop..."

"I had something the Original never could have attained alone..." Mikoto said. "...Even though I...I originally treated you all with suspicion and spite...I came to love every...every single one of you as if you were my own...I had a "family"..."

Even Rias looked surprised. None of them...not a single one had ever expected Mikoto to feel that way.

"Rias...Akeno...Yuuto...Koneko...Asia...Issei...and Shirou..." Mikoto gave a small sigh of satisfaction. "Thank you all very much..."

"Ka-san..."

"Mikoto..."

"Fujimura-san..."

"It...It can't be..."

"...There's just no way."

"Idiots!" Somehow, despite being almost completely gone, Mikoto found the ability to flick small, foreign objects at each of their foreheads. Buttons. "You think this is how I want to die...?! I don't want to die...seeing all of your faces crying like this..." Despite saying this, Mikoto herself had begun to cry once more. "I don't want my ending, my last thoughts, to be ones of despair...I want the last sight I see to be all of your smiles."

"But..." Shirou averted his eyes. "Ka-san, I can't..."

"Don't cry like that, you big baby..." Mikoto said, smiling softly. "...It's not as though I'm really dying. I'm...returning. I'm an existence created from a part of someone else...Only natural I return to being part of them..."

"A part of someone else?"

"The Original is out there somewhere, Shirou..." Mikoto said. "I'm sure, when I return...she'll be just as eager to see your beautiful face once again...Shirou, she's...she's kind of like how you were when we first met...so I need you to do me a big favor and help her out now and again when you meet her...OK?"

Shirou nodded, wiping his eyes on his bloodied arm. "OK...I...I promise..."

Mikoto heaved a sigh of relief, almost at peace. "And...if it's not too much of a bother, I have another request..."

"Anything." Rias said, speaking for the rest of the group.

"I know it's a bit much..." She said, her eye twitching weakly. "...but I would like to hear it one more time...The Sacred Song..."

Everyone's heart was caught in their throats.

The task Mikoto had asked of them was literally impossible.

"I...I'll try..." Shirou searched his memories, recalling the humble melody that once sounded in his ears. "It went like..." He slowly started to hum the tune...for several seconds. "Ow!" A sharp pain drove between his eyes. "Damn it...Again!" He began to hum once more, more hurriedly than the last time. "OUCH! Fuck!" And yet again, he was met by the same harsh pain. "Let's try again!" And, as before, he experienced a severe pain. "One more time!"

"Shirou..." Akeno stared at him pitying.

"Ow! Again!" Shirou hummed the tune once more, with far more desperation. "Shit!"

"Shirou, please..."

"No, I can do it!" Shirou snapped. "I can...I can at least grant my mother's last wish, even if it kills me!"

"No..." Mikoto shook her head, sighing. "It's fine...I didn't expect it to work...It's just...after hearing Kiba's friends sing it, I became hopeful that hearing it sung...wasn't impossible for me..."

"Ka-san, I can do it! I can do it!" Shirou said, suppressing his tears. "I just...I need time...! Please, just hang on! I'll get it right...! I can sing it for you! Jus-Just hold on a bit longer, please!"

"Shirou, it's alright..."

"It's not alright!" Shirou snapped at her. "The woman who raised me for most of my life is disappearing and I can't do a damned thing! I can't even grant her one last wish!"

"Then maybe I can help." Everyone turned to face the awkward-looking blue-haired girl. Xenovia went from epic sword-wielder to awkward outsider in the span of a few minutes. "It may be a bit off-key, but I remember the song well enough to recite it."

"Xenovia..." Shirou stared in surprise. He knew she had flexible faith and that God was dead, but it wasn't even an hour ago where they would both like nothing more than to rip each others' heads off. "But why are you...?"

"Even if God is dead, it's still my duty as a Christian to perform last rites."

"You're pulling that out of your ass so you don't have to admit you're being nice to someone affiliated with Devils," Shirou pointed out, much to Xenovia's annoyance, "but it's appreciated nonetheless." He had never made Xenovia out to be the compassionate sort. Helpful? Certainly. Compassionate? Not really.

Xenovia nodded, clasping her hands together as if in prayer.

Then she began to sing.

Her voice clearly wasn't one used to singing, but it was the words, the melody that meant something.

It brought Shirou to tears every time. Not just him, but the others as well. They had already been emotional, but the song drove them over the edge.

Rias and Issei huddled close together, as if trying to protect one another from the pain. Kiba buried his face into his hands, his tears dripping from between his fingers. Asia and Akeno could only watch as Shirou held Mikoto in his arms, tearfully watching as the entirety of her lower body disappeared before their eyes.

"So beautiful..." Mikoto said. "I'm glad I got to hear it this last time...as myself."

"Ka-san..." Shirou choked out, forcing the corners of his mouth to spread apart, forcing a smile as wide and as bright as he could manage. "Ka-san...no matter what, you will always be my mother..."

"And you will always be my son..." With great exhaustion, she turned to face the rest of the group. "Rias, everyone, I know it's bothersome, but do an old woman's copy one last favor?" Mikoto smirked mischievously. "Keep being Shirou's friends...And smack him silly when he does something stupid...!"

Struggling with all of their might to keep from breaking into tears or showing sorrow, all of the members of the Occult Research Club managed the biggest, cheesiest smiles they could as the last of Mikoto's body dissolved into specks of light.

[Yes, ma'am!]

"Thank you all...and goodbye."

With one final smile for everyone, she disappeared, as if her body had been ground to nothing.

And so, every trace of the duplicate known as "Mikoto Fujimura" faded from this world.

Shirou burst into tears, burying his face in his hand.

 _"Don't cry...we'll meet again...someday..."_

It was a tragic loss...

The sun shouldn't have been rising. All shouldn't be right in the world. Someone beautiful just disappeared forever and the world seemed as though it just wanted to mock her even after she was gone...

It wasn't fair.

"Crying over something that isn't even lost? It appears that the Red Dragon Emperor isn't the only boring one around here."

And this chapter in their story has yet to even end...

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** Aftermath of Excalibur! Meeting of Red  & White and What Comes After...!

* * *

 **A victory begotten by loss and tragedy. And it's not even over yet! Next chapter is the wrap-up for this story-arc! Officially, this shit is done!**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	42. Chapter 37: Aftermath of Excalibur!

**This is both the end of the Excalibur Arc and the Intro to the Peace Treaty Arc, so...yeah, it didn't feel right ending the previous chapter with anything other than Mikoto's "death". Anyway, it's time to wrap this bitch up like a Christmas present and continue onward.**

 **Disclaimer: I'm just going to go out on a record and say I don't own a damned thing besides Shirou. High School DxD, High School DxD New, High School DxD BorN, and all related media are the property of Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Funimation, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the offical release!**

* * *

 **Chapter 37: Aftermath of Excalibur! Red, White, and What Comes After...!**

 _Since the start of my miserable existence...and the start of my second one, it was the absolute truth._

 _Whether I remembered it or not, it stained my soul black._

 _In that room of white, always the source of averted gazes..._

 _I was a cursed existence..._

 _Then, one day, she gave me her hand-_

 _"From hereon out, it's you and me. We're family now!"_

* * *

"Who's there!?" Rias was really the only person aside from Xenovia with the stamina to stand let alone question the voice. Akeno and Issei were badly injured by Nobunaga and Kokabiel respectively, Koneko and Kalawarner were unconscious, Kiba could barely stand himself up, and Asia never had any real physical strength to begin with. Shirou was both out of stamina and too deep in shock to be effective in any situation let alone combat. They were in no condition to fight another battle.

On top of that, the new, overwhelming power she sensed exceeded their own even at their peak conditions.

In short, if the voice belonged to an enemy, they were boned.

They (or rather, those with the capacity to do so) looked up towards the sky, their breath caught in their lungs as they gazed upon the figure clad in majestic, jewel-encrusted, white armor hovering in the sky. Their face was obscured by a white helmet, but even if it weren't, it would have been difficult to observe due to the blinding light provided by their eight, beautifully glowing wings. It was a different color and held an obviously different shape, but it radiated a power similar to that of Issei's Boosted Gear.

The power of a Dragon.

It was certainly a Sacred Gear, but the amount of power it was giving off was too much for an ordinary power.

The only logical conclusion: A Balance Breaker.

"The White Dragon, the wielder of the Divine Dividing..." It was Xenovia's shocked gasp that caused all of them to fill up with a new kind of dread. "Albion!"

"A Longinus...!?" Even Rias, for all of her pride in the power of her and her Servants, knew there was no chance of defeating this person in their current condition. "Are you an ally of Kokabiel!?"

"Ha!" The White Dragon laughed as if Rias had said something funny. "Me? Allied with that _thing_? I never took the house of Gremory for a group of comedians." Rias stared at him with piercing eyes, not amused by his words. "Just the thought of allying with someone with such dirty, crow-like wings churns my stomach. I actually came here in order to retrieve him, by force if necessary, but it appears you and your group made my job much less annoying. It turned into such an amusing show halfway in that I couldn't bear to interrupt."

"You...what?" Shirou raised his head for the first time since Mikoto "disappeared". "You were...watching us...?"

"That's right, Oda Nobunaga," He said. "I was going to intervene for the sake of completing my job, but then you awoke to that new power and I wanted to see what you could do with it."

Shirou's body started trembling. "You were watching the whole time...FOR AMUSEMENT!?" Even if he was weaker than a human at that point, the dangerous aura surrounding him sent chills down most of their spines.

 _"See, Vali, this-this right here-is why people think you're an asshole-nyan~"_ Kuroka chirped while hanging at the back for the group.

"Kuroka?" For a brief moment, "Albion" seemed surprised, then amused. "So this is where you've been hanging about lately. You always disappear so suddenly and now I know where-to. I'm surprised you managed to stay so close to your sister without being detected."

"Wait, Kuroka," Shirou turned to the black-furred nekomata, a sharp look in his eyes, "you know this guy? Who is he?"

 _"He's my secret lover~"_ Kuroka teased. _"You jealous?"_

However, the fiery anger in Shirou's eye quickly made it apparent he wasn't playing around. He quickly turned his eyes back to the white armor hanging in the air. "You! White Dragon! If you were sent here to bring back Kokabiel, why didn't you do something sooner?!" He quickly stood to his feet, almost immediately falling over until Akeno caught him. "You're help would have been really useful thirty-FUCKING-minutes ago! I should kick your ass right now!"

"Shirou!" Akeno snapped, pulling Shirou back before he could even try to throw himself forward. "Now's not the time to be picking a fight! He's not our enemy! We can't-"

"Fuck that!" Shirou snapped viciously, never taking his eyes off of the White Dragon Emperor. "As far as I'm concerned, that fucker is Enemy #1!" Shirou's threatening aura didn't fade in the slightest, but, thankfully, it was nowhere near as powerful as Nobunaga's was. He lowered his head. "If he hadn't sat back and done nothing, if he had helped us when we needed it, we wouldn't be at this point! We wouldn't have practically killed ourselves against Kokabiel and Ka-san wouldn't have had to use her Sacred Gear OR Arondight! She wouldn't be...!"

It was then that Akeno noticed it. Shirou's trembling.

Naturally, they had all presumed it was anger that was causing him to lash out, but the moment Akeno saw his face, she realized the truth. The expression on his face, it was like she was looking at a reflection of herself all those years ago...when her mother died.

It was grief.

Shirou's trembling was from his efforts to keep from breaking into tears again.

"Blaming me for another's decisions?" The Dragon Emperor known as "Vali" taunted. "The current generation of the Oda Clan is surprisingly a dull person, isn't he?" Vali descended to the ground, retracting his wings slightly as he landed.

"What'd you say!?"

"If you wish to blame me for her sacrifice, then so be it." Vali said dismissively, walking over to the downed and likely-deceased Freed and lifting him off of the ground. "Just remember this: Her existence as a copy was soon to be over regardless of the choice I made today. Isn't the one truly disregarding her you? While I'm not a fan of cheesy things like "heroic sacrifice" or "destiny", that doesn't make her final acts any less noble. Throwing tantrums like a child is only smearing her legacy."

None of them had thought it possible, but Shirou had been left totally dumbstruck.

"Besides, the one known as Mikoto Fujimura is not yet dead." Shirou tensed, some of his adoptive mother's final words coming back to him.

 _The Original is out there somewhere, Shirou..._

That was what Mikoto had said about her.

"It only makes you look even lamer to fall into despair over someone who has not yet passed." Vali said, turning his back to the group. "If you want to meet the Original, I recommend you don't do it wearing a pathetic face. She might take it as an insult."

"Hold up," Issei stepped forward, "are you saying you know the real one?!"

"You would do well to master that power of yours, Oda Nobunaga, or else you'll eventually be consumed by it," Vali said, eventually adding, "or don't. I admit it would be interesting to fight the one human truly strong and terrible enough to be labelled as a Demon King."

"Don't ignore me, ass-hat!"

Vali paid one final glance over his shoulder. "If you're looking for some advice, I suggest getting stronger as well. I'll consider fighting you seriously once you've gotten up to my level."

 **[So you're ignoring me, White-One?]**

Shirou blinked. "Dafuq?" It was a voice spoken in a way similar to that of the Wolf in his Sacred Gear, but he knew for a fact that the source of this voice was coming from outside. He wasn't the only one expressing surprise. The confused expressions of Rias and the others matched his.

That was when he noticed it, the gem glowing on Issei's gauntlet and the gem glowing on Vali's armor...almost as if they were communicating.

 **[To think we would meet again in a situation like this.]**

 **[It appears we are fated to fight just as always.]**

 **[Indeed, White-One, but it appears you're not all too hungry to settle things here.]**

 **[Your own hunger for battle also appears to be at a low point, Red-One.]**

 **[A little surprising that the two of us ended up at the point where we were interested in something other than settling our score...]**

 **[Still, it's not a bad change of pace to have a little fun outside of battle, right? Let's meet again, Ddraig.]**

 **[That would be good. See you, Albion.]**

"Kuroka, we're leaving." That time, Vali directly addressed the black cat hanging lazily at the back of the group. He paused as he noticed the feline's lack of eagerness or interest in listening to him. "Other plans then?"

 _"Yeah,"_ Kuroka confirmed casually, _"it was just a way to pass time at first, but this town has become a little interesting. I'm too curious to see how this all plays out."_ However, this was only _part_ of the truth, the only part she felt like disclosing in front of everybody.

"Hmph." Shirou suspected Vali was smirking underneath his helmet, as if he expected a response along those lines. "Well, do your best not to get caught then. I believe that the Maou's forces are still on route."

 _"The day I need to be lectured in stealth by the guy whose sole skill set is generally between blowing things up and beating things to a bloody pulp and then blowing them up is the day I get caught."_ Kuroka said.

Without another word, the White Dragon Emperor ascended the air, clutching Freed's body in one hand as he vanished in a ball of light.

* * *

The magic circle created by Kokabiel was completely gone and the Fused Excalibur was destroyed. Even though the entire school had been leveled from the fighting, none of the land or people from outside the barrier appeared to have been damaged. Cool silence filled the air, none of them daring to tempt fate by making a declaration. Still, it was obvious to any one of them.

The battle was over. They had won...

At a steep price.

For a while, they all just sat there in solemn silence. Issei leaned against Rias, the crimson-haired noble gently petting his head. Koneko and Kalawarner were still unconscious from the fighting and had yet to wake, being cared for under the watchful eye of the demonic guard dog from Hell, Mr. Fluffles. Kiba just sat off to the side, staring at the remains of one of his broken Holy-Demon Swords with a pensive look. Xenovia was off collecting the Excalibur cores and sword fragments as well as the ashes of Valper as proof of his death.

Kuroka had disappeared at some point while everyone's attention wasn't focused on her. That was the type of slippery person she was, Shirou knew.

She wasn't the type to get caught up in grieving or risk her hide to comfort another. She wasn't a bad person...she just didn't know how to handle complicated matters. For her, it was better to just walk away than try to cope or comfort others.

He couldn't blame her. After all, he felt the exact same way.

"Rias," Sona Sitri approached the group, looking impressed. The rest of the Student Council, exhaustion clear on their face, followed behind her. Containing the damage was much easier said than done.

"Sona?" Rias raised her head, staring with tired eyes as the Sitri heiress approached them.

"I saw him, the White Dragon." Sona said. "Was he the one who defeated Kokabiel?" She paused, as if noticing something. "No...the strain on the barrier had already weakened long before that..."

"It's..." The way Rias avoided eye-contact hardly went unnoticed. "...complicated."

Thankfully, Sona didn't pry any further than that. Even if Rias wanted to explain, she didn't even know what she could say. Oda Nobunaga was no doubt a malevolent entity, but she didn't actually know what he _was_. The more she tried thinking about it, trying to discern some answer or cause to the sudden drastic change, her head started to hurt. There were so many possible answers...

 _"Unless,"_ Rias thought to herself, _"it has something to do with **that**." _ She thought back to the previous conversation she had with Mikoto...the _final_ conversation she had with Mikoto, a chill going down her spine as she remembered the contents.

"...Can I ask about the Cerberus that's acting as a pillow for Toujou and Kalawarner-san?" Sona asked, staring with half-lidded eyes at the beast whose size matched that of a semi.

"That?" Rias pursed her lips. "That's Fluffles."

"Fluffles?" Only a handful of things had the capability of surprising and bemusing Sona Sitri.

This was one of them.

"Don't ask."

Sona looked around, examining the remains of what had once been a prestigious campus. When Rias saw the crestfallen look on Sona's face, she couldn't help but feel even worse.

"Sorry...In the end, we couldn't protect the school at all." Rias apologized, bowing her head. "Everything's gone, Sona. I underestimated Kokabiel and we lost everything."

"It's alright." That was not the response Rias had expected from the education-obsessed friend from childhood. Sona adjusted her glasses, looking at the ruins. "You lost the buildings, but you saved the people. That in itself is a victory."

"But-"

"Buildings, windows, furniture, they can all be repaired or replaced," Sona said, "but not people. We can always rebuild. There will still be students and, soon enough, there will once more be a school to return to. The lives of those in this town were always the top priority and you did an admirable job in protecting them, Rias. Everyone is alive and safe because of you and your group."

"Not _everyone_..." Issei mumbled glumly, his eyes darting to the left.

"Hm?" Sona followed his line of sight, her own eyes falling upon the white-haired boy limply cradled in Akeno's arms. Even she couldn't help but let out a small breath. "Fujimura is...?"

"No no!" Rias quickly shook her head. "Shirou's just too exhausted to move. The battle...it took a lot out of him."

"Then-"

"We..." Rias sighed. "...We sustained a casualty. It was Fujimura-sa-Mikoto Fujimura. She...She's dead." Even if there was another body somewhere else, the individual they had once known had completely ceased to exist. Not feeling, thinking, or remembering. If that wasn't "death", Rias didn't know what was.

"His mother..." Sona realized, finally taking into account the nature of the solemn atmosphere. She had been admittedly surprised to not see smiles of joy and a sense of victory, especially considering the flamboyance of the Gremory family and their servants. However, now she understood why. "...Victory at the cost of a loved one's life is bitter, but it's a victory nonetheless. One life for countless others is the best trade we could ask for in this situation, I suppose."

"Try telling that to Shirou." Rias snapped, causing Sona to back away. She didn't know why she snapped really. Of course she was upset, but it wasn't as though Sona was wrong. They all should have died that night. The fact they didn't was more than fair, but...

 _...Even though I...I originally treated you all with suspicion and spite...I came to love every...every single one of you as if you were my own..._

She couldn't get the woman's words out of her head nor the image of her body fading from existence...

In her own way, the woman known as Mikoto Fujimura was just as frustrating as Shirou.

"Rias?" Sona watched as a lone tear fell from Rias' eye, the heiress of the Gremory family quickly wiping her face. Sona's expression softened, a rare occurrence. "You and your servants should return home and rest."

"No, we should help you all repair the school building considering-" Rias wasn't even able to finish her sentence before Sona held a hand in front of her face, silencing her.

"Taking care of the school is the duty of the Student Council. It may take all night and a few days after, but we WILL be able to fix the damages caused by the battle so everyone can return to their normal school life." Sona said before pausing. "Besides, you and all of your servants are too exhausted, both physically and mentally, to provide any real assistance."

"But I should really be here to meet with Onii-sama." Rias argued. "I was the one who called him here, so I should be the one to explain everything." The two nobles stared each other down, neither side backing down for a long while.

Eventually, Sona admitted a sigh of defeat. "Fine, you may stay, but I recommend that your servants return to recuperate."

After a few seconds of contemplation, Rias gave a nod. "I can agree to that."

And so it was decreed:

The members of the Occult Research Club (barring Rias) would return for the evening.

Easier said than done considering most of them were unable to walk on their own. In the end, they had to wait for Rias and Akeno to draw a new magic circle so they could all be transported home via magic.

The only person who refused was Issei, being adamant about staying by Rias' side. His stubbornness, for that moment, surpassed Rias'. Asia tried to stay as well, but was so drained from using her Sacred Gear that she could barely keep her own balance.

And so ended the Excalibur Incident...

* * *

To say Shirou felt like Hell would have been the understatement of the century.

He had been impaled, stabbed, bitten, eaten, blown up, partially dissolved by stomach acid, burned, and pummeled before, and he had survived the Muffin Incident albeit with several broken bones, but not a single one of these compared to the agonizing pain he felt.

His muscles felt numb, like they had been pulled and stretched like taffy. Every single one of his ligaments felt rigid and he felt a distinct and painful stiffness in his joints, and his head felt like it was being pushed on by all sides by a literal ton of pressure. On top of the unpleasant tingling sensation all across his skin, like someone was tauntingly brushing a lit torch against every inch of his bare flesh, this did not make for a good morning.

"Ugh...God, it's like the worst part of a hangover only ten times worse..." Shirou groaned as he struggled to move at all.

"You should be happy that's the worst you suffered," Kuroka's soft voice purred into his ears.

Shirou sighed. "Kuroka, I am going to open my eyes and, when I do, you had better not be naked."

"Don't worry, Shirou-chin," Kuroka said.

"...Kuroka, _are you_ naked?"

"Why don't you see for yourself-nyan~?"

Shirou cracked an eye open.

Not only was Kuroka's naked body hovering right over him, but her chest-pillow breasts were swinging quite literally in front of his face.

"God damn it!" Shirou cursed as he covered his eyes with his hand, his face turning beet-red. "...Am _I_ naked?"

"Awww, you act like that's a question~" Shirou didn't even bother looking down. It would have only made him feel that much more flustered about the present situation. "Really though, you were in pretty bad shape last night. You went unconscious the moment you hit the bed. As it turns out, the physical injuries you sustained were the actual extent of the damage you took. Apparently that little "trip" you took cost you a lot more mana than we first thought. Your body had to compensate by substituting with other sources." He knew that "trip" meant "possession", from when Oda Nobunaga had taken over his body.

"Which means?" Shirou asked impatiently.

"Your body was literally cooking and consuming itself for mana." Kuroka answered summarily. "We missed it earlier because you were still running on angst and adrenaline, but you would have died in your sleep had _I_ not noticed it."

"Thank you for saving my life, Kuroka."

"So you should really be thanki-" Kuroka actually felt taken aback for a moment. "Oh you already said it. Never mind-nyan~" She paid careful consideration to the solemn look on Shirou's face before she dared make another tease. "You alright...?"

It was QUITE clear from the fact Shirou's embarrassment no longer showed that he was NOT "alright".

"Last night...it wasn't a dream, was it?" The light seemed to fade from his eyes, images from the previous night flashing before his eyes. "Ka-san is really...?"

Kuroka gave a nod. "Sorry, kiddo, but she's gone." She narrowed her eyes as Shirou looked off to the right, completely unfocused on anything. "Well, she's not _gone_ so much as her temporary existence was corrected by the world...I mean, that version of her is gone, but she is actually alive and while the "her" you knew isn't around anymore...well..." She was _really_ not good at comforting emotionally. She was deeply tempted to ease his worries through sexual methods, but had a fair suspicion that plan wouldn't fly very well.

"I know what you're saying." Shirou said calmly, Kuroka heaving a mental sigh that she didn't have to continue with that train wreck. He petted her softly behind her ears, earning a satisfied purr. "Thanks for trying though."

"What are you going to do now?"

"Relax," Shirou said, waving off her question, "I'm...coping. I mean, knowing that she's technically still out there, that there's someone who holds all of the memories and experiences of Ka-san, it helps. I mean, it's not like I'm going to kill myself or somethin-"

"No, I mean for living arrangements." Kuroka said sharply, rolling her eyes. "But that's good too, I suppose."

"Oh...What do you mean?"

"I mean, where are you going to go now?" Kuroka asked, laying flat on top of Shirou, the peaks of her breasts firmly pushing against Shirou's upper torso. "With Mikoto-chin gone, I doubt you'll want to live here anymore."

"What are you talking about?" Shirou asked, blinking in confusion. "Rias is paying the bills and I still got you and Kalawarner to keep me company." He paused, processing his own words when Kuroka raised a brow with a suggestive look on her face. "Oh shit, you're right. I _can't_ live here anymore." His chastity would have been in danger 24/7 if he started living alone with a pedophilic Fallen Angel and the Nekoshou with both boundary issues and a severe dislike for wearing clothes.

"So you _don't_ like me and Kala-chan?"

"Oho-no!" Shirou shook his head. "I am not falling into this trap. The moment I do, you're going to say something lewd, I'm going to get flustered, and then you'll take the opportunity to imprison me with your mountainous bosoms as you proceed to ravish me."

"Would that really be so bad?" Kuroka mewled.

"Yes!" Shirou answered honestly... "No," He added more honestly before shaking his head, "I mean-I have a girlfriend, you know!"

Kuroka stared. "Huh? But you're a Devil."

"So?"

"So why does it matter? Aren't harems like every Devil's thing?" She asked. "It certainly wouldn't be abnormal for you to have one at any rate."

"That's what I've been telling him."

"JESUS CHRIST!" Shirou would have lost balance and fell right over the side of the bed had Kuroka not been laying on top of him as another voluptuous figure rose from the sheets next to him. He took several deep breaths, waiting for his heart to settle back down. He stared, eyes wide as Akeno smiled softly down at him. "Seriously, I need to put a fuckin' bell on all of the women I know at this rate! What are you doing here anyway? I thought you left?"

"Well, I stayed after Kuroka told me about your dangerous state." Akeno crossed her arms beneath her breasts to hold them up. "The damage to your body and the mana drain you underwent was so intense it required both she and I to use our respective healing techniques to bring your health back to a stability. It looked like a two-woman job."

She probably would have convinced Shirou if it hadn't been for the pleased smile on her face.

"Are there any other naked girls laying in my bed I should know about!?" Shirou snapped, his face flushing red again. He stared at the sheets, clearly expecting a third form to rise from out of nowhere and give his heart another jolt of shock. It was only after three-four minutes that he realized nothing would happen. "Huh...Won't lie. I fully expected Kalawarner to appear and give some lecherous innuendo which clearly implied she wanted to violate me."

"She's actually busy."

"Doing what?"

"Good question." It was becoming increasingly difficult to tell whether the women around him were being truthful or just trolling him. "Kalawarner woke up soon after we were all returned home, but she quickly started to become busy with something. She told me and Kuroka to take care of you and then she just kind of ran off. She seemed...upset. Do you know why?"

Even though they all recognized it as a stupid question, they still felt it was necessary that it was still asked.

The woman who had taken Kalawarner in and employed her as a servant was now gone. Even though their relationship had been a little rocky due to Kalawarner's lecherous antics, Mikoto never held outright hate for the Fallen Angel. Their relationship had always appeared to be more of a mother disciplining a troublesome daughter. In a way, Shirou couldn't help but feel that Mikoto had considered Kalawarner her child as well. She hadn't even been conscious when Mikoto faded.

It had to be a heavy blow. Not to mention that, now that Mikoto was dea...vanished, she had no job. No lifeline tying her to this town.

...Really, these were just rationalizing an overly-simple situation.

Kalawarner was grieving.

That was the way Shirou saw it.

After turning her back on her former comrades, Mikoto was the first one to offer her a helping hand...

Her only friend besides Shirou.

"I'm sure she'll be back." He decided. "For now, we should focus on our own situation. Things are probably going to be hectic after what went down on campus, so we should probably meet with Buchou and the others later to talk."

"No doubt." Akeno agreed. "We have a lot to sort through after all that's happened so far, but I think it's still too early. Rias is probably going to hold off on that for a few days."

Shirou raised a brow. "What do you mean?"

"Everyone is still recovering from the fighting, especially you, Issei, and Kiba. You used your powers a lot, so your bodies are still recovering from the strain." She explained. "Not to mention Koneko's still unconscious. Nothing life-threatening mind you, just exhaustion and her injuries, but the point is that there's no starting a serious discussion if everyone's not in a state where they would be able to properly contribute or understand."

"What happened to Fluffles?" It was at that question that Akeno appeared to look guilt-stricken. "What?"

"Shirou, the Maou's forces took Fluffles back to the Underworld." AKeno said. "It's like Rias said. Summoning Cerberus to the human world is expressly forbidden. They had no choice but to take him back."

Shirou nodded solemnly, as if having expected this. "What about you?"

"Me?"

"You know..." Akeno figured it out without Shirou speaking the words. Nobunaga attacked her and damned very well near killed her when he took possession of Shirou's body. Even if it wasn't actually Shirou, it was still his body that was used. Naturally, he felt guilty. "Anything serious?"

Akeno shook her head. "No. Nothing that Asia's healing power couldn't fix." Akeno rubbed her shoulder, clearly hiding something. "Everyone is 100% okay. You have nothing to worry about."

Shirou let out a sigh of relief. "That's good."

"I'm okay too, thanks for asking," Kuroka said, sniffing at Shirou in playful annoyance, "considering you stomped on my throat."

Shirou lowered his head. "Oh, right...Sorry."

"I demand your virginity as recompense for my injury."

"Denied."

"I demand a year's supply of catnip."

"I'll give you a day's worth, see whether or not it becomes the greatest regret of my life, and we'll proceed from there."

"Deal."

"Glad to hear it." That was significantly more business-like and less terrifying than Shirou's conversation with Akeno. Shirou was actually grateful to his feline-like companion, giving her another affectionate scratch behind her ears. While petting her, Shirou turned back to Akeno. "So what's the plan until everyone's all recovered?"

"Well, Rias told me there were a few things she wanted to take care of. So there's that."

"What few things?"

Akeno smiled mischievously, as if there was some big secret or joke Shirou didn't know about. "Never mind that." She said dismissively. "The real issue is the fact we have a few days with nothing to do, between recuperating and the Student Council still working to rebuild the entire campus from rubble."

"Having a few days off would be a nice change of pace." Shirou sighed out. "After everything that's happened, I can't even begin to imagine being serious about anything...Still, I don't know what to do...

"If you'd like, we could stay in bed all day," Kuroka suggested, a lewd smile appearing on her face as she curled up next to Shirou, "maybe finally work on getting that V-card of yours punched-nyan~"

"That does sound like an interesting idea~" Akeno agreed, smiling as she appeared at Shirou's other side, slowly beginning to drag him back onto the bed.

That was when Shirou realized he had overlooked the fact he was presently in bed-naked-with two of the five biggest sexual predators he knew.

It was a dangerous situation.

"OR-" He said quickly, "-or I could take you shop-ping~"

[Aaaaaand?]

"Shopping~"

The two females sighed in disappointment. Kuroka leaned in, whispering in Akeno's ear.

"Don't worry. He can't guard his sweet, sweet ass forever."

"You sure?"

"He'll never see it coming."

"I can hear you." Shirou said with half-lidded eyes.

Kuroka paused for a moment before whispering, "He'll never see it coming. Nyahaha~"

Shirou sighed. It was two of the most _dangerous_ people he knew...hanging out together.

It was going to be a looooong day.

* * *

"Can I ask you guys something?"

"What?"

 _"Something bothering you?"_

"You could say that," Shirou said through grit teeth, balancing a paper shopping bag on his head. "Why am I, the guy who had a friggin' hole blown through his chest just the other night, the one carrying everything?"

When he referred to "everything", he meant the dozens of shopping bags balanced precariously in his arms, on his shoulders, and on his head while grasping the handles of another shopping bag between his teeth.

As it turned out, suggesting a shopping trip to two female demons, a species that thrived on greed and personal desire, was _not_ a good idea. Shirou tried to avoid thinking about it because, if he did, he would develop the strong urge and slap his past self for choosing this over getting laid. Sure, he would be getting fucked either way, but at least one of them involved him getting something out of it.

He could not help the howls of agony his wallet was letting out as the two older sister-types slowly bled it dry.

"It's because you're a gentle manly-man," Akeno said, trying to inflate his ego.

 _"It's because you're our little bitch,"_ Kuroka said more honestly.

Shirou hung his head, sighing. He couldn't really deny it by that point. It appeared that with women, any woman in general, he always ended up thoroughly whipped to the point he suspected he was masochistic.

While he was balancing a bag on his left arm stump, he couldn't help but feel curious while watching Kuroka, back in cat-form, riding on Akeno's shoulder. Despite the fact that most of them already knew she was a Nekoshou, Kuroka persisted in going outside in cat-form. When he tried questioning her about it, Kuroka merely answered-

 _"I like the freedom of being absolutely naked without consequence-nyan~"_

While it was certainly a lie, as Shirou had figured out by now, it was a thought he could believe would be going through the feline's head.

Akeno didn't seem to question it. If anything, the Queen seemed to be deliberately going out of her way to _avoid_ questioning it, as if keeping some kind of secret. Even if the two appeared lax, Shirou noted the odd tension that existed mainly on Akeno's part. If Shirou hadn't been there, the two likely would have been interacting with a completely different atmosphere.

"Let's shop here next."

A powerful chill went down Shirou's spine. He consulted the mental message that had been sent to his mind by his instincts:

-You sense a powerful danger-

The cause became quickly apparent the moment he saw the plastic mannequins dressed in lacy underwear of varying colors standing on the other side of the window.

A lingerie store.

"Why don't you come in with us, Shirou- _kun_?" Shirou felt his instincts scream "DANGER!" when Akeno put an oddly lewd emphasis on the honorific.

 _"We really need your help judging what we should buy~"_ Even in cat form, Kuroka had the natural ability to make him fear for his chastity.

Shirou cowered beneath their less-than-healthy gazes. _"Quick, Shirou! Consult the command list!"_

Command:

?

Decline

Bullshit My Way Out Of This

-Run

Akeno grabbed his shoulder, her smile intensifying. "Uh uh uh~"

-You sense an even more powerful danger!-

"That's not fair!"

Command:

?

-Decline

Bullshit My Way Out Of This

Run

"Oh come on, it's just a little bit of lingerie," Akeno said, teasing him, "it won't kill you."

 _"I beg to differ!"_ Shirou cried mentally. _"I will die of embarrassment and shattered pride!"_

Command:

?

Decline

-Bullshit My Way Out Of This

Run

"Akeno," Shirou said, his expression dead-serious, "I'm gay."

"Hm?"

"Thus, I will be of no assistance to you do to a lack of desire towards the female body." Shirou reasoned, his left eye twinkling. "And for those same reasons, I shall be taking my leave." Without waiting for a response, he turned around and stepped forward.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

"Oh, Shirou _-kun_ ~" Akeno said with the same dangerous emphasis on the honorific as before, placing a hand on his shoulder, "if you feel insecure about your orientation, then Kuroka and I can gladly remind you as to what _manhood_ means~"

 _"No S &M play yet though~"_ Kuroka said soothingly as if that made everything alright. _"We wouldn't want you to break on your very first "experience"-nyan~"_

Sweat started pouring down the sides of Shirou's face.

-You are in even greater peril! Get out! Get out now!-

Command:

-?

Decline

Bullshit My Way Out Of This

Run

"It appears I'm left with only one choice..." Shirou abruptly turned around, pointing over Akeno's shoulder. "WHAT'S THAT OVER THERE!"

A cheap tactic, possibly the most pathetic attempt yet...

"Hm?"

 _"Hm?"_

More shocking was the fact that it actually _worked_.

The moment their heads instinctively turned in the direction he pointed, Shirou dropped every single bag, spun around on his heels, and dashed in the one direction.

* * *

Once they were sure Shirou was out of earshot, both females let out a sigh.

 _"The kid's putting on a strong face,"_ Kuroka noted, hopping down from Akeno's shoulder and stretching out her legs. _"Heaven only knows how long he can keep that up for."_ She wasn't going to pursue him though. Bothering him about it probably would have ruined his albeit poor attempts at keeping himself focused on literally _anything_ besides the fact that the Mikoto whom he had been raised by was gone, likely forever.

It wasn't as though Kuroka particularly mourned for her. She wasn't the mourning type. Even when her parents had passed or when she had to leave her little sister behind, she couldn't bring herself to cry. It wasn't as though she was a sociopath, but she had other priorities at the time (Not being murdered by Devil officials hunting her was at the top of the list). Not to mention she never understood the point in crying over what one had already lost. "Shirone" was still alive and well and she would always have her memories of her parents to keep her warm. Mikoto was a friend...sort-of. A friend in a meaning that she chose _not_ to kill Kuroka, who was a Stray, in exchange for Kuroka to continue doing what she always did and watch (and mess around with) Shirou. It wasn't exactly a close relationship.

Overall, even if she had felt the initiative to go comfort Shirou, comforting being her area with the least skill, it wasn't as though she would have really been able to do anything.

No, it was for the best that they gave Shirou some time to himself in order for him to sort out his own thoughts and feelings.

Besides...

 _"You know you need to cast an actual spell if you want to bore a hole through the back of my head,"_ Kuroka purred, referring to the burning, piercing glare Akeno gave her.

"Why are you still here?"

 _"That's an existential question, isn't it?"_ Kuroka teased, knowing full-well what Akeno really meant. _"Why are any of us still her-Yugh!"_

Clearly showing no patience at the feline's antics, Akeno bent over and grabbed her by the tail, yanking her up into the air despite Kuroka's hiss and yowls of disapproval and pain. "Rias may tolerate your presence for the time-being, but I won't." She said darkly. "You are not my friend and you are certainly not my ally.

 _"H-Hey,"_ Kuroka whined, clawing at random, flailing as she tried to escape. _"Let go of my tail!"_

"No."

 _"You bitch!"_ Kuroka would have looked far more menacing if not for the fact she was swinging back and forth like some kind of furry pendulum. _"I-I mean it! That hurts!"_ Kuroka was never much of a frontline fighter. She killed her enemies from afar with magic so she wouldn't have to fight, so, unlike many of her comrades, her pain tolerance was a little low. That and given the fact that the tail was already a sensitive spot for cats, it made this situation far less amusing than it had been before. It was impossible for her to revert to her normal form in such conditions. _"OK! OK! What do you want!?"  
_

"Why are you really here?" Akeno asked, tightening her grasp on the dangling feline.

 _"I want to kill all of you, kidnap my sister, and rape Shirou until he is my willing breeding slave, all for the glory of the Nekomata species,"_ Kuroka said, her tone flat with no seriousness nor humor. Akeno certainly wasn't amused by it. _"Is that what you expected? You people are too serious. Really now, does everyone always need to have some form of nefarious purpose in order to hang around with an affectionate food slave-I mean-friend?"_

Akeno narrowed her eyes. "They do when the person in question is an SS-ranked criminal and a Stray Devil who has been on the run for several years," Akeno answered coldly, "especially when this criminal happens to be the older sister of my Master's Rook and lives in the same dwelling as her Pawn, a Pawn who also happens to have a particularly unique bloodline. There's your affiliation to the White Dragon Emperor that also concerns me."

 _"Vali's a good friend of mine,"_ Kuroka made a desperate attempt to swing her body upright, clawing at Akeno's hand for a moment before swinging back towards the direction of gravity upon her failure. _"He acts like a douche sometimes, but he's not into the same scale of destruction and carnage as Kokabiel. Much like the current possessor of the Red Dragon, the current possessor of the White Dragon is easily sated by fulfilling his simple desires. If you believe I'm surveying the town for Vali's interests, then I assure you I'm not. Vali isn't exactly the scheming type. Slippery, perhaps, but not some cliche evil villain. Even if he was, I wouldn't waste my time doing something so petty."_

Even though there were many ways Kuroka could have twisted the situation, she chose not to. Her position wasn't enviable.

Shirou was already in an emotionally vulnerable state and, despite her frequent jabbing and teasing and taunting, he had grown fond of her. He probably wouldn't have been happy if a "civil war" started between his friends. Not to mention there was "Shirone" to consider. She was resigned to push back the time for her plan to have a proper "reunion" with her baby sister, but being so close to her without interacting with her probably wouldn't do well for her trust (not that the girl trusted Kuroka to begin with considering that everyone presumed the reason she had killed her Master was due to being insane and no reasonable person would listen to let alone follow a crazy person). Shirone would be upset and likely more-so at Shirou and that would make Shirou more depressed which could cause more dysfunction and emotional damage among the group.

It sucked when she had to take people's _feelings_ into consideration.

"If you're not here spying on Issei for the White Dragon or to try to take Koneko back, then why _are_ you still here?" Akeno asked, not letting up on her interrogation.

 _"Because I like Shirou-chin."_

The answer was so blunt and casual that Akeno wasn't immediately sure how to interpret it.

 _"The kind of "like" where I wouldn't mind bouncing up and down on him."_

That cleared it up a great deal.

Still, given her deceitful nature, it was hard to tell whether or not Kuroka was joking. She shook her up and down once just in case, Kuroka yowling in displeasure. "I don't understand how you can say something like that so easily."

 _"I don't understand why it's so hard for **you** to say something like that."_ Kuroka mused, her taunt hitting Akeno like a slap to the face. _"At first, I kind of owed him one. Not really. I actually saved HIS life, but I was the one who put his life in danger. Normally, I would have called it even, but...Maybe it was some sort of a sense of obligation..or not. I mean, he had a cute face and he gave me free food in the end, so I decided to stick around."_

"What happened that could have drawn you to him like that?" Akeno asked. The jury was still out on whether or not the Nekoshou was actually insane due to the confusion her recent actions have caused them all, but that didn't mean Akeno was ready to give her the benefit of the doubt.

 _"Generally the same thing that drew you and Kiyome-chin to him,"_ Kuroka answered honestly. _"It's a long story. I admit I got a little cocky and, as a result, I let myself get a little beat up and cornered. Shirou-chin, true to idiot form, came dashing in without knowing the situation. The fool got himself shot clean through the chest shielding me. If that shot had been a few more centimeters to the left, it would have torn through his heart. In the end, I took him home, healed his injuries, and warped his memories of the incident so he thought **he** saved **me**. I doubt the thought had even crossed his mind yet."_

"What happened to the people who-"

 _"I killed them all."_ Kuroka said coolly, knowing Akeno's question before she spoke it. _"Just because I like the kid, it doesn't mean I'm a good person."_ It was during the brief stun she inflicted upon Akeno that Kuroka managed to wriggle free of her grasp, landing on the ground a few feet away from Akeno for safety. _"If you're worried about me having some form of ulterior motives regarding Shirou Fujimura, there is no need. I wouldn't really care much about killing most people, but, along with Shirone, Shirou-chin is the only exception. If you don't believe that, it's your issue."_ Kuroka stretched her feline legs and her back, recovering from her brief stint as a cat-shaped yo-yo.

Akeno narrowed her eyes. "I still don't trust you..." She said, taking a small breath, "but I believe you."

Kuroka clearly thought nothing of it either way, but it relieved Akeno if only a little bit. _"Shirou-chin's been gone a while. We should probably go look for him."_

"Right."

.

.

.

 _"It may not be my place to say, but if you really want him, you shouldn't hesitate."_ Kuroka said without looking back to Akeno. Akeno stared. _"The competition's growing more and more fierce. You only have so much time before the opportunity's gone for good."_

Kuroka continued forward, ignoring the bemused expression on Akeno's face.

The two (really just Akeno since Kuroka had no opposable thumbs in cat form) gathered up their things and went off in the search of their white-haired friend.

* * *

Shirou ran for what could have been miles before he finally felt safe enough to stop.

"OK...there shouldn't be anything else annoying around here-"

"Ah. The Dog of Rias Gremory," A certain blue-haired teen noted, staring curiously at him, "I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"FUCK!" He knew he shouldn't have jinxed it.

Shirou took proper survey of his surroundings, taking a few moments to discern he was by the park fountain, Xenovia, clothed in her Church robes, sitting on the bench across from it with an oddly pensive look on her face (Shirou hadn't considered her capable of complex thought beyond "discriminate against non-believers" and "hack non-believers to pieces"). Yet there she was, looking as if it was just her in her own world of thought until Shirou arrived.

"...Hey, Xenovia," Shirou greeted, deciding to avoid behaving antagonistic. He still didn't quite like Xenovia, but she had proven to be a valuable and trustworthy ally during the Excalibur Incident despite his poor first impression of her, "how's it going?"

Xenovia blinked, clearly thinking too hard on the question. "How's what going?"

Shirou shrugged. "I dunno. Just...whatever's going on. Whatever you're doing." Before he knew it, the situation had already become awkward. "...what _are_ you doing here? Shouldn't you be preparing to head back to the Church with the Excaliburs and Shidou?"

"I came here because I wanted some time to think to myself." She answered, appearing as though she wasn't really talking to Shirou. "Irina has finally recovered enough that we may leave, but I wanted to spend one more day in this town in order to clear my head. Irina wanted to leave immediately to report our "unbelievable success", but I was able to fool her by faking a stomach ache."

"How'd you pull that off?"

Much to his bemusement, Xenovia stood from her seat, mechanically bending over and clutching her stomach. "Ow. My stomach hurts." The most unimpressive performance Shirou had ever seen.

[You poor thing! You must have been injured during the fight with Kokabiel! I guess we can stay here just a bit longer so you can get well enough to travel!]

"...is what she said."

"She actually believed that...?" Shirou asked aloud, sweatdropping. _"Although, to be fair, she is ISSEI'S childhood friend..."_

* * *

Elsewhere, in two separate locations, at the exact same time, both Irina Shidou and Issei Hyoudou sneezed.

* * *

"So why do you want to stay here?" Shirou asked, brow raised. "I would have thought you would have been eager to escape this den of sin and heresy or whatever garbage."

"In any other circumstance, I would have, but..." Xenovia looked awkward.

"Is it because you found out the truth about God?" Shirou guessed. And judging from the troubled look on Xenovia's face, his guess was correct.

Xenovia placed a hand over her heart, letting out a melancholy sigh. "I believed in the word of the Lord since I was little. He was the reason I fought, bled, and nearly died on several occasions." She said. "I would have gladly sacrificed everything for His sake. I always ensured that my faith never wavered and yet now I am burdened with the terrible truth of His demise, it has all been rendered pointless."

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I wouldn't call it "pointless". I mean, it doesn't change what you did, only how you perceived it..." He couldn't blame Xenovia for the confused look on her face. He himself didn't entirely understand what he meant. He was just trying to prevent the descent into awkward, solemn silence as best as he could. "I mean, if God's death makes it pointless, then it was pointless to begin with-I mean...uh..." He resisted the urge to slap himself. Xenovia's solemn expression made him feel all the more guilty.

Granted, he was utterly opposed to the hypocrisy of religious zealots, but that didn't mean he wanted to send them into spiraling depression or despair. Not to mention, Xenovia had saved his and his friends' lives once or twice, so, as much as the fact annoyed the Hell out of him, he owed her one.

"What I mean is that..." Shirou closed his eyes, carefully considering his next words. "...I mean that it doesn't matter whether or not God is alive or dead."

"You said something similar the other night, "Xenovia pointed out, "but if He's dead, doesn't that make it all meaningless...?"

"No, I don't think so." Shirou answered awkwardly. "I mean, you did those things because of your faith rather than because of God...It was your choice to act as you did, not His. You empathized with the teachings of your faith and acted based on those teachings and wished to preach and protect the institution that taught them." Xenovia's curious stare made him feel even more awkward than before, more-so because she looked so naturally passive that it was difficult to discern her thoughts. "That's pretty much the way it is for most people. When they think back to why they started believing, it's usually because of the message behind the faith. They loved the beauty, the purity, the feeling of hope it blessed them with. "God can restore what is broken and change it into something amazing. All you need is faith", Joel 2:25. Mark 12:31, "Love thy neighbor as yourself". Its messages like this that helped religions such as Christianity bloom and flourish." Shirou paused when he noticed Xenovia staring. "What?"

"Nothing. I'm just...surprised." She said, blinking a few times. She wasn't sure if she was dreaming or not. "It's odd seeing a Devil quote the book of God."

"Well, it's fine as long as I'm not actually touching it or reading it. If it's something already in my head, there isn't jack shit they-"

"No no," Xenovia shook her head, "what I meant was that I thought you detested religion."

"Wrong-o." Shirou said, wagging his finger as if scolding a child. "What I _detest_ is people using religion and faith as a basis for hatred and hurting others. Religion is supposed to be a tool of love and peace, and yet you have people using it to burn people at the stake, decapitating them, stoning them to death...The true message, the message of love, that's what drew people, what it's supposed to be about. People followed because they empathized, they wanted something to believe in, something to guide themselves and others. However, in the end, the way they react is their own choice. They live their lives based on their own interpretations. In a way, it's the same for the dipshits who twist and distort it into something hideous and full of hate, using it as justification for bigotry and violence against dissenters and other groups they don't like. They act based on _their_ causes inspired by what _they_ perceived to be God, when in the end, it was for themselves and their own ideals. People follow God for their own sake no matter how they delude themselves, so His nonexistence makes no difference in the value of your actions. They were things you as an individual decided to do."

"..." Xenovia stared blankly.

"Did I say something offensive?" Shirou deeply wished there was a manual on interpreting the responses of women, especially stoic women from the Church.

"...Dog?"

"Yes."

"Were you once a believer?"

"..." Shirou didn't vocally respond, but the sour look on his face gave Xenovia a good idea. "It's complicated" appeared to be what his expression said. For him to be able to speak so passionately and knowledgeably on faith, it had to mean something. "Anyway, you shouldn't focus so much on whether or not your actions meant anything for God or the Church. You should focus on what they mean for _you_."

"I still don't understand."

Shirou scratched his head, trying to think of ways to make his words comprehensible to a girl who had, up until recently, been one of many "drones" of the Church. "What I'm trying to say is that now that you know you're not doing it for God, why don't you think about whether or not to do something for yourself? Think about what _you_ want for a change. I know it's Church doctrine to be selfless and have no desires at all, but God being dead seems like it would throw something like that out the window...If you still feel like working for the Church, living and dying for your faith, more power to you I say. It's your choice."

"My choice..." Xenovia repeated glumly, deep in thought.

"If you have some dream you wish to follow, you should go ahead and follow it." Shirou said.

"My one and only desire is and always has been to devote my body and soul to the lord, but..."

"Then go do that."

"-but that is impossible for me now."

"Hm?" It was only then that Shirou noticed Xenovia's face. Certainly not on the verge of tears, but there was a fair amount of exhaustion shown plainly for the world to see. Sorrow and betrayal that he had not thought to take notice of before. "...Why is it impossible?"

"As far as the Vatican is concerned, I'm a heretic." Xenovia said. "When I made contact with them, I confronted them over the truth of God's death. Even though they didn't say it outright, I could feel it from their scorning gazes. I am a heretical woman who knows of God's death, a danger to the Church's very existence. They didn't say it to my face, but I knew that was what was going through their thoughts. If the situation had been reversed, I have no doubt I would have worn that same look."

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "Huh..." He didn't really give it much thought until that point, but the fact was that the Occult Research Club, Kalawarner, and Xenovia were all people who learned the truth of God's death. Considering how dangerous the information would be if it leaked out to normal followers, the leaders of the three factions were unlikely to keep quiet about it. They couldn't very well outright kill all of them...could they? No, the most logical solution would be to discredit them or make them shunned members of their respective groups. Executing them without explaining why would have been too suspicious, especially for Xenovia who was both an Excalibur-wielder and the wielder of Durandal. Even if she was a lower-ranked Exorcist, her suspicious execution was bound to raise some concern and investigation. "So what are you going to do? I mean, as long as they haven't excommunicated you officially, you could always go back and ask for leniency. In terms of Holy Sword-users, you're a rare one since you're a natural. Pick your words right and you could probably get back in..."

However, Xenovia's troubled look told him that wasn't all there was to it.

"..."

"...but is that what I want?" Xenovia asked almost to herself. "You said my future was my decision, my choice, and that God made no difference, but I truly don't know what I want right now. Returning to my faith feels like the correct thing to do...but I'm not sure it's the _right_ thing to do. It's a confusing feeling. I just can't make sense of it. What do I do?"

"That's the big question now isn't it?" Shirou sighed, realizing he and Xenovia were just talking in circles by that point. "Nobody said you have to figure it out right away. It's different for every person."

"Well what about you?" Xenovia asked. "What was your answer? What was it you desired to do?"

"Ha!" The small laugh Shirou gave made his answer a little ambiguous. "Try asking me again in ten years! See if I have an answer then!" He shoved his hand into his pocket, turning away from Xenovia. "Whatever you decide, stick to your convictions and yours alone and follow your own path. Never regret the choices you made."

"Hmm..." Xenovia remained silent for a moment. "OK then." She stood from her seat, giving a nod to Shirou. "I believe you have helped me make sense of the answer I had been searching for. Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Shirou said, rubbing the back of his neck. "And if you ever need support, know that, at the very least, Shirou Fujimura of the Gremory Household is more than willing to lend a helping hand. I owe you that much..."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Even if neither mentioned it, a new sense of respect for one another could be sensed between the two.

Shirou leaned against a nearby railing, once again left alone with Xenovia's departure. "Damn...Akeno's going to be pissed about me leaving the bags behind."

"That was expert technique, young flag-raiser." stated the older man who suddenly appeared next to him.

Even though Shirou kept his expression calm, his heart had jumped in his chest. He wasn't always perceptive, but he knew for a fact that the man wearing the trench coat had _not_ been anywhere in the vicinity moments ago.

With his blonde highlights in his black hair and his whole "villain" look, he would have been pretty hard to miss.

"Do I know you?" Shirou asked, mostly suppressing his suspicion. Of course the answer was "No", but there was no reason to let the older man know Shirou was immediately prepared to run or fight.

"Maybe," The man said, raising Shirou's curiosity, "but probably not personally."

And that comment just left Shirou even more confused than he had been before. "Huh?" The man chuckled at his bemusement.

"It's a complicated and amusing situation," He said, reaching into his breast pocket. "I'm only here on behalf of a mutual friend of ours who couldn't make it here in person."

Shirou instinctively took a fighting stance, ready for some form of confrontation. He extended his hand, attempting to call out Canis Regalia only to pause, frowning.

The man paused for a moment, glancing curiously at Shirou before smirking. "Oh would you relax?" He seemed to scavenge through his pocket for a moment before pulling out a sealed envelope with a wax-stamped seal reminiscent of a magic circle that looked vaguely familiar. Shirou remembered coming across it in his reading at some point, but couldn't recall what it signified. It certainly didn't belong to any of the Devil clans he knew. It was magic, but not Devil magic... He extended his hand towards Shirou, offering it to him. "She wanted me to give this to you in person."

Despite the complete lack of dangerous intent coming from the man, Shirou couldn't help but feel suspicious. He extended and retracted his hand three times before eventually deciding to take the envelope, quickly stepping away from the man in the event it was some kind of trap. The man gave Shirou a "go on" gesture with hand, causing Shirou to turn the envelope over to read the return address.

The moment he did, he almost dropped the envelope in shock.

There was no name or address written, but written dead-center on the back of the envelope was one word:

 _Shicchan_.

His mind raced, trying to sort through the possibilities that it could mean anything but one thing.

With trembling hands, he turned the envelope back over, biting off the corner with his mouth, opening it and removing the contents inside into his open hand.

A folded up piece of paper fell into his open hands followed by a dull _thud_ as a small, metal bracelet of some sort fell on top of it. It was an odd piece of jewelry and Shirou could tell without a doubt that it was not normal, but that wasn't what he was focused on at the moment.

He unfolded the piece of paper, a letter address to him. It read:

 _To my lovely family:_

And then there was a photo attached to it...

 _"No,"_ Shirou realized, his eyes widening, _"A painting...!"_

Attached to the piece of paper was not a photo but a painting, one done so well that it could have easily been mistaken for a real-deal account of what transpired.

It was the Occult Research Club. EVERYONE.

The image appeared to have been from back when they were training for the Rating Game. They were all gathered as if about to say "Cheese" to a camera.

Kiba stood at the far right, smiling pleasantly. Issei was standing next to Rias, giving a goofy smile while Rias looked at him with something that was definitely deeper than familial affection. Shirou stood at the center, looking panicked as Kiyome hugged his left side, playing an odd game of tug-of-war with Akeno as if arguing over who got to stand with him. Kalawarner and Koneko knelt in front of the group, Kalawarner giving a cheerful wave.

It was the person at the very front of the group, giving the same, beaming smile of joy with two peace signs.

Mikoto Fujimura...the Doppelganger Mikoto Fujimura.

Shirou's heart felt like it was about to break.

It was an image of happier times, before the world became a little more hollow.

It was so detailed that it may as well have been from memory.

There was a caption at the bottom:

 _Keep on smiling._

A drop of water dripped onto the photo and, for a moment, Shirou hadn't even realized he had started crying.

He flinched when a surprisingly soft hand patted him on the shoulder. "She told me to tell you to meet her once you've become stronger." The man said, chuckling to himself. ""I can't fawn over my baby boy forever" I believe were her words."

Shirou didn't respond.

"I've said my piece," The man said, turning to leave. Even though Shirou couldn't see it, he could tell the man was smirking. However, it was only after taking a few steps that the man stopped. "Oh yeah." He looked over his shoulder, drawing a card from his pocket and throwing it in Shirou's direction, Shirou catching it with Devil reflexes between his middle and index fingers. "I can't imagine it's very fun being all asymmetrical like that, so drop by my place if you're ever interested in getting a new arm. I have this invention that I've just been _dying_ to try on someone."

Shirou looked down at the businesss card, making out an address through blurry vision. He turned back to the picture, staring for a moment before wiping his eyes on his arm.

BZZZZZZZZZT!

He felt his cellphone ringing in his pocket.

BZZZZZZZZZT!

He wanted to ignore it, to keep staring at the image in his hand and the only thing it could have meant.

BZZZZZZZZZT!

...but the world wouldn't stop for his personal whims. At the very least, he could have silenced his phone for just a little longer.

He pulled his cellphone from his pocket, his eyes widening slightly at the caller ID.

 _Kiyome_

He had almost completely forgotten about the events that had transpired before the final battle against Kokabiel. He had told Kiyome to leave the city for her safety in the event they failed to prevent what likely would have been the complete devastation of Kuoh Town. There had been so much on his mind that he had yet to give her the "all clear" to come back.

He sighed, accepting the call.

[WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!?]

Shirou felt himself almost go deaf for a moment, nothing but a high-pitched whistle being heard. He picked his ear with his pinkie, wincing in pain. "H-Hey, Kiyome..."

[Finally! I was trying to call you all night!]

"What...?"

[Akeno picked up the phone last night and told me you were in critical condition!]

"She did what!?" Shirou made a mental note to have a talk with Akeno. She shouldn't have worried Kiyome unnecessarily like that.

"Shirou!"

 _"Shirou-chin!"_

Shirou turned his head to face Akeno and Kuroka as they approached, curious looks on their faces as they noticed the tears streaming down the sides of his face. Akeno looked...worried. About _him_. He looked from them to the picture in his hands.

[Shirou? Hello?]

Shirou blinked for a moment, looking as though something just became clear.

[Is everything alright? What happened!?]

Shirou looked at Akeno, Kuroka's furry form riding on her shoulder.

"Babe, do I have a helluva story to tell _you_."

A large smile broke across his tear-stained face.

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** A New Member! Time to Celebrate!

* * *

 **And, like that, the Excalibur Arc is over. That's right. The Mikoto Fujimura you all knew is dead.**

 **Not taking that back. :P...So take that.**

 **In other news, I'm going to be receiving a commission real soon of Shirou's Balance Breaker, so I'm really excited! You can view a sketch in Shirou's image gallery on his wikia page.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	43. Chapter 38: A New Member!

**Now for the transition into the Peace Treaty Arc! Get ready world for some serious shit about to go down!**

 **Disclaimer: I'm just going to go out on a record and say I don't own a damned thing besides Shirou. High School DxD, High School DxD New, High School DxD BorN, and all related media are the property of Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Funimation, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the official release!**

* * *

 **Chapter 38: A New Member! Time to Celebrate!**

Shirou wasn't quite sure how he kept ending up in situations like this. All he knew was that Lady Luck enjoyed rubbing him in her buttcrack.

That's the only way he could have ended up between Irina Shidou and Xenovia on the way to the airport to drop the former off.

He had been half-asleep that morning when he had gotten a phone call from Xenovia, asking him to accompany her "for reasons". He had had to fight off Kuroka's arm draped over him just so he could reach the phone resting on the nightstand. If Shirou had been any more conscious, he probably would have put more thought into his answer before agreeing. Any thought at all, really, would have helped him realize that agreeing was a very, very, very, VERY stupid choice. It hadn't occurred to him that Xenovia, in fact, had the brains and mental capacity necessary to use him as a buffer between her and her friend/former comrade. Xenovia deliberately sat him in-between the two in the taxi on the way to the airport.

The sharp glares from Irina had not gone unnoticed nor had he missed how Xenovia occasionally looked around him to glance at her.

And he was stuck in-between them, forced to hold the sealed urn containing Valper Galilei's ashes between his legs.

Overall, a shit morning.

The Mexican Stand-Off once they had reached their destination hardly helped.

The secure case carrying the cores of the four destroyed Excaliburs were in the process of being loaded onto the plane. All that remained was to say goodbye.

Something both girls seemed to find difficult.

Shirou had handed off the urn to airport workers subordinate to the Vatican (turns out they had operatives at every known base of transportation) to be taken away.

He stood off to the side, arms crossed behind his head as he tried to give the girls space while using said time to continue pondering why the fuck he had thought this was a good idea.

"You have all four of the destroyed Excaliburs' cores." Xenovia said to Irina. "There should be no problem forging those cores into new Holy Swords. At this point, they only have to get the alchemists to take care of that for them." Xenovia's expression didn't change even after Irina's displeasure showed on her face. "Irina, you should be very proud. You accomplished your mission."

"Oh yes, I know," Irina replied dispassionately. "I just wish you did it with me."

Xenovia nodded. "Yeah, I feel that way too."

Irina bit her lower lip, averting her eyes before turning to Xenovia with a sharp look. "Tell me why!" She demanded. "Why did you let yourself be reborn as a Devil?!"

It was only at that point that Shirou realized something was up. "Wait...Devil?" Shirou glanced at Xenovia, the girl looking as if she noticed something.

"Oh, that's right. I didn't tell you." Xenovia said, realization on her face. "After our conversation, the other day, I was approached by Rias Gremory and offered her my services as her Devil servant. I gave prior notice to the Church that I would be leaving, so the timing worked out perfectly for me."

"WHAT!?" Shirou wasn't quite sure _how_ he felt. He didn't despise Xenovia's mere existence as he once had, but it was awkward to immediately jump from mutual murderous intent to official comrades. Overall, he would have preferred to have had at least a few months to prepare for such an announcement for even then he wasn't sure he would have been fully prepared for this.

"Don't pretend you didn't know!" Irina snapped, all of her anger and frustration suddenly turning on Shirou. She pointed an accusing finger at him. "This is _your_ fault!"

"My fault!?" Shirou snapped, insulted. As usual, Irina Shidou never failed to piss him off. "I wasn't the dipshit who went and made being a Christian difficult by revealing God was _dea-MMPH_!" Xenovia smacked her knuckles against Shirou's nose, a soft _crackle_ indicating she did not hesitate to shut someone up. At first, he shot her a piercing glare, but when his eyes met hers, he couldn't help but sense a message along the lines of "I'll explain later". Being a patient person, Shirou obliged, focusing on stemming the flow of blood from his broken nose while also resetting it. "Anyway, why is it my fault?"

"My childhood friend...and now my comrade..." Irina's hateful look was as though she saw Shirou as the source of all evil in the world. "I won't forgive Devils like you, drawing people onto your path..." She clenched her fists, clearly resisting the urge to say or do anything that could cause the second Great War she had come to Japan solely to prevent. "I can't understand why the Church would simply accept it like they did too! Do you know what you are!? You're a traitor...!"

"Whoa whoa whoa! Back the truck up a sec!" Shirou interjected. "So, Xenovia, your friend, has the first independent thought in her entire life...so she's a traitor? She doesn't want to be some lapdog to the organization that treats your lives as disposable, so she's a traitor? Do you realize how insane that is?"

"She became a Devil!" Irina argued as if that meant something.

"So what?!" Shirou argued back. "I thought she was your friend, but you seem disturbingly alright with discarding anyone who doesn't agree with you!"

Irina's eyes flashed dangerously. Shirou was certain that, if they weren't in a public place and if Irina had been holding a sword in her hand, she would have lunged for his heart. "I don't want to hear that from a lowly sinning demon like you." Her voice became so cold that even Shirou felt a shiver go down his spine. "I've heard about who you are during my stay in this town and it's only now that I finally realize they're all true. You're nothing but a beast who takes away everything precious to people."

"...Go fuck yourself." Shirou flipped Irina the bird, returning her hateful look as his insides began to boil with anger. Being judged by someone like her pissed him off to no end. For a moment, he had actually _hoped_ she would pick a fight just so he could beat her into the dirt.

That was when he saw it.

The tears in her eyes as she glanced at Xenovia, the look of sadness.

While it didn't excuse her behavior, her frustration had more than one origin.

Even if she was angry, she was still saying goodbye to her friend forever.

For that reason alone, Shirou bit his tongue, holding back all of the curses and spiteful comments he wanted to spit at her.

Irina turned away, her shoulders shaking as she left, resisting the urge to look back.

All that left was an awkward atmosphere.

Shirou didn't like it.

"SO..." Shirou said after he and Xenovia stood there in mutual silence. "...what's this now?"

Xenovia sighed, an odd expression on her face. "Ultimately, I decided not to return to the Church with Irina, as I said." She said. "After I cut ties with the Church, I told Irina. I couldn't properly explain the reason why I left-"

"Because God's de-" Shirou paused, looking in the direction Irina had disappeared in before turning back to Xenovia. "-Because God's dead?"

"Yes," Xenovia confirmed. "My faith was more flexible than Irina's to begin with, so I was able to survive the shock. If she found out, the truth would destroy her."

"I get it." Shirou said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Still, it kind of sucks to have a bitter ending like this."

"..."

"..."

"...Dog?"

"Hm?"

"I think I might be sick."

"Really?" Shirou raised a brow. Xenovia didn't look pale or green, but there was a look of unease on her face. What really confused him was the fact Xenovia had told him. "Why?"

Xenovia looked off to the side. "Ever since I became a Devil and realized I would never be able to see Irina again, I got this painful feeling in my heart and a nauseous feeling in my stomach." She explained, rubbing her belly. "I think it might be either heart disease or some kind of stomach virus."

There was another silence as Shirou stared blankly at Xenovia. "You're joking?"

"No, I don't believe I told a joke."

"No!" Shirou shook his head, taking a moment to properly vocalize his next thought. "...I mean, that's not why you're feeling terrible right now."

"It's not?"

"Of course not!" Shirou snapped. "You're just _sad_ because the first person you were ever able to properly call "friend" is now your enemy and now you'll never see each other again unless you happen to cross blades..."

Xenovia lowered her head. "Oh..." She raised her head again, staring at Shirou. "Does it always feel like this to lose someone close to you? Is this why you cried when your mother's copy died?"

"..." Thankfully, the shock was great enough that the sanity in Shirou's brain had enough time to calmly take that question in stride. "You know, if I didn't know that was an honest, innocent question that wasn't _intended_ to wring my heart like wet laundry, I would be grinding every one of your bones into my bread right now."

"Cannibalism?"

"A reference."

"What does that taste like?"

Shirou face-palmed, his hostility replaced by disbelief. "...Ugh...I can't help but feel that being comrades with you is going to be more tiresome than being enemies with you."

"...It's not a good feeling." Xenovia sighed.

"Yeah..." Shirou agreed, closing his eyes. He cracked one eye open to glance at Xenovia. "You doin' alright?"

"Considering I lost both the only person I was close enough to even remotely refer to as my "friend" and I have properly been declared a "heretic" by the Church," Xenovia said, pausing, "...not bad."

"What?"

The look on Xenovia's face appeared to be conflicted again. "It's strange. I'm sad about leaving the Church, but I have this strange feeling in my chest. Like, I'm no longer bound to anything...It's like..."

"Freedom?" Shirou guessed. "After being forced to follow a strict way of life, this has got to feel weird, deciding things for yourself I mean."

"Despite the fact we were originally enemies, Rias Gremory welcomed me as your comrade with open arms." Xenovia said. "I guess it's fitting since we're fellow heretics now."

SLAP

Shirou smacked Xenovia on the back of the head, staring with half-lidded eyes. "First of all, you're a Devil now. Stop thinking of the world in terms of black and white. If you'd seen the stuff we have, you would know the world is colored in shades of gray. None of this "Heretic" stuff." Shirou suggested informatively. "You want to fit in, you have to stop thinking of people as beneath you. Otherwise, you end up pissing them off. Remember how me and Issei reacted when you threatened to kill Asia when you and Irina first met with us?"

"Yes..." Much to Shirou's surprise, she actually showed a hint of shame.

"Well, you can't do stuff like that anymore." Shirou said, wagging a finger at her. "You make people feel as bad as you do right now when you do things like that." He felt as though he were scolding a child which, in essence, Xenovia was. She was taught to live according to a schedule, a programming of sort. From what Xenovia had said, Irina appeared to have been the only person she associated with on a regular basis. Not a very large variety of influences in her life.

"I think..." Xenovia said after a moment of silence, "I think I understand."

"Rias is holding a club meeting later." Shirou scratched his head. "It's been a few days since the battle with Kokabiel and everyone's recovered from the fighting. The campus is just about finished with reconstruction. We're definitely going to need to talk about what happens next. If you want to make amends with everyone and start on a more positive note with your new comrades, that would be the time to do-so." He turned to leave, taking a few steps before Xenovia spoke again.

"But...would they really accept me that easily?"

Shirou paused.

"Of course."

"...How do you know?"

Shirou turned his head, giving a soft smirk. "They accepted an asshole like me. You shouldn't have too many problems."

He left her with those words.

* * *

"Come ooooonnnn..."

Shirou pressed the button on the vending machine again and again. He had given the machine what little pocket change he had and he had received nothing in return.

"Don't you do this...! Why do vending machines always do this to me!?" Shirou jabbed the button with his thumb over and over again. "I do _not_ need this right now! Grrrr! _Just give me my damned soda_!"

CRASH!

He punched the button in a frustrated fit, his fist crashing straight through it. He only realized what he had done after pulling his fist away, smoking pouring out of the huge hole he had created. "Oh...Whoops..." He blinked when the machine started to tremble, shaking violently as heavy weights appeared to drop towards the bottom. The deposit area appeared to be especially quaking. "Oh shit."

BADADADADADADADA!

Hell, in the form of a few hundred aluminum cans shot out of the machine with the speed of a machine gun. The first can caught Shirou by surprise, smacking him right in the forehead. The second hit him in the chest. The third one hit him in his arm. The rest spewed out significantly faster, hitting with enough concentration and force to send him flying back into the wall behind him, burying him under a mountain of multi-colored labels and damaged aluminum cans leaking sticky juices and sodas on him.

"And so, the Demon King of Kuoh met his end," A mature voice teased as a figure stepped out of the shadows, "felled by soft drinks." No matter how many times he saw her, Shirou couldn't quite get over how Kalawarner's maid outfit clashed with her personality. She smiled softly, extending her hand to the boy buried in metal. "Glad to see you've retained your clumsiness, Young Master."

"I'm not clumsy!" Shirou argued, his cheeks flushing red in embarrassment. "I'm..." He pursed his lips. "I'm elegance-challenged."

Kalawarner rolled her eyes. "Right." Shirou clicked his tongue in response, reaching out and grasping her hand, pulling himself out of the pile of cans. He shivered as spring winds blew against his body, chilling his wet body and increasing the stickiness of the liquid that covered him. "I was a little worried that you would be suffering debilitation on account of your injuries, but you and everyone else have completely recovered from the fighting."

"I could say the same about you." Shirou licked some of the juice dripping from his fingertips, his eyes half-lidded as he smacked his lips, analyzing the taste before spitting off to the side. "You've been such a ghost since the battle that I've actually been feeling a little worried about you. I mean, I still don't know what's going on between the three powers after what Cockhead did. What've you been up to? Considering everything that's happened and my club president's general personality, it might seem suspicious if you don't give an explanation."

It was only then that the playful expression vanished from her face, replaced by bitter solemnness.

Not a good sign.

"L-Look, I was just kidding, Kalawarner!" Shirou said, raising his hands in surrender. "You've been our comrade for a while now! Rias, me, and the others would never suspect you of anything! We all know it's _Kokabiel_ who's the asshole!"

However, the Fallen Angel shook her head. "No, it's not that, Young Master." It was only when he got a look at her that a sinking feeling appeared in Shirou's gut. "I was busy...taking care of Mikoto's...well, her copy's affairs, getting them in order."

Finally understanding the cause of the melancholic atmosphere, Shirou's face became solemn. "I see..." He sighed. "Did she tell you to do that?"

Kalawarner nodded. "Yes. She knew she would vanish soon, so she had me make preparations beforehand and..." Kalawarner paused, realizing her slip of the tongue at the same time Shirou did, his eyes going wide.

"Wait...you _knew_ she was dying?" A thousand thoughts ran through Kalawarner's mind at the accusatory-sounding question, excuses as to what she said, explanations, countless apologies that involved throwing herself at his feet. However, these thoughts went out the window when Shirou sighed, shaking his head. "That woman...She knew all this time she would disappear and she couldn't at least give me some kind of heads-up. I'm going to slap her one when I meet her again. I hope she didn't make you go through too much trouble, Kalawarner."

Kalawarner blinked. She had heard wrong, is what she thought. "Um...you _AREN'T_ upset with me, Young Master?"

"No," Shirou raised a brow, "why would I be? Because you knew she was disappearing soon? I mean, if you had stuck the knife in yourself, it would be a completely different issue, but you were doing what you thought was best at the time by obeying Ka-san's orders. I don't fault you for any of that."

"Young Master...Shirou..." Again, she recalled the reasons she had always been awed and admiring of Shirou Fujimura.

"So how bad was it?" Shirou asked, leaning back in his seat. "The actual property was rented in her name. Even if Rias footed the bill and remodeled, I still don't own it. I could ask Rias to buy the property, but I don't feel right asking her family for more than the generous things they've already given me. God knows I can't afford it, even if I were to get some kind of part-time job. It would take like a few decades to pay off that kind of debt."

"There's no need to worry, Young Master. The debt is already paid." Shirou turned his head towards his Fallen Angel maid as she pulled out a stack of forms from between her breasts. "Mikoto, she...she arranged things so that, in the event of her "death", you would be taken care of. An emergency trust placed in the care of an unnamed individual...I can't make out the name because it has, unfortunately, been redacted. It was put in place so that the property would immediately be purchased in your name with all expenses paid for at least several years. That would be plenty of time for you to graduate from college."

"So she's been preparing to die for several years now...?" Shirou wondered aloud, his eyes showing a hint of sadness.

"B-But, that's not all there is!" Kalawarner said, shaking her head in a panic. "There are also several other things, items that...well...they aren't things common to the mundane world if you know what I mean?"

"Hardcore porn?"

"No."

"An album of my crossdressing days as Shiroko?"

"No, but she did stash away something like that a long time ago."

"Damn, I'll have to find and burn it later…lets see uh…Kiryuu's panties!"

"Wha-!? No, why would she even-!?"

"Kiyome's panties that I secretly stashed in my drawer after that one time she forgot them in my room?"

"No! Wait you did what?"

"Don't check through my sock drawer." Shirou said seriously before whistling, "Well was it a picture of me rubbing a black pussy?"

"Rubbing a _what_!?" Kalawarner gasped.

"You know my black pussy cat. I usually pet her sometimes." Shirou shrugged.

"No! I-...was that a sex joke?" Kalawarner blinked. "Huh, clever-Anyway! These are items more on the magical side of the world. Nothing of legends really, but tools that would only be released in her will in the event your fate became intertwined with the world of the supernatural." Kalawarner skimmed through the many documents and files in her hands, staring curiously. "If nothing else, Mikoto was thorough. There are wills prepared for quite literally every remotely plausible situation in here. She even had a will for the case in which she died from the plague or space exposure."

Shirou sighed. "That's Ka-san for you..."

Kalawarner stared worriedly at him. "Are you...okay, Young Master?"

"Peachy." Shirou replied without too much venom. "I'm coping, I'm trying to get over it, but I just don't get why she couldn't have just told me."

"Perhaps there just wasn't a right time." Kalawarner suggested. "I mean, how do you just decide to tell your own child that you're going to die in a few years due to being a duplicated existence?" She made a good point, but that didn't stop Shirou from feeling deeply unhappy about it.

"I suppose..." Shirou turned to Kalawarner to change the subject. "So, these magic items, what are they?"

Kalawarner shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't know. They're being cleared by the Mage Association that was placed in charge over guarding them in order to be packaged and shipped back here through magical channels. We'll just have to wait and see." Kalawarner clapped her hands together, forcing on the widest smile she possibly could. "Now! What do you say we return to the- _your_ new house so that we may whip up some breakfast, Young Master?"

""My house"...?" Shirou repeated quietly to himself. "My house...?" The unease showed plainly on his face, lasting only until Shirou noticed Kalawarner was staring, causing him to snap out of it. "I-I'm fine." He shook his head. "Anyway, no thanks, Kalawarner, I don't want to see _my_ house. With only me and you there, there wouldn't be much point. I think we should actually be getting ready for the big meeting. Rias and the others will be waiting."

The way he moved, as though he couldn't wait to get out of there, Kalawarner didn't miss it.

However, she did nothing as Shirou turned his back to her, choosing to walk away.

"Young Master..."

* * *

"If you have something to say, say it." Shirou groaned out.

He sat on the end of the couch, leaning back in his seat tiredly. It was hard for him not to notice everyone staring at him. He tried to ignore it, but it quickly became obvious that they were _trying_ to get him to notice.

The group was still gathering together. They were only waiting on Issei and Asia.

Rias, Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko sat around the room while Xenovia leaned against the wall, waiting. She and Shirou regarded one another with a nod when he had entered the room, but there wasn't much discussion going on. Shirou didn't quite want to broach the reason why she was wearing the 2nd year uniform for the girls. Kalawarner took her place at Shirou's side, standing in a manner similar to how she had when she had served Doppel Mikoto directly.

"We were..." Rias exchanged looks with Akeno, as if asking for a green light, "...just worried about you. I mean, you were with Akeno and K-" Her eyes darted to Koneko for a brief moment before immediately flashing back to Shirou "-and we haven't seen much of you since Kokabiel's defeat. We just wanted to see whether or not-"

"I was still sane?" Shirou guessed. "That I hadn't been taken over by the ancient Japanese warlord who's sleeping in my head? Well, just so you know, it's still me."

"I was going to ask whether or not you were alright..." Rias finished, blinking. "But that's good to know too. What I mean is...you haven't really talked to us since Fujimura-san died."

"She's not dead, Rias." Shirou said bluntly. "I don't mean that in a denial kind of way. I mean that she is literally not dead. She sent me a letter just the other day. I'm fine. Really."

"OK." Rias said calmly, seemingly spacing out. "That's good."

Another long silence.

"But just to make sure, you _haven't_ had any further trouble with Nobunaga, right?" Kiba added, earning sharp looks from the other club members. "I mean, obviously, you have control now with no problems, but has he tried taking over since then?" He only realized his big mistake after noticing the downtrodden look on Shirou's face. "Oh...Sorry."

"It's fine." Shirou let out a heavy sigh, turning away. "I...I know I caused a lot of trouble for you guys," He said, turning to face the others, his eyes resting for a bit longer when he looked at Akeno, "some of you more than others. I have this _thing_ inside of me and I don't think this is the first time he's reared his ugly head. Always when I was at my weakest, when I was heavily wounded or mentally fragile, I would always lose control. When I think back on it, I don't think this is the first time that bastard's tried to jack my body from my control. Back when I fought Eliade, I barely remembered anything I had done to her until you guys showed up. Even now, those memories are just one big blur. After everything that's happened, I can't blame you guys for being cautious. If you feel it's necessary for me to leave so I don't endanger everyone again, I won't put up a fight if you choose to kick me out of the group."

It was only then that the atmosphere became awkward, everyone staring at Shirou as if he had just grown a second head and had started believing it was his long-lost Siamese twin brother rather than a sudden, violent mutation.

Rias scoffed. "What are you talking about Shirou?" Everyone's expressions mirrored hers. "You lost control, but you came back just as quickly before something happened. After what you displayed, we need to keep you close at all times in case you lose control again." She smiled elegantly, her pride showing on her face. "We can't abandon our valuable club member to his own madness!"

Koneko beat her fist into her hand, nodding as she revealed her tail and ears. "If Senpai loses control, I'll beat him up until he goes back to normal."

"Shirou, you saved each of us at least once," Kiba reasoned. "It's not like we would just say "Thanks for the help, now scram". You're our friend."

Kalawarner bowed respectfully. "I will always be by your side, Young Master." However, she smirked mischievously for a moment before her expression returned to normal. "While alienating you from all potential rivals would be a boon in my favor, I have no desire to see you in sorrow."

"You guys..."

"Shirou." Shirou turned his head as a gently hand grasped his, turning to look Akeno in her eye. She had a knowing look on her face, refusing to withdraw her grasp on Shirou's hand. "You will never be left alone. I will always be by your side."

Shirou felt his own face heat up. "Akeno..." It made him feel weird, her staring at him with an admiring and affectionate look.

"You mean _we_ won't leave him alone," Kiba asked, raising a brow with a small smile on his face.

Akeno smiled slightly. "Hm?"

"You said "I"."

"Ara ara! Did I?"

"Wow, Akeno, I can't remember the last time you did that "ara ara" laugh." Rias noted, rubbing her chin. "It's actually a little weird hearing it again."

And that was when the door to the room opened.

"Hey, guys!" Issei said as he walked into the room with Asia, noticing the oddly warm atmosphere in the room. "...Uh, what did I miss?"

"N-Nothing!" Shirou said quickly, looking away.

"Are you blushing?"

"Issei, if you make me go through this again, I _will_ break your pretty little face."

Issei immediately stiffened as an aura of malice surrounded Shirou. "Soooo-"

"Hey, Sekiryuutei." Xenovia greeted before Issei could change the subject.

"Hey, Xenovia," Issei greeted without paying much attention. Everyone stared, waiting for several seconds until Issei's eyes went wide. "Wait-Xenovia!? W-Why are you here?!"

Rias smiled at her Pawn's question. "She's the newest Knight of the House of Gremory."

"Wait, she's your new Knight?!" Issei asked, his eyes widening.

"I was as surprised as you were." Shirou chipped in in order to soften the blow. He chuckled before patting the blue-haired girl on the shoulder. "The girl who formerly wanted nothing more than to shove a sword in our backs is now our legend-wielding new best friend. Say hi, Xenovia!"

"Hi." Xenovia said, taking the request too literally. She crossed her arms, looking contemplative, a pair of wings spreading behind her back. Devil wings. "After learning of God's death, I was lost for a while, but, after some thought, I decided to become a Devil under Rias Gremory." That about summed things up.

Rias laughed mirthfully. "It'll be nice adding the Durandal-user to our ranks. With this, you and Kiba will be the sword fighters covering our left and right flanks." She wagged her finger between her two Knights and Shirou. "If you count Shirou's Sacred Gear, that makes a total of three swordsman, both Holy, Demonic, and in-between." She didn't notice how Shirou turned away uncomfortably.

"And I transferred to Kuoh Academy as a 2nd Year Student," Xenovia added, phasing back into the conversation. "I start as soon as the main building is repaired. I'm in the same class as Issei, Asia, and the Dog."

"Will you stop calling me that?!" Shirou snapped, narrowing his eyes. "I thought you said you wanted to be friends!"

"Yes," Xenovia confirmed, talking with a cute tone despite her horribly incompatible stoic face, "but I got so used to calling you that that I can't seem to stop. I hope we can all still get along."

"Huh?" Issei wondered eloquently.

Shirou stared. "Xenovia, hun?" Xenovia turned to him. "What the fuck was that?"

Xenovia sighed. "My goal was to mimic Irina, but I just didn't quite get it right."

Issei crossed his arms into an "X". "Never. Do that. Again." He said. "So, are you sure this is what you wanted?"

"I already told you. Without God, I had lost my meaning." Xenovia explained. "For someone like me, simply living normally as most humans would is impossible, so I was stuck between returning to the Church and becoming a Devil. It was a difficult Church, the first real choice I ever had to make in my entire life since I first joined the Church. If I had been left to my own devices, I probably would have been driven mad trying to determine my own answer to this problem." She gave an acknowledging glance at Shirou. "Whether or not it was the right decision, I cannot turn back now. I turned away from everything I believed in to become one of the same Devils who had once been my enemy, but, even for a Maou's sister, Rias Gremory has been more than hospitable towards me..." She frowned. "I feel like I made the right decision, but there's so much doubt..." She clasped her hands in prayer before they could stop her. "Please help me, Oh Lord-Uwaah!" She cringed in pain, grasping her head in pain.

.

.

.

"Anyone else getting an odd sense of deja vu?" Issei asked as he watched Xenovia recover from the attack by Heaven for invoking God's name. "Anyway, what happened to Irina?"

"You mean the new Bitch Queen?" Shirou spat bitterly with spiteful eyes. "Dropped her off at the airport earlier today."

"You know, I get she was a bit...much," Issei said after some thought, "but she wasn't _that_ bad."

"Well, maybe if you learned to judge girls by their attitudes rather their breasts, you wouldn't feel that way." He paused, noting Issei's stare. "I'm just gonna...go wait over here." Shirou stepped out of the way, uncomfortable with everyone staring at him. "You tell'em the story, Xen."

For a moment, there was silence.

"...Xenovia?"

The blue-haired girl blinked. "Yes?"

"I was talking to you."

"You called me "Xen"."

"Yes," Shirou agreed, sighing in exhaustion, "that is my way of giving you a nickname."

"Like how I call you "Dog"?"

"...Just-Just tell the story damn you."

And so Xenovia did. She told the rest of the Occult Research Club about her parting of the ways with Irina and how she had returned the Excaliburs to the Church in Irina's care.

"...I even gave back Excalibur Destruction just to be safe. There are plenty of Excalibur-wielders, but they should have no problem with me keeping Durandal for the time-being." Xenovia finished. "As for me, I am now a dangerous person for finding out the truth about something I shouldn't have. As it turns out, I had already been declared a heretic even before becoming a Devil. Even if I had decided to go back, there was no future for me, who had been excommunicated for this reason." It was then that Xenovia turned to face Asia. "I owe you an apology. If there is no God, then there is no hope of salvation or love, so I am very sorry. The things I said to you were wrong and hurtful. You may hit me if it'll make you feel better."

"U-Um, no thank you," Asia said meekly.

"For a Holy Sword user who should be respected being cast out for knowing the truth...it's changing the way I look at everything." Xenovia said, lowering her head. "I can't get their treatment of me out of my head...I must have made you feel the same way."

"Xenovia..." Asia shook her head, smiling softly. "Don't feel bad. In case you can't tell, I'm actually very satisfied here. Even though I'm a Devil now, I've never felt more blessed. I've met so many people who mean so much to me. I've never been happier before in my whole life."

Issei rubbed his eyes, mumbling something about a speck of dust as he was blinded by Asia's pure soul.

The former Exorcist stared at Asia for several moments, in confusion at first. Then shock. Then awe.

"I see...Oh, and I had a favor I wanted to ask of you."

"What is it?"

"I would really appreciate it if you could show me around the school sometime." The way Xenovia's expression changed, it was far different from the cold, vicious girl they had known when they first met.

Shirou dared not voice the thought, but, without the thought of God ruling her life, Xenovia seemed far happier than she had been before.

Xenovia turned to Kiba. "Also, if it wouldn't be too big of a deal, I wouldn't mind testing my Durandal against your Holy Devil Sword."

"I was thinking the same thing."

The look the two exchanged was one only a person with a swordsman's pride would have been able to appreciate, but it was something that even Shirou could tell was powerful.

Letting out a sigh, Shirou turned to Rias. "So, what's next now that Kokabiel's iced and the Excaliburs have been returned?"

The air in the room went down a few degrees, Rias's warm, charming smile becoming much calmer and more serious. "Now we have more work ahead of us. After the incident, had been resolved, the Church made contact with the Maous to discuss the incident and how to deal with the Fallen Angels concerning Kokabiel's actions." Rias glanced at Kalawarner when the Fallen Angel shuffled nervously. "Naturally, I included that one of the Fallen Angels' own members was a major player in the resolution of the incident, so they will take that into consideration. Our side also received apologies from the Church for them having originally let Valper get away."

"Makes sense." Shirou said. "Kokabiel wouldn't have gotten so far with the Excaliburs if it hadn't been for that dirtbag..." He scratched his cheek. "Still, it's surprising to hear that the Church could choke down their religious zeal long enough to give a real apology."

"Well, their apology was filled with a lot of offensive remarks regarding our unholy nature and something about Hellfire etc etc," Rias admitted, "but they still apologized nonetheless so we still take that as a victory to rub in their faces. It helps that, even if they reported otherwise, they knew _we_ were the ones who had the larger hand in retrieving the Excaliburs rather than their operatives sent to our town. The truth about this incident was sent to the other two sides by the viceroy of the Fallen Angels, Azazel. According to him, the theft of the Excalibur was an action taken by Kokabiel only without the knowledge or consent of the other leaders. He planned to break the tension between the three sides in order to start a new war." Rias turned to Kalawarner. "Kalawarner, you're a Fallen Angel, so you would know your members better than me. Would you presume this to be the truth? The Fallen Angel Governor has been known to have an avid interest in bringing Sacred Gear-users to his side en masse."

Kalawarner shook her head. "I admit, I have only met Azazel-sama a few times in person. I normally received orders from other leaders, but, from what I gather, he is a rather laid-back person. He has no interest in war though that is only my view on the matter."

Rias nodded, taking this into account. "There's to be a meeting between the representatives of the Angels, Fallen Angels, and the Devils. The Fallen Angel Governor seems to have something to say regarding the previous incident. While it's natural that Azazel would apologize for Kokabiel's actions, I can't help but feel suspicious."

It was the natural reaction. To have a meeting involving major figures in the three factions of Christian Mythology so soon after what had almost been a catastrophic incident was bound to raise tensions even though the three sides had yet to officially break off their centuries-long armistice. At the same time, it would have been far worse than if Azazel had chosen not to properly address the incident.

"We were also invited to that meeting. We have to report about the incident at the meeting because we were involved."

It was that statement that grabbed everyone's attention.

"Are you serious!?" Issei exclaimed.

"Yes," Rias said, putting her fingers together at her mouth as she contemplated, "Onii-sama in particular said he desired to meet "the Oda Clan's heir"."

Shirou's blood ran cold.

The Maou, Sirzechs Lucifer, Rias Gremory's older brother. He was considered to be the strongest Lucifer and was one of the most powerful Devils alive as well as a major leader on the Devils' side.

...and he wanted to meet Shirou.

"You don't have to act so tense." Shirou hadn't even realized how panicked he appeared to his friends, quickly taking a deep breath. "Onii-sama is one of our leaders, but he's also a very kind person. I doubt he has any bad intentions towards you. It's probably because you were the one who defeated Kokabiel."

"You mean "Nobunaga"." Shirou pointed out, scratching his head. "I defeated Kokabiel because I was possessed by an evil spirit who subsequently turned his powers against you guys. It's just as likely that he's concerned about my less-than-stable power." Nobody noticed how he averted his eyes at his own words. "It's just as likely that he wants to discern my current state, whether or not I'll end up becoming Nobunaga again, to determine whether or not I should be locked up."

SMACK!

"Ow!" Shirou rubbed the bump on the back of his head, courtesy of Issei.

"You're depressing me!" Issei barked with an annoyed look on his face. "You're yourself and nobody else. You ever think about leaving and I'll hit you again, so stop moping about what you think "might" happen."

Shirou scratched his cheek, looking bashful. "Sorry..."

"And stop apologizing, dammit! You make me look like the bad guy!" Issei grumbled, shaking his head. He turned to Rias. "So, each side is sending representatives...is the Vanishing Dragon one of them?

"He's on the Fallen Angels' side, I believe," Rias answered. "One of the Longinus-possessors and the fourth strongest fighter. His power surpasses yours at this point in time, so it's a little worrying."

Issei lowered his face.

The Vanishing Dragon, the youth whom they knew only as Vali, the rival of Issei who was the current possessor of the Welsh Dragon. Kuroka probably knew more about him than they did, but she wasn't talking.

So many powers were about to gather in their town for a meeting that could decide the course of the entire future.

"I guess we should just take our current victory and be happy about it. Valper and Freed are dead, the Excaliburs were destroyed, Kiba's not going Stray, Kokabiel's been 86'd, and we have the Durandal-wielder as our newest comrade. It came at a cost, but..." Shirou let out a sigh of exhaustion. "...I'm just glad it's all finally over."

"Oh, no it's not!" Issei said, grinning as he draped a hand over Shirou's shoulder, much to his confusion.

"It's not?" Shirou blinked.

"Don't you remember?" Issei asked. "We still have one thing left to do!"

"...Huh?"

* * *

It was painful.

Every agony before that point didn't compare to the suffering he felt in that moment.

His eardrums were bleeding from the horrid noise piercing his eardrums.

No pain thus far could ever compare to the musical accompaniment of Matsuda and Motohama in the Karaoke room.

And yet Shirou never enjoyed himself more.

Being good wasn't the point. If anything, it was seeing how badly they botched amazing songs that made Karaoke so much fun.

Issei had arranged this event over the course of the Excalibur Incident, deciding it was something to do once the situation had been resolved. Xenovia was busy settling in, Rias and Akeno were off shopping while Kalawarner could not accompany them due to the suspicious implications of an adult woman accompanying several underage children to a small, closed room. Kiyome still hadn't picked up Shirou's calls, so she was in the wind. Barring them, everyone in the Occult Research Club was president with the addition of Kiryuu, Matsuda, and Motohama.

It was a blast!

...Well, it _had been_ until everyone made a major decision.

"Come ooooon, Shirou, it's your turn!" Kiryuu taunted, smirking maliciously as she poked him in the cheek with the mic. Everyone had turned their gazes on him, not trying very hard to hide their amused expressions at the thought of him singing. "Everyone else had a turn, so now it's yours. You lost your arm fighting that bear, not your voice~"

"No no," Shirou said, sweating as he nudged the mic away, still unable to figure out how they fell for such an obvious lie. It probably had to do with Devil hypnosis. That was the only way they should have been able to stay straight-faced after Shirou explained away his severed arm with "I lost it fighting a bear". "I'm really fine." He hissed from the corner of his mouth, "Issei, back me up here!"

A soft laugh escaped his lips. "Come on, buddy! Give it a shot!" Issei said, slapping Shirou playfully on the back.

"Traitor!"

"Go for it, Senpai."

"Shut up, shorty!"

"Come oooon, Kiyome likes a big, strong man, doesn't she?"

"Sod off, Ero-Glasses!"

"I think-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, KIBA!"

"Come on, Shirou-san! You just have too!"

"Not you too, Asia!"

He was too focused on trying to fight off their advances that he failed to notice that Matsuda and Motohama had stopped singing. He also failed to notice them right behind him until they grabbed his arms.

"Lemme go, assholes!" Shirou snapped. "I ain't doin' it!"

"Come on, buddy, you can't knock it til you try it!"

"Don't be a wuss!"

"I said "NO"!" Shirou said, blushing deeply as everyone's stare intensified. He broke free of their hold and crossed his arms. "I'm not singing and that's final!"

Realizing there was no more fighting his decision, everyone fell back into their seats, defeated.

"Party-pooper..." One of them muttered.

"Alright, that does it!" Shirou stood up from his seat and snatched the mic from Kiryuu, much to everyone's rising interest. "If it makes you so happy, I'll sing some stupid little song!" He puffed up his cheeks, turning away from the others as he walked over to the machine to pick his song. He managed to keep it together long enough to keep them from seeing the painfully suppressed smile on his face, his entire face trembling.

He had actually wanted to sing. It looked fun.

But he would have been looked at weirdly if he acted excited about it.

Shirou cycled through songs, trying to pick one he could sing without changing to a female voice. He was an excellent voice mimicker, but if he revealed his female voices in front of everybody, he dreaded the possibility of them drawing a connection between him and the mysterious School Idol "Shiroko Fujinuma", who had developed quite a cult following ever since the botched production of Romeo & Juliet (with a twist).

He continued searching through songs until he found one he was satisfied with, heaving a sigh before turning to face everybody.

The music started to play, but he paused when he faced them.

The smiling faces looking back at him...

His friends.

"Senpai...?" Koneko raised a brow, suddenly looking worried. "Is something wrong?"

Shirou smiled softly, shaking his head.

"I'm just really glad, ya know? That we can all keep being together like this..."

Everyone was stunned by the stunningly pure and bright smile that showed on Shirou's face.

"...Mmgh!" Kiryuu ruined the moment by coughing, staring in wide-eyed shock as blood dripped from her nose. She has an expression as though she had been punched in the face.

"K-Kiryuu, are you alright?!"

Kiryuu adjusted her glasses, stunned as blood drips from her chin. "That was..." A disturbingly bright and joyful smile appeared on her face, "SO CUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE!" Shirou's instincts warned him of the danger too slowly before Kiryuu lunged at him from the other side of the table. She laughed impishly, tickling Shirou's cheek with her finger. "Where's this Shirou Fujimura been hiding~? I bet if you showed Kiyome a face like that, she wouldn't be able to keep from digging in!"

"G-Get offa me!" Shirou whined, his smile gone, replaced by a frantic look as he struggled against Kiryuu's arms.

"Did _you_ _guys_ know he could smile like this?!" The stunned Kiryuu asked, pulling the corners of Shirou's mouth. "I sure didn't!"

"Stop pulling on my face!" Shirou demanded, his face flushed red.

"Well, Shirou acts like an asshole, but he's a pretty good guy."

"Shirou-san is just a shy person!"

"That does sound like him."

"A tsundere to the core!"

By that point, Shirou's face was steaming from everyone's pokes.

"Would you all just SHUT UP!"

It was some of the most fun he ever had...

* * *

Shirou took a sip from the soda provided to him by the man operating the soda fountain.

"Those guys..." His heart was still calming down from the stress of being around his friends.

"Having fun on your day-off?"

"JESUS CHRIST!" Shirou fell right out of his seat when Akeno appeared next to him. He shot her a glare. "Akeno, I swear to Dead-God I will get a restraining order if you don't stop doing that!"

"Relax, I'll only keep doing it until your frightened face stops being funny~" Akeno teased as if she had just told a joke. "You look like a bunny rabbit~"

Shirou fumed silently in response, accepting Akeno's outstretched hand to pull himself up. "What are you doing here anyway?" He said, letting out a small groan from the strain. "Weren't you out shopping with Buchou?"

"Yeah," Akeno said whimsically, smiling as she clasped her hands behind her back. It was only then that Shirou got a good look at her, noticing her attire was far different from the norm, "but I felt like coming here instead." She giggled when she noticed Shirou's spacey stare. "Is something wrong?"

She was wearing her hair down for the first time since they first met...excluding when they were au naturale for the sake of healing via skin-to-skin contact. Her hair rested above her shoulders. She wore a dark-red dress with short, white sleeves and a violet ribbon tied above her breast. It was the first time he had seen her dress in something other than her school uniform. Completely different from the Vice-President of the Occult Research Club, she looked like any other teenage girl you would see hanging out. She looked...

"You look normal..." Shirou mumbled out in a trance.

Akeno looked confused. "What?"

 _"Shit! You weren't supposed to say that aloud!"_ Shirou screamed inside his mind. He froze when he noticed Akeno staring at him. _"Quick, you fool! Say something to throw her off!"_ Shirou let out an uproarious laugh. "I was just saying the weather outside is so normal! Hahahaha!" He sighed mentally. _"Smoooooth, Shirou. Reeeaaal smooth."_

"Oooook..." Akeno paused for a moment, trying her best not to question the oddness of Shirou's behavior. "Well, what do you think? I thought that I should try something more casual since it's not related to school or the Occult Research Club..." She trailed off when she noticed Shirou was still staring. While expecting some kind of tease or joke of some sort, Shirou was thrown for a loop when Akeno frowned instead, looking a little down. "You hate it, don't you?"

"Huh!?" Shirou blinked. _"How the Hell did she jump to THAT conclusion?"_ He shook his head, remembering he had to speak his thoughts aloud. He couldn't keep from stuttering, starting to blush, "N-No! The opposite actually! I-I'm just...surprised. I mean, you look good-" He froze, realizing his error. "I-I mean y-you always looked good, but when you wear stuff like that, you look normal-No wait! I mean you look hot!...Wait! I mean-" After several more attempts at finding a proper way to voice his thoughts, Shirou hung his head. "Oh, God damn it..." He closed his eyes, waiting for "the tease" he had come to expect.

"That makes me happy."

"...Huh?" Shirou looked up, noticing not the lewd smile of a sadist who enjoyed cock-teasing him, but the bashful smile of a normal school girl. He couldn't remember the last time he saw Akeno blush in embarrassment. "Are you okay, Akeno? Are you running a fever? You're really red and you're acting differently from normal."

"I'm fine..." Akeno answered tersely, turning away with an awkward look on her face. "Shirou, I wasn't really honest about why I came here rather than shopping with Rias..."

"I guess that." Shirou responded bluntly. "You're acting weirder than usual."

"It's just..." Akeno sighed. "We haven't had a chance to really talk since before the battle with Kokabiel. And even then, it didn't end well."

"What are you-"

[Why don't you just do me a favor and mind your own business!?]

"Oh..." He frowned, squirming in discomfort. "...Right."

"I mean, you apologized, but it wasn't exactly a private moment." Akeno pointed out. "I wanted to talk with you," She extended her hand to the face of the man behind the counter, the man suddenly falling into a trance before walking off, "ALONE."

"Oh..." It was only then that most of the other people in the area had eyes that appeared to be glazed over. "Um...If you want me to apologize again, I'll-"

"It's not about that." Akeno said, sighing. "I only meant that we haven't had a real talk on our own in a long while."

"Has there been any reason to?" Shirou couldn't quite see where Akeno was going with this.

"Well, there's that "thing"..." For some reason, Akeno turned away, looking even more embarrassed than before, but still smiling happily. She frowned when she noticed Shirou's blank stare. "Remember? That "thing" from before?"

"Ummm...Hm?" He wasn't sure what he was supposed to say. Akeno was staring at him like he had done something wrong. "What!? Give me a clue! I don't know what this is about!"

"Huh?" Akeno stared with half-lidded eyes. "How can you not know what this is about?"

"In case you haven't noticed, subtlety isn't my strongest point!" Shirou growled in frustration. "Look, if it was something I did or something I said, then-"

"I'm talking about when I kissed you, slowpoke." Akeno said.

"Oh..." Shirou's face started burning. "Well, that was...U-Uh..hehehe..." Shirou smiled awkwardly before finally processing what he wanted to say. "Look, I know you were just relieved and..." He bit his lower lip when he noticed Akeno staring with half-lidded eyes. He sighed. "Ugh...OK, even I'm not that dense. Akeno, I...I don't even know what that _was_. I don't know how you want me to respond?"

"Does a kiss really have that many different meanings?"

"It does in some cultures!"

"Do these kisses involve tongue?"

"Yes-No...Yes...No...I don't know many cultures." Shirou admitted. "All I know is how French people do that weird kissing on the cheek greeting thing!"

"I'm not French."

"I know!"

"Then why bring it up?"

"Because I have no idea what the fuck I'm supposed to say!" Shirou cried, exasperated. "I don't know where this is going or what it means! Before Kiyome, I've never kissed a girl before! Hell! Before Kiyome, I've never even held a girl's hand! I don't know how to cope! I want to know what's going on but, at the same time, I'm afraid of what happens when I find out!"

Akeno reached out a hand towards Shirou's face. "Do you _want_ to know?"

"Yes!" Shirou paused, frowning. "No!...Yes! No! Yes!...Damn it!" He cringed, shaking his head. "I don't want to ignore it, but..." He turned to Akeno, looking her in the eyes. "Akeno, I have a girlfriend. You know that. I don't want the answer to this if it goes in ugly directions."

"And I don't want to keep silent if it'll become one of the greatest regrets of my life," Akeno countered. "Shirou, at first, I had always thought it was gratitude towards you and guilt. Back when we first met, you saved my life at the cost of your own. Over time, I saw everything as a means to repay you, but then I got to know you, the real you, and you became an irreplaceable person in my life...I..." Akeno sighed. "Shirou, what do you think of me?"

"What do I think of you...?" Shirou scratched the back of his head, realizing the minefield he had just stepped into. "Welll, I..."

What _did_ he think of her?

He had a girlfriend.

He was in a committed relationship.

He knew that.

But somehow, but that didn't sound like it was much of an answer anymore.

He looked at Akeno. As if for the first time, he took a good long look at her.

Akeno Himejima was beautiful. There was no denying that.

She was kind, gentle (usually), and fun to be around not to mention strong, smart, and a dependable person. Even disregarding her already prestigious reputation, she was an overall amazing person. That was never a question for Shirou.

It was fine before. There was no reason to address it.

He couldn't understand why it had to change.

They had known each other for several months, but they intimately trusted one another with the other's life.

She risked her life trying to wake him up after Nobunaga took him over.

What he felt for Akeno...

What _did_ he feel?

"I-" Whatever Shirou was about to say, whatever he felt, it was not meant to be spoken then.

"About time I found you, Shirou." Shirou felt his heart almost leap up his throat at the sudden voice. Curls so golden that they could have been mistaken for treasure, it was easy for him to recognize her. "You know how annoying it is that your girlfriend has to track you down like a wild deer?"

"Kiyome!" Shirou stared. "I thought that you were supposed to be-"

"I lost my phone on the way home so I couldn't call you." Kiyome explained, smiling softly. "Besides, isn't it best to surprise you?"

"U-Um...!" He swallowed hard. "Yeah, but...uh..." He didn't even have time to so much as formulate his next thought before Kiyome pinched his cheek and started yanking. "Ow ow ow ow! Owie! Whatsch dat for Kiyohme?!"

" _That_ ," Kiyome said, pinching Shirou for several more seconds before releasing his cheeks, "is for not telling me why I had to leave Kuoh in the first place!" Shirou blinked. "You were sending me away while you marched off to fight a god-level being!?"

"Wha-How did you find that out!?" Shirou asked. "Who tol-It was Rias, wasn't it?!"

Kiyome tapped herself right on the nose, giving her answer.

"Dead-God damn it!"

"What?"

"Oh, that's right, you don't know about that." Shirou quickly changed the subject. "Anyway, about keeping it a secret, I only did it because-Uwoh!" Kiyome threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck while burying her face against his chest.

"You idiot..." Shirou felt Kiyome breathing softly, her body trembling. "You could have died and I wouldn't have even known...You idiot...!"

"Kiyome..." Shirou looked down at the senior student embracing him, awkwardly returning it by wrapping his arms around her. "I..." He paused, looking from his girlfriend to Akeno.

The sorrowful look on her face broke his heart.

She gave a nod, as if having answered some sort of question before turning and beginning to walk away.

Shirou felt his body become wracked with guilt, turning his gaze towards the ground as he patted Kiyome on the back.

" _I'm sorry..._ "

He looked from Kiyome to Akeno, his heart experiencing a feeling he had never felt before:

His heart was torn between two.

 _"Why does this shit always happen to me...?"_

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** It's Not Everyday Life After All! Leaders, Pools, and Vanishing Dragons!

* * *

 **Yep. I'm totes ending it on that note! Come ooon~ You guys should expect this shit from me~**

 **So yeah, unlike in the light novel where girls are wooed and immediately forgotten as anything besides fan-service, they have FEELINGS. Life isn't all sunshine and daffodils.**

 **Humans don't have the same values. Of course Kiyome doesn't want Shirou to have a harem. Rias tended to stifle Issei's attempts to build a harem in the canon, but she never banned him from having one. She acted only out of jealousy. Kiyome doesn't want Shirou to have a harem period.**

 **Of course Shirou's not going to object to the first girl who ever loved him. He doesn't know he CAN.**

 **Anyway, thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	44. Chapter 39: Not Everyday Life After All!

**Slowly worming our way into the big...plot thing. Things are really going to pick up soon!**

 **Also, made a realization: It's not that I'm not funny, it's that I made Shirou in this story too damned depressing. Bright side, he's nowhere near as bad as the previous two Shirous were by this point, so that's good.**

 **Delinquency of the Red Dragon has proven I can make Shirou entertaining given the right environment and him not being a total angsty beeyotch~! An Otaku-NEET Brocon baby sister and a prankster of Loki's caliber probably help.**

 **Disclaimer: I'm just going to go out on a record and say I don't own a damned thing besides Shirou. High School DxD, High School DxD New, High School DxD BorN, and all related media are the property of Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Funimation, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the official release!**

* * *

 **Chapter 39: It's Not Everyday Life After All! Leaders, Pools, and New Rivals!**

"I don't even know what happened to me, man?"

"Uh huh."

"I mean, back when I was just an average delinquent, everything was so simple."

"I see...

 _Creeaaaaak_

"I just had to punch a guy, knock out a few teeth, but now I feel like I can't take a single step without breaking something." Shirou sighed. "I can't fuckin' breathe!"

"That's normal. It should only last for a few more seconds..."

"And now my girlfriend's finally back in town, but only AFTER one of my best friends tells me-Well, she didn't tell me so much as strongly suggested it, but-"

"Hold this for a second?"

"Oh, sure. Right." Shirou took the odd, fork-looking tool given to him before returning to his monologue, ignoring the sparks coming from his left side. "And I just don't know what to do."

"Have you considered building a harem?" The man asked as he began to twist a few screws in.

"Why does everyone keep suggesting that!?" Shirou snapped, throwing his arms up into the air. The man fumbled as a certain sensitive piece of equipment almost went flying through the air.

"Watch it!" He snapped. Although not generally a severe person, his technology and his inventions were like his babies. He didn't like people messing with his babies. He let out a sigh before continuing with his work. "Try not to move so much. I still need to properly configure this to match the specifications of your body. Just a few more moments..." He let out a small grunt of concentration as he carefully pushed the technology against Shirou's body, letting out a satisfied "Aha!" following an audible "click" between Shirou's left shoulder/upper arm and the newly attached piece of technology. "That should do it."

Shirou sat up, inspecting his left side. "Was the operation successful...?" He asked.

The man, appearing to be somewhere in his mid-twenties, removed the protective goggles from over his eyes, giving a satisfied smirk at his work. "Why don't you test it and see for yourself?" This man, he was not a doctor. He was a scientist. With his black hair, golden bangs, and goatee, he looked like an anime villain, but he was actually a fairly pleasant guy...aside from the fact he made no attempt to run tests _before_ using Shirou as part of an experiment.

Disregarding that fact, Shirou sat up from the operating table he had been laying on (grateful to the cushions that gave his back and neck some support). He looked down. "So...how do I do this?"

"It should work similarly to the old one," The man said, stroking his chin. "Just do what you would normally do."

"OK then..." Shirou stared, uncertain about what would happen. "I guess I'll just lift it up..."

It wasn't some big strain or effort. Not some herculean task.

With a soft breath, he lifted his _left arm_ and raised his hand into the air.

As he flexed and bent each and every individual finger, eventually forming a fist, Shirou couldn't help but gasp. "No way..."

The man let out a victorious laugh. "Did I deliver or didn't I?"

"Hell yeah you did!" Shirou marveled at his arm-his _left arm_ -which looked as it had since he had lost it. "I can't even tell the difference!"

"I couldn't add the scar like you wanted since it would have compromised the structure," The man said, "but I was hoping you could overlook that considering the task I had before me."

Shirou nodded. "It's perfect. In a way, it serves as a new reminder..." He quickly shook his head, expelling those negative thoughts. "But wow...!"

"It can touch, feel, and do everything a normal arm can do and more." For some reason, something about the "and more" stuck in Shirou's mind. The man chuckled. "I see you're more than a little suspicious. Really, you should have realized I wouldn't just build a normal, boring arm. Humans had accomplished that feat with prosthetics a long time ago. Where's the fun in inventing something that's already been done. No, this baby is the amazing Omnipotent Arm I created over my years of Sacred Gear research!"

It was really hard not to comment on how childish that name was, but Shirou managed to bite his tongue if only for the reason that the man had just given him a new, functional arm. It was even more difficult with the amount of pride the man seemed to show in his new invention. From the satisfied look on his face, he had not even a shred of a clue of how ridiculous his invention's name was.

"So what makes this "Omnipotent Arm" so special?" Shirou asked in order to change the subject. He carefully examined the front and back of his arm, then his hand, but no matter how many times he looked, he couldn't find any abnormalities. Not even a crease where the arm was attached to the mechanical chassis surgically installed into his left shoulder and upper arm. "It doesn't seem very Omnipot-"

Then the older man snapped his fingers.

The fingers on Shirou's new left hand suddenly extended by thick, metallic wires, moving as if they had a mind of their own.

"Whoa..."

"That's not all." The man snapped his fingers again, Shirou's hand returning to normal for a split second before stretching forward, being surrounded by a metallic shell in the shape of a drill, spinning at high-speeds towards the tip.

"Ooooh~!" Shirou squealed in awe, eyes sparkling until his hand returned to normal. "What else can it do?!"

The man chuckled. "Alright. Stretch out your arm in a fist like this." The man extended his arm forward as an example, a gesture Shirou mimicked. "Ah ah, clench your fist."

That was when a portion of the arm detached at the elbow, propelled by the force of a rocket around the room, stopping only when it hit a wall and immediately turning in another direction to fly in before hitting another wall. Shirou's pupils move around left, right, up, down, almost any and every direction with no signs of stopping. At first, it was pretty impressive, but now he was a little concerned. Even the man who had invented the damned thing appeared to be a little curious as to its constant motion.

"Maybe I need to recalibrate the navigation systems..." He started mumbling to himself, making mental calculations and theories in his mind without taking his eyes off of the flying appendage. After a few seconds, the thrusters on the arm calmed before gently returning the detached arm back into its slot. Both the man and Shirou stared at it in silence for several moments. "Well, at least the homing beacon in the chassis work. I'll try to perform some modifications to its design while I'm in town for the next few days."

"For the conference?" Shirou guessed. "Being the Governor must be pretty hard."

"That's right. I might end up drowned in paper work while I prepare, but..." The man trailed off, raising his brow curiously at Shirou, his lips curling into an amused smirk. "You know who I am?"

"Dude, you're not exactly subtle." Shirou pointed out. "Did you think I would just follow some random card given to me by a stranger who vaguely knew my adopted mother's original self?"

"I admit I _was_ a little surprised when you showed up on my doorstep, asking to take me up on my previous offer...even more-so when you willingly followed me into my basement."

"Well, if I up and disappeared, you could hardly make it just go away given the circumstances of events in this town," Shirou said, "isn't that right, Fallen Angel Governor Azazel?"

For a moment, the man paused. However, his curious expression was quickly replaced by one of amusement, the man letting out a small laugh. "Here I was thinking _you_ would be the one who was surprised." Azazel shook his head. "I spent a fair amount of this time imagining the look on your face when you realized who I was. I can't imagine your Master was altogether pleased with you coming to see me."

"Who said she had to know?" Shirou countered.

"Ha!" Azazel let out another small laugh of amusement. "It's only our second meeting and I already like you, kid! You're as interesting as the current Red Dragon Emperor! Only difference is he panicked like a kid when he found out and went running home." He sighed. "Damned shame too. We never got to finish playing our game earlier. I was about to win." One of the most influential people in Christian Mythology spent his free time playing video games and collecting Japanese goods. Certainly far from the intimidating figure Shirou had expected. "But, I guess things become difficult when you're dealing with the leader of the Fallen Angels, no?" Azazel turned towards the stairs, intending to leave.

"I don't see why," Shirou said, following after him back up to the ground floor of the large house he inhabited. "They're still bickering over some stupid war that happened centuries ago and we have to get grief about it."

Azazel let out a bitter laugh. "I think you underestimate Angels and Devils," He said. "For existences who live for tens of thousands of years, a mere few hundred years isn't nearly long enough for old wounds to heal." Azazel wasn't smiling anymore. That gave Shirou a strong indication that he had unintentionally happened upon "Pandora's Box" so to speak. "None of the three sides is entirely innocent. We each committed atrocities towards one another, usually without provocation, even after the war's supposed end. We all ended up getting so caught up in our hate and prejudices that I believe we all forgot why the war started to begin with."

Shirou frowned. "Wasn't it because of your opposing elements?"

A shrug was Azazel's response. "Who can say? The war ended hundreds of years ago, but the original conflict started at least a thousand years before that." Azazel led Shirou to the living room, taking a big seat in front of his large flat-screen TV. "You underestimate how deep war can scar, kid. It's second only to the wrath of a woman you made the mistake of pissing off."

"You're joking."

"Not if they have magic powers." Azazel winced, rubbing his torso as if remembering something agonizing. Still troubled, he reached his hand out, creating a magic circle and withdrew a bottle with a long neck. It was sake. Azazel summoned a glass to go with it, chuckling when he saw Shirou's judging gaze. "Relax, just something to ease the tension. This whole conversation sent my mind back to dark times." He poured himself a glass and took a sip.

Shirou took a seat a few feet away from Azazel, feeling too awkward to sit right next to him. "If it makes you feel any better, I don't think _all_ of us Devils still hold grudges against the other guys," He said. "I can't really speak for _everyone_ , but I don't think anybody really wants war. What would be the point? What is there to gain? All that would happen is that they would watch people precious to them perish without cause or reason. Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, friends, all of their lives snuffed out like candlelit flames."

A shiver of realization rushed through Azazel's body as something hit him. "That's right. The Mikoto who raised you disappeared as a result of Kokabiel's actions," He said solemnly, "so I guess you can kind of understand, at least a little."

Shirou nodded. "Kokabiel's dead, but I can't stop this burning anger in my chest whenever I think about it. I'm still mad at Ka-san for hiding so much from me, but even more-so at Kokabiel for causing her to disappear. Yet, at the same time, I know there's nothing I can do." Shirou sighed. "War was the reason Ka-san, the one I knew, had to disappear to begin with, what Kokabiel desired all along. I would only be furthering his goals by doing something reckless out of anger, causing more people to feel this same pain for no real reason."

"It's been difficult adjusting?"

Shirou lowered his head. "At best, Ka-san would have only continued existing for a few more months, maybe a year. That's what Kuroka told me. But, if Kokabiel hadn't caused trouble, we could have found another way. I keep saying that it's alright since there's a real one out there with her memories, but...but it's still not the same person. I want to meet her, to see for myself whether or not this is true, but, at the same time, I'm afraid, you know? Like, what if I meet her, and she's not what I expected?"

"Sounds like quite the quandary."

"Yeah."

"Not gonna lie," Azazel said, taking another sip of sake, "this is not the kind of thing I want to talk about if I'm trying to avoid getting hammered." Azazel raised his glass to his lips again before pausing, looking down at it for a moment before handing it to Shirou. "Want a drink?"

Shirou stared at the glass before raising a brow at Azazel questioningly.

Azazel shrugged. "Just offering." He took another drink, continuing until the glass was empty and immediately pouring himself another one. "If I have to speak honestly, Kokabiel caused quite a clusterfuck."

"Pffft!" Shirou covered his mouth, suppressing his laughter to a snicker. "That's not a very leader-like thing to say."

"It's the truth," Azazel argued. "Hundreds of years of tenuous peace and then that jackass goes and tries to start a war." Another drink. "Another mess for me to clean up under the threat of all-out warfare breaking out once again."

Shirou lowered his head in agreement. "..." He glanced at Azazel. Even if it was for a brief moment, the man's true age showed on his face. However, it was replaced by his normal lighthearted expression a moment later. "...This has to end." Shirou had said it before he paid it much thought. Azazel glanced at him. "The leaders of the three factions can't just keep continuing this charade. If they don't do something, more people will end up suffering in the long-run. There will always be more grudges, more people like Kokabiel, until you guys at the top finally do something. If God and the Maous are both dead, then we're literally hating and killing each other over nothing. I'm sick of bullshit like that...Even someone like Xenovia was hurt by it and it shattered her friendship with Irina. I just..." Shirou clenched his fists, letting out a harsh growl. "Uuuuugggghhhh!"

Azazel offered Shirou the glass again. "Now you want a drink?"

Shirou paused before taking the glass from Azazel's hand. "Ah fuck it," He sighed, tipping the glass back.

"I **know** you're not offering a minor alcohol, Azazel," A stern yet low voice scolded.

Shirou jumped, looking over his shoulder to face the phantom-like person who appeared. "Holy shit!" He almost fell forward in surprise.

The youth who appeared behind him looked to be his age, possessing two, dirty green bangs trailing down the front of their chest, their face obscured by a pale purple-gray hoodie with the hood over their head. They wore dark-gray pants and green and white sneakers. The only skin they showed was on their hands and the lower parts of their face, mainly their mouth. Overall, there were no gender-defining features whatsoever about this person.

"Oh come on, we could all afford to loosen up considering the current situation," Azazel said, pulling out another glass. The youth snatched the glass out of his hands, causing him to sigh. "Fine. If I can't drink, then get me my little black book. I need something to pass the time tonight." Although Shirou only had a faint suspicion as to what was in this "little black book", it was enough to make the hooded youth immediately hand the glass back to Azazel.

"I prefer you drunk over hearing voices through the walls." Even the youth's voice was gender-ambiguous.

Shirou knew he probably should have been more focused on the youth's startling stealth that reminded him distinctly of Akeno's, but he just couldn't get his mind over the big question:

Was it a boy a girl?!

The youth turned his/her/zir eyes on Shirou, piercing blue eyes peering at him from within the shadow cast over their face. Although it was tough to be certain, Shirou couldn't help but feel that the youth was judging him. More than likely, it was the glass of sake in his hands.

Sure enough, a second later, the youth snatched the glass from Shirou's hands, turning their gaze on the Fallen Angel Governor. "You do know the minimum age requirement is 20 in Japan, right?" However, Azazel waved him/her/it off calmly.

"In some cultures, boys are considered men by the age of fifteen and even they haven't been in as many battles as this kid," Azazel reasoned. "Really, you need to loosen up once in a while."

Shirou stared at the youth, frowning. "Who are you...?"

The youth turned their eyes back to Shirou, their expression thoroughly hidden by their clothes. "Alma," was their brief response before returning to ignoring Shirou entirely. "I trust you have submitted your reports to the other leaders regarding the incident?"

Azazel shrugged. "Considering it was their operatives who dealt with Kokabiel, they probably know as much as I do," He said, pausing to take another drink. "Now all we do is wait until something happens and decide what to do from there." Although not necessarily apathetic, the man was abnormally laid-back considering one of his former subordinates almost caused the equivalent of World War 3. "There's is really nothing I can do until we all get together at the conference and discuss certain issues. Besides, we still have to keep an eye out for those nuisances. More than likely, they're bound to crash the party."

The youth, Alma, nodded in agreement, appearing more like a secretary than a teenager. "The current generation's leaders obviously have no intent of starting another war for dominance over one another, so peace is the only other real outcome."

"That or the utter subjugation of the Grigori and, by association, the Fallen Angels," Azazel responded. "Even though it's a situation to use to our advantage, we can't lower our guards under any circumstances, both against internal and external threats."

"Kokabiel was the main dissenter to peace on that level," Alma took the sake glass from Azazel, taking a sip for him/her/itself, earning a miffed look from the Fallen Angel Governor. "With his death, many of those who supported him have gone silent. They had none of the power, either physical or political, to do anything on their own, so they could only rely on him and aid him in his actions. With him gone, many of them return to your side like sheep to the fold which will make negotiations with the other leaders much easier."

"Haha, indeed!" Azazel agreed, taking the glass back and downing an especially large sip of alcohol, smiling. He turned to Shirou, leaning over and patting the boy on the shoulder. "You actually did all of us quite a huge favor, Nobunaga!" For a moment, Shirou thought Azazel, in a drunken stupor, was speaking to _him_ before realizing he was addressing _the thing inside of him_. "I mean, I wouldn't enjoy seeing you on the loose again, but you contributed something helpful for once."

Shirou paused. "You knew him? Nobunaga I mean?"

However, Azazel only shook his head. "Not personally. He was always an enigma outside of his affairs with humans. He caused a lot of trouble in his day though."

"I see..." Shirou wanted to explore more on the subject, but he didn't feel comfortable discussing such a sensitive matter with Alma boring holes in his skull. "So where's the meeting going to be held anyway? I know it's going to take place in town, but even Rias doesn't have the deets on the when and where."

"Where else but the place that is home to many great powers?" Alma asked rhetorically. "Kuoh Academy."

Shirou paused, processing this information. "...Just promise you guys won't blow that place up?" He paused again. "If you do, blow it up thoroughly. I kind of enjoyed the days off we got after it was destroyed the first time in the battle against Kokabiel."

Azazel chuckled while Alma gave the two a disapproving look. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind." He took his glass back from Alma and took another drink. He raised a glass, earning more of Alma's disapproval. "Here's hoping the next few days lead to a definite peace."

Shirou nodded, watching as Azazel and Alma enjoyed their beverages...He eyed the glasses warily like a curious dog.

"..."

Then he decided to be impulsive.

Before either of the other two could react, Shirou lashed out and grabbed the neck of the sake bottle, tilting back the opening above his mouth and taking an extra large gulp, drops that missed his mouth dripping from the corners of his mouth. Out of shock, Azazel and Alma couldn't even react for a moment. It was only after a brief delay that the two acted, Azazel bursting out into laughter as Shirou downed the liquor like a champ and Alma lunging forward and ripping the bottle from Shirou's grasp, shoving Shirou back with his/her/its open palm. Shirou stumbled back tripping and falling against the couch.

Alma immediately turned to Azazel, smashing the bottle on his head to shut him up. "He is underage. You _will_ be arrested, Azazel, and I won't be bailing you out like I did in Vegas."

"Ah, Vegas," Azazel sighed mournfully, "the city where you can get drunk, lose the equivalent of a person's life savings, meet a girl, marry a girl, and divorce a girl all in the same day." However, he quickly snapped out of his daydream, shrugging. "I don't see anything wrong with it." Azazel pointed at Shirou, "The kid's handling his alcohol better than you did your first time."

Alma's eyes narrowed. "You swore you would never speak of that."

"Why dontcha mind your own bizsiness!" Shirou snapped, rubbing his mouth as if to wipe away his impediment. "I'll have ya know that I can handle my booze way better than either of you could!"

Azazel raised a brow. "Is that a challenge?"

"What...? No, man-" However, Shirou paused, his less than optimal mental state thinking over the decision as Azazel pulled another bottle out of a hammerspace magic circle, "You know what? Yeh! Let's do it! I challenge you two bozos!" He snatched the bottle from Azazel's hand, popping the cork and immediately downing what might have equated to three glasses. His cheeks were already flushed when he removed the bottle from his mouth. "Shee?! I'm great, ya losers! Hahahaha!"

The two paused for a moment, exchanging another glance. Azazel acted first.

"You're a thousand years too early to challenge me to a drinking contest, Fujimura," Azazel said merrily, taking the bottle from Shirou and taking a good swig for himself. He shot Alma a taunting look, offering him/her/it the bottle. "You're already behind."

Alma took a look at Azazel, then they looked to Shirou, his face pinking more with time. Then Azazel. Then Shirou. Then Azazel. Then Shirou. Then Azazel.

Then the bottle.

Then they snatched it from his hands.

The next hour or so became a black hole in their memories.

* * *

"Nnnnnnnnn..." Shirou groaned. "MMMNNNNNNNNNNNNGGGGHHHH!"

"It serves you right," Rias said coldly as Shirou rested his head on Kiyome's lap, his worried girlfriend calmly petting his head. "Really, having a drink with the Fallen Angel Governor? Are you determined to keep yourself in dangerous situations?"

"Oh yeh, the Fallen Angel Gov'ner was gonna to GET ME with his...his eviiiiil video game collection...'Gimme a break, Buschoou. The guy even gave me a new arm," Shirou whined, waving his new left arm that had initially stunned and puzzled the Occult Research Club, almost as if it were an illusion, "I waz juzt-Oh God-BRRRLLLLGH!" He moved his head off of Kiyome's lap before throwing up on the floor, much to the disgust of the room's current occupants.

He couldn't actually recall stumbling back to the Occult Research Club meeting room. He only had consciousness from the time he stumbled through the door, wiping his sick-dripping mouth on the sleeve of this red-haired gent standing next to a "total bitch" Shirou could swear he had met before. After that, his memory got a little fuzzy because he felt what might have been a hand slap against his face.

Then he fell. Then his memory went fuzzy again as he swore he was knocked out and, when he was fully conscious again, he was surrounded by his friends who threw him into the freezing cold shower Rias kept in the back of the room.

When they checked in to see if he had sobered up, they found him face-down, asleep and drowning himself. And after they finally managed to wake him up, he came down with a severe case of projectile vomiting. The first time, a poor unfortunate soul found one outfit that would forever be ruined and, afterwards, they gained enough awareness to be able to dodge them.

"Rias-sama, you must do a better job of teaching your servants manners and control," Grayfia said harshly, scowling.

It was her dress Shirou vomited on.

Rias sighed, lowering her head. "I'm deeply sorry about this, Grayfia, Onii-sama," She apologized, shooting Shirou a sharp look which he would have appreciated more if he had been sober, "but I had not expected him to go out DRINKING WITH THE FALLEN ANGEL GOVERNOR!"

"Auuuuuuuuuugh!" Shirou cried, clutching his head. "No yelling pleeeeaaaase! I can already hear too many bells!"

"Haha, it's quite alright, Rias," The red-haired man said, smiling pleasantly. "Azazel has been known for having an easy-going attitude, so something like this isn't too big of a problem."

"Sirzechs-sama, he used your shirt to clean his face," Grayfia interjected, suppressing strong discontent and disgust...although it was more than likely she was still upset about being treated as a bulls-eye for vomit. Even though she had changed into a new and identical outfit to her other one, she couldn't get the revolting memory out of her head. "He is an incredibly disrespectful child and I can't help but feel you give him too much leeway."

"Oh come now, Grayfia, we were all his age once," Sirzechs said lightheartedly, smiling. "Can you honestly tell me you never came home so buzzed you couldn't remember where your pants went?" The youths gathered in the room stared with disturbed, half-lidded eyes as they tried to get that image of Sirzechs out of their heads.

"Yes," Grayfia responded so coldly that everyone in the room felt a chill. "Another thing-"

"Buchoooouuuu," Shirou interrupted, suddenly appearing behind Rias, poking her shoulder. "Buchooooooooouuuu...! Buchoooouuuu! Buchou! Buchou! Buchou!"

" _What_ , Shirou?" Rias snapped calmly, crossing her arms. Shirou shook her shoulder before pointing at Sirzechs.

"Who's the pretty maaaan...?" He whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"That's my brother, the current-"

"That explainz sho much why he looks like a male yooo..." Shirou mumbled out before leaning in, " _Only prettier_!" Rias's eye twitched as everyone (barring Grayfia), covered their mouths, suppressing snorts and snickers. She elbowed Shirou in the stomach, causing him to collapse to his knees in pain. "Ugh...wha' wazzhat for?!"

"Two reasons," Rias said, holding up two fingers, "the first being because you scarred my mind with a disturbing image. The second reason being due to the horrid lack of respect you have shown for our Maou Lucifer!"

Shirou stared blankly with glazed-over eyes for a moment, blinking in surprise as he finally processed her statement. "What you on? Zat guy can't be the Maou-shaama..." He looked between Rias and Sirzechs, still looking like he was turning his brain on. "Nah, coz you juzt lied...That can't be the Maou-no coz you said that yer brother was the Maou..." He trailed off for a moment, taking a while to think about his own thought. His eyes went wider as he took a sharp gasp of air, standing up so suddenly he almost fell forward. He pointed at Sirzechs. "OhmahfugginGod, you're the FUGGIN' MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUU!"

His friends were between shaking their heads and face-palming.

However, Sirzechs smiled gently, nodding his head. "A pleasure to meet you finally." He probably would have laughed aloud if not for Grayfia's piercing gaze behind him.

Shirou stumbled for a moment, flailing his arms and doing what looked to be some kind of dance before shakingly standing up in a sort of wobbly salute. "Fujimurah Shero," He groaned out, "an' for the record, I'm not normally thish tipshy...Sir!" He groaned before stumbling back, tripping and falling back onto the couch, his head in Kiyome's lap once more. "Uuuuggghhh...Permisshion tah take a nap, Maou-shama...?!"

Sirzechs nodded. "Permission granted."

No sooner had he said that did a heavy snoring escape from Shirou's mouth.

Everyone turned their gaze on Kiyome, unnerving the girl like a mother who couldn't get their child to stop crying in a public place. She let out a small, anxious laugh. "I'm sorry about him...He can be a bit much sometimes." She let out another laugh before she started to look annoyed. "Wake up and apologize, Shirou!" Kiyome started screaming in frustration, pulling on the unconscious boy's face. "Wake up, Shirou! Wake up, wake up! Come ooon! Everyone's staring! You're making me look bad!"

"It's all about you, isn't it?" Akeno muttered bitterly.

"What?"

"Nothing~"

Kiyome stared at the smiling Queen suspiciously before going back to petting Shirou on the head.

Rias coughed, desperately trying to change the subject before something unpleasant happened. "Onii-sama, as you were saying, we..." Rias trailed off, unable to recall what it was they were discussing previously. "..."

"Prior to Fujimura-sama's rude, crass interruption, we were discussing the upcoming class visits as well as the three-way conference to be held at Kuoh Academy," Grayfia said helpfully.

"Ah, that's right," Sirzechs agreed, "We all agreed it felt like the right place since a lot of great powers are attached to this place. There's you, my little sister, as well as the legendary Red Dragon Emperor, the Holy-Demon Sword user, the Holy Sword Durandal, the younger sister of Leviathan, as well as the successor of the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven raised by the current Slash Empress..." They all paused to give Shirou a thought as he started drooling in his sleep. Sirzechs cleared his throat, straightening his tie. "Anyway, there are also Kokabiel and the White Dragon Emperor who also appeared in that place. It's hard to label something like that as mere coincidence that all of these powers have mixed and flowed through those halls."

"How 'bout "bad luck"," Shirou mumbled, suddenly sitting up in a daze, "Or did you forget the place got leveled...?"

"Perhaps," Sirzechs admitted with grace, "but I just had this feeling that that place is significant enough that it wouldn't feel right holding the conference anywhere else. Strong powers keep mixing in. It's like wave motion. I think the person accelerating this wave motion is Hyoudou Issei-kun-the Sekiryuutei."

Issei swallowed, suddenly looking nervous. It was hard to blame him considering it was hard to tell whether the Maou meant it as a good thing or a bad thing.

"Now then, let's continue this conversation somewhere else," The maou said whimsically, "Hm, however, even though I came to the human world, it's night time. Would a lodging institution be open right now?"

"Nobody calls them that," Shirou called out before Kiyome clamped her hand over his mouth, smiling awkwardly.

"Ah." Issei raised his hand. "Why not just stay at my place?"

It may have been a figment of Shirou's buzzed imagination, but he could have sworn Sirzechs looked as though he was waiting for the offer. It made sense. After all, with the way Issei and Rias's relationship was, it was more than likely Issei could become his brother-in-law one day. Nothing like getting to know his future family...

"Great idea!" Sirzechs agreed immediately. "I've been meaning to pay a visit to the people looking after my sister!"

"No!" Rias objected immediately, but Sirzechs had already started walking out the door, quickly followed by Issei. "Come on, Onii-sama! You can't just...!" The rest of the ORC didn't hear what she said because she followed after the two immediately. Asia followed suit.

"That guyzzz pretty impulshiv..." Shirou noted in a daze.

"Coming from the guy who walks in on a conversation with a Maou drunk off his ass," Kiyome retorted, pinching Shirou's cheek. "You're lucky he's such an easy-going person, Shirou. Most Devils would roast you for doing something like that."

"Hmmm..." Shirou hummed to himself in pleasure as he nuzzled his face against Kiyome's lap, falling asleep again. "Lap pilloooow..."

Kiyome let out a sigh of defeat before petting the purring boy on the head. "You're lucky you have such a cute face..." It was then that she noticed that Grayfia was still in the room, staring sharply. "Um...I'm sorry, ma'am?" It took a few seconds for her to realize Grayfia was staring not at her, but the sort-of white-haired boy in her lap.

"Is something wrong, Grayfia-san?" Kiba asked.

Grayfia narrowed her eyes, as if displeased before shaking her head. "I did not wish to say this around Rias-ojousama or Sirzechs-sama, but you had best be wary around that boy." The sudden "advice" threw everyone for a loop. "If I am correct, then he is a dangerous existence. For both Rias's sake and your own, you must keep your guards up."

With those ominous words, Grayfia stepped out of the room, following after her King and her mistress.

Everyone waited with bated breath until they were 100% positive Grayfia was out of earshot before letting out a collective sigh.

"How did she know!?" Kiyome hissed in shock. "There's no way she could know about that whole "Nobunaga" thing!"

"Neither should have the Maou-sama," Kiba pointed out. "He also knew. And from Shirou's few seconds of clarity amidst his drunken rambling before the bile missiles, the Fallen Angel Governor also knew."

"But even so, there was no way Grayfia could have known about Shirou's episode even if she knew about his family," Kiyome scanned the room. "Other than Rias and Issei, the only people who knew of it are in this room or dead." She noted the awkward looks on everyone's faces. "Oh my God, what?"

Xenovia crossed her arms. "The White Dragon Emperor," She guessed.

Kiyome paled. "By White Dragon Emperor, would you happen to mean the Heavenly Dragon known as the Vanishing Dragon Albion...? The one renowned for the strength capable of killing even gods?"

Xenovia nodded. "He himself said he had been observing us the entire time during our battle against Kokabiel. He has no responsibility towards the Dog."

"But what would he gain?" Kiba asked.

"To sow discord perhaps..." Xenovia looked off to the side. "The possibility of that evil spirit awakening and wreaking havoc could cause a divide in the Devils' side. I'm afraid I don't know much about the Oda Clan, but with a power like that the Dog possesses, there could be those seeking to covet his power and those seeking to destroy it. Naturally, Buchou would seek to protect him as his Master, and any attempts on her safety or life would earn the wrath of the Maou Lucifer."

"So the Fallen Angels' side is really trying to start a conflict?" Kiyome gasped.

"Aren't we jumping to conclusions right now?" Kiba countered. "This is all speculation. If we start accusing people of things, we'll end up causing problems not just for our Maou-samas, but also for Buchou and especially Shirou."

Everyone thought on this for several seconds before letting out a sigh.

"I don't think that's it." Everyone turned to Akeno in surprise, this having been the first time (excluding her small outburst towards Kiyome) that she had seriously spoken up since Shirou's arrival. "I've known Rias and her family longer than the rest of you, so I have had a fair amount of interaction with Grayfia as well. The way she was behaving...it's not normal. The Maous would know more about Shirou's bloodline than the rest of us, so if Shirou posed a threat they would already know and they would have already acted, wouldn't they?"

Everyone paid the question some thought. Devils weren't exactly known for being merciful or accepting, especially most Pure-Blooded nobles. If they found Shirou to be a threat, they would not hesitate to erase him even at the cost of angering a Maou.

That wasn't the situation at the moment. There had been nothing in the Maou Lucifer's amicable behavior that implied or suggested any form of malice or ill-will in the supernatural world was directed towards Shirou specifically.

"But, then," Kiyome interjected, "why would Grayfia warn us about him? She's only been to this town a handful of times and even then I doubt she would ever be gullible enough to believe the stupid rumors floating around about him."

Akeno shook her head. "Not just this time, but the last time Shirou and Grayfia met, the two seemed especially bitter towards one another, even more than how he was with Xenovia." She pointed at the blue-haired girl who blinked at her words. "I considered asking what had happened, but I didn't think too much of it at the time."

"And now?" Kiyome asked.

"I don't know." Akeno looked at the white-haired boy passed out with his head in Kiyome's lap, the longing in her eyes quickly disguised.

"...She's wrong." Koneko piped up, earning everyone's attention. The Nekomata twitched her ears, her expression unwavering. "Grayfia says Shirou-senpai is dangerous, but she's wrong. He risked his life to help us time and time again. Even if she knows about Nobunaga, even if she believes that Senpai will become some kind of monster, some kind of danger, I believe in him. Senpai is Senpai."

"Koneko is right," Xenovia agreed, nodding. "The Dog is certainly violent and vicious, but quite honestly, I don't think he even has the ability to kill anyone let alone us."

Nobody argued, giving a silent consensus.

Kiyome looked down as Shirou shivered in his sleep, curling up as a troubled expression appeared on his face. "We believe in Shirou, but it appears that Grayfia doesn't." She started gently rubbing Shirou's head, petting all the way down his back. "What do we do if she ends up starting a conflict regarding Shirou...?"

The room went silent. Nobody had an answer.

It was going to be a long time before they all felt comfortable enough to dismiss the meeting.

* * *

"Kiyome...?"

"Yeah?"

"Please kill me now." Shirou hung his head, feeling as if someone had shoved a boulder inside of his brain. "For all that is unholy in this world, put me out of my mercy...Uuuuggghhhh!"

"Maybe that will teach you not to go out drinking," Kiyome scolded, tapping him on the head.

Another groan escaped his lips. For Shirou in his hungover state, that tap may as well have been a smack with a frying pan. "Why do we have to get up on a holiday, Buchou?" Shirou yawned. "It's soooo early and I'm soooo tired...!"

"It's noon and you've been sleeping since last night," Rias scolded. "Get over it. Think of this as punishment for going off on your own again."

Their group consisted of Issei, Asia, Rias, Kiyome, and, of course, Shirou. Shirou could not be budged from his place on the couch so they allowed him to spend the night there after they finished cleaning up the mess he left in his drunken stupor. It took Koneko and Akeno together to pry him from Kiyome so they could lay him flat on the couch. As Kiyome's home had been closer, she had been selected to drag him out of bed and help him clean himself up. From there, they met Issei, Asia, and Rias at Issei's house so they could get they could talk before leaving together.

For even though it was a holiday that could have easily been spent/wasted laying in bed, Rias had deemed it necessary for the entire club to get together to do...

A thing.

If Shirou had to be completely honest with himself, he wasn't entirely sure what they were doing. He hadn't been paying attention for days.

"Good morning," Xenovia greeted, snapping Shirou out of his thoughts.

The group of five also exchanged a disorganized chorus of "Good morning"'s, "What's up?"'s, and "Yo"'s.

Rias had arranged for Xenovia to have a comfortable place to stay in Kuoh Town now that Xenovia was part of her Peerage. It was on the way to school, so she was able to walk with them.

It was still weird for Shirou to adjust. He fully accepted everything that had happened mere days ago, but it was just so surreal.

God being dead, Nobunaga, the school getting destroyed, Xenovia leaving the Church and becoming a Devil, his new arm, and now everything was back to normal...ish.

From what Rias had told him, the campus was almost completely rebuilt and all that remained were details such as furniture, personal items that had been lost in the school's destruction, things that needed to be copied to a perfect detail in order for the new building to be believable.

If only life was as simple as rebuilding something with magic.

Even with his brain beating against the inside of his skull, he couldn't forget one of the main reasons he had gotten hammered the previous evening.

Akeno and Kiyome.

After the fight with Kokabiel, Akeno had kissed him and had since expressed strong feelings for him. Of course he hadn't told Kiyome about it yet, but he didn't feel there was any reason to. It wasn't as though he was cheating on her...not really. If he was the kissee and not the kisser, it meant Akeno was cheating, not him...sort of. It made perfect sense in his head last night, but he couldn't quite remember how to distinguish between the two.

As he looked at Kiyome, he couldn't help but feel confused. He loved Kiyome, there was no doubt. He wished they could spend more time together publicly, but that did not diminish his feelings for her. Akeno had said she was ignoring him once, but he didn't quite feel like that...but at the same time, he couldn't ignore that they weren't as close as other couples were. They didn't act very intimately. Even Rias and Issei, who had not even properly confessed to one another, shared a far deeper and more emotional relationship. He could not understand what was different between his relationship with Kiyome and theirs. Even his own relationship with Akeno closer. It was the only reason the entire situation was affecting him so heavily.

He wasn't apathetic towards Akeno's romantic affection and that was the issue. He should be wholly committed to Kiyome without any errant feelings, but he had somehow found himself divided in two.

He did not know what to do.

"Shirou, you've been staring at me blankly for ten minutes and I'm honestly a little scared now."

Shirou snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of Kiyome's voice.

After receiving a heavy ounce of humility from the embarrassment caused by everyone's blank stares directed at him, Shirou resolved himself to never have a mental monologue in public ever again if he could help it.

He kept his head lowered as he followed at the back of the group to their destination.

* * *

"WHAT!?" Shirou screeched, everyone next to him wincing as they covered their ears. "WE SERIOUSLY HAVE TO CLEAN ALL OF THIS SHIT UP!" His jaw dropped as he gestured to the slime-filled pit that Rias had dared to call "a pool".

It had taken ten minutes for the rest of the Occult Research Club (namely Kiba, Akeno, and Koneko) to show up before Rias finally told them what they were doing there.

"Oh don't make a face like that," Rias said as if talking to a child. "I asked Sona for us to be allowed to take on this task."

"WHY!?" Shirou screeched, earning a look from someone else. He showed no shame for his outburst. "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT!?

"What's the big deal, Shirou?" Kiyome asked, placing her hands on her hips. "A little hard work isn't going to kill you."

"The bacteria that sludge contains might!" Shirou countered, the shiver of disgust he showed not going unnoticed by Kiyome. The way he turned green just looking at it was not missed either. "Just look at it...I swear some of the moss on top is moving..."

"...Shirou," Kiyome raised a brow, "are you a germaphobe?"

"Hey, it's not a phobia if it's perfectly justified!" Shirou snapped, still looking squeamish. "I don't like touching things that I can't see. Besides, with something like that moss pit, disgust is the perfectly natural reaction. You're a girl! Shouldn't you understand what I mean?"

Kiyome pursed her lips. "Going to go ahead and pretend that that wasn't as sexist as it was..." She said before pausing. "I deal with magical creatures on a daily basis, so imagine dealing with a baby with magic powers..." She paused. "Well, picture a baby Devil throwing a tantrum with a far larger mess."

Shirou's face turned a shade of dark-green that matched the pool as he considered that thought.

"Maybe we should stop talking about things like this," Kiba suggested, taking a cautious step away, a gesture which many of his friends mimicked.

"Agreed," Akeno nodded, speaking for the first time since the previous evening. "I do believe we have all have enough to clean up without adding more of Shirou's stomach contents to the mix, or need we relive the previous evening?" It struck a few of them as "odd" that Akeno was suddenly speaking so formally. Shirou felt especially uneasy when he noticed her gaze on him. He wasn't sure, but he felt that, when he stopped looking at her, her eyes would immediately become glued to him. He couldn't catch them for a long enough time to figure out exactly what emotion she was feeling.

"If we get the job done early, we're free to have the pool all to ourselves," Rias said, quickly changing the subject, "for a little while at least."

"No way!" Issei gasped. "We have a pool!" It was not hard for the others to determine the lecherous thoughts going through Issei's head, obviously involving the girls in swimsuits. Issei threw his arms into the air in excitement. "YEEEEEEEEEEES! I love cleaning pools! I live for it! Raise your hand if you can't wait!"

"Raise two hands if you're a big pervert," Koneko said, deadpan.

"Gak!" Issei may as well have been shot the chest.

Rias smiled. "What do you say we blow their minds with how clean the Occult Research Club can make the school pool?!" It was amazing how quickly Rias could summon that energy.

[Yeah!]

Everyone walked over to the shed to get cleaning supplies. Rias and Akeno could get rid of the dirty water with magic, but they would have to clean everything on the floor and walls of the pool themselves.

"Not you, Shirou."

It was as Shirou lagged at the back of the group that he felt a pair of fingers sharply pinch his ear, yanking it further than what could be considered humanly possible, dragging him backwards to the corner of the fencing that surrounded the area. "Ow ow ow!" His brain bounced back and forth inside of his skull as he was thrown against the wall of the adjacent side of the building beside the pool.

"What did you do, Shirou?!" Rias hissed, glaring daggers at Shirou.

Shirou's eyes shook in their sockets as they rolled back into position. "...Ugh...What?" He shook his head left, rubbing the side of his head. "Gimme a sec, I'm trying to reattach my ear." He theatrically pinched his earlobe, pushing it back against his ear. "OK, I'm back. What are you bitching at me about now?"

"You know what I'm talking about!" Rias shoved Shirou back when he tried to step forward, showing to be in no mood for games. She glanced around the corner, watching as Akeno disappeared through a doorway. "I'm talking about Akeno! For the past few days, she's been really depressed." She narrowed her eyes at Shirou again. "So, I repeat: _What_ did you do?"

"Why do you assume _I_ did something?!"

" _Did you_ do something?"

"Well, _yeah_ , but that doesn't mean you should immediately assume I did!"

"..." Rias gave him a piercing stare, causing him to sweat a little.

"OK, so _maybe_ something happened that could have caused that..."

"I knew it! What did you do?"

"I didn't _do_ anything!" Shirou argued, pausing for a moment afterwards. "Well...maybe it's more like something I _didn't_ do..."

Rias sighed, shaking her head. "What happened...?"

Shirou opened and closed his mouth several times before finally getting an idea as to what he wanted to say. "A few days ago...Akeno kind of told me she...erm...that she had special feelings for me, and-"

"What did you say?" Rias asked forcefully, her pointed finger aimed at Shirou's neck.

Shirou turned away, chuckling nervously. "Y-You don't have to worry about me! I didn't say a thing...Hehe!" Clearly Rias' sharpened stare with the potential to cut his head off implied he had done something wrong.

"What do you mean you didn't say anything?" Rias asked, grabbing Shirou by the collar. "Shirou, what did you say to her?"

"I didn't say anything," Shirou repeated. "I didn't give her an answer."

There was a long silence filled with the awkward pain of Rias's finger pressing forcibly into Shirou's neck, her nail digging into his skin.

"You're a special kind of stupid, you know that?"

"What was I supposed to say!?" Shirou snapped back. "Kiyome showed up before I could answer!"

"You could have answered either "I love you as well" like some kind of romance novel protagonist or you could have said "I love you as a friend/sister"," Rias argued. "Either answer would have sufficed. Rejecting her would have hurt her, yes, but it was better than receiving no answer and all and instead seeing the person she loved in the arms of another woman with her feelings going unanswered."

"You don't know what it's like," Shirou said, shaking his head. "She put me on the spot and I couldn't respond! Not in front of Kiyome!"

"Kiyome didn't stop you from doing anything," Rias pointed out, wagging her finger at Shirou. "It was your choice not to respond."

"How was it my choice?!" Shirou barked. He just couldn't understand what Rias was getting at or why she was pushing the subject. "What was I supposed to say in front of Kiyome?!"

"You could have rejected Akeno," Rias said, crossing her arms. "You could have just bluntly told her you didn't feel the same way. Why didn't you?"

"Because..." Shirou paused for a long time, trying to process a proper answer to Rias' question. Why _had_ he paused before? He could not quite discern a reason. "Erm...well, I couldn't tell her in front of Kiyome because..." He kept hypothesizing and thinking, but every reason made less sense than the last. He was spoken for, he was Kiyome's boyfriend.

He was devoted to Kiyome and Kiyome alone-

 **But Akeno has such a nice smile...**

Shirou blinked at the stray thought that entered his mind. "Hm?" He rubbed his face, trying to get back on track with the conversation. "What I mean is that, with Akeno, she...she...um..."

 **She's always been on my side...**

"She's always been beside me...what?" Shirou blinked again, his vision having gone a little hazy. He frowned. "...I guess she has generally sided with me. She said those things about my relationship with Kiyome though..."

 **But was she wrong?**

It wasn't as though Akeno was actually _wrong_ regarding the abnormality in his relationship with Kiyome. "I mean, I've hung out normally more often with Akeno and everyone else than I ever had with Kiyome..." Kiyome always kissed and hugged him, but she was rarely ever actually around him outside of club matters. She went out of her way to avoid associating with him... "Kiyome is nice to me outside of school..."

 **But Akeno is _always_ nice to me.**

"That's right," Shirou nodded, swaying as if in a trance. "The reason I'm thinking about this so hard in the first place is because she's always been so nice to me regardless of whether or not we were in someplace people could see. Even after the times I attacked her, after all of the shit I said to her, she still cared about me, she even liked...she loved me..."

 **Not to mention Akeno is the prettiest girl I've ever seen. I wouldn't mind making a harem if it involves Akeno!**

"Yeah, I wouldn't...I would..." Something about that last thought struck Shirou as odd. "What?"

 **I'm willing to do whatever it takes to ensure Akeno stays happy and-**

The "voice in his head" paused when Shirou turned his head right to face the crimson-haired girl who had just been whispering in his ear, a small magic circle in front of her mouth.

Said crimson-haired girl stared blankly in response to Shirou's gaze, freezing. " **-and I will completely ignore the girl next to me.** "

"Were you trying to hypnotize me!?"

"What? Me? Noooo!" Rias said, clearly lying. She paused. "Why? Did it work?"

Shirou stared with half-lidded eyes. "Glad to see you're real impartial here, Rias." He buried his face into his hands, trying to figure out his own thoughts. "What am I supposed to do? I can't just pretend to not to notice how unhappy she is, but what am I supposed to say to her?"

Rias's gaze bored holes into Shirou's skull. "Do what you please, but if you break my best friend's heart, I will break _you_..." Rias's stare became even more intense. "I mean it, Shirou. You don't break the heart of a girl's BFF and expect to come out of it alive."

"Thanks, Rias, you're a whole lot of help," Shirou sighed out. "Now if you could give me some actual advice as to how to solve this situation, I'd be more than happy to hear it."

Finally, Rias appeared to give his problem some real thought. She was silent for several moments and, with the amount of thought she appeared to have been putting into it, Shirou had thought she would have given him the answer to his problem.

"Have you considered just building a harem?"

There was a loud _slap_ as Shirou face-palmed. "So much for "helpful"." Rias just seemed to take his insult in stride. He just could not understand why everyone considered the solution to his confused feelings being to become a polygamist. "Then again, all of the people I know aren't exactly the enlightened sorts... Maybe I should ask someone with more life experience...maybe someone older than 18..."

"Like who?"

"Like um..." Shirou thought to Mikoto, whose real body was god knows where, leaving only vague messages meant to inspire; to Kalawarner, the adult woman who regularly spent her days devising ways to take advantage of a teenage boy; Kuroka, the mooch who came and went as she pleased while taking a moment now and then to sexually harass him; and then to Azazel who was still wasting life away playing video games. "Guuuaaaaaaaaaah! All the adults I know are terrible role modeeeeels!" Shirou collapsed onto all-fours, a cloud of despair hanging over his head.

"You could try asking Grayfia," Rias suggested honestly. "She and Onii-sama seem to do well together, so she would probably know how you could deal with a problem related to romance.

"I'm going to go back in time and slap you for even suggesting I go crawling to that silver-haired-" Shirou paused. "Wait what?" He tilted his head to the right, smacking the other side of his head, as if trying to knock something out of his ear canal. "I'm sorry, I thought you just said that Grayfia and your brother are together."

"I did," Rias said plainly.

Shirou stared, his eyes going wide. "I just don't see it. A laid back guy like Sirzechs with that pain in the ass hag?" Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "How long have they been dating?"

"They're not dating, Shirou," Rias said. "They're _married_."

Shirou stared blankly. "The fuck?" Shirou gasped and sputtered several times before making coherent language. "When did THIS happen!?"

While clearly unnecessary, Rias made a show of counting on her fingers, mouthing the numbers as she looked preoccupied, "About several hundred years ago."

Shirou's jaw dropped. "Holy shit! How does that chill guy put up with that ol' battleaxe?! I mean-Ow!" Rias yanked his ear again.

"That "ol' battleaxe" is still my sister-in-law," Rias pointed out, "so I would appreciate if you at least showed her a modicum of respect towards her in my presence."

"Maybe if she ever did the same with me," Shirou muttered. "But really, him and her? I just don't see it."

"It was during a chaotic time in Devil history," Rias explained, "during the civil war."

"There was a civil war?"

"That's right. After the Great War, there were two factions who fought for leadership over the Underworld," Rias explained, not drawing much of an image in Shirou's mind, "those who wanted to continue fighting despite the losses of many clans and the original Maous against those who wanted to make peace and rebuild. Onii-sama was on the side of those who opposed continuing the war while Grayfia's clan served one of those who supported continuing the war."

"They were on opposite sides of the war? Seems like Romeo & Juliet with nuclear explosions..." Shirou ran a hand through his hair, trying to imagine the scope. He had seen how explosive things got when powerful existences went all-out in a battle. Rias and Riser were strong in their own right, but they looked like children with laser pointers compared to monsters like Kokabiel. He tried to imagine a battle with people JUST AS STRONG as Kokabiel if not STRONGER. "But how did they-"

"Naturally they met while trying to kill each other," Rias answered preemptively.

"Ah."

Grayfia was no doubt very powerful, being the Queen of a Maou, but Sirzechs was described as the strongest of the current four Maous. He couldn't quite determine how such a fight would turn out if both went at it seriously.

"The battle ended in a mutual retreat," Rias then leaned in and whispered in Shirou's ears, "but Onii-sama always told me that he won that fight." Rias quickly pulled away, continuing with her explanation, "After that one battle, Onii-sama had fallen completely in love with Grayfia. He pursued her like a love-struck teenager from the way Grayfia told the story."

"I can see that." Shirou didn't personally find Grayfia very appealing, but every person had their own tastes.

"Each and every time they met, Grayfia tried to kill him. She would try blasting a hole through his chest while he was on his knees, rose in hand, professing his love for her. Despite this, Onii-sama continued his pursuit. Eventually, his feelings reached her, melting her heart of ice and teaching her what it truly meant to live and to love. This led to Grayfia defecting in the middle of the conflict in order to stay by Onii-sama's side. After the war, they married and have been happy together ever since."

"Huh..."

"This is just the cliff notes," Rias explained, noting how underwhelmed Shirou looked. "It's really a romantic story. I can rent it for you from Block Buster next time we go to the Underworld."

"Wait, they STILL have Block Buster down there?"

"Hell is literally the only place left for it to go."

"..." Shirou averted his eyes. "But anyway, I'll keep Grayfia in mind as my literal last resort as I search for advice on how to handle my Akeno-Kiyome problem." Rias rolled her eyes as Shirou then proceeded to walk past her.

"Just remember what I said."

"Yeah, if I hurt Akeno, you'll crush my balls like grapes, I get it," Shirou replied, sighing.

As usual, no solution to his problem showed itself.

* * *

"Are you CRYING, Issei?!"

"I can't help it!" Issei cried. "It's the most beautiful sight I've ever seen!"

"Haven't you seen both Asia and Rias naked?"

"..." Issei took that into consideration. "It's the second most beautiful sight I've ever seen!"

Shirou and Issei were both dressed in swim trunks, Shirou wearing an open T-shirt with a seashell necklace around his neck.

"Well, Issei?" Rias asked teasingly, amused by the look on Issei's reddened face, blood dripping from his nose. "Do you like my swimsuit?"

It was hard to think of the red strings covering only the most private places on Rias's body with only the slightest compliance to the standard that prevented it from being considered absolutely indecent as a swimsuit. It was small to the point Shirou was afraid(?) that if Rias moved too suddenly, the fabric would slip and he would see something he may regret(?). He didn't know where to look. If he looked at her body, he would start feeling weird, but if he looked at her face, he would look like a total creep and both she and Issei would probably misunderstand.

"Huh? Is something wrong, Shirou?"

Of course, completely avoiding looking at her made him look just as weird.

"No no," Shirou said, sweat dripping down the sides of his face, "everything's fine. Just...Just give me a second."

"Issei-san, I have a bathing suit too!" Asia said cheerfully, dressed in a school swim suit that clung almost tauntingly tight to the curves of her body.

"It looks really good, Asia!" Issei gave a big thumbs up. "I'm so proud!"

Again, Shirou felt a critical blow to some internal organ as he gazed upon the former Sister. "What's going on...?" He asked to himself, clutching the sides of his head.

The other three looked at him with curious gazes.

"What do you mean?"

"Does it not look good on me, Shirou-san?"

"If you say no, I'm going to kill your ass, you bastard!" Naturally, Issei was more worried about Asia's question than Shirou's conundrum. Shirou crouched on the ground, trembling as his bangs cast shadows over his eyes. "What the Hell's going on with you?"

"I-I don't know," Shirou admitted warily. "It's just that, whenever I look at Rias or Asia, it feels like I'm going crazy."

[Huh?]

Their eyes became dots as realization hit them.

"It doesn't make any sense!" Shirou shouted. "My heart is beating so much and my face is about to explode! What's happening to me!?"

Rias and Issei exchanged glances, the same thought going through both of their minds.

[He's an idiot.]

Issei sighed, reaching forward and patting Shirou on the shoulder. "Um...you know you're just freaking out because you're excited about swimsuits, right?"

"Huh?" Shirou blinked, standing up. "What do you mean?"

"Shirou-senpai, how do I look?" Shirou did a double-take when he laid eyes on Koneko, the girl bashfully covering her face with her hands. Rather than the school swimsuit, Koneko was dressed in a white tiger-striped and fur bikini, going quite well with her cat ears and tail. "I wanted to wear the school swimsuit like Asia-senpai, but there was no room for my tail to be comfortable." She turned to face Shirou's dumbstruck look with a shy smile, making a paw-like gesture with her hand. "Nyan~"

"Gaaugh!" Blood spurted from Shirou's nose like a fountain as his body jerked backward. He quickly covered his nose, blood oozing from between his fingers. "What the Hell is this!? Why can't I stop my body from acting weird like this?!"

"Dude, just chill," Issei advised, laughing. "You're just finally awakening to the beauty known as girls in swimsuits!"

Shirou's face flushed as Rias snickered at him, his embarrassment quickly turning to annoyance. "Shut up, Issei!" He snapped. "I'm not some lowly pervert like you! I would never get so pathetic over a pair of breasts!"

Issei's eyes darkened. "It's not just breasts! It's breasts and _swimsuits_!" Issei exclaimed as if there was much difference. Issei patted Shirou on the shoulder. "And you've finally awakened to their glory! Welcome to the brotherhood, my friend! You're a bit late to the party, but soon I will teach you all that is erotic in relation to girls!"

"No!" Shirou gasped, eyes wide.

Issei laughed maliciously. "Bwahaha! Fall into the depths of despair as a pervert! Hahaha-Ouch!" Koneko hit Issei on the back of his head.

"Stop trying to make Shirou-senpai sound as pervy as you." She said calmly before turning to the cowering-Shirou. "Still, don't you think this is a bit much?"

"No!" Shirou barked, blushing. "I've never seen a live girl in a swimsuit before!"

.

.

.

[Really?]

Everyone blinked in surprise at Shirou's confession. Even Issei, for all of his poor reputation with girls, had seen at least a few in swimsuits in person.

"Of course! A girl so much as sees me and they run for the hills!" Shirou cried. "How the Hell do you think a historically unpopular guy like me is supposed to see one in a swimsuit!?"

"You could start by turning around," Kiyome's voice said, causing Shirou to turn.

Blood spurted from his nose again.

With Kiyome, it just wasn't fair.

Like Asia, Kiyome wore the school swimsuit. However, unlike Asia, there were a lot more curves for the outfit to "hug". So skin-tight that it left nothing yet everything to the imagination.

Shirou drooped to the ground as if it was stealing his very soul from his body. Kiyome laughed at his reaction, petting him on the head.

"If that's your way of saying I look good, then thank you." Kiyome turned to the others, Issei flat in a pool of his own blood while Koneko and Asia stared at Kiyome's "assets" with envy. "I didn't have anything to wear, so I decided to wear a school swimsuit too~"

"It looks to me like you're showing off for your man~" Rias teased.

"And you aren't?"

The two girls shared a laugh that Shirou assumed only two girls in love would understand. Issei could only stare with a blatantly oblivious look on his face.

"Buchou's showing off for someone?" Issei asked, at which point Shirou wanted to slap him right across his stupid face. Even though he was the only person Rias regularly showed her entire body to, Issei was still foolishly blind.

Perhaps it was hypocritical, considering he had not realized Kiyome's feelings for him until they had both been literally placed at Death's door, but it was horribly obnoxious looking in on the scenario from the outside. He had developed new sympathy for Kiyome as well as Rias for their respective situations.

"I can't take much more of this..." Shirou whined, burying his hands in his face.

BZZZZZT!

"Hm?" Shirou reached into the pocket of his swimsuit. "Oh geez, I didn't leave this with my pants? That was another cellphone just waiting to happen." He flipped his phone open. The number on the screen wasn't one he recognized and the message read:

 _Heard you were going to the pool today_

 _Been a few days_

 _Was missin' you, so here's a present~_

Considering the fact most of his friends were at the pool with him, it was hard to determine who it was. "Oh, it's an attachment..." He pressed a button on his cellphone to open the attachment.

What he saw was Kuroka smiling lasciviously, dressed in a tightly-fitting tropical two-piece swimsuit, a generous amount of her underboob showing, as if her breasts would fall out with the slightest movement.

Shirou began bleeding more from his nose, beginning to feel dizzy from the blood-loss.

"Something wrong, Senpai?" Koneko asked innocently.

"My cat has a twisted sense of humor," Shirou said, his eye twitching as he staunched the bleeding from his nose, missing the alarmed looks that appeared on Rias and Issei's faces or their nervous glances at Koneko. He let out a small growl before his phone started to vibrate again, "What now...?!" It was another text labelled "S.O.S." with another attachment. He recognized the number as Kalawarner's. "The fuck...?" He stared with dot-like eyes as the image was pulled up before his eyes.

It was Kalawarner, looking as though she was halfway dressed/undressed in her work uniform, the upper part of her dress hanging around her shoulders, revealing her lacy, black bra with her dress covering the barest amount of her legs. It would have just seemed like another attempt to flirt if it had not been for the black cloth around her eyes, the gag in her mouth, and the tight ropes tied around her body with a sign in front saying:

 _Too old to be seducing teenagers by the poolside._

Even bound, Shirou could see a mix of humiliation, arousal, and shattered pride on Kalawarner's face.

"Uuummmm..." Shirou just stared blankly.

"Something wrong, Shirou?" Kiyome asked, peering over his shoulder, her dumbstruck expression matching Shirou's.

"I'm not sure, but I think my housemaid is being held captive by my cat..." He sighed, closing the cellphone. At some point, he _would_ go back and deal with that...

Just not now.

More likely than not, Kalawarner had it coming.

It was only after Shirou managed to stifle the blood running from his nose that he did a headcount and immediately noticed nothing was wrong. Their group was down three people.

"Kiba left because a client suddenly called," Rias explained, noticing Shirou's confusion.

"And Xenovia was having trouble with her swimsuit," Asia added.

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck, counting on his fingers. "But what about...erm...Akeno?" He knew he had struck a nerve with Rias when the girl's expression shifted from amusement to annoyance to anger to frustration to a expression with the general meaning of displeasure. Rias motioned over her shoulder to a sunchair on the opposite side of the pool. Sitting in said chair was a familiar Yamato Nadeshiko-looking girl.

Even though Shirou quickly figured out it was Akeno, he had hesitated due to the complete lack of energy she was showing in contrast to how she normally behaved. Normally, Akeno would have been a major part of the party, but there she sat. Alone on the sun chair with a sweat shirt over her swimsuit, with an open book in her hand and an umbrella shielding her body from the sun's rays. She was completely disinterested with the pool, the others, or the world in general.

In other words, she was engaging in rather un-Akeno-like behavior.

And, more than likely, it was Shirou's fault.

That's what Rias's accusing stare seemed to say at any rate.

"Well, now that we're all accounted for, I have another matter to attend to," Rias said, turning to her two Pawns, "Issei, Shirou, could you two do a favor for me?"

The pair exchanged looks before turning to Rias.

"Sure."

"I guess."

"Could you two teach Koneko and Asia how to swim?" Rias asked with a smile, gesturing to the two girls who appeared at her side.

"Sure."

"No way."

Issei and Rias turned to Shirou, the boy holding his arms crossed in an x-shape.

"And why not?"

"I can't swim," Shirou answered bluntly.

That three-word sentence drove everyone to silence.

"W-hat?" Rias's reaction was something between a choke and a laugh. "You can't be serious, Shirou?"

"I'm completely serious," Shirou said, blank-faced.

"I know you're a socially awkward person, but couldn't you at least have come up with a better reason?" Rias sighed out much to Shirou's confusion.

Shirou eyes darted left and right awkwardly before staring at Rias. "Um...I think not being able to swim is a perfectly legitimate reason."

"You really can't swim?" Rias asked with doubtful eyes.

"Yes." Shirou answered coolly. He sweatdropped at the cold stares his friends gave him. "What?...What!?"

"Shirou."

"Yes, Buchou?"

It happened in an instant. His body only started reacting when he saw Rias extending her arms forward, but he was a second too slow.

There was a soft push and he fell right into the pool with a heavy _splash_.

The members of the ORC (excluding Akeno) gathered around the side of the pool, watching as bubbles of oxygen were carried to the surface. They waited.

"...Buchou," Issei turned to Rias, "I don't think he's coming up."

Rias waved off Issei's concern. "He's just trying to fake us out. Just watch. Any second now."

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And waited.

"Anyyyy second now," Rias said, still staring patiently at the water's surface. "...Any seco-"

[Buchou!]

"OK, so I just killed Shirou," Rias noted pensively before turning to the others.

[Buchooooou!]

"OK, OK, we'll save him!" Rias said, relenting beneath the gazes of her concerned servants. "Well...I have no lifeguard training, but should we just...drain the pool?"

 _SPLASH!_

Shirou burst out of the water, desperately grasping for the edge of the pool, pulling half of his body back onto dry land. "YOU BASTARDS! YOU LEFT ME TO DIE!"

"Oh, see? The situation resolved itself." Koneko gave Rias a deadpan stare while Asia and Issei rushed to Shirou, helping to pull him out, the white-haired youth choking up what might have been a literal gallon of chlorinated water onto the ground as he struggled to all-fours. "So you really can't swim, huh?"

Shirou shot her a murderous look. "I told you that! What the fuck, Rias!?"

"I didn't think you were telling the truth. It was an honest mistake."

"You tried to drown me, you psycho-bitch!" Shirou screeched, eyes burning from the chlorine. "What THE FUCK!?"

"Whoa, Shirou," Issei said, standing in front of Shirou when he got up from the ground, "calm down. Just take a chill pill, man."

"I AM THE CHILL PILL!"

Issei cringed, making a calming motion from his hands. "OK, just simmer down...simmer down..." Issei kept making the gesture until after Shirou spent a few minutes taking long, deep breaths, the angry tension gradually vanishing from his body. "Just be cool."

"OK," Shirou said, nodding his head, "I'm cool. I'm cool." He brushed himself off, coughing into his fist awkwardly. "Anyway, yeah, I can't swim." He gave a curt nod to Koneko. "Sorry, but I don't think I can teach you how to swim."

"If you couldn't swim, why did you agree to come to the pool?" Kiyome asked, bringing _reason_ into the conversation.

Shirou shrugged. "I'll be honest, I don't pay attention to things." He jabbed a thumb with Rias. "And with _my_ master, every explanation is either horribly vague and lacking or is incredibly over-the-top, so I just generally tune her out." He ignored the dirty look Rias gave him.

"If you wanted to, you could have told me about this. I could have taken you to a swim class." Kiyome frowned.

"Nuh-uh!" Shirou shook his head. "Not happening! I'm not going to degrade myself by going there!"

"Why?" Issei asked.

"They wanted to put me in the beginners class with the little kids! You can't expect me to swim with them." Shirou said, trembling slightly. "6-year-olds can be so heartless when they sense weakness."

"Ah, there's an easy solution for that: make yourself bigger than them and they'll go away." Issei suggested.

"Issei, that's what you do for bears." Rias corrected.

"Then beat up the biggest kid in the courtyard." Issei suggested.

"Prison..." Koneko chipped in.

"Okay, look just try to learn to swim from someone, geez! Making things all complicated and shit!"

"That could make things easier, but who can teach me how to swim at this time of the day?" Shirou rubbed his chin.

"I can." Issei raised his hand without thinking it through.

"Hmm..." Shirou hummed, both teens realizing the awkwardness of such a situation. Issei withdrew his hand.

"Well, I don't see why I can't teach you." Kiyome volunteered.

"Hmm..." Shirou had seen the way Kiyome "taught" her supernatural beasts. He trembled at the memory of what she did to that one salamander who kept pissing fire on the carpet.

"If you can overlook my past mistake then I can teach you the proper steps to swimming." Rias suggested.

"Hmm..." Shirou completely ignored Rias.

"I can call Kiba and have him teac-" Rias suggested.

"Fuck no."

"So, what? You're just going to spend the entire day at the pool sitting around?" Rias asked, hands on her hips and a stern look on her face.

"That was the idea, yes."

" _I know you're my Kouhai, but you're too childish sometimes_ ," A sighing voice interjected.

The members of their group paused, turning to face Akeno, her hands in the pockets of the sweater she wore over her swim suit.

"Oh, hey, Akeno," Shirou greeted awkwardly.

Akeno didn't even glance in his direction, as if he were just part of the background. "If you won't learn from Issei, Kiba, Rias, or Kiyome _-san_ , then, logically, I'm the only choice left." Shirou didn't miss her cold voice at the mention of Kiyome.

"Errrmmm...Well-"

"Does that sound alright, Buchou?" Akeno asked, immediately cutting Shirou off.

"If you can talk him into it, then I grant you my blessing."

"Then let's not waste any time." Akeno nodded, unzipping and sliding off her sweat shirt to reveal her swimsuit, possessing the same sexual allure as the others much to nobody's surprise. "Come on, Shirou." Akeno started dragging the mesmerized Shirou over to the shallow end as he pondered when exactly he consented to this.

As she watched the two go off on their own, Kiyome pursed her lips.

"Something wrong, Kiyome-senpai?" Koneko asked.

There was no response from Kiyome, her troubled eyes observing as Shirou was awkwardly pulled into the pool by Akeno. To the average person, it would have seemed like a normal situation, nothing to give a second thought about...

But to women, it was different.

The way Akeno's body seemed to untense, the awkward way Shirou interacted with her, not to mention the blatant sense of tension...

"Senpai?"

Kiyome shook her head. "No, it's nothing." She didn't notice the unease her expression caused the others.

It was nothing...

...but why couldn't she shake the feeling something was going on?

* * *

"Kick, kick, kick! Come on, I don't see those feet splashing water! You need to get them up!"

"I'm-HUP-TRYING!" Shirou complained as Akeno held his arms, carefully leading him around the pool, his head coming up for strategic breaths of air.

"You would think for one of our top fighters you would be more physically adept at this type of thing," Akeno teased passively.

"My fighting style-HUP-relies generally on punching things!" Shirou objected. "I'm not as good at using my legs as I am my arms!"

"Clearly."

Shirou whined and groaned as he struggled to stay above water while taking periodic breaths of air.

It was a lot harder than it looked. It hardly helped that he couldn't focus. Every time he and Akeno turned, he saw Issei and Rias staring at him, snickering with taunting gazes.

He kept getting angry and almost drowned when he stopped kicking.

It became more embarrassing the more he thought about it. It wasn't his fault he couldn't swim! Why couldn't those two assholes just cut him a little slack?

He was so deep in his own thoughts that he failed to notice they had reached the end of the pool, still moving forward after Akeno stopped pulling him along.

BOING

He found his partially submerged in a large, lovely, marshmallow-like texture, pausing for several moments as his brain formulated the possibility as to the "objects'" identity.

He looked up, peering at Akeno's curious look through her cleavage. "I didn't expect you to be so straight-forward, Shirou."

Naturally, Shirou responded in the most eloquent way possible-

"HURAURHGUAH!" There was a loud splash as he pushed himself away, falling backwards into the water behind him.

Akeno covered her mouth, snorting as she broke into giggles.

"PFFFFT!" Shirou burst out of the water surface, water dripping from his hair. He spat out a steady stream of chlorinated water back into the pool. He looked up to Akeno, staring in wonder at her smiling face before letting out a sigh of relief. "That's good. I was worried I would forget the sound of your laughter."

His words caused Akeno to pause, as if just realizing she was smiling. "Well, it's hard not to when my Kouhai does something cute~"

"You called me your "cute Kouhai" too," Shirou said, letting another sigh of relief. "I was sure you were going to hate me forever."

"What are you talking about?" Akeno blinked at Shirou's words, leaving him wondering if he jumped the gun.

"Well, you've been depressed since the other day," Shirou reasoned, "and you've been acting all quiet so we just all kind of assumed you were pissed at me..."

Akeno shook her head. "I wasn't depressed."

"...You weren't?"

"No," Akeno answered, "I was just trying to make some quiet so I could think over some things."

Shirou looked over his shoulder and shot Rias a look filled with sharp needles. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt a soft hand patted him on the head.

"But it means so much that you were this worried about me," Akeno said, smiling. With the tone of her voice and considering everything thus far, Shirou didn't doubt it. "It was abrupt, but our conversation didn't end by any fault of your own, so there's nothing to worry about. I admit I was a little disappointed, but in such a situation, there wasn't really anything to do without causing a scene in front of Kiyome _-san_."

That was when Shirou realized she was concealing something with that smile of hers.

Even if she didn't say it, he could see it on her face.

She was still waiting.

He had to give her an answer.

[What do you think of me?]

Even though he had been given time to think, he still had not yet devised a proper answer.

"It's fine if you don't want to answer yet," Akeno said, misinterpreting his silence as not WANTING to answer rather than being UNABLE to answer. "I'll give you a little more time, but, just so you know," She leaned in uncomfortably close, whispering in Shirou's ear, "it's rude to keep a girl waiting."

Even though it wasn't anything particularly sensual or teasing, Shirou couldn't help his face turning red.

"What are you two talking about?" Kiyome asked, startling Shirou as she suddenly appeared by the poolside.

"K-Kiyome!" Shirou immediately separated from Akeno as if she were radioactive, submerging himself up to his chin in the shallow water. Akeno pouted and, from the look on her face, Shirou couldn't help but feel he had just made an error.

"I wasn't aware either of us needed your permission for Shirou to talk to another girl," Akeno said passively with an edge in her voice.

Shirou was feeling more sure he had just made an error.

Kiyome's eye twitched, but, to her credit, she didn't break character, still smiling casually. "It's not about conversations, but more about proximity." She said calmly.

"I'm surprised you would know what a good proximity was, Kiyome- _san_ ~" Akeno teased in a way that was clearly a taunt. "At least I know how to show proper affection to my adorable Kouhai."

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

Shirou suddenly got the feeling that he had stepped into a deadly minefield. He attempted to extract himself from the situation only to find Akeno's grasp on him tighter than ever, suddenly hugging him against her chest.

"I wonder~"

That was apparently the last straw for Kiyome for, the next moment, she leaped right in the pool, splashing water onto everyone in the nearby vicinity before immediately resurfacing, grabbing Shirou by the arm and pulling him over to her, hugging him tightly. "At least I have my own man to treat affectionately." Whether she was aware Shirou's face was submerged in her voluminous bosom, Shirou had no idea. He was focused on trying not to drift away into a world of wonder and beauty.

"If only you ever did," Akeno retorted. She gently grabbed Shirou's other arm, pulling him out of Kiyome's embrace. "Yours is more akin to the affection a pet-owner gives to their companion and barely even that."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm saying you're neglectful."

"And what, exactly, gives you the right to judge our relationship, Ms. Forever Alone?"

"The fact that I'm closer with my Kouhai than you'll ever be. If you're the standard, perhaps I would make a better mistress than you are a girlfriend."

Kiyome's brow twitched. Her mouth became a thin line that was just barely a smile.

Shirou couldn't quite recall what happened next.

Kiyome lunged, Akeno loosened her grip, and he bolted before the situation got ugly...uglier.

He barely had the time to grab his dry clothes from the locker rooms.

* * *

Shirou groaned, grabbing clumps of his white hair in frustration as he made his way through the gates of the academy. He just wanted to take a break in the ORC club building and take a very much-deserved nap to recover from the ordeal his brain underwent.

"What the Hell am I supposed to do?" Shirou asked himself, letting out a sigh. "On one hand, I like both Kiyome _and_ Akeno. On the other hand, I REALLY like my royal gems and things do not end well in situations like this."

What was he supposed to do about Akeno? Hell, what was he supposed to do about Kiyome?

Logically speaking, if he rejected Akeno and upset her, he would just have to deal with the guilt of her shattered heart on his mind for as long as he lived (which, for a Devil, was between thousands to tens of thousands of years) and Rias would most likely rip off his jewels while, if he chose Akeno and upset Kiyome, Kiyome would probably hate him forever, rip off of his jewels, and feed him to her various tamed beasts.

Neither option felt very appealing.

He was so deep in thought that he completely missed the silver-haired youth hanging around at the front gate.

"So Azazel wasn't wrong, was he?" The youth said smugly, leaning against the gateway. "You couldn't even sense me right next to you."

Shirou's body tensed, causing him to twist around and face the youth, taking an instinctive step away to increase distance.

"Calm down," The silver-haired youth said. "If I were here to harm you, don't you think you would already be dead?"

"A bit overconfident, don't you think?" Shirou growled, raising his fists. "I may not look it, but I'm a Devil. I'm ready for a fight any time!"

"Relax, God-killer," The youth said, waving off Shirou's aggressiveness. "Like I said, I don't have any interest in you anymore. My only objectives were to scout out the school grounds and meet the Sekiryuutei. Unfortunately, only one of these objectives has been completed so far."

"Sekiryuutei?" Shirou immediately thought to Issei, wondering just what this youth wanted with him. "Who are you?"

The youth sighed, as if Shirou's question was some kind of convenience. "I guess you wouldn't be able to tell given your current situation, but I would have thought our mutual friend would have told you more about me."

"Mutual friend?" Shirou tilted his head to the right, confused. "Alright, who are you...? Are you Grayfia's son!?"

"What?" The youth clearly didn't expect that question. Not quite surprised. Perhaps more like bemused. "No."

"Nephew?"

"No."

"Grandson?"

"No."

"Great-Grandson?"

"No."

"Great-Great Grandson?"

"No!"

"Well, you're kind of a prick like Grayfia, so I'm gonna have to say you're her Great-Great-"

"Add one more "great" and I level this entire campus...again." Even though the silver-haired boy's voice nor tone had changed, Shirou could tell he was becoming irritated by Shirou's pointless questions.

Shirou immediately shut-up under the threat of this youth. "...Are you SURE you're not related to Grayfia?" The youth's eye twitched. "I mean, you both have that abnormal, silvery-hair and-"

"He's the White Dragon Emperor, Vali!" A third voice interjected, letting out a sigh of frustration as another youth appeared out of nowhere. "There, like a band-aid!"

"What?!" Shirou raised his guard again. The youth appeared sitting on top of the column the front gate was attached to, blue coloring his eyes and short blonde hair resting on his head. Despite his casual disposition, he was dressed in a gentleman's suit. He looked to be perhaps a year younger than Shirou himself. He looked like he could have been Kiba's younger brother. "Vali...!?" That was when it clicked in Shirou's head. "The Vanishing Dragon!" Shirou extended his hand forward, narrowing his eyes for a moment before freezing. He couldn't help but clench his teeth.

"Right about now you're realizing how useless your assault would be against me even if you weren't as weak as a normal human right now, correct?" Vali guessed accurately.

Shirou growled, but didn't say anything.

"What a shame. It appears the God-Devouring Wolf's power was wasted on you," Vali said. "I can only imagine how long until Kuroka grows bored. She was never one to stick around dull people."

"The God-what?" Shirou blinked, taking a moment to think over the piece of information Vali had just dropped while the ignoring the jab at his relationship with Kuroka.

"Oh give the guy a break, Vali," The blonde-haired youth said nonchalantly, "He just watched his mom die, realized he was a total monster, and quickly became absolutely useless all in the span of a few days. He's had it rough."

Every single word out of the youth's mouth touched Shirou's most sensitive nerves. "Who the Hell are you?"

"Ah, forgive me," The blonde said, bowing politely. "My name is Mordred. Mordred Pendragon. In the way of you easterners, I suppose it would be Pendragon Mordred, correct?" He let out a lighthearted laugh that unnerved Shirou. Something about that smile of his felt chillingly familiar. "I apologize, but my knowledge about the cultures of any country outside of the European continent is completely nonexistent." He stuck out his tongue, tapping his skull with his knuckles. "I guess, in terms of Japanese, I'm a bit of an airhead~!"

"Uh huh..." Shirou said, not quite understanding where the boy, Mordred was coming from. Before he could think about it, Mordred suddenly appeared in front of him, his face far too close for comfort with a childish smile on his face. "Can I help you?"

"Oh nothing, I'm just a little interested to meet the person I've been hearing about, the "Demon King of Kuoh"," Mordred said whimsically, ignoring the look of discomfort on Shirou's face. "I'll admit, you're a little underwhelming, but you have such a cool title! It really makes me wonder all of the people you had to hurt to get it~!"

 **BADUM! BADUM!**

Shirou felt his heartbeat increase, his entire body tensing from Mordred's words.

"I've found so much about you, Fujimura Shirou," Mordred said. "Nobody had a clue who you were until the age of 10 and ever since that little incident with those poor wicked high schoolers playing the victims, your reputation has been absolute garbage. What a poor soul. I would say "God have mercy on you" 'cept God's dead, so it doesn't mean a thing~!"

It was at that that Shirou immediately reclassified Mordred as a threat. "How do you know about that?" There was no possible way he could know about what happened back then. Shirou knew for a fact that Mordred had not been there nor had there been anyone who dared speak the truth. The only people who knew about the truth were Shirou himself and those three _monsters_.

Mordred shrugged. "I know a great many things."

"He knows _several_ things," Vali corrected as if taunting Mordred.

The youth paused, but his cheerful expression didn't change. "Working under the Fallen Angel Governor has its perks and one of them is having open files on every single supernatural occupant of this town. That includes you."

"But that was seven years ago, way before I became a Devil!" Shirou argued. "There's no way you should know about it!"

"But I do." Mordred countered casually. "I know who you are, Fujimura Shirou. We have a lot of sources gathering a lot of information. There's enough about you to fill several books and, I must say, I'm quite interested in you." Mordred leaned forward, causing Shirou to lean back. "However, it seems a little unfair, doesn't it? All of those people who suffered and, here you are, angsting about girls and high school life."

A chill ran down Shirou's neck.

"Acting all casual with those chums of yours and I can't help but wonder: Do they know the truth?"

Shirou bit his lower lip. "The truth about what?"

Mordred tilted his head, smiling. "The truth about what you are." Mordred stared, feigning surprise. "So they don't know!" Mordred smiled again. "I guess that's fair. I guess you wouldn't want them finding out. Isn't that right...?" Mordred leaned in and whispered two words that struck Shirou at his core, rendering him, at least for that moment, completely numb.

Even if the world could not hear it, Shirou had.

As Mordred stepped away from Shirou, it was peaceful.

Not a pleasant peace.

Rather, it was the calm before the storm.

The peace before the catastrophe.

The the dam broke and the raging water was let free.

"MORDREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!" The blonde-haired youth side-stepped Shirou's attempted punch, causing Shirou to stumble through empty air.

"Oh, so you do have a feisty side~!" Mordred teased, raising his arm to block Shirou's next punch, raising his arm slightly to block the following roundhouse kick. He leaped back as Shirou smashed his fists down on the spot Mordred had once been standing on. A small crater formed from the impact. Shirou struck blow after blow, but not a single one made contact with their intended target.

It was like trying to hit a leaf blowing in the wind. No matter how much he tried, Mordred could not be felled.

It didn't help that his vision was red and the only though going through Shirou's mind was:

 _BastardBastard_ _BastardBastard_ _BastardBastard_ _BastardBastard_ _BastardBastard_ _BastardBastard_ _BastardBastard_ _BastardBastard_ _BastardBastard_ _BastardBastard!_

"In the end, you're just rather disappointing, aren't you?" Mordred said with a cold voice, still smiling.

Even though it had gone on for about ten minutes, they had ended up in exactly the same positions as when they started.

"Bastaaaaard!" However, before Shirou could try lunging and repeating their little dance-

"That's enough, Shirou!"

Shirou paused halfway through his next attack, turning to face Issei and the others as they approached. He lowered his fists, shoving them into his pockets before shooting another sharp glare at Mordred, who ducked behind Vali, feigning a fright before sticking his tongue out at Shirou.

"What's going on here?" Rias asked.

"Ah, this must be the lovely Rias Gremory, hm?" Mordred asked, stepping out from behind Vali to approach her. "I had heard rumors of the beauty female members of the Gremory clan possess, but I-" When he extended his hand, a red gauntlet slapped it away.

"Step-off!" Issei threatened, the gem of his Boosted Gear glowing. Mordred raised his hand as a show of no ill intent.

"Ah apologies, Red Dragon!" Mordred said lightheartedly. "I had heard rumors that Gremory-ojousama was your woman, but I hadn't considered it true til now~!"

Rias cleared her throat, trying to brush off the blush that brightened her and Issei's faces. "That's nice and all, but you haven't answered my question: What are you two doing here? Who are you?"

"Again, I apologize, milady," Mordred said, bowing. "I and the feral dog here simply got into a little disagreement. I know it's a little improper for us to fight in your territory, but he was the one who struck first. It can hardly be considered my fault."

"Is this true, Shirou?" Rias asked, giving her servant the opportunity to defend himself.

Shirou's silence unnerved her.

"As for the who, my name is Mordred Pendragon and this is my compatriot, Vali," Mordred said, still bowed while gesturing to the silver-haired youth leaning against the gate. "It is a pleasure!"

It was then that the name rang through all of their heads, the members of the ORC taking their fighting stances.

"What is this?"

"What's going on?"

Kiyome and Asia, the only two non-fighters, stood at the back of the group, completely at a loss regarding the current situation.

"You're the Hakuryuukou!" Issei pointed out.

Vali nodded, stepping forward. "This is the second time we've met at this place, Red Dragon, Issei Hyoudou."

"Kiyome, Asia, get back!" Rias said, stretching out her arm to shield them from Vali's gaze.

"Oh come now," Vali said, looking unthreatened even after Kiba and Xenovia brought our their blades, "if all of you together weren't able to take Kokabiel down, what makes you think you stand a chance against someone ranked far higher than him? I could wipe you all out with one hand tied behind my back and you can't even stop your own hands from trembling."

He wasn't wrong. It was easy enough to see how afraid the members of the ORC were of him. Even someone with only the slightest amount of supernatural awareness like Kiyome could tell he wasn't someone to mess with.

"And your only Trump Card is not much stronger than the average human at the moment," Vali pointed out, to the confusion of the members of the ORC. None of them noticed the way Shirou's shoulders lowered. "Put frankly, the differences between our power is too great." Vali shrugged. "But don't take my word for it. Feel free to start a fight if you don't care about causing a scene."

After giving it some thought, the members of the ORC returned their weapons.

"See? Isn't it nice when we can all act civil like this?" Mordred piped up, gesturing between Vali and the Devils. Only silence and piercing gazes answered him. "And I think I shall go wait over here~" He wisely removed himself from the conversation and waited by the gate where Vali once stood.

"Tell me, Issei," Vali said, "how do you think your power compares with the others in this world?"

"What do you mean?" Issei asked guardedly.

"Hmph," Vali smirked. "You, who haven't even unlocked Balance Breaker, are arguably one of the weakest of this group. If you obtained that power, at best, you would still only have a 4-digit ranking from strongest to weakest. As you are now, I cannot rank you any higher than five digits."

Issei tightened his fist, irritated by the nerve Vali touched. "Yeah, what's your point?"

"My point is that, as a Heavenly Dragon, you still have potential as a valuable player," Vali answered. "You should be properly taken care of and nurtured until you can stand on your own two legs. Don't you agree, Rias Gremory?"

Rias narrowed her eyes. "I don't need your advice." Rias said coldly, crossing her arms. "You still haven't explained why members from the Fallen Angels' side are here."

Mordred quickly stepped forward, smiling brightly. "Oh just a little recon, Gremory-ojousama." He bowed profusely again. "The Angels' side is also scouting it out, making sure there aren't any tricks from either the Fallen Angels or Devils...as a precaution of course."

"Right," Rias noted warily.

"I encourage you to raise the Red Dragon right," Vali said, "but also know that those involved with the Heavenly have never lived easy lives. I wonder how you'll fare." He then proceeded to walk by the Devils, giving a lazy wave.

"Wait for me, Vali!" Mordred made to follow after his comrade. He suddenly stopped next to Shirou, as if contemplating something. When he saw the tense and glowering look on Shirou's face, he smiled. "Don't worry, my friend. I have no intention of revealing what you are. However, you might want to reconsider telling your friends the truth about your _other_ secret otherwise you'll likely end up watching everyone you know and love die right in front of your eyes because they didn't know how pathetically weak you are now~ If we had been fighting seriously, I could have ripped you to pieces~" He then sprinted away, waving as if he hadn't deliberately forced Shirou into an uncomfortable spotlight. "Tah tah for now!"

And then they were gone, leaving a cumbersome atmosphere.

It was increasingly difficult for Shirou to ignore the eyes that fell on him.

He could tell what was going through all of their heads as they exchanged looks with one another:

[You ask him.]

[No, YOU ask him.]

[I'm not asking him! Make HER ask him!]

[I'm not going to do that. Perhaps his girlfriend would be better suited-]

[I don't feel comfortable going near a landmine like that without some context.]

[You _are_ his girlfriend, aren't you, Kiyome- _san_?]

[Are you trying to start another fight?]

[Xenovia, you go do it.]

[I nominate Kiba.]

[Kiba!]

[Kiba!]

[Yuuto!]

[Yuuto-senpai.]

[Oh definitely Kiba.]

[Wai-What!?]

Kiba was suddenly shoved forward by Issei, the blonde Knight scratching his cheek, feeling awkward. "Shirou, about that secret Mordred-san mentioned-"

"It's nothing," Shirou said dismissively. "Just the rantings of a lunatic. Seriously, I got some serious Freed-vibes from that nutcase."

He wasn't wrong, but he completely deflected the question.

"Shirou, what was he talking about?" Issei asked again, being served up as tribute #2. "All that weird stuff about _what you are_ and that secret? Not to mention, you didn't really put up that big of a fight earlier. Why didn't you use your Sacred Gear?" It was when Shirou's expression soured that Issei realized he touched a nerve. "Come on, we're your friends, aren't we?"

"It's none of your concern..." Shirou brushed Issei off, taking a step away.

Kiyome made the next attempt. "Shirou..." She couldn't even touch him without him flinching. She also didn't miss the expression of guilt on his face, as if he had done something wrong. "When are you going to learn to stop pushing us away, Shirou? We love and care about you and we worry about you!"

"Please, just drop it already." Shirou said just a little more harshly. However, when he turned to leave, Asia was there, clearly the last line of defense with her puppy dog-eyed stare.

"Shirou-san, we know you're still hurting because of what happened to Mikoto-san, but-"

"DON'T YOU DARE BRING KA-SAN INTO THIS!" Everyone stared at Shirou's outburst. Shirou paused, noticing the tearful corners of Asia's wounded-looking eyes. He covered his mouth. "I...I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from." He took a deep breath, stepping away from Asia. "It's nothing related to Ka-san. It's my own business so I would appreciate it if you would all keep from prying into it."

When he moved to leave that time, none of them tried to stop him.

* * *

"I'm curious."

"You're curious about a lot of things, Vali~"

The duo walked down the street, earning more than a few curious gazes. Neither were involved with supernatural activities, so there was no reason to obscure their presences even though Vali looked like a ne'er-do-well streetpunk and Mordred looked like a very lost groom who couldn't recall the reason he was wearing his suit to begin with. Even their walking movements were drastically different, Vali walking normally while Mordred was skipping like a merry school girl on her way home.

"Just like the confrontation with Kokabiel, you have an odd interest in the Demon King who is also the possessor of the God-Devouring Wolf," Vali noted. "Care to elaborate on this?"

"Oh does it really matter?" Mordred waved off the question.

"It does when your actions almost blew our cover wide-open." Vali said. "Azazel would have been more than suspicious if we let Kokabiel destroy the town without a fight."

"Do you actually care about this town?"

"Not particularly," Vali admitted. "Aside from the Red Dragon Emperor, there's not the slightest reason to pay this place a second thought. Even the member of the Oda Clan is useless in his current state."

"Then why mention it?" Mordred asked, smiling brightly. "Or could it be you're more concerned about the thought of making Azazel upset with you?" The taunt was not lost on Vali, but he didn't react. "Cold feet perhaps?"

"Are you kidding?" Vali scoffed. "The Fallen Angels are alright, but I have no interest in a normal, peaceful world. I would much rather fight to my heart's content."

"Then just focus on our job for now. That's all we need to do~" Mordred said. "Besides, it's not like my interest in Fujimura-kyun is any different from your interest in Issei Hyoudou~ He's just an interesting guy I have my eye on~"

* * *

Elsewhere, Shirou felt a chill go down his spine.

* * *

"And you felt the need to spoil the big secret because?"

"I love seeing his pretty face twist and cringe in anguish~" Mordred said without losing a single ounce of good cheer. However, the air surrounding him became notably colder. "I know the boss needs him intact, both physically and emotionally, but there was never an order saying I couldn't have a little fun here and there~"

"So they're really trying to revive _that_ , huh?"

"Dunno~ I don't get paid to ask questions~"

"In other words, you don't know anything at all?" Vali translated, smirking to himself. He ignored the sudden dark look on Mordred's face, the expression quickly being replaced by his previous smile.

"None at all~" Mordred admitted. "Still, I can't believe that so few are aware of who that guy really is~ Even the big boss himself could only get so much info~ I mean, after surviving something like _that_ , I'm surprised he isn't completely fucked in the head~ Still, I feel a little sorry for the poor kid-"

"No you don't," Vali pointed out.

"OK, so I don't," Mordred admitted, sticking out his tongue, "but his life is bound to become shit the more people find out about him. _It's only a matter of time._ "

* * *

Shirou leaned back against the wall of the old school building, waiting for the inevitable moment when one of the others discovered him.

He sighed leaning against the wall.

"What am I doing?" He stared at his open hand in front of him. "Why have you stopped talking to me, Wolf? What the Hell's going on?"

However, to no surprise, he received no response.

Mordred's words stuck with him. No matter how much he tried to shake them off, they pierced him more severely than the beam of light Kokabiel shot through his chest.

[You might want to reconsider telling your friends the truth about your _other_ secret otherwise you'll likely end up watching everyone you know and love die right in front of your eyes.]

"I have to tell them, don't I?" Again, silence responded in the only way it could. "...No, I can't tell them about Aniki or any of that just yet, but, I can't keep what's happening a secret..." He heaved a heavy sigh of frustration. "Just what the Hell am I supposed to do...?"

He was so preoccupied with his own thoughts that he failed to notice the shadowy figure that appeared behind him.

"Just what the Hell am I supposed to do...?"

The figure smiled.

" _It'll be alright, Shi-chan~_ "

"Uwah!" Shirou spun around so fast that he tripped over his own feet and fell back onto the ground. He struggled to move away, his eyes going wide as he stared at the person in front of him. "Wh-Who are you!?"

" _I've waited so long to meet you!_ " The voice breathed heavily. " _Now, let's have a little fun~!_ "

"W-What? N-No!" Shirou stumbled to his feet but quickly fell over, crawling away from the figure. "No! Stay back! I'm warning you! No-"

A shadow descended over him.

" _NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_ "

* * *

 **And that was the last we ever heard of him...**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Nah~ Just kidding~**

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** Class Visits and Magical Girls! There's Another Servant!?

* * *

 **I would just like to take a moment here and deeply apologize for the long gap between updates.**

 **As I'm sure you all know, the end of the school year is a particularly stressful point in every youth's life, more-so when you're in college.**

 **Between three essays, one memorization test, three regular tests, PHYSICS, Mass Effect Andromeda, and PERSONA-FUCKING-5-WHICH-IS-SO-FUCKING-AWESOME (on top of crippling depression), I just didn't have the time or mental energy needed to devise the ending to this. This chapter has actually been almost done for a week or two now, but I had such a severe mental block. It was 11 PM, but I finally got it done.**

 **Next update will be DxD:Neo...maybe. We'll see how I'm feeling. Been playing Funbag Fantasy/Kyonyuu Fantasy and Koihime Musou courtesy of Manga Gamer, every H-Gamer's fantasy paradise.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	45. Opening 5 - Yura Yura

**Song: Yura Yura (Naruto Opening 9)**

 **Performed by: Hearts Grow**

 **[Yura yura to yuganda sora e]** Child-Shirou stands amidst an endless field of snow and ice, watching the flakes rain down around him. Curious and awed, he grasps at the snowflakes, eventually closing his hand around one flake which becomes a glowing, white orb of light.

 **[Kimi no motto e tonde yuke]** Shirou watches as the orb begins to shine brilliantly, whiting out the screen, revealing the title.

Devil Reborn Redux

 **[Zutto soba ni itta kara]** Kiyome opens her bedroom window, peering out with a soft smile on her face which quickly fades to sadness.

 **[Aita sukima ooki sugite]** The scene changes to overhead of Akeno, sweeping the steps to the her home. As a strong gust blows through, Akeno turns her head towards the sky, stunned.

 **[Namaiki na kimi no suna o na henji]** Shirou lays on a couch in the ORC meeting room, crossing his arms behind his neck before sitting up, watching the other club members pour in through the door, smiling solemnly.

 **[Matte dare ga sabishii]** The scene changes to a fuzzy flashback, Shirou standing alone, crying while clutching a bloody pipe.

 **[Mirarenai machi de naiteru nara]** In the dark corner of his room, Gasper curls up in his box, burying his face into his knees. He winces as light pours through the crack in his slowly-opening door.

 **[Soba ni inakutemo egao wa todoketai]** The silhouette of a hand stretches out to him. Frightened at first, Gasper recoils. When the hand pulls away, Gasper desperately reaches out to grab it.

 **[Yura yura to yuganda sora e]** In the battle-torn campus of Kuoh Academy, Issei runs forward, equipping his Balance Breaker before he activates Scale Mail's jet, soaring at incredible speeds. He throws his fist against Vali's, explosive power resulting from their clash that breaks apart the earth beneath their feet.

 **[Kimi no moto e tonde yuke]** Katerea fires several spells at Azazel which are blocked by Alma. Alma draws several Black Keys, ninja-dashing forward and diving at her.

 **[Konna ni mo chikaku ni kanjiteru]** In the middle of a deserted forest, Mordred grins maliciously, raising his darkness-coated dagger into the air which unleashes a heavy rain of magical blasts. Shirou lets out a bestial roar, unleashing an earth-shattering aura that whites out the screen.

 **[Futatsu no omoi]** Shirou is shown standing beneath a tree under the night sky, opening his hands to allow the white orb from the beginning to shoot back towards the Heavens, becoming another star in the night sky.


	46. Chapter 40: Class Visits & Magical Girls

**I decided to do a public service announcement on behalf of my friend, ahsoei: The new chapter of** **One-Punch DxD: Legacy is out, but the notification system is on the fritz. It IS, in fact, out.**

 **Disclaimer: I'm just going to go out on a record and say I don't own a damned thing besides Shirou. High School DxD, High School DxD New, High School DxD BorN, and all related media are the property of Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Funimation, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the official release!**

* * *

 **Chapter 40: Class Visits and Magical Girls! There's Another Servant!?**

Issei leaned on his arm against his desktop, drumming his fingers impatiently.

"Nervous about class visits, Issei?"

"Are your parents coming?"

Issei was snapped out of his thoughts by the sound of Matsuda and Motohama's voices. "Huh? Oh, yeah," He answered absentmindedly. "Yeah, only to see Asia though."

"I know how they feel," Motohama sighed out, likely imagining some lewd fantasy involving Asia. On occasion, Issei had half a mind to slap the glasses-wearing youth for thinking of Asia like that, but it wasn't as though he didn't have similar fantasies. It was more a matter of how it annoyed him to no end to think about someone wearing a perverted expression when they stared at his...his...erm...

When Issei thought about it, he wasn't quite sure what to refer to Asia as. She was all but legally adopted into his family, but their relationship wasn't exactly brother-sister in nature, but he didn't think Asia was romantically interested in him. When someone brought up the subject, he usually avoided it altogether because it was too complicated to think about and, if he misspoke, people would fall under a misunderstanding. He wanted to ask Rias or Asia about it now and then, but it seemed like too small and too awkward a matter to bring up, especially since Rias's excuse to his parents was that Asia was training to become Issei's bride.

"This is my first Parents Day!" Asia cheered. "I'm so excited!"

Whatever the reason, Issei's parents had come to treat Asia as their own daughter and cared for her as much as him (possibly more-so). That alone left him satisfied.

Next to Asia, Aika Kiryuu leaned her face against her desk, sighing, "I'm just depressed," She whined before sitting up, scanning the classroom. "I don't see Snowball anywhere." Asia and Issei turned in her direction, giving her confused looks. When Kiryuu noticed their looks, she shrugged, "I've been trying to come up with new teasing nicknames for Shirou. My old material's gotten stale."

"Uh huh..."

"Anyway, I guess I can't blame him for not coming to class today," Kiryuu said, scratching her cheek.

"Why's that?" Asia asked instinctively. Issei wanted to stop her, but, by the time he opened his mouth, the awkward realization set in.

Shirou had no parents.

Unlike with him or Asia, today would have been a depressing day for him. Asia awkwardly sat back down in her seat, staring at her desktop while being grateful that Shirou himself had not been around to make that situation all the more uncomfortable.

"Huh? Why are you guys acting all weird like that?" Kiryuu asked. "I mean, you can't help it that his mom's away on business all the time."

Nobody outside of the ORC and certain individuals knew the truth of Mikoto's "death", so, again, they were incredibly grateful Shirou was not around to hear them talk about his MIA mother whose doppelganger disappeared forever right in front of his eyes.

If he weren't a Devil, Issei would have almost prayed for a change of subject.

"Issei," Xenovia waved as she approached them and unwittingly gave the change of subject they needed.

"What's up, Xenovia?"

Xenovia bowed in apology. "Sorry for bringing up the subject the other day," Xenovia said. "I acted rashly without thinking about your feelings."

 _"Feelings...?"_ Issei frowned, trying to recall what- _"Oh God no..."_

Xenovia reached into her pockets while continuing to speak, "I realize that this may be hard for you...That's why," She paused for a moment before pulling something plastic-looking from her pocket and dangling it in front of Issei, "we should use these and practice first." Issei's jaw dropped as his face reddened, many curious brows around him being raised. Xenovia stared at the item in her hand as if it were something from an alien world. "The world I came from has long disputed the morality of using these, but I understand Japan has deemed their use proper."

"I-IdiooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOT!" Issei panicked, leaping out of his seat and snatching the condom from Xenovia's hand. "D-Don't take those out in front of everyone!" He paused. "Actually, it would be pretty cool to have people think that we're...I wouldn't mind, but there's a time and a place for everything!"

"What's going on?" Issei almost jumped out of his skin, quickly hiding the condom when Asia approached their group.

However, the moment she came close, Xenovia turned her attention to Asia. "You should have some too, Asia," Xenovia said, offering another condom to her. "Being unprepared for sexual activity can be harmful to all involved. Intimate relationships between men and women certainly are difficult."

If Issei thought Xenovia was clueless, the completely puzzled look on Asia's face replaced that thought. "...Is this candy?"

It would have been adorable (and hilarious) if Issei hadn't been so horrified at Xenovia's action. Even more-so when Kiryuu whispered in Asia's ears, the former nun's face turning hot-red as Kiryuu gave what was no doubt the "Birds, Bees, and Condoms" talk.

"Maybe it's for the best," Kiryuu said, giggling mischievously as Asia recovered from the "critical hit". "If Xenovia makes her move, then you'll need to-"

"Kiryuu-saaaaan! Please stoooooooop!" Asia squealed, covering Kiryuu's mouth.

"Geez, Asia. I told you right?" Kiryuu snickered after Asia released her, cleaning her glasses on her sleeve. "Hyoudou's gonna get stolen if you sit around twiddling your thumbs. Sucks when men catch the scent of other women, huh?"

"Aaah!" Asia whined. "Why are you exposing me like this-"

SLIIIIDE! SLAM!

Their conversation immediately paused, as did every other conversation in the classroom, when the door slid open, revealing a certain white-haired boy with his eyes covered in the shadows cast by his bangs. It was as though they were frozen in time, nobody doing or saying a thing so long as the boy stood in that doorway, doing nothing. After several moments, a few more daring students started whispering among themselves.

"...Fujimura's acting weirder than normal."

"I wonder if he was finally lobotomized."

"Could he be crouching in wait, ready to pounce?"

"I don't want to be deflowered!"

...Well, most of them whispered anyway.

After several moments, the youth turned his head in Issei's general direction (Issei could not see his eyes) and slowly trudged, literally trudged, over to their group, taking a seat in the desk next to Issei's.

It was only upon closer inspection that Issei noticed that the white-haired boy was sweating profusely, his entire body trembling as if threatening to go limp all at once.

"Um...You doin' alright there, buddy?"

"..." Shirou didn't respond. Issei and his friends waited. Shirou grumbled before begrudgingly stating, "...I'm fine." He then curled up into a ball, wrapping his arms around his knees.

When Issei looked into Shirou's eyes, he saw that "thousand-mile stare" one only gained through immense despair and trauma. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"..." Shirou stared blankly. "...Yes." A soft groan escaped his mouth as he uncurled his body, wincing with every moment. "I. Am. Fine." He was clearly not fine. "Just been...erm...training. Time got away from me."

"Training?" Kiryuu asked, raising a brow at Shirou's behavior.

"W-Working out," Shirou corrected himself, rubbing his right arm while wincing. "Just um...yeah..."

"Does this have to do with yesterday?" Issei asked.

"No, I'm fine," Shirou said, a slight growl in his voice. From the way his eyes suddenly darted fiercely in Issei's direction, it was clearly still a touchy subject. Shirou had been notably out of it following his confrontation with Vali and Mordred. Issei himself found it understandable considering one of them was the far more experienced White Dragon Emperor, but he got the distinct feeling that that matter which caused Shirou to lash out harshly when they tried to pry felt completely different compared to his current state.

"OK..." Issei rubbed the back of his neck, awkward. "So what exactly happened that made you so-

"Finish that question and I break your legs," Shirou said in a dark voice, his eyes glowing red.

Issei wasn't sure what mood Shirou was in, but he had enough sense of tact to know this would not be the time to push him. Whatever had worn him out to such an extent must have been a new torment that not even Hell could have come up with. He was alive and unwounded, so at the very least, he wasn't in any danger...Issei assumed.

There was nothing to be done.

"By the way, Shirou," Kiryuu said, changing the subject, "Kiyome said she wanted to talk with you later. She's busy with club activities for a while, so she said she'll call you when she has the time."

There was a thud as Shirou's head banged against the top of his desk.

And that was the end of that.

"So..." Issei frowned, turning back to the others. "What were we talking about again?"

Xenovia raised a condom. "Sexual intercourse."

"STOP BRINGING THOSE OUT!"

* * *

"It's well-made."

Rias was, of course, referring to the hand-made statue Issei had made of her out of PVC clay...in ENGLISH class.

It had been unorthodox to say the least. Issei had absentmindedly sculpted Rias's body out of clay. It was amazingly realistic to the point he felt compelled to share it with Rias, Asia, and Akeno.

Many of the other students had offered to buy it from him, but he just couldn't bear to part with it. It felt like sacrilege in a way and, more importantly, the thought of someone else staring at Rias's naked body (even in clay form) made him feel annoyed.

"It's no surprise considering you're groping Rias's body everyday, right?" Akeno pointed out, smiling.

"Believe me, it's not everyday," Issei sighed out. He raised a fist into the air. "Because of that, I have had no choice but to carve the very image deep into my mind!" Again, he sighed as his passion quickly drained out of him. Deciding to change the subject, he turned to Rias. "By the way, Buchou, did Sirzechs-sama come to see you?"

It was Rias's turn to let out a sigh. "Not just him, but my father also came to visit." She didn't need to say anymore. Her red face said it all. It was embarrassing enough to have your parents and siblings come to see your class and act like secret cheerleaders while filming you, but somehow the pressure was drastically increased when your brother was one of the strongest Devils as well as one of the supreme leaders of the Devils. "By the way, what happened to Shirou? Did he show up to class today? Neither Akeno or Kiyome could get in contact with him after the...event yesterday." Even though Shirou had snapped a little the other day, Rias was too nice to be upset at her servant for very long.

"He showed up, but he was asleep during the entire class," Issei answered. It didn't go unnoticed by the rest of the class when he rested his face on his desk, snoring with drool flooding his desk. To his credit, he remained in class for the rest of the period, but, after its end, his phone started ringing. Shirou's expression when he looked at the number was one of absolute terror. "...When I asked him what was up, he just glared at me and told me to mind my own business."

Rias placed her hands on her hips, frowning. "I wonder what crawled up _his_ butt?"

"Ah, it's you guys," Kiba said as he approached the group.

"Oh hey, Kiba," Rias greeted. "What are you doing here?"

"I assumed the same as you," Kiba answered. "I heard there were people taking pics of magical girls over there." Kiba pointed over to a nearby corridor from which the sound of crowds and camera flashes could be heard.

[Magical girls...?]

Issei and Rias exchanged curious looks before simultaneously agreeing to check it out, followed by Akeno and Asia.

They were not quite sure what to make of what they saw.

"What-!?" Rias began.

"-the fuck!?" Issei finished, his jaw dropped lower than hers.

At the center of the crowd from which they accepted the praise of the crowd were two girls dressed in cosplay. The first one was a beautiful bishoujo with black hair tied in twin pony tails and violet eyes. Despite the fact that her body was somewhat child-like, her breasts were from such. That is to say, they were very large. Like her companion, she wore a magical girl outfit. However, hers was pink.

Issei recognized the outfit but not the girl while Rias seemed to go shock white at the sight of her.

It was the other "girl" that made Issei's jaw drop and made all of his stomach contents want to leap up his throat. "Her" outfit was a sky-blue color.

"Haaaaai! Our fans want more, Levia-tan~!" The "girl" stated excitedly.

"Then let's grant their wish, Shiro-tan~!" "Levia-tan" agreed, smiling brightly. "Alright then~! Pose~ Pose~ Pose~ Aaaaaand-Pose~!"

There was a large round of cheers from the guys who had gathered around the two girls as they engaged in more of their poses, twirling their wands almost perfectly in sync while giving a pose or a twirl here and there.

Issei could only gawk and suppress a mix of nausea and laughter as he stared.

[I don't believe it! It's her!]

[Shiroko Fujinuma!]

[Not only a boobilicious mystery girl, but we also get to see Shiroko-chan again!]

[I wasn't able to get good pics last time, so this is the ultimate opportunity!]

It was only out of respect for his friend that Issei didn't scream, throw up, and laugh at the same time and reveal the fact that the photos (masturbation material) they were taking were of a boy in girl's clothes.

"Shiroko Fujinuma", the female persona of Shirou Fujimura, originally made "her" debut during the cross-dressing version of Romeo & Juliet which, despite being horribly off-script, became a hit. The mysterious idol, Shiroko, became #5 on the list of most popular girls at Kuoh Academy, standing behind Rias Gremory, Akeno Himejima, Sona Shitori, and Tsubaki Shinra.

And here "she" was, in the midst of an apparent comeback that "her" male fans just seemed to be eating up.

[We love you, Shiroko-chan!]

[You're the best, Levia-tan!]

"Hey hey, you're blocking traffic here!" said Genshirou Saji as he forced his way through the crowd, standing in front of the two girls (girl and cross-dressing boy) with his arm extended out in front of them. "Nobody gave you all permission to hold a photo shoot here!"

"The Student Council's Issei is suddenly a morally upright person, huh?" "Shiroko" muttered under "her" breath as the crowd began to disperse in dissatisfaction.

"Huuuh?" Saji turned to "Shiroko", an annoyed look on his face. "You have a lot of nerve for someone who isn't even registered as a student." "Shiroko" rolled "her" eyes. "And _you_ ," Saji turned his attention to "Levia-tan", "you two can't wear things like these here. Are you two related to someone at this school?"

"Mmhm," Levia-tan nodded.

"You could say that," Shiroko answered awkwardly.

Saji sighed. "OK, well they should have told you this sort of outfit is unacceptable here."

Levia-tan blinked for a moment before smiling, doing another pose. "Sparkle Shine, your command is mine ~!"

"Stop doing that!" Saji complained.

Levia-tan paused, turning to face Shiroko with a pouty face. "Shiro-taaaaan! You didn't do the pose with me!"

"Yeah, I'm not doing that," Shiroko sighed out. "It's silly and nobody is here anyway!"

"How can you call it silly when you're still playing in-character!?" Levia-tan pointed out, sticking out her tongue. "You're still doing the voice." Shiroko blinked.

"In-character?" Saji frowned, staring at Shiroko as if trying to place "her" face. "...Is she some kind of actress?"

"You're not entirely wrong there, Saji," Issei pointed out, sweat-dropping.

Saji turned to Issei. "I don't have time for you right now. I'm a little busy at the moment." Even though the two had become closer over the fact they were in love with their own masters, Saji still had as much of a broomstick up his ass as always.

"What's going on here?" A harsh voice asked, causing everyone to turn towards the entrance. Sona Sitri stared with her default gaze of disapproval towards disruptions. The first person she noticed was Rias, giving her an acknowledging nod. "I was actually looking for you, Rias. I was just giving your brother and father a tour of the school." She gestured to the two crimson-haired males standing behind her, Sirzechs and the Lord Gremory.

"Father, Onii-sama," Rias greeted, the Low-Class Devils bowing respectfully both towards the current head of the Gremory household and the Maou Lucifer.

"And you, Saji," Sona turned to her servant, the youth instinctively stiffening as if expecting punishment, "I thought I told you to resolve situations quickly and without incid-"

"SO-NA-CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN~!" Before Sona could even complete her attempt to scold her servant, the pink-clothed magical girl Levia-tan leaped forward, ensnaring the uptight girl in a strong embrace. "I've finally found you~!" While Sona squirmed uncomfortably, Levia-tan snuggled affectionately against her, smiling brightly.

"Huh? Does Kaichou know her...?" Issei wondered.

Saji shrugged. "Beats me."

"She's Kaichou's relative," "Shiroko" answered, sighing.

Issei stared at his friend. "You know her, Shirou?"

"...Unfortunately," "Shiroko" admitted. "Despite her looks, she's actually Serafall Leviathan, the older sister of Sona."

"Awwww! You're so mean, Shi-chan!" Levia-tan whined before taking comfort in her younger sister's bosom.

"WAIT!" Saji gasped, gawking in shock at the blue-clothed magical girl. "You're saying that that is actually Fujimura!?"

"Yep."

"Mmhm."

"That's our boy~"

"Shirou-san is very beautiful, isn't he?"

Saji gawked for several more moments as a horrid thought crossed his mind. He fell onto all-fours, gagging and choking on his own bile. After several moments, he looked up at Shirou, his wide eyes bloodshot. "WHAT THE HELL IS THIIIIIS!?" Saji screamed, clutching the sides of his head.

Shirou lowered his head.

"This? This is despair, Saji," Shirou answered in a gloomy tone while smiling calmly with empty eyes. "Frustration, self-loathing, humiliation, and horror, but mostly despair."

"It's been a long time, Leviathan-sama," Rias greeted, smiling at "Levia-tan".

"Rias-chan ~! Long time, no see~ Have you been doing well~?"

"I'm fine, thank you," Rias answered. "Are you here to observe Sona's classes?"

"Yeah!" Serafall nodded before pouting again. "But Sona-chan didn't even tell me about today! If I hadn't met Shi-chan by luck the other day, I might have gone out and attacked Heaven to vent some of this pent-up frustration!"

Rias turned to Shirou, placing a tense hand on his shoulder. "You sacrificed your dignity for the sake of the world. We salute you."

Shirou stared blankly, his voice returning to normal. "Don't you fuckin' patronize me."

Rias quickly turned to Issei. "Your turn to introduce yourself, Issei."

Issei jumped, quickly bowing his head. "My name is Issei Hyoudou, the Pawn of Rias Gremory!" Issei called out. "A pleasure to meet you!"

Serafall examined Issei with a new-found sense of childish curiosity. "Nice to meet you ! I am the Maou Serafall Leviathan ~! Call me Levia-tan ~!" Issei sweatdropped before turning to Shirou, silently asking for advice. Shirou's expression said "Just go with it." Serafall turned behind her, facing the crimson-haired man Shirou could have sworn he had met somewhere before in the black hole that was his memory of the night he spent drinking. "Is this the rumored Sekiryuutei-kun, Sirzechs-chan?"

"That's right," Sirzechs confirmed. "Issei-kun harbors the Red Dragon Emperor inside of him."

"Sirzechs...?" Shirou muttered to himself as it sparked a memory somewhere in the "dark hole". After several seconds of quiet contemplation, Shirou's eyes went wide and a new expression of horror etched itself into his face. "Th-The Lord Maou Lucifer-sama-san-donooooo!"

"Shirou, you're mixing too many honorifics!" Issei screamed before Shirou threw himself onto the ground, prostrating before the Maou Lucifer's feet.

"I am ever so sorry for shaming myself in your presence, not once but twice now!" Shirou apologized sincerely. "I am most sorry for wiping my vomit-stained mouth on your shirt and saying you were prettier than your sister! Above all else, I am very sorry for showing you what I look like in a dress!" Shirou stood up, but he never stopped bowing his head. "Please forgive me, your unholiness!"

The Maou Lucifer laughed it off lightheartedly. "Don't worry about it. Everyone does crazy things when they're drunk! Why, one time when Grayfia-" The Maou paused, a troubled expression appearing on his face. He reached carefully around the back of his head before pulling out a piece of metal in the shape of a star. A shuriken. "Oh, it appears Grayfia's a little embarrassed about that~" Sirzechs said it cheerfully and affectionately as if his stealthily-hidden wife _hadn't_ just thrown a throwing star at the back of his skull. "Besides, I think you look cute, Shirou-kun."

"Doesn't he though~!" Serafall agreed, using one free arm to pat Shirou on the head, causing his face to redden further.

"Sh-Shut up!" Shirou stuttered, puffing up his cheeks as his eyes began to water. "Stupid praise like that doesn't make me happy in the slightest!"

"I was thinking about making her my co-star~!"

"I do think a tsundere could properly counter-balance your character and add a lot to your show," Sirzechs agreed.

"I never agreed to anything!" Shirou complained before adding the after thought, "And I'm not a girl!"

"Um..." Asia frowned, staring curiously at the odd scene unfolding before them. "...I'm sorry for interrupting, but I'm confused. Shirou-san, how did you meet Leviathan-sama and become a magical girl?"

"I was wondering the same thing," Akeno agreed.

"Yeah."

"Ditto."

"I, too, would like to know how you fell into Onee-sama's grasp."

The young Devils' opinions were in perfect unison on the matter.

Shirou sighed, realizing there was no way to get out of his agony. "Well, remember back when I...Well, it was after I left you guys yesterday..."

* * *

 **The Previous Evening...**

 _"It'll be alright, Shi-chan~"_

 _"Uwah!" Shirou spun around so fast that he tripped over his own feet and fell back onto the ground. He struggled to move away, his eyes going wide as he stared at the person in front of him. "Wh-Who are you!?"_

 _"I've waited so long to meet you!" The voice breathed heavily. "Now, let's have a little fun~!"_

 _"W-What? N-No!" Shirou stumbled to his feet but quickly fell over, crawling away from the figure. "No! Stay back! I'm warning you! No-"_

 _A shadow descended over him._

 _"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_

 _"Why are you screaming!?"_

 _"-OOooooooo...ooooo...?" Shirou lowered his arms, frowning as he stared at the unthreatening figure of a small girl in a magical girl outfit. If not for her disproportionately large breasts, Shirou would have mistaken her for a child. When he got a good look at her, she was actually downright adorable, especially with the way her eyes reminded him of Mikoto when she was playing innocent. "Oh...my apologies. I was absolutely certain that you were a molester. Hahahaha!"_

 _"Let's not rule anything out~"_

 _Shirou stared, wide-eyed. "What?"_

 _"It was a joke~" The magical girl said whimsically. "I'm saving myself for my beloved baby sister~!"_

 _"...OooooK then..." On that note, Shirou began searching for the exit to their conversation. Shirou turned to leave until-_

 _"Waaaaiiiiit!" Before Shirou could take a single step, the girl wrapped her arms around his chest and lifted him into the air with ease._

 _"Huh?" Shirou blinked, turning to face the pouting face of the freakishly strong girl. "HUUUUUUUUUUUUUH!? What the Hell!?"_

 _"I can't let you leave yet!" The girl shouted._

 _"Look, I appreciate you need some time with another person so you don't remember how crazy you are," Shirou said, struggling to break free, "but I'm really not into the-WHOA!"_

 _"NO NO NO!" The girl screamed like a petulant child, swinging Shirou back and forth like some kind of stuffed animal. "I came all this way to talk to you, Shi-chan! Stop being so mean! You should totally be excited and really cheerful! Not everyone can say they have a mighty super Mahou Maou-sama chasing after them!"_

 _"Yeah, well I-" It was then that Shirou's words got caught in his throat. "Maou-sama...?" He squeaked out._

 _"I came all the way here to surprise So-tan, but when I went to her house, it was all locked with a lot of high-level magical seals in place to keep people out," The Maou girl cried. "Being the wonderfully kind and caring sister I am, I didn't want to wake her up, so I went to see the other reason I came to this place, you, Shi-chan!"_

 _"...So-tan?" Shirou raised a brow._

 _"Mmhm!" The magical Devil girl nodded, smiling. "My lovely baby sister attends school in this town! She's even the Student Council President!"_

 _Beads of sweat began to speedily flow down the sides of Shirou's face as his heart stopped. "...W-Would your sister happen to be Sona Sitri, also known as Souna Shitori?"_

 _"Mmhm~!" The girl nodded, still smiling. "My name is Serafall Leviathan, but you can call me Miracle Levia-tan~!" She released Shirou before twirling around, striking a cute pose. "Nice to meet you~!"_

 _Sweat began to pour down the sides of Shirou's face with renewed effort, Shirou's heart coming close to beating out of his chest as he recalled something Sona said to him before the battle with Kokabiel._

 _[You should avoid letting Onee-sama find you no matter the cost. It would be dangerous.]_

 _And here he was, literally right in front of the very person Sona had told him to avoid at all costs. He didn't know what he could have possibly done (barring "the Muffin Incident") that could have pissed off someone so important._ _Serafall Leviathan certainly didn't look like a threat, but she WAS a Maou, one of the four strongest Devils alive, strong enough to take up the mantle of one of the previous four Maous. His relationship with Sona wasn't exactly friendly, but if Sona said that the Maou Leviathan was someone to be feared, he was inclined to believe her._

 _And here he was, absolutely defenseless, before her._

 _"...Well, it's been nice meeting you, Leviathan-sama," Shirou said before twisting on his heels, "but I really must be going!" He didn't make it two steps before-_

 _"WAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!"_

 _Shirou fell flat on his face on the ground after Serafall Leviathan wrapped her arms around Shirou's legs, causing him to trip. "Ugh! What?!"_

 _"I really need to talk to you!" Serafall screamed, puffing up her cheeks as she clung to Shirou childishly._

 _'Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!' Shirou screamed mentally, sensing what he thought to be his imminent death as he and Serafall got back to their feet. "About what...?" Shirou trembled. 'Could it be she knows of my hostile relationship with her sister!?'_

 _"You and I have had this business coming for a very long time!" Serafall said. "It's time to make a deal with the Devil, Shi-chan!"_

 _Considering the fact he was up against an opponent of superior strength, he was at his weakest, and she had more than enough reason to make sure he would never be able to bear children, Shirou could only think of one way to survive the situation. It was what he referred to as "the Default" when dealing with scoldings from Kiyome or one of the girls._

 _It's called "prostrating on the ground and begging for forgiveness."_

 _"OK, whatever I did, let me start this off by saying I am very, very, VERY so-"_ _  
_

 _"You're so pretty~!" Serafall praised with sparkling eyes._

 _Shirou opened his mouth. "..." He quickly closed his mouth, blinking, attempting to speak against when he opened only for more silence to fill the air. "..."_

 _"Definitely not as pretty as So-tan, but I was absolutely mesmerized~!"_

 _"..." Shirou pursed his lips, closing his eyes as he fully contemplated his response to Serafall's praise._ _"...what?"_

 _Serafall gave a peace sign. "I want you to be my partner as a protector of love and peace~!"_

 _"I reiterate: WHAT!?"_

 _Serafall wore a proud look on her face, smiling. "I knew it ever since I watched you first don your identity, Shiroko Fujinuma-chan, that you would prove to be the best choice!"_

 _Shirou blinked. "Wait...you watched my play...?" The first time he donned his female persona was during Romeo and Juliet...With a Twist._

 _Serafall nodded. "Uh huh~ I was wearing a trench coat and hanging out in the back of the auditorium because I wanted to remain hidden while I watched you in secret, but you were amazing~" It was almost mind-boggling how Serafall rationalized that as a not-crazy/possibly criminal statement._

 _"Um...thank you?" This was already spiraling beyond Shirou's control. He wasn't quite sure what else to say. "...OK, bye!" He turned to flee in the opposite direction when-_

 _"WAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!"_

 _Shirou fell flat on his face on the ground after Serafall Leviathan wrapped her arms around Shirou's legs, causing him to trip. "Ugh! Not this shit again!" He stared at Serafall. "What do you want from me!?"_

 _Serafall looked up at him from her position at his legs. "Become a magical girl with me?"_

 _"..." Shirou stared blankly._

 _"..."_

 _"..."_

 _"..."_

 _"I'm getting a little tired of asking this, but: WHAT!?" Shirou managed to extract himself from Serafall's grip, struggling into a sitting position._

 _Serafall giggled. "I want you to become a magical girl with me~" She repeated as if her request made any more sense the second time. "I want to surprise So-tan by coming to the open house tomorrow while also showing off my ability as a magical girl, but what's better than one magical girl but TWO magical girls, you know~? What do you say~? Come on~ Come on come oooon~! Pleeeaaaassse~?"_

 _Shirou stared for several moments, formulating a response. "No," He said, going with the easiest answer. "And by no, I mean FUCK NO!"_

 _"Please? Come on!"_

 _"No!"_

 _"Come oooooon!"_

 _"I said no, damn it!"_

 _"Come ooooooooooooooooooooooooon!"_

 _"Take the hint!"_

 _"Come ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon!"_

 _"Would you just-"_

 _"Come ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-"_

 _"You're not going to change my mind!"_

 _"-oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-"_

 _"Cut it out!"_

 _"-oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-"_

 _"How long are you prepared to keep this up for?!"_

* * *

 ** _2 Hours_ _Later..._**

 _"-oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-"_

 _BANG! BANG! BANG!_

 _The one downside to being a Devil, in Shirou's mind, that trying to bludgeon yourself into unconsciousness by repeatedly battering your head against a wall doesn't play out as easily as it normally would. Even as blood oozed down the front of his face from his bloodied forehead, his body refused to allow him to slip into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness (or death)._

 _"For the last time," Shirou barked at the still ground-bound Leviathan, "I. Am. NOT. Going to be a magical girl!"_

 _"You're mean!" Serafall cried, standing up from the ground._

 _"Well, I never said I was nice!"_

 _Serafall pouted, scrunching up her face in displeasure. "I'm so mad! I may as well go vent this frustration by invading Heaven!" Serafall turned and started stomping away. Shirou only took one step before immediately back-trotting into her path, grinning like a fool._

 _"Did I say "No"? I meant "yes"~!" Shirou said, his entire body trembling and sweat pouring down his face once again._

 _"Really~?!" Serafall's eyes were sparkling. "Coz I have the most ADORBS magical girl outfit already picked out for you~!"_

 _"Of course!" Shirou said through painfully gritted teeth as a piece of him died inside. "I absolutely ADORE magical girls! I would love to become one!"  
_

 _"Yaaay!" Serafall cheered._

 _"Yaaay, not starting a war is fun!" Shirou agreed nervously._

 _He had no idea of the world of pain and humiliation he was about to be forced into..._

* * *

 **Present...**

"...And that's what happened." Shirou said, ending his story with a sigh.

"It feels as though it was just yesterday~" Serafall sighed nostalgically.

"It _was_ yesterday," Shirou pointed out with narrowed eyes.

"And you still look as cute as you did when you first tried on your outfit~"

"Because I'M STILL WEARING IT!"

"But are you _really_ wearing it~?"

Shirou face-palmed with a resounding _slap_. "What does that even-Uugggghhhh!" Shirou shook his head before turning to the other spectators. "Someone please tag out before I kill myself."

"Oh come on, man," Issei said, waving off Shirou's problem, "it couldn't have been that-" Shirou headbutted him before he could even finish talking, causing him to stumble back. "-Owww! Bitch!"

"Do you know what it's like to stay up for over 24 hours? 24 straight hours of consciousness?" Shirou said, grabbing Issei by the collar and boring into his skull with his gaze. "Do you know what it's like to spend every single second practicing poses and choreography all so I can perfect some stupid "Magical Girl technique"!?" Issei covered his ears, wincing as Shirou's screams beat against his eardrums while also violently shaking him back and forth. "No breaks, no sleep, and working until every muscle in my body was worn to the point of tearing! Do you know the Hell I have endured!? Do you know how much humiliation I've suffered in just the few short hours we've been in school!? DO YOU!?"

"Shirou," Rias called out, clearing her throat to catch Shirou's attention, "I would very much prefer for Issei to remain in working condition."

"Hm?" Shirou turned from Rias to Issei, his eyes rolled back into his head and foam dripping from his mouth as his head lolled to the side. Shirou blinked. "Oh shit!" He immediately let Issei's limp body drop to the ground.

"Fujimura-kun."

"What!?" Shirou snapped instinctively, tears still streaming from his eyes. He stared at Sona Sitri's perpetual passive expression and, for a moment, they stared at one another in complete silence. "Well!?"

"..." Much to his bemusement, Sona placed a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright."

And that was when he saw it. The slight twitch of the corner of her mouth, the feeling of empathy radiating from Sona's eyes.

That was when Shirou realized: Serafall was _Sona's_ sister. He imagined his time with Serafall only almost everyday.

That day, Shirou and Sona gained a small degree of understanding towards one another.

"Auuuu, Shirou is staring lovingly at Sona-chan and I don't like iiiiiit!" Serafall whined, pushing herself in-between Shirou and Sona. "Sonaaaaa, your loving big sister came all the way to see yoooou and then you go off making goo-goo eyes at some boooy!"

Shirou's face turned red at the insinuation and even Sona was thrown off by the assumption.

"Now hold on-!"

"You're severely misinterpreting what-!"

"I mean, it's kind of alright because he's also a magical girl," Serafall said, pondering the matter before returning to her irritated state, "but I don't want my sweet baby sister sharing that kind of look with someone else unless it's meee~! If you go and make faces like that at someone other than your beloved Onee-chan, I might have to glitter and wish them away!"

"...Wish them away?" Shirou asked, paling considerably. He trembled for a brief moment before a reassuring hand petted him on the head. He expected Akeno, but what he saw instead was the reassuring smile of the crimson-haired Maou Lucifer. "Ummm...?"

"Don't worry, Shirou-kun," Sirzechs said, smiling calmly as if there was nothing wrong about the current situation, "Serafall acts like this, but I promise she won't intervene if you decide to pursue Sona."

"Yeah, not interested," Shirou answered outright, mildly insulted by the suggestion he would ever be interested in a Student Council President. However, he could not help but blush slightly as the older man pet him. It was just so pleasant, like the way Rias would do it; In a sibling-like fashion. Though Shirou had no doubt the Maou Lucifer could reduce him to a stain across the ground in a single second, the man clearly possessed the same gentle inner nature as Rias.

"Sirzechs-chaaaaan," Serafall whined, again throwing herself in Shirou's path, "I won't let anyone have Shi-chan either!" Before Shirou could object, Serafall wrapped an arm around his shoulder, throwing the other over Sona's shoulder and hugging both of the unwilling teens tightly against her chest. "I won't let anyone else have my beloved sister or my adorable co-star!"

"I didn't agree to anything!" Shirou pointed out, his words again going unheeded by the older Devils.

"Oh come on, Serafall, don't be so selfish," Sirzechs said lightheartedly. "Technically speaking, Shirou-kun is part of the Gremory clan."

"Not if Rias-chan trades him to me!" Serafall countered before turning to Rias with puppy dog eyes.

Rias shook her head, suppressing a hint of laughter at Shirou's situation. "Sorry, Leviathan-sama, but I'm afraid Shirou is an irreplaceable part of our family, so I don't feel comfortable trading him to you."

"Buchou!" Shirou stared with new-found admiration for his master. His awe quickly when a familiar, DEVILISH smile appeared on Rias's face.

"Of course, if you wish to discuss a financial transaction to loan him to you every now and then, that's a different story~" Serafall's smile quickly matched Rias's own and Shirou got the distinct feeling he was in serious danger. Rias turned to Shirou and gave him a thumbs up, a gesture that only added to his feelings of unease. "Charming not only Onii-sama but Leviathan-sama as well? Good work, Shirou."

"Ooh! And I have even more outfits I want him to try on~!" Serafall cheered, clapping her hands together. "Oh oh! I can get matching outfits for Sona-chan too! You two can be my loyal magical friends!"

Shirou and Sona both paled and, with one more shared glance, they immediately came up with the same plan.

[Run!]

* * *

 _"Run! Run, Oda!"_

* * *

"Huh?" Shirou blinked, so stunned that he tripped over his own foot and fell flat on his face.

"I will make sure your sacrifice wasn't in vain," Sona said plainly before running right past his fallen form.

Shirou lifted his head, glaring at her. "Traitor!"

"Sona, waaaaiiiiiiiiiiiit!" Serafall attempted to sprint after her, but paused at Shirou, letting out a sigh of disappointment. "Oh man, I really wanted to have some alone time with Sona!" She sighed, picking Shirou up from the ground and holding him as if he were some comforting stuffed animal. "I guess I can find her later...At least I still have my magical sister in arms~!"

"I never agreed to that!"

"I promise I'll let your character hold just as much importance as mine~!"

"I said no!"

"Ooh~! We'll have to get you your own trailer~!"

"You're not even listening to me anymore, are you?"

"I'm going to need to make some calls~!"

"I can say anything I want right now!"

"Miracle Levia-tan's new comrade, Crystal Battler Shiro-chan~!"

"I-wait, what do crystals have anything to do with magical girls?"

"I thought the name sounded cute~! And you use ice magic and ice looks like crystals~!" Serafall giggled cheerfully, swinging Shirou back and forth in her embrace. "Oh, we're going to have so much fun together, Shi-chan~!"

Shirou turned to the others, mouthing only two words: Help me!

Issei and Saji crossed their arms in "X" shapes with expressions that said "No, fuck that. I'm not gettin' anywhere near that."

Rias sighed, shaking her head while Asia appeared positively overwhelmed by the number of big names currently residing in that very room.

Akeno appeared to obtain some sort of pleasure from Shirou's appearance and utter humiliation.

"Serafall, I believe I hear Sona calling you," A surprising ally said, immediately causing Serafall's body to stiffen.

"Really!?" She asked, dropping Shirou's limp body onto the ground.

"That's right," Sirzechs said, pointing to the entrance. "I believe she said "Onee-chan, please come hug me lots and lots~"."

Serafall frowned, seeming understandably suspicious. "I dunno...That doesn't sound like the Sona I know at all. Normally she would act all tsundere-ishly even though I know she loves me lots and lots-"

"Now I think she said "Onee-chan must not love me if she's taking this long"," Sirzechs interjected, not bothering to hide his amused smile.

"I'M COMING, SONAAAAAAA!" Serafall wasted no more time sprinting out of the room.

Shirou sweatdropped. "I literally can't believe she fell for that." Shirou sighed, looking from the recently departed Maou to the crimson-haired Maou in front of him. "If these are our leaders, I seriously worry for future generations." Rias took that opportunity to discipline Shirou via a sharp pinch to the face. "Ouchie!"

"You had best keep opinions like that to yourself if that's how you describe one of the most powerful Devils rights to his face," Rias scolded, yanking so fiercely Shirou feared she would pull his cheek off.

"It also doesn't help that he's Rias's big brother either," Akeno added more as personal advice towards Shirou.

"Oh yeah, you're so drastically different that I keep forgetting," Shirou noted after Rias gave him his face back. "He's fun, you're not. He's cool, you aren't. You have a broomstick up your arse, and he don't-OW!" Rias pinched his face again.

"He really doesn't learn, does he?" Akeno giggled.

"More like he seems to be a glutton for punishment," Issei sweatdropped as he watched Shirou being repeatedly punished by Rias.

Shirou winced after getting his cheek back again, rubbing his pained face. "Anyway, thanks for the save, Maou-sama," Shirou said, giving an appreciative nod to Sirzechs. "It was embarrassing enough when Serafall stripped me nake-er-ah-I should probably go change back into my normal clothes! Excuse me!" Shirou dashed out of the room (the exit opposite of the direction Serafall left in) before Rias or (more likely) Akeno disciplined him for what could easily be perceived as inappropriate contact with the female ruler among the Devils.

He kept running as fast as he could, until he had reached the Occult Research Club's building, the only place he felt comfortable enough to change in...

Even if not for..."circumstances", Kalawarner and Kuroka made changing at home a complete trial.

He burst through the door, pausing by the stairs so he could catch his breath.

"Damn it..." Shirou heaved a heavy sigh as he leaned his back against the wall, sliding down to the ground. He stared at his open hand. "What the Hell happened back there...? These flashes are coming out completely at random now..."

Earlier, it had happened again...

* * *

 _"Run! Run, Oda!"_

 _He couldn't comprehend what was going on._

 _He was afraid. He knew that much. Of what? He had no clue._

 _All he knew was that it was something that required Herc to half-drag, half-carry both him and Jeanne to get away from it. Even though the youth was literally twice as big as either of them, he looked utterly mortified._

 _"What about Leo!? We still haven't even found-"_

 _"W-We can't!" "Oda" said quickly, his gut clenching at the thought._

 _"But-"_

 _However, they all froze at the strong chill that shook them to their core._

 _"Go."_ _Jeanne and "Oda" looked up at Herc, noticing how he had frozen entirely._

 _"Herc...?"_

 _"GO!" Before either of the other two young children could object, Herc threw open the closest door and tossed them inside, attempting to shut it tightly._

 _There was an unpleasant_ click _as the door jammed. Herc and the two others stared in horror through the crack in the door. He began trying to shut the door again, growing more and more desperate as a faint_ hiss _filled the air around them, only adding to his alarm. He kept trying to close the door, but only the terrifyingly disappointing_ click _was heard from the jammed door. However, no matter how hard he tried, Herc couldn't get it closed. He let out a despairing sigh before freezing again, looking to his right as the hissing grew louder. He turned back to Jeanne and "Oda" with renewed urgency and terror on his face._

 _"Hide!" He hissed out, continuously glancing between the end of the hall and the two children behind the door. "HIDE!"_

 _Jeanne and "Oda" remained glued to the spot, unable to move._

 _"Huh!" Herc gasped, his eyes widening. He unsteadily backed away from the door, far enough that he was beyond their line of sight._

 _All they could see were shadows against the dimly illuminated wall._

 _He kept backing away from something..._

 _Serpents.  
_

 _That was the best way to describe the other shadows on the wall._

 _They simply hovered in the air, as if sniffing something out._

 _They seemed to immediately take notice of Herc._

 _He never stood a chance..._

 _The screams that filled the air would forever haunt "Oda's" nightmares..._

 _Red spattered against the wall._

 _"Onii-chan," Jeanne started pulling "Oda" away from the door, "We have to hide...! Come on!"_

 _The "snakes" seemed to turn in Shirou's direction. One. Two. Three. Four...As time passed, more and more pairs of eyes appeared within his vision..._

 _"Onii-chan...Onii-chan..."_

 _The nightmare he witnessed that day..._

 _"Onii-chan!"_

 _Aniki...Herc...Leo...Jeanne..._

 _He could not save a single one of them..._

 _"Onii-chan!"  
_

* * *

Shirou rubbed his temples, trying to relieve his huge migraine.

"God damn it...What the Hell happened back then...? What's going on...?"

* * *

 **The Next Day...**

"Buchou?"

"Yes, Shirou?"

"Remind me again why we're in front of the spooky, heavily-sealed door?"

"The question you should be asking, Shirou, is why aren't we always standing in front of a spooky, heavily-sealed door?"

"...Touche." Shirou paused. "...Can you tell us what's behind the door anyway?"

"I would love to!" Rias then turned to the rest of her servants, a stern look replacing her previous polite smile. "We're here because, last night, the Maou Lucifer has deemed it the time to finally release my other Bishop."

"Ah."

The entire ORC had gathered for this moment, in front of the sealed door that laid within the Occult Research Club's building that Shirou had never noticed before despite the incredible amount of time he spent in the building.

"But why were they sealed to begin with?" Issei asked.

Rias sighed, giving him the feeling it was a sensitive issue. "I was told that this Bishop's power is one that I can't fully control yet, so they've been sealed in here." She crossed her arms. "Apparently we proved our worth during the Kokabiel incident, so I've been permitted to remove the seal."

"They must be pretty strong to require this many seals," Shirou noted with increased interest. "Still, even if they can't control their power, I don't like the idea of this guy being locked up all the time."

"It's more like he lives here," Rias responded. "It's not as though they're a prisoner here. We are still able to freely interact. We make sure they're fully entertained with whatever video games, technology, and snacks they want. We even offered to let them leave at night to freely roam the old school building, but they refused."

Issei chuckled awkwardly. "So a hikikomori, huh?" The image of a glasses-wearing adult otaku with a nerdy face popped the heads of the more recent Devil servants although none of them would voice it aloud.

"The kid inside has been the biggest earner among all of us." Kiba said, smiling.

Shirou stared. "How does that work?!" He had yet to successfully receive payment for a single contract, but the guy who never left his room earned more than him? That was a severe blow to his pride.

"The wonders of modern technology," Akeno teased, poking Shirou playfully in the cheek while Rias set forth to remove the seals place on the room. "He makes special contracts using only a laptop. Some humans don't want direct contact with Devils. This child has become quite accomplished by making deals with that sort."

Shirou groaned, lowering his head. "I could be a big contract-maker too if I could do it online..."

"Sure you could've," Akeno agreed, petting him soothingly.

They ceased all talk the moment Rias finished breaking the seal, removing the rather explicit banner wrapped around the door that read "Keep Out."

Rias slowly reached for the door knob and twisted it-

[NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!]

They all covered their ears to avoid being deafened by the unearthly shriek...

"Augh! Fuck!" Except Shirou, who was a second too slow. "Rias, is that Bishop a goddamned banshee or something!?"

"Oh don't be so hard on them," Rias answered dismissively. "This is probably a huge shock, so I would appreciate it if you could keep your voice down...Shirou."

"Hmph." Shirou crossed his arms, turning away indignantly.

Once certain that Shirou would not completely blow it, Rias peered back into the room, speaking calmly to the apparently disembodied voice, "I'm happy to see you're so energetic."

[Wh-Why are you here?!]

Akeno peered through the open door, smiling softly. "The seal's been done. You can leave now. How about you come with us?"

[NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!]

"Augh!" Again, Shirou was too slow to react properly. "Can you please stop screaming!?"

[...]

"..."

[...OK.]

"Thank you!" Shirou sighed out. "Anyway, what's your deal? You'd think you'd actually like to leave this stuffy place."

"Shirou!"

"What? Come on, Rias! Even you have to admit this place is kind of dreary sometimes!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Is too!"

"Is not!"

"Buchou, can I just say something-"

[Shut up, Kiba!]

Kiba immediately shrank to the size of a cockroach when faced with his two comrades' burning gazes.

"New guy!" Shirou pointed to the dark room. "Is this building not dreary?"

"Tell him, Gasper! There's nothing wrong with my interior design!"

[...]

The two paused, remembering the reason as to why they came here to begin with.

"Ahem!" Rias cleared her throat. "Anyway, it's time to go." Rias walked over to the rather conspicuous coffin in the middle of the room, tenderly lifting off the cover.

"Nooooo! I don't want to ever leave here!" A girly voice cried. "The outside world is scary!"

"Forget hikikomori, this is outright agoraphobia," Shirou sighed out. He and the others moved forward slowly, getting a glimpse of the small figure hidden inside the coffin.

Platinum-blonde hair and pink-violet eyes, pointed ears, and a rather lithe and petite figure clothed in the girls' uniform.

Forget Devil. In Shirou's eyes, this youth seemed more likely to be a fairy.

"Awwww~ He's adorable~" Shirou cooed, immediately falling in love with the child in the coffin. His attempt to move forward was stopped by a fierce palm to the face.

"Down, Shirou," Rias ordered. She had seen his attachment to cute things often enough that she knew how to react in such a situation. The situation would not turn out well if Shirou went all "gaga" over her Bishop.

"You're mean!" Shirou argued childishly, crossing his arms and pouting for a moment until a weak tug at his sleeve drew his attention to his right side. "Hm?"

Koneko stared up at him with sparkling eyes. "Aren't I cute enough, Senpai?" Her ears poked out of her head and her feline tail slid out from under her skirt. She tilted her head to the side in adorable curiosity while lifting her hand/paws into the air. "Nya?"

Blood spewed from Shirou's nose, a fulfilled smile on his face as he fell to the ground with a _thud_.

His friends gathered around his fallen form, looking down at him.

Rias turned to Koneko, nodding. "Good job, Koneko."

Koneko gave a thumbs up.

"Now-Issei!" Rias immediately turned to her other Pawn, the boy possessing the same fascination with her Bishop as Shirou.

"Whaaaat?! She's just a little girl!" Issei laughed, blushing slightly at the youth's cuteness. "She looks a lot like Asia! Does that mean all Bishops have to be pretty blondes or something? Hahaha!"

Rias suppressed a smile. "You may see a girl, but, biologically, he's a boy."

"Huh?" Issei stared with a dim expression for a moment, a long silence ensuing as he realized the implications of the countless dirty fantasies he had conjured in the few seconds before this revelation. "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!?"

"Ugh! My ears!" Shirou sat up, clutching the sides of his head. He wiped the blood from his nose on his sleeve, frowning. "So this little guy is really a Devil?"

"That's right," Rias confirmed, sitting next to her smallest male servant, embracing him. "Everyone, say hello to Gasper Vladi, the other Bishop in my household. He's a 1st-Year student here and, before I had the honor of turning him into a Devil, he was half-human and half-Vampire."

"What?" Asia gasped. "He's a real Vampire?"

"As in a blood-sucker?" Issei asked. "You're kidding!"

"A Dhampir!? DUDE!" Shirou added, remaining silent for several long seconds, leading his friends wondering whether or not there was more to it.

Shirou gave a thumbs up. "Respect."

And that was how they met the Bishop of Rias Gremory, Gasper Vladi...

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** Teaching the New Kouhai! It's Time to Come Clean!

* * *

 **And so we've finally gotten to Gasper...shit's gonna go down next chapter though. All y'alls better brace yourselves.**

 **I hope you enjoyed Shirou's new relationship with Serafall.**

 **God, looking back, I should have done some more Kiyome stuff. I feel like I poorly represented their relationship. Right now, Akeno is obvious best girl in Shirou's harem and I seemed to have put pathetic effort in developing his relationship with Kiyome...I think. What do you all think?**

 **Thank you for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	47. Chapter 41: Teaching the New Kouhai!

**Decided to go into a little depth as to the reason Kiyome's been emotionally withdrawing from her relationship with Shirou.**

 **ALSO...DONE WITH EXAMS, BITCHES~! XD HALLELUJAH! AMEN!**

 **Disclaimer: I'm just going to go out on a record and say I don't own a damned thing besides Shirou. High School DxD, High School DxD New, High School DxD BorN, and all related media are the property of Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Funimation, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the official release!**

* * *

 **Chapter 41: Teaching the New Kouhai! It's Time to Come Clean!**

 **Fujimura Residence...**

[Oh Romeo, Romeo, for where art thou Romeo?]

"Don't go for him, Juliet! Romeo's a pedophile!" Kuroka called out, munching down on another handful of popcorn as she laid lazily on the couch before the TV. She bought the movie off of the internet using Shirou's credit card because she heard this version was best. It wasn't as though she had anything better to do than lounge around the house all day. She couldn't even tease her favorite plaything, so all that was left to her was eating and watching TV and they were running alarmingly low on snacks and sweets. Still, it wasn't an unpleasant lifestyle...

The whirring of the vacuum cleaner passing in front of her grated her nerves, but she ignored it to the best of her abilities.

She sighed, tossing her empty bucket onto the ground, banging against the incoming vacuum hose.

"Would you please stop leaving your trash everywhere?!" The Fallen Angel maid asked.

Kuroka eyed Kalawarner halfheartedly, considering the question.

"...No." She crumpled up an empty potato chip bag and threw it onto the floor, crumbs and all.

Kalawarner let out an aggravated growl as she vacuumed the floor more furiously. "You should really be more appreciative of Shirou's home especially considering he lets you live here free of charge."

"I saved Shirou-chin's life on more than one occasion," Kuroka countered, smirking, "like when you almost killed him."

Kalawarner blushed, flustered. "Th-Those were exigent circumstances! You know full-well I planned to spare his life!"

"Yes, but I was the one who actually saved him," Kuroka countered again, delivering Kalawarner a heavy blow. "That's why I'm free to laze about while you have to work yourself to the bone to make up for your mistakes. Consider me part of your redemption."

Kalawarner's eye twitched in annoyance. "If you were not a treasured friend of my master, I wouldn't hesitate to put a spear through your skull. You know that, right?"

"Don't pick fights you can't win, granny," Kuroka taunted.

"G-Granny!?" There were only two reasons Kalawarner didn't murder Kuroka then and there.

1) No matter how much Kuroka infuriated her, hurting her would only make Shirou sad.

2) Kalawarner was pretty sure Kuroka could kick her ass.

"Tch!" Kalawarner settled for imagining Kuroka being sprayed repeatedly by water to sate her anger. "Why doesn't Shirou say something about your poor manners already?"

"Probably coz he hasn't been home in days," Kuroka answered with a yawn.

"Well, he should really stop by and say something," Kalawarner huffed out. "Not to mention he still hasn't come for the items Mikoto-sama left in her will...!" Kalawarner paused, realizing something terribly wrong with what Kuroka just said. "What do you mean he hasn't been back home for days? I know I've been busy, what with managing the affairs of my late master, but surely he had to have come back to the house at some point?"

"Nope," Kuroka answered. "I can sense every speck of life energy in a mile radius of this place and Shirou hasn't even come close to this place. If anything, he appeared to be deliberately avoiding coming here."

"What?! Why!?" Kalawarner processed the many possible reasons her beloved young master would not return to the place that was his home. Kuroka, in Kalawarner's opinion, should be one of them, but as for the other... "No! Could it be?!"

"Hm?"

"Does he know I secretly wait until he's asleep to go through his recently used laundry so I can sniff his underwear!?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...

"You have problems." Kuroka, as she herself admits, could be considered a lewd woman. However, there was a difference between being lewd and perverted and just being a creeper. "Seriously, you should see a specialist." Kalawarner looked indignant to Kuroka's remark. "Anyway, I guess you wouldn't know the reason considering you're, at best, fifth girl."

"What reason...?" Kalawarner wondered, pausing before her expression became one of irritation. "And what do you mean "fifth girl"?!"

"The reason Shirou won't return home," Kuroka said, ignoring the latter question entirely, "is because no such place exists for him anymore."

"Huh?"

Kuroka sighed, sitting up in her seat and tilting her head back, staring at Kalawarner for the first time in their conversation.

"Tell me: What defines "home"?"

* * *

 **Occult Research Club...**

"IT'S NOT A GIRL!? WHAT THE HELL!?" Issei collapsed to the ground in despair. "OH GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME!?"

"Technically I think you're the one who forsake," Asia pointed out.

"Not to mention God is literally dead," Shirou added.

"You look way too hot in chick's clothes, dude!" Issei complained at Gasper, the slightly overwhelmed boy tearing up slightly. "Plus, if you don't go anywhere, who are you dressing for?!"

Gasper considered the question. "I-um-for me I guess," He answered nervously. "I just think these clothes are cuter, that's all."

"That's fair," Shirou agreed, nodding. Issei shot him a dubious look. Everyone else stared at him with cautious expressions. "What?! There's nothing wrong with guys liking cute things!"

Issei sighed. "I don't know man. I just think it's really, really weird. It's creepier when a masculine guy like you says it."

"Creepy?" Shirou gasped, a figurative arrow piercing him right in his pride. He crawled into a nearby corner in which he curled into a ball, quickly being consoled by Akeno and Koneko.

"Ugggghhhh!" Issei groaned. "It's all bullshit...My dreams of having two bombshell blonde Bishops are thoroughly crushed!"

"I dunno," Shirou said, rubbing his chin. "I think it's plausible if you keep an open mind about it." Issei shot Shirou a sharp look, knowing full-well Shirou was taunting him.

Rias smiled. "Hey, Gasper, why don't you come outside with us?"

"I don't wanna!" Gasper cried. "Please don't make me!"

Issei sighed, reaching out to grab Gasper's arm. "Come on, dude, let's go. You heard the lady."

"Eeeeeek!"

Shirou remembered seeing Gasper's eyes glow and a small flash and, when his vision became normal once again, Gasper was no longer within Issei's grasp.

Issei blinked, staring at his empty, open hand. "What...?"

"I-I'm sorry! I made you mad, didn't I?!" Gasper cried, huddled in a corner on the opposite side of the room. "Please don't hit me! I didn't mean it!"

Although he wasn't exactly sure why, but something in Shirou clicked in that moment. Without waiting for a reaction from Rias or the others, he calmly strolled over to the cowering boy, crouching by his side with a passive expression on his face. Shirou's presence, however, only served to intimidate the boy even more, causing him to shut his eyes tightly.

"It's alright." Gasper only opened his eyes when he felt a gentle hand rest on his head. He turned, teary-eyed, to face Shirou's calm and gentle smile. "Nobody's going to hit you, I promise. You just gave us a little jump there is all." Gasper eyed Shirou warily, but he ceased trying to escape, at least slightly comforted. Shirou turned to Rias and the others. "What _was_ that though?"

"The Forbidden Balor View," Rias answered. "It's Gasper's Sacred Gear. When he gets excited, he can momentarily stop time for everything in his field of vision."

"Stopping time?" Issei asked. "Seems like a dangerous power."

"And infinitely doubling power, conjuring infinite swords, and being able to reduce existence to nothing aren't?" Shirou countered, pointing at the three possessors respectively while petting Gasper more frequently when he sensed the young boy's unease.

[Good point.]

Rias, Issei, and Kiba stared at one another curiously as they spoke in unwitting unison.

"However, it's not the nature of his ability," Rias explained, "but rather, it's his control over it that is the problem. It is because he couldn't control his power that he was sealed away."

"However, you sure were able to make a guy with such a powerful gear into your servant, Buchou," Issei pointed out to soothe Rias's sadness. "Not to mention you managed it with just one piece."

"No," Rias shook her head, "his was a Mutation Piece."

* * *

They had decided to continue the conversation in the meeting room for the ORC, deeming it uncomfortable to be standing the whole time.

Shirou sat next to the rather conspicuous box on the couch, draping his arms over the back. "So Gasper is a Mutation Piece like me?" It made him seem more like a valuable treasure than a dangerous servant.

From what he recalled of Rias's explanation, Mutation Pieces were rare Evil Pieces, bugs in the system, that enabled Devils to reincarnate other living things into their servants with only the one piece. Back when Shirou had been reincarnated, Rias had used a Mutation Piece, a Pawn unlike Gasper's Bishop, to bring him back from the dead. The fact Rias had not one but TWO Mutation Pieces was nothing short of outstanding fortune.

"Unfortunately, unlike you, he wasn't capable of controlling the power that required the Mutation Piece," Rias said. "On top of that, his ability appeared to grow unconsciously, so there's the distinct possibility it could become a Balance Breaker."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Issei wondered.

"Use your head, Issei," Shirou scolded, earning Issei's irritation. "You've seen what kind of power Balance Breakers have. Kiba's Holy Demon Swords as well as Vali's Dragon-type armor from his Balance Breaker. Giving that level of power to someone without any control over their own power is like giving a ticking time-bomb to a toddler. The end result would be messy."

Everyone let that depressing thought sink in.

"However," Rias continued, "because my evaluation was acceptable, it seems I was deemed capable of controlling Gasper now by the Maous. It might have something to do with our victory over Riser or because Kiba obtained his Balance Breaker in my service."

"...uuuu..." The Gasper Box cried. "I-I don't like it when you talk about me..."

Koneko silently punched the top of the box softly, eliciting a shocked squeak from the young boy inside.

"Koneko!" Shirou scolded. "Don't hit your fellow adorable classmate! It's wrong!" Shirou gingerly petted the top of the box, as if the gesture somehow soothed Gasper. However, the moment he looked away, Koneko gave the box an annoyed look and hit it again.

"He can't even talk without cowering in a box," Issei pointed out. "Is this kid really that strong?"

Rias nodded. "I suspect that he's the second strongest among us, after me and Akeno of course. Half-Vampire though he is, his power is nothing to scoff at. With the ancient bloodline and powers of the Vampires, a powerful Sacred Gear, and his impressive magic, he's a force to be reckoned with."

"Magically, maybe," Shirou added, earning a sharp look from Rias. "There's no doubt Gasper must have some power, but it means nothing if he's unable to utilize it properly. With his agoraphobia as it is, there's no way he could do anything in major situations or battles. Even Asia could probably defeat him just by dropping a piece of garlic in his box. In short, he's useless."

"Uwaaaaaah! Shirou-senpai's so meeeeaaaan!"

"I-I meant it objectively-speaking, Gasper!" Shirou added, realizing how tactlessly he had hurt his new Kouhai's feelings.

"Smooth, Shirou," Rias said with narrowed eyes.

"Hey, you've had years to get him out of his box!" Shirou pointed out. "I highly doubt my words could have done anything to damage what was already a garbage situation."

Rias opened her mouth to retort, but took a breath, dropping the issue. "I don't have time for this." She stood from her seat, moving for the door. "Unfortunately, Akeno and I have to go discuss the upcoming conference. I'll be relying on you all to help train Gasper. Maybe you will be able to succeed where I've failed." She turned to Kiba. "Yuuto, Onii-sama was interested in hearing more about your Balance Breaker. So I'd like you to come with us."

"Yes, Buchou," Kiba said, following after Rias and Akeno. He paused, turning to give his friends a few last words, "Good luck with Gasper-kun."

Issei nodded. "Leave it to us. Koneko-chan is a first-year just like him, so I'm sure we'll manage somehow."

"Yeah," Shirou agreed, giving a thumbs up. "We can totally handle this!"

* * *

"We can NOT handle this!"

"What gave you that idea?"

"Xenovia's been chasing Gasper around for awhile with Durandal and I'm pretty sure people have called the police because of the screaming."

"RHETORICAL!" Shirou snapped. "That was a RHETORICAL question, Issei! I left you guys alone for five minutes and you let XENOVIA of all people try training Gasper!?"

"She said she could handle it!"

"Xenovia couldn't handle training a dog let alone Gasper!" Shirou snapped. He pointed to the pair, Gasper being chased around by Xenovia, the blue-haired girl carrying a cross, Durandal, and cloves of garlic. "We're at school! Where did she even get the garlic!?" Behind him, Koneko nonchalantly kicked a bag of garlic into the bushes, whistling casually.

They watch in silence for several minutes, tears streaming from Gasper's eyes.

"Um..." Issei turned to Shirou. "...aren't you going to step in and do something?"

"With Xenovia going buckwild with Durandal? I'm concerned, not suicidal," Shirou said, laughing at Issei's notion. He crossed his arms. "Honestly, I think you guys set the bar too high with training."

"What do you mean?" Issei asked.

Shirou sighed, rubbing his temples. "Apparently you missed my explanation that power means jack shit if Gasper's too chicken to stick his head out the door let alone raise a fist," Shirou pointed out. "If you want to be able to train Gasper properly, you need to help him get over his fears first. In order to do that, we should start with something simple like taking him off of school campus...Know what?" Shirou turned to Xenovia, giving a taxi cab whistle. "Xenovia, bring Gasp-" He paused.

Gasper was cowering on the ground against a tree, Xenovia's sword frozen halfway through a downward arc. "...Hi."

"Were you about to stab Gasper with Durandal!?"

"...No," Xenovia hid her massive Holy Sword behind her back. Shirou crossed his arms, staring intently. Xenovia lowered her head. "...Yes."

"For the love of-!" Shirou let out an exhausted sigh, stomping over to the pair and slapping Durandal out of Xenovia's hands. "Enough of that! And put that garlic back where you found it!"

"No," Xenovia said, peeling a clove and biting down on it. "You never know when a vampire's going to attack. Eating garlic keeps them from sucking your blood." She took another conspicuous bite, leaving Shirou shaking his head at her behavior.

"Screw this," He walked over to Gasper picking him up in his arms. "You wanna go train with me, Gasper?"

"Ummmm..."

"You could always stay here and train with Xenovia."

"Let's go!" Gasper immediately clung to Shirou, wrapping his arms around Shirou's neck as he stared in absolute terror of Xenovia. "Please don't let the scary Holy Sword-user get me, Senpaaaaiii!"

"Oh don't worry, Gya-kun," Shirou said, smiling softly. "Xenovia isn't scary-She's AN IDIOT!"

"It appears the rude dog forgets this "idiot" is still holding the Holy Sword," Xenovia said, casually hefting Durandal over her shoulder.

"Maybe the idiot should put that thing away before a certain "dog" shoves it up her ass," Shirou said, a spark of annoyance and anger running between the two.

"Oh come on, you two!" Asia said, stepping between Xenovia and Shirou. "I thought you two made up and became friends!"

"We did," Shirou responded. "Doesn't mean I can't get pissed off over that peanut-sized brain of hers."

"They say a dog that barks a lot usually has a pathetic bite," Xenovia taunted.

"You trying to start a fight, bitch!?"

"I only start what I intend to finish."

"Please stop fighting!" Asia pleaded, trying to push the two apart when Shirou and Xenovia butted heads, smiling in irritation towards one another. "Come on! I thought you two were better than this! Please stop!"

Issei watched, sweatdropping. "Koneko-chan, any time you're ready, feel free to step in."

"You kidding?" Koneko said, munching on a bag of chips. "Every time they get into an argument feels like a party's about to start."

"But don't you care about what happens to Shirou? He'll be in serious trouble if he gets cut by Durandal."

"Divine punishment," Koneko said casually. "It's what he gets for trying to replace me with another cute mascot character in his heart. It's tough love."

"I see..."

"Well, if you think my training method is so flawed, why don't you prove it?" Xenovia said, pushing her forehead harder in an effort to shove Shirou back.

"Maybe I will," Shirou retorted, pushing back as hard as he could. He tightened his grasp around Gasper's body, a wide, glass smile plastered across his face. "Come on, Gasper. Let's go show Xenovia what a bitch she is."

What little reassurance Shirou had previously bestowed upon Gasper vanished in a puff of smoke, a new feeling of dread filling Gasper's heart. "...I would very much like to return to training with Xenovia-senpai."

"Nonsensssse," Shirou hissed out, carrying Gasper and eventually dragging him with Gasper threw himself at the ground, his nails digging into the dirt and resisting Shirou's pull with every pathetically puny muscle in his body. "Come on, Gya-kun, I promise it will be a wonderful experience~!"

"Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

* * *

"See? Didn't I tell you it would be a wonderful experience?"

"..." Gasper paused, poking his head out of the box and licking the strawberry ice cream cone in his hands. "...You had a creepy voice, S-Senpai. I thought we were going to do something scary..."

"C-Creepy?" Shirou scratched his cheek, slurping from the milkshake he had bought for himself. "Well, I don't think I was creepy so to speak, but-Did I sound creepy, Issei?"

Issei made a so-so gesture with his hand. "I admit, I wasn't quite sure what you were planning there for a while either."

As it turns out, Shirou's "training" consisted of simply visiting the local ice cream parlor for snacks. It was completely different from what any of them had expected from Shirou. Issei, Koneko, and Asia sat on one side of the stall while Shirou and Xenovia sat on the other side, the Gasper Box resting in the space between them, Gasper only poking the upper half of his body to eat his ice cream.

"The first step to help Gasper become stronger is to help him overcome his shyness, so I figured we should start with that," Shirou said. "Tactics, power, ideals, they're all meaningless without courage behind them."

"That almost sounded profound," Xenovia commented, enjoying a plain vanilla cone.

"It's the truth," Shirou said. "It shouldn't matter how it sounds. Since we're taking baby steps, I figured we could start with just the general public and then try to get Gasper involved in more personal interactions with people. At his current stage, a crowd would be too much, but if we start with a lightly populated area where there are few people, like here, there shouldn't be too much of a problem." He turned to the box-loving-Vampire sitting next to him. "That sound alright with you, Gya-kun?"

"I...I really don't want to," Gasper said, his body threatening to retreat into his box the moment his ice cream is finished. "The outside world's really scary..."

"Well, you know what, Gya-kun? The outside world will _always_ be scary," Shirou said. "No matter where you go or where you hide, the world will always be scary. Scary shit happens everyday. You think you're safe in your box? You're not. The same scary shit will always be going on and there's not a damned thing you can do about it. I mean-Gya-kun?" By that point, Gasper had thrown his ice cream against the table and immediately retreated back into his box, trembling so hard that the box was vibrating. "...Fuck!"

"You kind of self-destructed there, didn't you, Shirou?"

"Shut up-" Shirou paused, realizing that the person who spoke was neither Issei, Koneko, Xenovia, Asia, nor Gasper. "Huh?"

"Well hello to you too, Shirou," Kiyome greeted, playfully pouting at Shirou's absentmindedness. "For all of your Devil senses, you couldn't tell I was here?"

"I can't tell a lot of things, Kiyome," Shirou said vaguely, shifting uncomfortably. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

Kiyome blinked. "...Getting ice cream," She said, raising a sundae. "What else would I possibly be doing here?"

"Hey, hey, no need to get snappy."

Kiyome giggled, smiling softly. "Sorry~" Kiyome looked at the table. "You guys mind if I sit with you?"

"But isn't there that whole thing you have where you and Shirou can't be seen together or whatever...?" Issei wondered, frowning as he tried to think back.

"Yeah, but it should be fine if the rest of you are here," Kiyome said. "People will think Shirou's just here by circumstance. Now come on..." Before Shirou could formulate a proper response, Kiyome squeezed in next to him, pushing him against Gasper Box and Gasper Box against Xenovia. It was a tight squeeze, but not an impossible one. "So what's going on here? Is there some kind of special event going on?"

"Nah, we're just here to help Gasper," Shirou answered, trying to avoid the blush at the thought of how close Kiyome's body was to his.

"Who's Gasper?"

"The little guy in the box," Shirou said, pointing. "Say "Hi" to Kiyome, Gasper."

"H-Hi to Kiyome!" Gasper repeated nervously. Any normal person would have thought he was joking and was trying to be cute.

"Holy shit!" Kiyome almost fell out of her seat in surprise. "I didn't know there was someone in there!" She curiously reached for the flap of the box-

"Don't!" Shirou grabbed her hand in a panic, gently pushing it away. "Don't do that..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry. Gya-kun is just a little shy. You would have frightened him.

""Gya-kun"?"

"Gasper Vladi, Buchou's other Bishop," Shirou explained. "In short, we're training him."

"Training him?"

"Yes, training him."

Kiyome examined the table and everyone's lax postures. "With ice cream?"

"..."

"..."

"When you say it like that, anything can sound like a stupid idea," Shirou pointed out. "Besides, the point of this training is just to get him outside. That's where we start. After we've built up his confidence a little, we can move on to trying to get him to interact with people."

"I can't help but feel that maybe this group isn't the best choice to teach someone how to be social," Kiyome noted, looking around at the socially awkward former nun, the socially inept former exorcist, the quiet school mascot, the school pervert, and the school delinquent. "Don't get me wrong, I love you guys, but I can't help but feel your first thought of training him would be chasing him around with a giant sword."

[Nooooooo.] The five ORC members said in unison, wearing awkward expressions.

[Th-That's what they did.] Gasper piped up.

Koneko threw Gasper's ice cream cone into Gasper's box.

[Eeeek! It's cold and sticky!]

"Riiiight," Kiyome turned away from the box to Shirou. "Well, I meant to call you the other day, but it was hard with the class visits going on. If not our classmates, I was worried my parents would see you. I couldn't risk letting them know we're together."

"I see," Shirou said, the corner of his mouth tightening slightly. "Your parents don't approve of boys."

"They don't approve of dating."

"But isn't that what I just-" Shirou blinked when he saw Kiyome's expression, as if he had missed what she had said. It took him a few moments. "Oh... _Oh_."

"No experimenting," Koneko commented, causing Kiyome's face to pink lightly.

"They have a very odd perception of romance." Kiyome explained. "Plus, it's the "introducing my boyfriend to my parents" thing. Do you know how stressful that would be?"

"I introduced _you_ to _my_ mom," Shirou commented, suddenly gaining an immense interest in his milkshake. "I think should have been allowed to meet your parents. It would have been a romantic gesture."

"What?"

"I just thought it'd be fair that you at least introduced me to _your_ parents," Shirou commented. "It just seems fair, doesn't it?"

"Shirou, you're my boyfriend," Kiyome pointed out. "Keeping you from my parents is the best way to keep your death warrant unsigned if you know what I mean."

"I mean, you call me your boyfriend, but it doesn't feel like that."

"What are you talking about?" Kiyome asked. "What brought this on?"

"When was the last time we actually _did_ something or were actually alone together?" Shirou asked, shaking his head. "You come visit me whenever you please and give me affection, but never when anyone else is around and even then it's never anything personal. I feel like more of a pet than a boyfriend."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kiyome asked, raising a brow at Shirou's behavior.

"What does it mean?" Shirou asked repetitively. "I dunno. What _does_ it mean? What does any of this mean really?"

"Shirou, I love you, but you're kind of acting like an ass right now."

"Why couldn't you let me meet your parents?"

"Why are _you_ making a federal case of this?"

"Why do _you_ keep pulling away?"

"I'm NOT pulling away!"

"You certainly don't act like it!"

"Excuse me?!"

"Every time I want to talk to you or do something, you never seem to have the time!"

"It's called "Having a life"! You should try it sometime!"

The silence that followed was so thick that one could have cut through it with a butter knife and even Kiyome wanted to slap herself for her venomous words, but she couldn't quite find the words to apologize.

[...]

The others at the table-no, the entire establishment was staring at the two teenagers, the members of their table feeling the most awkward out of all of them.

They could only think the one thing in unison:

 _[Someone say something!_ _Someone say something!_ _Someone say something!_ _Someone say something!]_

Gasper was so petrified in fear of the tense atmosphere that he couldn't even _think_ that much.

 _[Someone say something!_ _Someone say something!_ _Someone say something!_ _Someone say something!]_

"FUJIMURA! WE KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! COME OUT AND FIGHT US! YOUR FRIENDS TOO!"

 _[Yes!]_

Before Kiyome could argue, Shirou leaped onto the table, carrying Gasper Box in his arms. "I really hate to leave you, babe, but there's some pressing business to attend to! Come on, fellas!"

The others needed no further invitation. They immediately dashed out the door ahead of him, muttering a chorus of apologies as they escaped the tense situation.

"Shirou Fujimura, where do you think you're going?!" Kiyome demanded, placing her hands on her hips. In four words: She was NOT happy. "We aren't done talking about this!"

"We'll talk later!" Shirou said mockingly, sticking out his tongue. "How does that feel?!" He burst into a sprint, Gasper Box tucked under his rm as he followed after his friends.

Kiyome tightly clenched her fists at her sides, irritation welling up inside of her. "Oh this is so not over!"

She ran out the door right after Shirou and the others...

* * *

"What do you losers want?"

They met in an open area beyond a nearby alleyway. Xenovia, Asia, Issei, Koneko, and Gasper were against the wall behind him, waiting patiently as Shirou dealt with this business. Kiyome was there too, but she was glaring and scowling, still obviously pissed.

Dressed in so many different colors with no identical identifying tags aside from the fact they all wore long sleeves and hoodies, Shirou doubted their group had a very strong structure. Just a bunch of rookie thugs who thought they could make a reputation for themselves by taking on the Demon King of Kuoh...that was one possibility.

There were many possibilities, but all of them left so many questions.

At first, Shirou figured they might have been members of the Yellow Diamonds, perhaps seeking revenge for Kaido's previous defeat, but Shirou didn't see a single familiar face among them. Though they probably were still normal humans, Shirou could see that group trying to avenge their leader. With the delinquents before him, it certainly wasn't revenge, but Shirou couldn't shake the distinct feeling that this wasn't just some blatant reputation grab like other delinquents.

"We were curious about the so-called Demon that caught our Boss's attention," One of them, the obvious leader, said. "So this guy, the one feared by all of this town's populace, is just some kid."

"You got a problem with that?" Shirou asked, crossing his arms.

"Not at all," The leader said, shaking his head. "If anything, this makes our job a lot easier."

 _"Something's wrong,"_ Shirou thought. Even with his...situation, he could tell that much. The enclosed space, the formal challenge, the way they spoke and even the way they moved. There was something off about them. He glanced at his friends standing behind him. Asia and Xenovia were busy chatting away while Issei and Koneko were doing their best to assure Gasper that everything was alright. _"I could understand why they would call me out, but what was the point in the others? How did they know where we were or that they were affiliated with me to begin with?"_

"We really are grateful to you for coming out here and making this easier," The leader said. "We would have preferred not to drag the people there into our conflict."

"Conflict?" Shirou raised a brow. "I don't have any beef with you. I'm also pretty sure we've ever met before."

"Ah, but it's not you who has a problem with us but we who have a problem with you."

"I don't see a difference," Shirou said, crossing his arms behind his head. "If you have a problem with me, you'll start a ruckus. And when you start a ruckus on my turf, that makes it _my_ problem, you see?" He shoved his hands into his pockets. "So we can go about resolving this problem through two ways: The easy way or _my_ way. Take your pick."

"Hmmm," The leader theatrically rubbed his chin. "I think I'll have to go wiiiith-NEITHER!" He suddenly extended his hand, and, before Shirou knew it, a large blast of flames burst from a metal-rimmed hole in his palm.

Shirou barely had time to raise his arms to shield his face before he was blasted into the nearest wall with heavy force.

"Guah!" Shirou winced before he fell to the ground, the sudden blow immediately snapping the other Devils out of their casual conversations.

"Shirou!" Kiyome was the first to snap out of her shock, rushing to his side. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Shirou let her help him to his feet, patting out the embers that had started to light his sleeves and bandages. "OK, guys, new plan: These ain't normal thugs! Tag in! Kiyome, grab Gasper and Asia and get out of here! Tell Rias what's happening!"

"B-But-!" Kiyome tried to object, but Shirou held up his hand to silence her.

"No arguing!" Shirou said, hurriedly picking up the Dhampir's box and shoving it into Kiyome's arms.

[Uwaaah! S-Senpai, what's going on!?]

"Nothing, Gya-kun," Shirou said, the other battle-ready members of the ORC stepping forward. "Buchou and Akeno will take care of you while we take care of these clowns."

"Sorry, but," The leader extended his hand, his palm glowing orange as flames crackled in the small opening, "I'm afraid we can't let him leave. He's actually one of the reasons we came here."

"What?" Shirou started to sweat. "Why?"

"It's because of his power," The leader explained. "Surely you've realized it, but that boy's power is far too great to be wasted on you Devils." He snapped his fingers.

Shirou tensed as a shadow passed over his face. "Kiyome!"

Kiyome was already running, but the assailant who leaped from the rooftop was on a direct path to her, blades ready to kill.

CHNNK!

Xenovia's Durandal clashed against the two daggers showing from the youth's sleeves, Xenovia swinging with all of her strength to fling the hooded youth away. He slowed his flight by stabbing his blades into the ground at the cost of tearing open his sleeves.

That was how Shirou saw the blades protruding from his wrists, passing through some sort of slot. Just like the flame-user, he appeared to have some sort of Sacred Gear. The maniacal smile on his face was horribly unsettling. He lunged forward, metal clashing across metal, but, unfortunately for him, a legendary Holy Sword's power was far greater than human-made steel.

Much to the assailant's shock, his blades shattered with ease. Xenovia followed up with a hard heel to the gut before he could recover.

 **[Boost!]**

"Bring in on, asshole!" Issei taunted, his gauntlet's gem glowing green. A youth with a longsword protruding from the back of his wrist lunged forward, Issei catching the blade on his gauntlet.

"Take this!" Koneko unleashed several shots of concentrated life energy at the leader, but one of the others stepped in front of him, showing his bare hands. Each finger possessed a tiny tube sticking out of the tips, making a vacuum-like sound as the life energy suddenly dispersed and sucked it up as if it were just some kind of gas. "What?!"

"Idiots!" The vacuum youth taunted, throwing a punch, Koneko skillfully blocking. "Your demonic powers aren't worth shit here!" His punches became harder and faster as time went on. Every time he made contact, he seemed to get stronger while Koneko seemed to get slower and weaker. "Anything you have, I'll just drain it right out of you!"

"Piss off!" An uppercut to the chin shut him up promptly.

Shirou was left repeatedly dodging and rolling as the leader unleashed round after round of fire-type ammunition. "Not so tough when we're on an even playing field, are you?" Shirou was too busy to answer, catching a blade halfway through a downward arc in his hands and kicking away the attacking, immediately smacking his elbow into the face of another swiftly-approaching youth with nails sticking out of his knuckles.

"Who are you fuckers?!"

"Who are we?" The leader reiterated, straightening his hand flat as if ready to jab someone. The leader smirked. "We're the future of humanity." Flames began to radiate from the barrels in his palms, spreading and coating his entire hand as if protectively. The flames became so intense that it almost looked as though his hands had been entirely replaced with swords of fire. "NOW DIE!"

His speed was stunning, almost on par with Kiba's and each swipe or chop of his hand was directed at a vital area. Shirou could only dodge and avoid cringing whenever the flames grazed his bare skin from a near-miss.

 _"Whoever this guy is, he's no novice,"_ Shirou thought to himself, gritting his teeth as a sharp slash cut a shallow gash across his chest. _"Kaido's flames were definitely worse, but this guy's devoted even more time to his physical body. I can't find an opening!"_

"Hiyaaah!"

Shirou's focus was disrupted by a scream. His eyes darted to the source, horror filling his heart as he saw a kunai on a chain pierce through Kiyome's thigh, a sharp yank pulling the girl off of her feet and sending the box in her arms tumbling across the ground, terrified screams escaping from the poor Dhampir's mouth.

"Kiyome!"

The blonde girl sat up, groaning as she pulled the kunai from her leg. She looked up at Shirou. "I'm fine! Forget about me! Save him!" No sooner had the box dropped, one of the other youths dashed past the fallen girl and scooped up the box in their arms.

"Gasper!" Shirou spun on his heels to run after the kidnapper, but his survival instincts propelled him into a crouch. A buzz saw soared over his head just a second later.

"You're fighting me, remember?!" The leader taunted, the knee of his pants leg completely torn, revealing a circular saw popping out of a metallic chassis in the place of his kneecap. "Take your eyes off me for even a second and you die!" As if the horrifying machinery implanted into his leg wasn't bad enough, even that began to radiate fire, coating the blade like a burning wheel. Shirou swiftly ducked and weaved through several follow-up kicks and swipes, but each strike was faster than the one before and far more deadly. Shirou managed to catch the leader's arm, but he smirked, crouching and sweeping Shirou's legs out from under him.

"Augh!" Shirou groaned as he hit the ground flat, his eyes widening as he saw the leader diving at him. Shirou extended his arms, managing to catch the leader's hands before they could stab and potentially kill him.

The saw in his knee, however...

SSSCCCHHHHLLLLLKKKK!

"Auuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuggggggghhhhhhhhhh!" There were no other words to describe the agony of a high-speed saw blade slowly carving through one's own thigh.

"SENPAAAAI!" Shirou heard Gasper crying, but his voice was growing fainter as his kidnapper moved further.

"Just give up and accept your death, Fujimura!" The leader cackled sadistically. "It'll be much easier on you!"

However, the pain was far from Shirou's highest concern. "Someone save Gasper!"

"Right! Leave it to me!" Issei charged forward, but his path was immediately impeded by several more youths, variously-shaped and sized appendages protruding from their bodies. "IIIII might need to retract that! Xenovia, go get'em!"

"I'm a little-" Xenovia grunted, cutting another enemy in half only to be forced to block as another blade struck at her. "-preoccupied! Koneko!"

The smallest of them had more on her plate than the rest of them, the other attackers literally dog-piling on top of her upon realizing her near immeasurable physical strength and durability. Between their attacks and immense combined weight, she was struggling to put it lightly.

"Damn it!" The situation was hopeless. Even if their overall abilities were superior, their numbers were too great and their abilities were too diverse to properly counter. And in his current state, Shirou didn't have the power nor the stamina to fight at peak condition. "GASPER!"

There was a sensation of bubbling anger and frustration welling up in his chest. The pain in his skull felt as though it would overflow.

If he didn't do something, he was going to die and Gasper's kidnappers would get away.

But what could he do...? He was useless, but...

He had to do something.

He had to do something.

He had to do something.

He had to...

 **(Are you prepared to give in to your despair yet?)**

Shirou's entire body tensed, his eyes going wide. _"Nobunaga!"_

 **(You are too weak to ever achieve your ideals.)**

He couldn't tell if it was genuinely the evil spirit sleeping inside of him or the voice his mind gave to all of his frustrations.

 **(Do you believe that you will be able to survive this ordeal with your own strength? Against these apes who've thrown away their humanity?)**

His body began to feel weightless and he could feel the familiar crackle of the black aura brushing against his skin, a small "puddle" forming around his body.

 _"I don't give a damn if I die here! I'm not giving you my body!"_

 **(Your strength has left you, the only reason those fools ever extended camaraderie towards you. And the God-Killer's voice is no longer within your ability to hear. Surrender to me now.)**

"I...said...NO!" The black aura started to become more violent, slowly wrapping around his arms and legs, a "hand" in the shape of a shadow wrapping around his neck. "Guah!"

[Shirou!]

Even amidst their battles, it was hard for his comrades not to notice the black aura that slowly seeped out of him, spreading across the ground like some sort of infection, charring it black, making it fragile and crack apart.

"DIE DIE DIE!" The leader of the enemies sang in psychotic glee, unconcerned with the black aura spreading around him. "They won't mind if I bring back your body in pieces!"

It became harder to breathe as "the hand" tightened its grip, constricting his airway more fiercely than before.

 **(I told you before...The moment you let your heart grow weak, I wouldn't hesitate to take your body!)**

 _"No..."_ Shirou thought, his vision going blurry. "Somebody...please..." He croaked, his hearing being the next thing to slowly fizzle and fade. His eyes slowly began to glow before turning darker...redder...He could only reach out for someone...anyone. "Please...help me..."

" _You're wish is my command._ " A monotone answered his prayer.

"Hn?"

It took a second for the leader to look up.

Another second for a blade to embed itself halfway through his skull.

"What...the...fuuuu..." His eyes rolled back into his head. The flames sputtered and extinguished from his hands and the bladed wheel in his knee stopped spinning. He fell to the right, pushed off by Shirou's unopposed shove.

Drool leaked from Shirou's mouths, unable to swallow as his neck was crushed by the shadowy hand, and his face was starting to turn blue.

A shadow appeared above his face, a narrow-eyed look on their face.

"Your time has long-since past, spirit," They said. " _Begone_."

Three more blades embedded into the black shadow surrounding him.

A high-pitched shriek of agony pierced Shirou's eardrums, to the point he felt as if his head would explode.

Then, all at once, it stopped.

The shriek faded to nothing and the hand wrapped around his neck loosened, disappearing entirely.

The black aura began to recede and fade away, returning to nothing and leaving nothing but black where it touched the ground.

The moment he could breathe again, Shirou took several deep breaths, his lungs elated at the sudden intake of oxygen. "Than-"

"Save your thanks and simply be grateful your idiocy did not get you and your friends killed," The monotone said rudely. It was only when he finally listened that Shirou realized he recognized the voice.

"Alma!" The hooded youth gave a curt nod to the Demon King of Kuoh, shoving his or her hands into their pockets while wearing the same passive expression. "Wait, what about the others!? What about Gasper?!" Shirou shot upright, looking around at the surrounding area, he was surprised and horrified by the carnage.

Numerous bodies littered the ground. Every single one of the enemies who had attacked them laid dead, showing no sign of life.

Embedded through each of their chests was a spear of light.

The rest of his friends were slightly worn, but their injuries were minimal. Kiyome's kunai wound actually seemed to be the most severe and that was already being taken care of by Asia's Twilight Healing.

"I go for a little stroll and I end up finding a few Devils waging all-out war with some criminals," The man in the kimono, Azazel, noted. It was not his presence that was most notable, but the cardboard box he held flat in his right hand. "I believe this belongs to the house of Gremory."

They recognized it by the box's unstoppable trembling.

[Gasper!]

Azazel patted the top of the box. "The possessor of the Forbidden Balor View. Quite the rare find. I wouldn't mind looking at this kid's Sacred Gear."

"Give him back!" Issei said, raising his arm. Xenovia and Koneko raised their guards as well.

Azazel gave an annoyed look, sighing. "You could at least try to pretend to be grateful to the guy who saved your rear ends." He haphazardly tossed Gasper over to the ORC, panic washing over them until Xenovia rushed forward and caught the box in her arms. Azazel rubbed his chin, as if examining an interesting machine that he wanted to take apart in order to figure out how it worked. "I bumped into the guy who stole him by chance and dealt with him. The Vampire doesn't appear to have good control over his power. He stopped Alma several times on our way over here which is why it took me so long to get here."

Alma lowered their head. "Apologies."

"We were trying to help him improve himself bit by bit so we could solve that problem," Shirou said, still amazed he was still alive. He looked around at the battlefield and the numerous bodies that littered it. "..."

"Something wrong?" Azazel wondered, picking his ear.

"You...You killed them..." The words slipped out of Shirou's mouth before he could consider the consequences.

"Hm?" Azazel raised a brow at Shirou's comment. "Would you rather I let them kill you?"

Shirou averted his eyes. "..." He bit his lower lip. "I don't approve of what they did at all, and I wanted to see them punished but...to just kill them all..."

"Don't be a fool."

"Huh?!" Shirou shot Alma a sharp look. "What'd you say?!"

Alma scoffed. "In this world, it is either kill or be killed. To take pity on an enemy is the same as forfeiting your own life for foolish ideals." They crossed their arms, avoiding Shirou's piercing gaze.

"But if we sacrifice our humanity, if we become no more than murderous beasts, then what's the point in being alive?" Shirou countered. "If we kill someone, we're taking them away from everyone they've ever known, from everyone whom they loved and were loved by in return. Where is the justice in that?"

"In case you haven't noticed, these people failed to share any of that same regard towards _you_ ," Alma pointed out, driving Shirou to silence. She nudged one of the deceased with her foot. "Even before they made the determination to murder you and those you cherish, they had ridden themselves of their humanity. Did you not notice their modifications?"

Shirou blinked. "But...weren't those Sacred Gears?" However, when he took a second look, he noticed that a few things were off. Even though they were all dead, the many weapons and appendages they had wielded in battle were all still there. They didn't disappear or dissolve like Issei or Shirou's own Sacred Gears would in the event they were knocked unconscious. "But what...?"

"They were heavily modified," Azazel stated, kneeling down to examine the hands and legs of the leader of the enemy group. "Their physiology were surgically altered to enable the use of these weapons and abilities capable of damaging even Devils. Modified Humans. These were not just random criminals. Whoever did this was either incredibly brilliant or maniacally insane...perhaps a combination of both. It was probably the same people who sent them after you to begin with."

"So people _let_ somebody do this to them?" Issei asked, staring uncomfortably at one of the deceased youth, his jaw completely replaced with a mechanical mouth with sharp, metallic teeth, resulting in the unpleasant mesh of flesh and machine.

Azazel rubbed his chin. "If it's the people I'm thinking of, it shouldn't come as some kind of surprise."

"Do you know the culprits behind this attack, Fallen Angel Governor?" Xenovia asked, her cold tone making her stance towards Azazel quite clear.

"Possibly," Azazel said. "I'll need to bring several of them back to my lab for more thorough examination. Alma."

"Right," Alma nodded, going forth and picking up several of the surgically altered corpses, putting them in a stack in her arms. A few nuts and bolts fell across the ground. Alma stared, blank-faced. "They may be missing a piece or two..."

Azazel waved her off. "It's fine. As long as I have their general bodies, it should be fine." He paused upon noticing Shirou's unease, letting out a sigh. "Would it make you feel better if I promised to bury them properly after I finish getting information on who sent them?"

Shirou considered Azazel's proposal before giving a prompt nod of his head.

"Good," Azazel said, motioning Alma to his side. "Now, before I return, I thought I should tell you a few things I discerned after watching you all fight." He pointed at the trembling box, Kiyome and Asia doing their best to speak soothing words to the child inside. "The quickest way to improve the Vampire's control over his abilities is by having him drink the blood of the Red Dragon Emperor. It's irresponsible to have him relying on others to save him in the event he's captured. At the very least, he should have the ability to run away should he prove useless in a fight." It may have been Shirou's imagination, but he could have sworn that the Gasper Box was trembling even more strongly than normal.

"Well, Gya-kun is a little uneasy around blood, soooo..." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck.

Azazel shrugged. "The only other method I see of ensuring his power stays under control is a power-siphoning Sacred Gear with abilities like Divine Dividing. I heard that there's an Absorption Line-user at your school, so you could always try having him use that to get the Forbidden Balor View's possessor's power under control." Azazel frowned, closing his eyes with an expression that made it clear that he was trying to think about something. "And speaking of out of control power, don't you think it's time you told the truth, Fujimura Shirou?"

"Huh?" Shirou blinked. It was a moment before he realized what Azazel meant. However, he looked away, turning his gaze towards the ground. "...I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're perhaps the greatest risk to the safety of your comrades and everything you cherish," Azazel pointed out coldly. "If I had not shown up, your secret could have cost you the life of your master's Bishop and all of yours as well. Now, I'm not the type to go and spoil secrets without reason, but I strongly urge that you come clean." He turned to leave before pausing, his gaze settling on Kiyome. The examining look he gave her appeared to be more than simple scientific curiosity and, if he weren't someone who survived a war against God and the Maous, Shirou would have kicked his ass. "Is this your girlfriend?"

Shirou blushed slightly, scratching his cheek. "Well...um...yeah?"

Azazel examined Kiyome, the now-aware girl covering her chest with an embarrassed and cautious look on her face, and then turned to Shirou. "Two things: First, good job."

Both Shirou and Kiyome's faces lit up pink.

"Um...thank you?"

"I'm not done," Azazel continued. "The second thing is some advice: Don't lie. Also, be honest about your feelings."

Both Kiyome and Shirou stared with half-lidded eyes.

[But aren't those the same thing?]

"No," Azazel answered, turning to Shirou specificially. "You know what I mean." It took a few moments before Shirou _did_ realize what Azazel meant and subsequently realized his advice was about as useful as Rias's in solving his "women problem" (i.e. not a lot). "That's all I have to say right now. Come along, Alma."

"Yes sir." Alma nodded, passively carrying the corpses of several of the attackers.

"Don't worry about the mess. I'll send some of my subordinates to clean up this mess later, so feel free to tell your master what happened here."

With that, Azazel and Alma left.

Shirou shoved his hands into his pockets. "I guess we'd better take his advice and..." Shirou turned, noticing the suspicious stares of his friends. "...What?"

Issei moved closer, examining Shirou with suspicious, narrowed eyes, poking Shirou in the face several times as if to test something.

"Issei, you have five seconds to stop that before I break your fingers," Shirou threatened in annoyance, smacking away Issei's hand.

Issei frowned. "This isn't Nobunaga again, is it?"

Shirou raised a brow. "Huh?"

"Shirou, we all saw it," Xenovia said, a troubled look on her face. "Nobunaga's aura started pouring off of your body again. We need some assurance it's really you and that he hasn't taken over your body again."

"I...well...um..." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck.

"Wait wait wait!" Kiyome stepped in, frowning. "What's all this about Oda Nobunaga and stuff? Isn't that like some kind of Japanese daimyo or something?"

Shirou averted his eyes. "Well, back during our fight against Kokabiel...I MAY HAVE been possessed by the evil spirit of a deceased Japanese Demon Lord from whom I am descended who then killed Kokabiel and subsequently tried to murder all of our friends." He stared blankly at Kiyome's slack-jawed expression. "...No big deal."

Kiyome rubbed her temples. "Can someone please explain to me why I, his girlfriend, am always the last person to know these kinds of things?"

"Because I don't want you to worry?" Shirou tried.

"Oh yes, because keeping me in the dark until you get scars, lost limbs, and near-death experiences is so much less stress on me," Kiyome said sarcastically.

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth, but I didn't want to stress you out with the details."

"I have a right to know these things, Shirou! Even if I'm not one of you guys who can shoot damned lasers out of my hands, I deserve to know what's going on in your life! I at least have that right!"

"Why do you have to make everything about you?"

"About me?! It's never about me! It's always about _you_! You don't tell me anything until after you've been to Death's door several times or are undergoing some sort of huge moral issue!"

"I so do not-do...do not...whatever! Why should I tell you anything?!"

"It would be a nice change of pace!"

"Oh don't you play the victim!"

"Why not?! You've had fun of doing it so far! Maybe it's my turn!"

"Excuse me!?"

"You always make me out to be the bad guy!"

"Do not!"

His friends watched uncomfortably from the side.

"That's definitely him..."

"Only Shirou could argue this much with Kiyome."

"Romantic relationships are more frightening endeavors than I first thought."

Shirou bared his teeth. "You always act like you know everything, that you're some perfect girl, but you don't want to even be seen with me in public! Admit it! You're just the same as everyone else! I know your act! I'm just another beast to tame!"

"How could you say that!?" Kiyome asked, shocked and indignant at Shirou's accusation.

"All you ever do is either pet me or judge me!" Shirou pointed out. "And ever since the Rating Game, you've been nothing but distant towards me! You were...You acted so nice to me when I was recovering during the Excalibur Incident, but you've just...It's like nothing's changed. All you do is keep me at arm's length when it's convenient for you! You said you loved me...but you sure as Hell don't act like it!"

"It's so easy to come up with that conclusion from your perspective, isn't it...?" Kiyome asked, growling.

"Um...yes..." Something about the look in her eyes...Shirou felt something was off and that something ugly was about to happen.

"Do you not understand what it's like for me!?" Kiyome scolded. "Every time I let you out of my sight, I don't know if I'll ever be able to see you again! Invading the Fallen Angels' base, getting scarred during the Rating Game with Riser, losing your goddamned arm during the incident with the Excalibur and only afterward finding out that you had been fighting a Fallen Angel from THE BIBLE to stop the equivalent of World War III!? Every other day, I hear about you almost getting killed only long after the event's passed! And now I hear you almost lost yourself entirely!? How am I supposed to react, huh!? How the HELL am I supposed to react, Shirou!? Am I supposed to hug and embrace you like everything is fine?! Should I just ignore the growing fear that I'm going to wake up someday and learn you died in some battle that I never knew was going on!? Every time I see you, a horrible scenario pops into my head where you're dead, imprisoned, or worse and I don't even know, so GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK!"

Shirou began sweating. He had lost total control over the argument. "W-Well...I...I didn't know you felt that way-"

"Of course you didn't! Because I'm the villain aren't I?! I'm the terrible bitch who's so emotionally abusive towards the man who tells her nothing and expects her to just sit and watch him destroy himself!" Kiyome clenched her fists, tears of frustration welling up in her eyes. "Have you ever considered just _asking_ how I feel!?"

"Um...that is...er-"

"You act like you're some victim, but you never consider how hard it is to talk to a man who couldn't open up if his LIFE depended on it!" Kiyome continued, on a roll. "I don't have a sixth sense, Shirou! I want to be there for you! I always wanted to be there for you, but every time I close my eyes, you're off fighting some battle without even giving me a clue or off hanging out with Akeno! Just what am I supposed to do...!"

There was a long silence that ensued following that. Kiyome stared at Shirou, as if expecting a response, tears in her eyes.

And then she left. She turned around, and she left.

And then Shirou was left alone...

"Wow..." Issei eloquently summed up all of their thoughts. "That was...Are you okay...?"

"I...I dunno..." Shirou answered, spacing out. "I...You ever feel nails inside of your chest...?"

"Oh..."

"Yeah..." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. After several more moments of silence, he let out a tired sigh. "Well, it's not as though I can feel any lower, so I may as well tell you guys about that secret Azazel was talking about earlier...Please...anything to change the subject."

"You mean how Azazel said you were a danger...?" Xenovia asked. "I assumed he meant the way Nobunaga attempts to take over your body."

Shirou shook his head. "No...it's something else," Shirou said. "I mean...have any of you noticed I only used physical attacks during our fight back there?"

[No, not really.]

They all said something along those lines.

Shirou sweatdropped. "How perceptive," He muttered sarcastically. "I can kind of see how I've managed to keep my secret for so long..." He shook his head at the indignant looks on his friends' faces. "Well, back then...he was right. I put all of you in danger because I didn't tell you the truth. If I had been honest, we could have planned something, we could have stopped those guys from taking Gasper in the first place."

"Well," Issei said nervously, "why didn't you?"

"I..." Shirou sighed. "It's not that I didn't want to...it's...it's more like I couldn't..."

It was only then that his friends started to pay serious attention.

"Shirou-san, what are you saying?" Asia asked.

Shirou took a deep breath, being able to imagine how a skydiver feels when first jumping out of an airplane.

"Guys...I didn't use my powers because I couldn't."

"...What do you mean?" Issei repeated. "What are you talking about?"

Shirou took one more deep breath.

"I can't use my demonic powers or my Sacred Gear anymore..."

Their eyes widened.

 _"My powers are all gone."_

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** All or Nothing! The Key To Reaching One's Heart!

* * *

 **Now wasn't that just fun~? Yeah, I know, but we have to get the drama out of the way so we can do other shit so bear with it.**

 **Woulda posted this yesterday, but I was waiting for the Constitution or democracy to come in and kick our corrupt, airhead president in the face. Still hoping for that TrumpRussia Investigation to turn up something. Til then, all we can do is march, petition, and vote some asses out in 2018! #TheResistance bitches! XD**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	48. Chapter 42: Key To Reaching One's Heart

**I would just like to start by saying: Holy shit, over 700 reviews. About 500 follows and favorites.**

 **I just gotta say...you guys are great. Devil Reborn Redux would not exist without your continued support.**

 **As Dima Lancaster once said in his original song on youtube, this one's For you!**

 **Disclaimer: I'm just going to go out on a record and say I don't own a damned thing besides Shirou. High School DxD, High School DxD New, High School DxD BorN, and all related media are the property of Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Funimation, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the official release!**

* * *

 **Chapter 42: All or Nothing! The Key To Reaching One's Heart!**

"What do you mean your powers are gone?!"

"God damn it, Issei!"

It was times like these that Shirou wondered he ever bothered returning to report to Rias.

After Asia healed all of their injuries, they had no choice but to return to the club building and, immediately after, deposited Gasper in his room as per his tear-stricken request. Their stamina had been tested during that mob fight and, if there was a danger posed to even Devils, Rias had to be informed and, through her, the Maou Lucifer.

Unfortunately, he underestimated Issei's status as a blabbermouth, failing to consider, even for a moment, that Shirou did not want to immediately tell Rias he had suddenly become the weakest member of the group barring Asia and, currently, Gasper. As usual, Rias wore her "scolding look" she wore whenever she was talking to Shirou about something he had no control over.

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, gee, y'know, Rias, I just don't know many other ways to announce that I don't have a shred of power left." He spat sarcastically.

Rias rubbed her temples, clearly having trouble comprehending what she was being told. "How could you have lost them? When did this first start?"

Shirou averted his eyes. "It was after the battle with Kokabiel..." He shoved his hands into his pockets. "I felt a little dizzy and weaker, but I thought it was just exhaustion from the effort and from recovering from my injuries, but I only realized it when I first met Azazel." He held out his open hand in front of him, staring at his open palm with a look of annoyance, as if it had wronged him. "I tried to summoned my Sacred Gear coz I thought he might have been an enemy, but Canis Regalia didn't respond to me at all. The Wolf's voice doesn't pop into my head when I call out either."

"Wolf?" Rias raised a brow.

"It's the spirit inside my Sacred Gear," Shirou explained, "like how the Welsh Dragon resides in Issei's. We used to talk every now and then, but after the Excalibur Incident was resolved, he stopped talking and I can't feel his presence anymore."

"That is strange," Rias noted although it was obvious from her expression that she was thinking more about the nature of the "Wolf". "You were around both of the Heavenly Dragons and Kiba's Balance Breaker. On top of that, your powerful will in resisting Nobunaga's influence should have actually increased your resonance with your Sacred Gear. But for it to just go dormant like this..."

"Could it have to do with your "death" prior to Nobunaga saving you...?" Xenovia suggested, causing everyone to look at her. "The Sacred Gear system managed by the Heavens causes Sacred Gears to always move in a cycle. Humans who are special or perhaps just lucky are given these gifts before they're even born. Whether it occurs at conception or at a point between conception and birth it unknown. However, regardless of what happens short of a Sacred Gear being stolen or broken, the Sacred Gear would return to the cycle upon the user's death. Even if it was temporary, Shirou did, in fact, die."

Rias tapped her chin. "That would explain his Sacred Gear perhaps..." She reasoned, a sinking feeling appearing in Shirou's gut. "...but it wouldn't explain the loss of his demonic powers. Besides, in the hypothetical situation his temporary death causes him to lose his Sacred Gear, why would it not have done the same the first time he lost his life? At the very least, there is some kind of delay period before this system collects the Sacred Gears of the deceased."

"And don't forget about his demonic power," Issei pointed out. "He's still a Devil, right? Even a total novice like me can use my demonic power for my Dragon Shot."

"That's right," Rias agreed, turning to Shirou. "Are you sure your demonic power is gone?"

Shirou extended his hand, twitching his index finger. "Not even a spark. Neither ice nor flame nor lightning nor wind. I can't even use those basic elements," Shirou answered. "I still feel a bit tingly when exposed to sunlight and I still have my wings, so I know I'm still a Devil. No matter what I tried or experimented with, I couldn't find the cause no matter what. My only guess is that it has to do with Nobunaga."

The temperature of the room seemed to go down several degrees.

"What do you mean?"

Shirou sighed. "The best theory I can come up with is that he's gaining strength, slowly obtaining more and more control over my body by eating away at my powers." He leaned against a nearby wall, lowering his head. "You guys saw what happened back there. Even if he couldn't completely take my body, he was able to try consuming me. If it hadn't been for Alma's interference, there's no doubt that Nobunaga would have taken over or, failing that, would have killed me. I didn't even suffer a fatal wound or lose control, but Nobunaga almost took me anyway. Odds are it's only a matter of time until he takes complete control over me anyway. And when he does..." He lowered his head. "...I dunno."

"...He won't." Koneko piped up for the first time in the conversation, her cat ears drooping slightly. "...If he shows up again, I'll just beat him up with my Senjutsu and force him out!"

"Koneko...?" He was almost thrown off-balance when Koneko glomped him in a tight embrace. It was only now that she was so close that Shirou could feel her body trembling against his.

"It was scary..." Koneko whimpered, leaning against Shirou. "It's the worst parts of Senjutsu...that power...it was as if all of the darkest, most twisted emotions in the world had come together in tangible form...I could sense such a powerful hatred that was almost suffocating..."

That was when Shirou remembered.

Senjutsu-users were especially sensitive to the negative energy in the world, actually being required to take in the malice and ill will in the world in order to utilize their power. Just this condition alone exposed practitioners to the risk of being driven to insanity if they were to misuse their abilities.

The entire ORC could feel the malice that poured off of the entity that had possessed Shirou's body, even without Senjutsu. For someone like Koneko, it must have felt as though someone scarred her very being with hatred, fear, and despair. As if all of the light in the world drained away, only leaving the horrid terror of absolute darkness.

Shirou wrapped his arms around Koneko's small form, hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry I put you guys through that again..." He said in the softest whisper. He held Koneko more tightly, a troubled look on his face. "I won't let him take control of me again...I won't ever use that power again, I promise. I refuse to let that old fossil have his way." He petted the top of Koneko's head gently, finding it awkward to meet the gazes of his friends. He kept petting Koneko until she had finally stopped trembling, but she refused to let go even after he stopped.

"Which brings us to the next matter," Rias continued, trying to ignore the pain her heart felt at Koneko's fear, "the unknown assailants who attacked you all. Even if Shirou could not use his powers, he is still a Devil. No normal enemy could bring one to their knees."

"Not to mention they had these weird metal parts sticking out everywhere," Issei exclaimed, gesturing to various parts of his body. "Azazel said that they were...modified?"

Xenovia nodded. "That's what he said. They were able to produce weapons from their body in order to fight us," She said, thinking deeply. "Although, it was more like they themselves were the actual weapons. Whenever I cut off their appendages, I found machine mixed with their organic matter...To twist a human being into an abomination like that, even the most depraved of heretics would have at least hesitated."

"They appeared as delinquents, but they were after something else," Shirou explained, rubbing Koneko's back reassuringly. "Gasper. They knew about his Forbidden Balor View and wanted to kidnap him for it. If it weren't for Alma and Azazel showing up, they might've gotten away with it."

Rias considered this thought, showing a hint of dissatisfaction at the thought of feeling gratitude towards the leader of the Fallen Angels. She bit the tip of her thumb, trying to suppress blatant frustration. "Not only do they attack members of my house, but they dare to try and take my adorable servant as well? I do not know who these enemies are, but I will repay their insolence with a thousand deaths!"

"Buchou," Issei whispered, "your killing intent is showing."

Rias took a deep breath, the demonic power around her slowly beginning to dim until she let out another sigh. "And now things are worse than when they first began."

"In what regard?" Shirou asked, gently prying Koneko from him as she finally calmed down. "I mean, the situation with Nobunaga is hardly pleasant, but-"

"I'm talking about Gasper," Rias interrupted, sighing. "He's absolutely refusing to come out of his room. He even locked the door."

Shirou stared.

Rias stared back.

"...And?"

"And what?"

"He locked the door and what?"

"That's it. He just locked the door."

"..." Shirou opened his mouth to point out the difference between a plain door and a hellspawn with super powers, but quickly let the matter go. "...I guess I can't blame him. A lot of shit went down."

"After everything that happened...we might have made the situation worse," Issei lamented, sighing.

"To be honest, knowing Gasper's background, there's only so much we can do," Rias said.

"How come?"

Rias's expression became one of sorrow as she told her story, "Gaspers' father was a vampire from a well-known and distinguished family. However, his mother was a mere human. Vampires are even more concerned with pedigree than Devils. As a result, Gasper was discriminated against by everyone, including his own family. Sadly, when it came to the human world, he was treated as a monster. Of course, that's all on top of his power to stop time. A power he didn't have any ability to control. He wasn't just feared, he was loathed. A person can't know what happens to them when they're frozen. Naturally, nobody wants to be near someone with that power, so he was forced into an almost unbearable loneliness through no fault of his own-"

Creeaaaak!

Everyone turned to see Shirou, passing through the open door to the meeting room before slamming it shut behind him.

Issei stared in surprise and disgust at Shirou's actions. "What a douche! Who leaves right in the middle of being told someone's tragic backstory?!"

"Senpai didn't want us to see him cry again..." Koneko mumbled, earning Issei's surprise. "His hair was covering his eyes, but I could tell that much."

Issei scratched his cheek. "Was he that affected by Gasper's history?"

"It was more than that," Rias said, earning _everyone's_ attention. "Shirou and Gasper, they're kindred spirits. To hear the way Gasper was treated probably felt like a knife to the heart."

"What do you mean, Buchou-san?" Asia asked.

Rias sighed, rubbing her temples. "It's just another one of the many terrible things Fujimura Mikoto decided to burden me with prior to her passing." She turned to Issei. "Issei, could you please go check on him?" Issei, clearly wanting to listen in on what Rias was going to say, gave a disappointed look. "It's really important. Please?"

Issei rubbed the back of his neck, Issei nodded. "Y-Yes, Buchou." With that, he left to follow his friend.

Once she was positive Issei was gone, Rias sighed, sinking back into her seat.

"Is the Dog's situation truly that severe?" Xenovia asked, turning back to Rias.

"No," Rias admitted, causing even more confusion among her three gathered servants. "Really, I'm just worried that if I told Issei, he might become more defensive of Shirou."

"...I don't understand," Asia said plainly.

"Issei is almost as impulsive as Shirou, especially in regards to his friends," Rias explained, giving an admiring smile. "If he heard the story without Shirou to talk with him about it, he would probably end up going out and hitting someone." At her servants' continued confusion, Rias continued, "It was only one of many things Mikoto told me before her passing, but she deemed it important enough that I hear so as to better handle him as a servant and as a friend."

"What was it?" Xenovia asked.

Rias crossed her arms. "In short? Another reminder of how cruel the world could be..."

* * *

BANG BANG BANG!

"Gasper, open up!"

BANG BANG BANG BANG!

"Come, Gya-kun, you can't hole up in there forever!"

"Yes, I can!" The Dhampir cried from the other side.

"No you can't!"

BANG BANG BANG BANG!

However, no matter how much Shirou banged and called out from the other side of the door, he could not elicit a single budge or peep from his vampiric comrade. It was only after several minutes that Shirou let out a defeated sigh, leaning back against the door and sliding against the ground. He could easily knock down the door, but that wouldn't exactly resolve the situation. That didn't make it any easier listening to Gasper's sobs of sorrow.

Shirou leaned his head against the door. "...I just want to talk. I know you might be afraid after what happened earlier, but I need to talk to you."

"No! The outside world's scary...! I...I'm just going to end up stopping everyone! M-My friends freeze right in front of my face a-and there's nothing I can do when it happens!"

"I won't move from this spot until you get your ass out here." Shirou crossed his legs, sighing.

And so he waited...

And waited...

And waited...

And waited.

"You gonna come out now?" Another chorus of sobs answered him, earning another sigh. "Yeah, I thought so..." Shirou bit his lower lip. "...So Gasper, is the reason you're so afraid of coming out because you're afraid of your own power?"

"..."

"I see..." Shirou said. "I guess I can understand that. The power to stop time? One little mistake and you could end up stopping someone forever. Living with a thought like that everyday, you must be terrified." He sighed, realizing how little he was helping the situation. "I guess, in that way, I can sympathize. However, unlike you, I'm less of a ticking time-bomb waiting to go off and more of a ticking time-bomb that threatens to go off on a regular basis...I mean, I'm probably far worse than you because...well...I already lost control of my powers."

"...!" Gasper tried to hide it, but Shirou was able to hear his gasp of shock from behind the door.

Shirou took a deep breath. "...Did you know I attacked Akeno and the others...?"

"...N-No," Gasper whimpered, speaking for the first time.

"I didn't mean to...It's just...a lot of stuff happened..." Shirou shook his head. "No, that's just me making excuses. In reality, I was too weak. I couldn't win with my own power or protect the people I loved and, as a result, the monster inside of me broke out. I struck Akeno, I went berserk, and, in the end, I almost let it kill my friends. So trust me, Gasper, I know how you feel." Shirou stared at his open palm, as if it would become something alien at a moment's notice. "Even now, I try to to hide it as best I can from the others, but I'm terrified. Every second I'm left wondering "When will it happen again", "Who will I end up hurting", "Will I be able to regain control". Questions like that fill up my mind. I've had nightmares about it. I haven't told Rias or the others, but I barely sleep anymore. I just spend the night, laying on my back and staring at the ceiling."

"..."

"But, at the same time, I feel that if I just give up, things will turn out so much worse." Shirou said. "The only choice left is to me is to keep moving forward."

"...How though?" Gasper asked. "How can you say that knowing you could lose the people you care about? I-I don't understand how you can just keep going on like that despite having so many doubts."

"..." Shirou remained silent for a moment, a heavy feeling filling his heart.

"S-Senpai...Are you still there?"

"Perhaps it would be best to explain through a story. It's a bit of a long one, so please bear with me..." Shirou heaved a deep sigh. "Gya-kun, have you ever heard of the Demon King of Kuoh?"

"N-No..." Gasper admitted. "H-He sounds scary."

Shirou gave a solemn smile for himself alone. "Yeah, he can be scary sometimes-Hell, he's one of the most feared bastards in this town. Everyone here either hates or fears him or both. However, he wasn't that way by choice."

"I-I don't understand."

"He was "born", so to speak, seven years ago," Shirou explained, trying to calm the trembling of his heart. "He didn't have any parents, but he was adopted by this nice lady with a heart as big as this building."

"Th-That sounds like a very serious condition!"

Shirou had to cover his mouth, snorting in amusement. "I-I'm speakin' figuratively, buddy," Shirou said, smiling as he shook his head. "Anyway, this kid, he wasn't very social. He had a rough childhood and it was hard for him to interact with kids his own age. He was pretty lonely, so he generally played around with the neighborhood animals. Some bit and scratched at him, but he just took it in stride and befriended them anyway. Then one day...Um...These high school students, they were just dicking around like assholes, throwing fireworks at some poor, defenseless kitten. So, this kid, the soon-to-be Demon King, ran up to them, standing in front of the cat and said "Hey, stop it, fuckbags!". They did NOT take kindly to that."

"Wh-What happened?"

"They threw fireworks at _him_."

"A-And then...?"

"They kicked the shit out of him," Shirou said bluntly. "He wouldn't move out of their way, so he got the shit kicked out of him...but he managed to protect the poor kitty, so he didn't mind it so much. His mom let him keep the kitty, as a pet. Oh they were the best of friends. Every night, the kitty would crawl on top of the boy's chest and curl up into an adorable ball. Just that kitty's company alone was enough to help him cope with that painful loneliness...Then one summer night, the kitty got out. It was raining and it was hot, so the boy opened the window so he could let the rain cool him off, but the kitty jumped out. The boy chased after the kitty in the night, but couldn't find her for a long time and, when he finally did..." Shirou paused again, trying to keep down his feeling of nausea. "..."

"W-Well," Gasper asked, clearly jumpy like a seven-year-old being told a scary story, "what happened?"

"...The kitty died," Shirou answered, almost _feeling_ Gasper's spirits crushed by the fact. "It...I don't want to go into detail." In truth, the image was already burned deep into his mind. He didn't need to share with Gasper.

"What happened!?" Gasper asked frantically, more absorbed into the story than Shirou had anticipated. "Why did the kitty die!?"

Shirou lowered his head. "It's not "died" so much as "killed"...The boy didn't have any proof, but he knew it was the high school students he had previously stood up to..." In truth, he had known because the cat's jaw had been blown off with fireworks. They had lit the firecracker, shoved it in the cat's mouth, duct taped the cat's mouth shut, and blew their jaw clean off. Cutting off the cat's ears was probably an afterthought. Some sort of sick trophy. "So, angry, the boy left the next day to confront the high school students over what they did-"

"...but isn't that kind of a stupid thing for a ten-year-old to do?"

"Shut up, Gasper!" Shirou snapped, blushing. "He was ten and he didn't understand logic, so get off his back!" However, the moment his excitement faded, sorrow filled his expression once more. "So, the soon-to-be Demon King confronted them at their hideout, this old abandoned warehouse-thugs like abandoned warehouses for some reason-and demanded they confessed...They didn't even _try_ to hide what they'd done. They laughed about it. They mocked the boy for crying over it. This made the boy even angrier. He threatened to tell the police about they did. The laughter stopped. They looked between themselves, wondering what they should do next. Their leader, older boy, maybe about college age, definitely a chain smoker, was the first to react. He walked up to the boy...and he punched him."

"...H-He hit the little boy...?"

"Yeah," Shirou confirmed. "The boy was in shock at first. Then the leader kicked him right in the stomach. He started rousing his friends and then they...they joined in on kicking the boy, punching him, doing whatever they could. Only a few of them stepped back when the boy started crying, perhaps finally realizing what they were doing. It was only when the boy started wailing that the leader finally backed everyone off. The boy thought that it was over...but instead, the leader flicked his lit cigarette at the boy's face, causing him to cry out...The boy cries "You burned me! You burned me!". Then the leader, I guess the noise pissed him off or something, he snatched one of his friends' lit cigarettes and he...he put it out on the boy's arm. Not just him. His friends too. He made all of them put their cigarettes out on the boy's bare arm. Some of them didn't have any room, so they...they just uh...they put'em out on the back of the boy's neck..." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck, trembling. "...It...It still tingles him when he gets nervous or anxious...Then those guys in that warehouse...they...they did terrible things to this kid, this ten-year-old CHILD. Th-They..." Shirou's voice cracked, his eyes beginning to sting as his body began to recall...every excruciating detail. "...they hurt him...They hurt him real bad...They did really bad things to him...and..he just...it hurt a lot...it hurt so bad...The boy wished he would just die so it would be over..."

Shirou stopped, hugging himself as tears flowed uncontrolled down his cheeks. He couldn't stop his trembling. He had been so much in control when he started...he thought he was stronger than this. It had been so long ago, but the scars still felt fresh. He could remember what they did to him and had to try so hard not to feel disgusted with his own weakness. He had to force down bile.

"...Senpai...?"

Shirou slapped himself in the face, forcing his body to obey his commands. "When they finally finished, they spat on the boy, kicking him one more time before walking away." Shirou took a deep breath. "And this boy, after the Hell he endured, he just stands up. Not a single bone broken as if by some kind of sadistically ironic miracle. He looks at the high school students just walked away, actually _high-fiving_ each other as they walked away." Shirou tightened his fists. "They're _proud_ and _amused_ by what they did! What they did before GOD! Then the soon-to-be Demon King just...it was like something just seized him from the inside. He turned and picked up this lead pipe just laying there...a part of him screamed "Don't do it!", but...he didn't listen. The boy ran up to the leader and tugged on his sleeve...He only turned halfway before the boy beat the side of his head with a pipe. They didn't see it coming. He beat one...then another...It took a few moments for them to realize what happened. By then, it was too late. The boy kept swinging. He didn't know what drove him. Revenge, fear, anger, but he just kept swinging, the only thing he could see was red. Someone must have heard all of the screaming coming from the warehouse because, the next thing the boy knew, there were police officers there. Guns trained and dogs ready..."

"What happened next...?" Gasper asked, clearly scared again.

"The police officers came in," Shirou answered, "and they saw this ten-year-old boy just standing there, holding a blood-stained pipe, tears running down the sides of his face. Several unconscious bodies littered the ground around him. He turned to the officers and all he could do was stare...When he finally spoke, he could only ask "What did I do?" as if he himself couldn't remember what happened. Naturally, they were stunned. "A child?" they thought. How could a child do so much damage?...They took me to the police station while they called my mom and took the high school students to the hospital. They each had anywhere between three and five fractures and at least two broken bones. Meanwhile, on the surface, I only had light burns, scratches, and bruises from where they hit me." Shirou played with his hands. "Then those high school students, those fucking assholes, claimed that the boy was the one who attacked _them_. That's how the little boy was first arrested. The cops had no choice but to believe them. They had broken bones to prove a self-defense claim while the boy had a few scratches in comparison. It was mind-boggling, certainly, but the high school students' injuries were far more worthy of sympathy than the child's. They arrested the boy and, as he sat alone in an interrogation room, the little boy could hear them. "Demon", they said. "Monster", "freak", they made no secret of their terror."

"D-Did the little boy go to prison?"

"As it would turn out, no," Shirou answered. "The police were going to...do _something_ at least until a woman came in later that day. As it turned out, she had been attacked by them only recently. Not just her, but lots of others too. The police...They asked the boy about some things, took him to the hospital after realizing... _something_. Then they let him go...If you look them up, you'll see that four of those high school students now have a prison rap sheet and are now registered sex offenders. The other one, their leader, is currently in prison again for similar crimes."

"So everything turned out fine...?"

"HA!" Shirou laughed bitterly. "Fuck no. By the time the police released the boy, the stigmata had already been etched into his flesh so to speak. It was the talk of the town. A little boy bludgeoning several teens down? The details were never released because the boy never really talked about what happened then, so people just assumed it was an unreasonable, one-sided beating. The adults, they feared him and eventually that fear, as fear always does, turned to hate. They hated him, the little boy. He couldn't comprehend at the time, the reason behind those cold stares, filled with pure rejection. Those that actually acknowledged his existence treated him with nothing but spite. The other kids, they didn't even know what was going on. Their parents told them to stay away from the boy, but they didn't understand. Really, they just looked at all the grown-ups and began to emulate what they did, growing to fear and hate the boy who would be Demon King. The little boy just wanted to put it all behind him. He just wanted to live a normal life, but..." Shirou turned away.

 _Creeaaaak!_

Shirou leaned forward, turning to see a pair of pinkish eyes staring back at him. "Pl-Please tell me what happened to the little boy, S-Senpai...Does he get a happy ending?"

Shirou smiled pitifully. "No. Unfortunately, this tale is a tragedy," Shirou said. "The other children, egged on by the hostile attitudes of the adults towards the boy, would always chase after him with rocks and sticks and try to beat him. Day after day, time after time, they would come after him. Eventually, he had enough, so he beat the snot out of them. Those kids brought their older siblings next time, so the boy beat them up too. Then those older kids brought their friends, so the boy beat them up. Time and time again, there would be another series of bodies littering the path behind the boy. This boy grew up to be feared as the Devil incarnate, a true demon, earning the moniker "The Demon King of Kuoh". He came to love it...the violence, the hate. He relished the thought of needing nobody and relying on nobody, being powerful all by himself and crushing anyone who stood in his way. The fool thought, somehow, that, by being alone, by living alone, he was somehow stronger than everyone else who had to rely on others. He mistook the emptiness caused by his solitude with pride. He had to believe it coz, if he didn't, the painful loneliness would have crushed him...But, in the end, no matter what he did, that emptiness would never disappear...The Demon King of Kuoh is forever hated by his peers, for no other reason than existing."

Shirou heaved a heavy sigh upon finishing.

"Nooooooo!" Gasper cried, wiping his eyes as he burst into tears again. "That can't be the end! It just can't be how it eeeends! Uwaaaaaah! The poor little boooooy!"

The pathetic yet adorable look on Gasper's face left Shirou somewhat charmed. He petted Gasper on the head. "Gasper, this story...it's the reason why I understand how you feel." Gasper stared, tears still in the corners of his eyes. "The pain of having your existence treated as a mistake, the fear that you could go right back to that state if you lose control, the fear of losing everything...I know that feeling all too well."

"...Hm...?"

Shirou stared with half-lidded eyes at Gasper's confused expression. "...You _did_ realize that the little boy in the story was me, right?"

Gasper stared in silence for several more moments.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Then it hit him.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?"

Shirou covered his ears at Gasper's high-pitched shriek almost burst his eardrums mixed with sobs of anguish. "It's the truth, Gya-kun," Shirou said. "That was my life ever since waking up seven years ago, following an incident that cost me my memories. That was the only life I ever had...I had no control at all. Gya-kun...People told you that you were worthless, an abomination...People wanted nothing more than for you to just die for no reason other than existing...I know that feeling all too well. They tell you your life is meaningless so often that you yourself begin to believe it. But they're wrong! I was in the same exact spot you're in now, a long time ago...I used to even try praying to God to take away my pain...but I always went unanswered. I always thought He was cruel, so I ceased to believe in His existence. I believed that life was nothing but an endless journey of despair...I wanted nothing more than to die... But then I met people who loved and accepted me for who I was. They helped me to realize that my life had value, that I wasn't a mistake! They are the same people who love and cherish you, who want you to be our friend, to be part of our family! You aren't alone!"

Gasper flinched when Shirou grasped his shoulders, staring at him with tear-filled eyes. "S-Senpai...!?"

"No matter what anyone says, being alive...IS NOT A MISTAKE!"

Gasper's eyes widened as Shirou started panting, raw passion showing on his face.

Gasper could only remain silent for that moment.

Then he felt something...in his heart.

As though a heavy weight was finally lifted off his chest...

Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes as the implication of what Shirou said fully dawned on him.

"S..Senpai..." Gasper couldn't stop trembling. "Senpaaaaaai!" He wrapped his arms around Shirou, burying his face into Shirou's chest, staining it with hot, salty tears.

Shirou returned his embrace, rubbing him on the back. "It's okay...It's okay...No matter what, you'll never alone again."

And so they sat in silence, Gasper crying.

For the first time, not out of fear or sadness, but out of relief and joy.

"..." Shirou would have been more focused if not for one annoying thing. He let out an annoyed sigh. "You guys can come out now. I know you're there."

No sooner than he spoke did one head...no...two? Two faces popped out from behind the corner.

Both Kiba and Issei's eyes were streaming tears and mucus leaked from Issei's nose. Shirou cringed beneath their gazes, the two walking over.

"So...you all heard all that?"

Both teens nodded.

Issei was the first to speak, wiping his face on his sleeve. "Sorry..." He apologized sincerely, sniffling. "Buchou...she sent us to check on you and...that...it's just so messed up."

"Yeah," Shirou agreed awkwardly, still rubbing Gasper's back when he was startled by their presence. "Listen...could you not tell anyone...?"

"What?!" Issei's eyes widened. "Why?! If this is what really happened, then if we spread the word-"

"Then what?" Shirou asked, sighing. "Issei, do you think anyone cares? Do you think anyone gives a damn about the facts? They only care about their own truth regardless of reality's opposition. That's simply how people are. There's nothing to be done about it."

"That's so harsh..." Issei noted. He had heard Kiba's, Asia's, and Gasper's past before becoming Devils, but, unlike them, Shirou's fate wasn't because of some religious faction or pedigree. For seven years, that abuse was his life as he knew it. He had to struggle with it alone for a long time.

"It's fine," Shirou said coolly. "I'm not alone anymore. I have you guys and Gya-kun. Friends who depend on me rather than detest me." Kiba placed a hand on Shirou's shoulder.

"Don't forget that it's a two-way street," Kiba said, bearing his sadness far more gracefully than Issei. "Just as we depend on you, it's alright for you to depend on us when you need to."

Shirou smiled. "Yeah." He looked down at the cross-dressing youth in his arms. "See? Didn't I tell you they were nice?" Gasper nodded shyly, eyeing Kiba and Issei with curiosity. After a few moments, he let go of Shirou...only to sit in his lap in a way that would have made Koneko very unhappy. "Uh...Gya-kun, I don't think you should sit like that."

"Huh?" Gasper stared, unaware of how it looked, him sitting on Shirou's lap while leaning against Shirou's chest. It also didn't help that he looked a cute girl, almost cuter than Koneko. "Why?"

"Umm..." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "How to put it..."

"I think you two look cute together," Kiba teased. Shirou shot him a sharp look and Issei snorted.

"Oh yeah, now that I think about it, now that you're friends, Gasper has a little cross-dress-buddy," Issei noted humorously.

"Huh?" Gasper turned to Shirou, confused as to their words. "What do they mean, Shirou-senpai?"

"N-Nothing," Shirou said, sweating profusely while shooting sharp glares at the other male members of the Gremory servants. "They are talking about NOTHING!"

"Hey, Gasper," Issei pulled out his phone, a certain "horrifying" image on the screen, "check this out."

Gasper stared at the screen, blinking once before turning back to Shirou, then back to the screen, then back to Shirou, then to Issei, then Issei nodded with a grin, then Shirou slapped the phone out of Issei's hands, and then Shirou buried his face in his hands.

"Wowie!" Gasper gasped in child-like wonder. "You're really beautiful, Senpai!"

"No," Shirou said bluntly.

"I'd like to think I look cute in these clothes, but-"

"Noooo, stop it!"

"-but you're really beautiful! What's your secret?"

"Oh my Dead-God, we are NOT getting into this!"

"Ooh! I have come cute outfits you can borrow sometime if you ever feel like it...though I'm a little smaller than you..."

"What the Hell happened to the somber mood from earlier!?"

"I'm so glad to have someone who has the same interests as me, Senpai!"

"Uuugggghhhh..."

And so they all got to talking. It was awkward at first, but Gasper seemed to genuinely enjoy himself. Whenever he had to move from Shirou's lap, he would immediately go back to his box (albeit with the lid open). The only time he would stand on his own was when he wore a paper bag over his head...

It took five seconds for Issei, Shirou, and Kiba to come to the consensus that Gasper could never be allowed to wear it outside.

EVER.

They laughed and talked together.

It was as though a great weight had been lifted. Not just from Gasper, but from Shirou's shoulders as well.

The world felt a lot less painful and his problems felt as if they were far away.

These smiles, the ones Shirou would always cherish, belonging to his best friends.

Issei, Kiba, Gasper, Asia, Koneko, Rias, Akeno, Kuroka, Kalawarner...

...and Kiyome.

 ** _All I want is to live in this world...Together with everyone._**

The desire of a boy born from "nothing" who became a Demon.

* * *

 **Next Chapter** \- Meeting the Archangel! What the Heart Wants!

* * *

 **...Wow.**

 **Some heavy shit just happened there, no?**

 **So now you know...the origin of the Demon King of Kuoh, why Shirou initially started to hate humanity, why he was always alone.**

 **...Anyway, I should give you fair warning that, much like this chapter, next chapter will be significantly shorter than normal.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	49. Chapter 43: Meeting the Archangel!

**Disclaimer: I'm just going to go out on a record and say I don't own a damned thing besides Shirou. High School DxD, High School DxD New, High School DxD BorN, and all related media are the property of Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Funimation, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the official release!**

* * *

 **Chapter 43: Meeting the Archangel! What The Heart Wants!**

"Shirou, why are we heading to the shrine at the top of these stairs?"

"I think the question you should be asking is why aren't we always heading to the shrine at the top of these stairs?"

"That was only funny when Buchou did it."

"Fuck you."

Shirou shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweatshirt, staring at the daunting, almost infinite number of stairs they had to trek on their way to the shrine that laid at the top.

"But, in all seriousness, I know Akeno-san called us here, but isn't this like going to an away game for a Devil?" Issei asked.

"You're paranoid," Shirou said, crossing his arms behind his neck.

"Maybe you're just a bit too lax," Issei noted before sighing. "At least, you seem a lot better since yesterday."

"Yeah," Shirou agreed. "I guess talking with Gasper helped me a lot. I still have no idea what I'm going to do though..."

"About how you can't choose between Akeno-san and Kiyome-senpai?"

Shirou almost tripped. "How did you-"

"Buchou told me."

"God damn it, Rias!" Even when she wasn't there, Rias found a way of ticking him off. "She really is so insensitive sometimes..."

"Our lives are so drastically different..." Issei noted, sighing. "I would give to have the choice of two babes like that..."

Shirou raised a brow. "But don't you have Rias and Asia?"

Issei stared in confusion. "Um...huh? I get that Buchou is affectionate with their servants, but there's no way she's interested in me. And Asia is more like family, you know?" Issei blinked at the narrow-eyed stare Shirou gave him. "...What?...What!?"

"Issei, someday I'm going to slap the idiocy out of you, so, when that day comes, don't be surprised."

"Huh?!"

However, before their conversation could continue, they had reached the top, coming face-to-face with a certain smiling miko.

"Issei-kun, Shirou, welcome," Akeno greeted. "I'm sorry for calling you both so suddenly."

"No probz," Issei said lightheartedly. "I had free time anyway."

"I was curious why we would be called to a shrine," Shirou said bluntly.

"I see," Akeno noted with interested eyes. It was almost as if she were saying "Don't forget we still need to talk" or something along those lines.

Issei looked around, frowning as if something was wrong. "Where's Buchou?"

"She's off finalizing the details of the conference with Sirzechs-sama," Akeno explained, leading the two boys towards the boundary of the shrine.

"And you don't need to be there?"

Akeno shook her head. "They have Grayfia-sama with them. And there's someone coming here whom I must greet."

Shirou stared at the red torii at the top of the stairs. "But...is it really alright for us to be here? I mean, I get Japan is a little of out Christian jurisdiction, but shrines are still holy places. If not the Angels, then wouldn't the Shinto gods be a little pissed?...or Buddha? Or whoever runs this place?"

"It's fine," Akeno said, waving the two through the gate. "A certain agreement has made it safe for Devils." Issei and Shirou exchanged looks.

"So which one of us is going to-Wah!" Shirou shoved Issei forward, the brown-haired teen stumbling several steps over the boundary before stopping, turning his head to shoot Shirou a glare.

"OK, so it's safe," Shirou decided, calmly following after him.

"Dick!"

"Oh don't be a baby." Shirou snickered, crossing his arms behind his neck. He looked around, noting the traditional Japanese architecture. "You gotta admit, this place has class. Yours, Akeno?"

Akeno nodded. "After its previous god left, it remained unoccupied. Then Rias managed to find a way to get a hold of it for me."

"Nnnneat."

"So these are the Red Dragon Emperor and the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven," A warm, silky voice filled their ears. Like a welcoming embrace. If it were a food, in Shirou's opinion, it would have been sweet honey.

It was then that Shirou and Issei turned to face the handsome man with a halo and twelve golden wings.

Shirou stared for a moment. "So I take it droopy-eyes here is some sort of big-shot, huh?" A slap to the back of his head was the answer. "Ow!"

Akeno sighed. "You really must learn a bit of etiquette when addressing major leaders, Shirou." She gestured to the man. "This is the Archangel, Michael."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," The Angel greeted. "I am Michael, the leader of the Angels. The aura of the Red Dragon and the Demon King...how nostalgic."

Shirou couldn't help but start sweating. Even though it was faint, he could feel _something_ stirring inside of him. Not just his Devil blood...

Even Nobunaga reacted to the presence of the man in front of him. And it was not pleasant.

Michael seemed to take notice of the troubled expression on Shirou's face. If he knew the cause, he didn't show it.

"Um...Not to be disrespectful, Michael-sama," Shirou said nervously, "but can you tell us why you had us called here?"

"Of course," Michael agreed, gesturing towards the entrance of the nearby building. "If you will?"

Akeno led the group into the shrine where Issei and Shirou took seats in the seiza style before the divine entity.

It was _very_ uncomfortable.

Issei was awkward as Hell when dealing with leaders and the essence of the Demon King would not stop raging around inside of him. Not to mention, every time Shirou met the Archangel's gaze, he couldn't help but feel he was being examined in a manner not unlike Azazel's.

"I'm actually here to present you with this, Hyoudou Issei," Michael said politely, extending his hand.

There was a flash of light and, when the light cleared, there was the familiar presence of a hostile aura. A HOLY aura.

When Issei and Shirou opened their eyes, what floated between them and the Angel was a sword.

"A Holy Sword!" Issei realized.

"This is Ascalon," Michael stated, "also known as the Dragon-Slayer Holy Sword employed by none other than St. George. Through the use of a powerful ritual, we were able to render it usable even by you, who carries the power of both a Devil and a Dragon. But rather than wielding it outright, we hope it may be assimilated into your Sacred Gear?"

"Is that even possible...?" Issei wondered.

 **[Your Sacred Gear responds to your desires. Should you will it, it can be done.]**

"Wait, so it's not just Canis Regalia that can do that?" Shirou asked. Issei stared curiously at Shirou.

"You can hear him?"

"Of course," Shirou answered, bemused by the question. "Why? Can't everyone?"

"Not normally, no."

"It's possible that you are capable of hearing Ddraig due to the spirit contained within your own Sacred Gear," Michael hypothesized. "Your spirits interacted with one another, resulting in the spiritual pathway between the two to remain open even with your Sacred Gear in its dormant state."

"I see..." Shirou stared at his left hand. _"Then that means that my Sacred Gear is definitely still there...is it really Nobunaga that's made me so weak?"_

"But why am I getting it?" Issei asked.

Michael smiled. "I see the upcoming conference as a chance for the three powers to make peace," He said. "The time has come for all of us to work together...or die trying. The Great War ended large-scale fighting, but, as you know, we still have small skirmishes."

The thought of the battle against Kokabiel came to mind. The near-destruction of their town, the complete destruction of their school, everyone injured, and Mikoto "dying". If that was a "small skirmish", they could only imagine the kind of Hell people lived in during the Great War centuries ago.

"If this is allowed to continue, we may all face ruin." Michael said ominously, his warm and empathetic voice only adding more weight to his words. "It is entirely possible a different power may attack us in all of the confusion."

"A different power...?" Issei asked.

"Other factions," Shirou filled in. "Just because the denizens of Heaven and Hell have always been at each others' necks, it doesn't mean they're exclusive in the desire to kill one another. You have countless mythologies, countless gods, countless demons, etc, who all have their own agendas. So grudges and politics sum up a majority of the problem."

"A bit of a general summation, but not incorrect," Michael noted. "This upcoming summit may provide us with a great opportunity to finally put an end to all of this pointless fighting. It would not be the first time after all. Long ago, we all came together and fought as one. We had to put an end to the destruction caused by the Red and White Dragons' battle. I beseech you, Red Dragon Emperor, please help align the goals of the three great powers."

It was such a weighted request that Issei could not help but sit in stunned silence for several moments.

However, it was after about eight minutes that things started to get awkward.

"Ahem!" Shirou coughed into his fist.

"Issei, I believe this is the part where you accept his gift," Akeno offered.

Issei jumped, nodding quickly. "R-Right! If it'll help out, then sure. Totally." He stood, walking over to the Holy Dragon-Slayer Sword. He still looked anxious about it, but wrapped his hand around the hilt of the blade.

 **[Focus all of your thoughts on the Sacred Gear. Match your wavelength to the sword.]**

Akeno appeared to be ignorant of it, but Shirou could hear the voice of the Welsh Dragon speaking directions into Issei's ear.

Issei closed his eyes, focusing with all of his mind. Holy aura began to flow from the sword into Issei's gauntlet, causing him a noticeable amount of pain, either from the aura or the assimilation process itself.

Shirou shielded his eyes as the golden light illuminated the room, mixing with the red aura of the Boosted Gear, forming a brilliant red flare that was absolutely blinding.

It was when the light faded that they were met with an incredible sight.

A glowing blade growing out of the front of Issei's gauntlet.

"T-They merged!" Issei gasped. "Incredible!"

Shirou rubbed his chin. "Ain't gonna lie, man. That's pretty boss."

"I have done what I set out to do," Michael decided, turning to leave. "And now I take my leave."

[Wait a sec! I have something to ask you!]

Shirou and Issei, having spoken in unwitting unison, turned to one another, staring.

[Wow, that was weird.]

They blinked.

[That was really weird.]

They narrowed their eyes at one another.

[OK, man, it's not funny anymore. Stop it. Cut it out! I mean it! Stop!]

"Ahem," Michael cleared his throat. "Was there something you wished to say?"

Shirou and Issei had a mental argument over who should go first with Shirou mentally kicking Issei's mental ass. A disgruntled Issei gave a grunt of consent before Shirou turned to Michael.

"Um, I get why you called Issei here, but why me?" Shirou asked, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm not Red Dragon Emperor and, right now, my power is nothing to really talk about. I just don't get why the leader of the Angels would call me here."

Michael paused, as if carefully considering his answer. "...To be honest, I desired to evaluate the heir of the Oda Clan, the boy who holds the power of the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven. I had heard from Sirzechs and Azazel, but I wished to confirm for myself."

Shirou swallowed uneasily. "And what was the conclusion you arrived at...?" His heart sank at the solemn expression on Michael's face.

"I can see it plainly," He said. "You two appear more similar than I first thought." Shirou's heart fell completely into his stomach. "You carry many traits that make you the same. No matter how I look at it, you two are disturbingly alike."

What the Archangel just said, to Shirou, was the worst, most crushing blow.

The man who was a complete monster...

The man who hurt Akeno...

The man who hurt _his friends_...

And Shirou was just like him?

"However, don't mistake it as a terrible thing," Michael said, earning Shirou's confused state. The man managed a gentle smile. "For all of the evil he had brought into the world, he himself was not an evil soul. He was bright, passionate, and loyal to his comrades. You carry both his light and his darkness and, like him, only you may choose which path to follow."

"I see..." Shirou frowned. "If I could ask one more thing?"

"It must be quick. I am spending time that does not belong to me, I'm afraid."

"When I was taken over by Nobunaga, I felt like...it was an almost suffocating hate, all of it directed towards both humanity and the Heavens," Shirou said. "Why does he despise humans and Angels so much?"

Again, Michael's expression became solemn, as if he were hiding something. "In short, he was a great man deceived by those with wicked intentions. He was a brilliant mind led by fools and, as the ultimate result of this, Heaven inflicted the worst of punishments upon him, one I fear was ultimately disproportionate to his crimes. If I could, I would undo what was once done, but it is too late. What has been done, is done."

It may have seemed to be just words from another politician, but Shirou could see genuine remorse in the Angel's eyes.

"...Michael-sama?" Shirou closed his eyes, thinking. "I am hardly the shining example, but, from the life I've lived, from my friends, I've realized at least one thing: It's never too late."

Michael was given pause for a moment, before smiling pleasantly once more. "I see...I suppose, that is another defining difference between you. I believe that, unlike Nobunaga, you have placed your faith in the right people. No matter how deep your darkness, with those you cherish, I have no doubt you will find a way to the light again."

Shirou smiled back. "Thank you, Michael-sama." He gave a curt bow before turning to Issei. "Was there something you wanted to ask him?"

"Whatever it is, I fear I must depart immediately," Michael said, his tone more urgent than before. "I have already gone over the amount of time permitted for this meeting, I'm afraid. I'm certain Gabriel will not let me hear the end of this. Hahaha! With the conference date so near, there are so many preparations to be made. I hope you can forgive me for this, Red Dragon Emperor, but I'm afraid it must wait until after the conference."

Issei looked troubled for a second, but nodded. "It's fine. Just promise you won't forget, OK?"

Michael nodded. "Yes, you have my words. Farewell, Issei."

His entire body was wrapped in light and, when it faded, he was gone.

...

Not too long after that, Rias arrived to collect Issei and the two left together, leaving Akeno and Shirou alone in the room together.

It was just the two of them.

Together.

Alone.

Akeno stared at Shirou, a strange look in her eyes, and Shirou stared right back at her, saying nothing.

"Shirou?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you staring at me?"

"Because you're staring at me."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. It's really awkward."

"I see."

"Quite."

"Would you like me to prepare some tea?"

"Yes, that would be lovely."

"Then please follow me."

"OK."

And that was the end of that conversation, Shirou following Akeno as she led him to other parts of the shrine.

* * *

"Here's some tea."

"Ah, thanks a lot." Shirou gratefully took the cup of hot tea from Akeno, blowing softly on the surface before taking a sip. After finishing, he let out a satisfied sigh. "Delicious as expected."

"Thank you."

They slipped back into awkward silence, Shirou taking another sip of his tea while Akeno just looked awkward.

What were they supposed to talk about?...

No.

Shirou knew what she wanted to talk about. He just _really_ did not want to talk about it.

"...Akeno?"

"Yes?"

"..." Shirou immediately lowered his head. "...Nothing."

Why did Mikoto never train him in how to handle situations with women?

That was a question he had been wondering a lot lately.

"Have you realized an answer...?" Akeno asked, calmly picking up her cup. She didn't take a sip. "To my question, I mean. Have you realized an answer...?"

Shirou sighed. "No." He couldn't meet her gaze. "...I'm sorry. I just...It's not an easy thing to figure out..."

And again, they slipped right back into that same, awkward silence.

Shirou loved Kiyome, but there was no doubt in his mind he was also attracted to Akeno. He had always thought that polygamists were douchebags, that when they claimed to be in love with more than one woman, they were lying assholes, but now that he was in that same exact situation himself, he couldn't help but feel envious of their relatively easy situations.

"Shirou..." Akeno lowered her face, her eyes hidden by her bangs. "...can I ask you something?"

"Um...sure..." Shirou doubted the situation could become anymore awkward.

"Back when we first met," Akeno said, dashing Shirou's previous doubts, "why did you save me...?"

"Uuuhhhh...Well, that's...um..." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. He paused, actually considering the question. "Well that's...hmm..."

He thought back to the night he was first killed by the Stray Devil. He had been driven by his conscience to investigate some screams and, in the end, he had found Akeno instead. However, she hadn't been alone. She was hunting and being hunted by the Stray Devil known as Eliade. Before Akeno could be ambushed by the creature, Shirou had throw himself in her path, saving her life at the cost of his own.

"You didn't know me. You didn't even care who I was," Akeno said, the wording making Shirou feel bad for reasons he couldn't quite understand, "and yet you gave up everything to save my life. Why? I've thought long and hard about it, but no matter how you spun it, you had no reason to save me...I just don't understand."

Shirou considered it.

"I don't really know..." He answered honestly. "...I've suffered my entire life because of people, and yet I died protecting someone. I guess, if I think about it, the reason is because I wanted to be remembered. Even if I died, I wanted my life to mean something. Even if I would always be remembered as a monster, I wanted to genuinely save at least one person."

"Do you regret it?" Akeno asked, leaving Shirou confused as to her meaning. "Knowing what I am, do you regret it?"

Shirou blinked. "Knowing what you are? I'm a little lost, so I would really appreciate being illuminated right about now..."

"You really don't remember...?" Akeno asked. "Back during the battle against Kokabiel, he called it out for all the world to hear. He revealed my impure bloodline for all of the world to hear. You really don't have any questions about it?"

"Impure bloodline...?" Shirou frowned. He closed his eyes, going deep into thought as he tried to remember what Akeno was talking about.

 _[Don't speak that name! I am nothing like that creature!]_

Shirou's went wide. "Oh! You mean about that thing where you were related to that Barakiel-guy or something..." He rubbed his chin, trying to think about the specifics. "Sorry, my memories are a little fuzzy because of a mix of adrenaline and blood-loss...especially blood-loss."

"And then there was Nobunaga," Akeno added, immediately regretting it the moment she did. "Barakiel...he's my father. I am the half-breed daughter of Barakiel and a human woman. My mother was a young shrine maiden. One day, she found a wounded Fallen Angel and nursed him back to health. She did her job well...They fell in love, and, soon enough, I came along."

"That's a romantic story," Shirou decided, taking another sip from his tea. Still, even he could tell Akeno didn't talk about it like it was a good thing. "I...Um...sorry if I stuck my nose in something personal."

Akeno didn't stay a word.

She stood up from her seat, facing around the other way. She lowered the back of her haori to reveal her bare back to Shirou...

She spread a pair of mismatched wings, one black and leathery like a bats, the other black and feathery like that of a bird.

A Devil's wing and a Fallen Angel's wing.

"Those wings..." Shirou gasped.

"Yes," Akeno confirmed. "One from an Angel and one from a Devil...I possess both of these filthy wings."

""Filthy"?" Shirou frowned.

"These corrupted wings," She said with a self-deriding tone, "I hated them so much that I chose to become a Devil. But now, with the Fallen Angel wings I was born with and these Devil wings as well, I'm an even more repulsive being...It's probably fitting for someone with sullied blood running through their veins. How could you ever fall for a woman like that...? These wings are just an omen of misfortune..."

"..."

"I just..." Ever since they met, Shirou had only seen Akeno vulnerable a handful of times. Even then, it had never been to the degree she was showing now, her eyes beginning to water. "...you died for an abomination like me. Someone who is neither human nor Fallen Angel nor even a true Devil...Yet I had the audacity to demand your affection...? I caused you so much pain...I cost you your life...I just don't understand what I could have possibly been thinking...The reason I wanted you to choose was just so I could forget my selfish wish...so I could stop longing to take Kiyome's place in your heart...As if I stood a chance with these dirty wings of mine...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

"Akeno..." Shirou stood from his seat, walking over to his senior.

Were these her true feelings?

Shirou thought back to something Rias once told him. She had told him that Shirou held a big place in Akeno's heart, that he was important to her.

Back then, he had promised he would always take care of her...yet here she was. Crying.

Because of his idiocy.

Just like Kiyome.

And he had done the same thing to _Akeno_.

"It doesn't matter if I'm human, Devil, or mixed blood," Akeno said, smiling bitterly as she hid her face in her hand, "that's what you said to me back then. Because of that, I got arrogant, and-"

"Stop it."

"Huh?"

It happened in a second.

"If I hold your heart in my hands, then I shall take responsibility."

Shirou grabbed her by the arm and turned her to face him. His arms snaked around her body with speed like that of a Knight, holding her tightly.

Akeno stared, dazed with light pink tinging her tear-stained cheeks. "Shir-Hmm!"

He took her lips in his own, his arms wrapping around her waist and pulling her closer, deepening their bond in the only way he could think of. Akeno's eyes went wide, unable to resist, initially out of shock, then out of joy. She sank into his arms, wrapping her arms around his back, refusing to let go.

They held their kiss for several more seconds, Shirou showing technique that Akeno never would have expected of a virgin.

For ten blissful seconds that seemed to go on forever, the rest of the world seemed to fade away and, when Shirou finally ended the locking of their lips, she could not help but stay in a daze, her cheeks burning. Then she stared at Shirou, unable to comprehend what had just happened. Her mind raced, working to catch up to the rest of her body as it returned to normal time.

"S-Shirou-"

"I'm sorry," Shirou faced her with mournful eyes, his own eyes watering. "You were suffering all this time and I didn't even have a clue...To let a woman I love suffer like this, I must truly be a failure as a man."

Akeno gasped sharply, taking a moment to understand what Shirou just said to her. "Shirou...you...you just said..." A mix of shock and embarrassment, Akeno couldn't even figure out how to string four words together.

She was so overcome with relief, joy, and disbelief at the events that just transpired that she failed to recognize when Shirou lifted her chin and lowered his lips against hers once more.

And, just as before, it contained a sensation of intense bliss for Akeno.

After they broke apart, Akeno found herself just staring into Shirou's eyes, searching for any reason to belief that it was a lie or that the world was playing a sick, twisted joke on her.

However, his face spoke of only sincerity.

This was really happening.

Tears fell from her eyes with renewed force.

"Huh?!" Shirou's charming face quickly shifted to stunned confusion. "O-Oh shit! Was I not supposed to do that?! I fucked it up, didn't I!?"

Akeno giggled, wiping her tears away. "No...I'm just so happy..." She sank back into his embrace, laying her head against his chest.

"I'm sorry I didn't notice how you felt..." Shirou apologized, holding her closely. "I should've known it better than anyone and I still failed to realize you were hiding it...It's always a lot harder to admit you're in pain than it is to ignore your problems...But, if you're feeling sad, it's alright to cry. From hereon out, I will take responsibility."

"Hmmm..." Akeno looked Shirou in the eyes, blushing with a smile on her face. "When you talk all charming like that, it's hard for me to feel satisfied with second or third place. It's so exciting~"

"Hu-Uwah!" In a fit of surprise, Shirou lost balance, allowing himself to fall to the ground, acting as a cushion for Akeno. "Second or third...? Who's firs-Oh shit...Kiyome...Oh man, what am I supposed to say to her!?"

Akeno pouted, "How rude~ Thinking of another woman while you're here with me~" However, she gave a knowing smile at Shirou's attempts to stutter out an apology. "I'm kidding~ I have no doubt that she also holds a special place in your heart and I accept that. Above all else, I want you to be happy...even if it means I have to share."

Shirou sighed. "I don't know what to do...ugh...I did not plan this through," He complained. "I can't just see you and Kiyome behind each others' backs. That's a dick move...Kiyome made a good point that I'm never forthright with her, but I don't want to cause her pain knowing the dangers I'm involved in. But I also don't want to abandon you either...I don't want to see either of you cry, not ever again."

"Hmmmmm," Akeno hummed.

"Hmmmmm?" Shirou raised a brow.

"I don't think your secrets are what Kiyome is really upset about," Akeno pointed out.

"It...It's not...?" Shirou sweat-dropped. "...Uuugghhh...I don't get girls at aaalll!"

"Now, don't complain~" Akeno teased. "A lot of guys would be jealous of the position you're in now~"

"They would?"

"Mhm~" Even though he was mentally exhausted, seeing the smile on Akeno's face was stunningly refreshing. "Kiyome isn't angry because you never tell her anything, she's angry because she's worried about you."

"What kind of logic is that?"

"It's woman logic," Akeno replied. Shirou couldn't tell if she was joking or not. "It appears that I've misread her..." Akeno's smile faded for a moment at this thought. "In the end, I underestimated one single fact."

"Which is?"

"She is just as much of a virgin as you are," Akeno said, taking a hint of enjoyment in the way Shirou's face lit up again. It was far more comfortable when she was the one doing the teasing. "From what you told me, she really does love you more than I gave her credit for. She's just unsure of how to express it because she's never been in a relationship before."

Shirou sat up carefully, Akeno refusing to move from her spot which made it extremely awkward when she started straddling him. "Uh...Is this more woman logic?"

"No," Akeno answered. "It's basic logic that she wouldn't get so angry if she didn't care for you. Similar to how Rias gets jealous when Issei and Asia get closer to one another. When Kiyome says she's angry at you for keeping so many secrets, she really means you worry her sick and she wants to be there for you."

"...But she just walked away." Shirou said, lowering his head.

"That just means she needs to cool off," Akeno explained, smiling. "Trust me. Right about now, she's staring at her cellphone, wondering if she could call to apologize or wait for you to call and apologize to her, going back and forth between guilt and regret, and anger."

"Are you sure...?"

Akeno playfully patted Shirou's cheek. "Trust me. If things were over, she would have just ignored you completely or would have addressed you calmly. You and her are still fine..."

Shirou sighed.

"I just don't really know what to do, Akeno..." He shook his head. "I love you...but I also love Kiyome. It feels like, no matter what I do, I'm going to end up hurting one of you."

"I'm sure you'll think of something," Akeno said, resting her head against his chest as if he were some kind of pillow. "No matter what, I will be by your side."

"I don't really know how someone could fall for a guy like me, but I'll never take it for granted," Shirou said, tilting her face upward and planting another soft kiss on her lips. After he pulled away, he let out a sigh. "In the end, there's only one way I'll be able to handle this situation. I need...relationship advice. Relationship advice from someone I _swore_ I would never ask for relationship advice from."

"Who's that?"

"Someone who has more life experience," Shirou scowled. "The person I hate almost as much as Kokabiel or Eliade..."

* * *

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

"Hello?!" Shirou called out as he knocked on the door.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

"Helloooooooooo!?"

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck, looking up and down the hall around him. He checked the piece of paper in his hands to make sure it was the right address.

"This is definitely the right address..." Shirou said before returning to banging on the doors. "Come on! I know you're there! Open the damned door!"

Shirou placed his ear against the door, listening for signs of movement.

There were certainly voices, one of them very displeased. Then the dull thud of footsteps.

Shirou stepped away from the door as they came close, tensing at the click of the doorknob turning. He took several deep breaths.

Then the door opened.

"Hello, I was just wondering-"

"Oh! Shirou-kun?" The red-haired man greeted cheerfully. "What a pleasure to see you again!"

Whatever Shirou was about to say died in his throat. He could only gape.

The man before him was Sirzechs Lucifer...

Only naked.

The door wide open.

His male glory hanging out for all of the world to see.

It was then that Shirou realized that, if Gremory women were blessed with enormous breasts, then Gremory men were blessed with unrivaled tools.

And Sirzechs, at least, shared the same lack of hesitation towards nudity in front of clan members.

Shirou only had one response to this:

"MY EYYYYEESSS! IT BURNS!" He collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony (and a hint of envy as a man). "Oh, why Maou, why!?"

"Are you alright, Shirou-kun?" Sirzechs asked, blatantly unaware of what the actual problem was.

"Ugh...Yeah-Yeah, I'm fine," Shirou said, getting up and rubbing his eyes while trying desperately not to look down. "Actually, I was here to get some advice from-"

"Sirzechs, is there someone here?" Another voice called out, a familiar face appearing over Sirzechs' shoulder, wrapping the arm not occupied with the sheet around her body around his chest. "Do I have to drag you back into..." She trailed off. Though her silver hair was disheveled and there was a light blush on her face, Grayfia Lucifuge's smile immediately vanished upon seeing Shirou. "Ah, it's you."

It took Shirou a moment to process her face, Sirzechs' nudity, and the blanket Grayfia used to hide the barest modesty.

He only had one response to the obvious conclusion:

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

 **Elsewhere...**

"Do I call him...?" Kiyome wondered as she sat in her bed, hugging her plushie against her chest. She shook her head. "No no! _He_ has to call _me_...right?"

She frowned.

She had been thinking about it ever since the other day.

Was what she said fair?

Yes...No...Yes...No...Yes...Maybe.

Her answer was never the same each time she asked herself.

She was frustrated and fed up, of course, but she hadn't meant to take it out on Shirou. She would just be significantly more appreciative if he told her before he left on missions that would likely cost him his life and, while he was at it, take part in significantly fewer of said life-threatening missions.

But still...

 _[You always act like you know everything, that you're some perfect girl, but you don't want to even be seen with me in public! Admit it! You're just the same as everyone else! I know your act! I'm just another beast to tame!]_

Was that really how Shirou saw her? How he saw _them_?

A part of her suspected Akeno had a hand in the sudden change in his behavior, but there was definitely more to it. Akeno was certainly opposing her monopoly over her boyfriend, but Kiyome never pegged her for the homewrecker type. Biased, but never a liar.

That was why she had spent the past several hours thinking on it, trying to determine the best course of action.

She wasn't as daring or, as she admitted privately, as beautiful as Akeno or Rias. She didn't know what to do. She had never liked a boy as much as she liked Shirou, but being with him was near impossible to figure out.

A foolish part of her considered going to her parents for advice, but, while upset, she still loved Shirou very much and had the distinct feeling that, in light of her circumstances, introducing him to her father was synonymous with hammering the nails into Shirou's coffin.

She loved him...but she just didn't know what to do. Should she apologize? Should she wait for him to apologize?

He saved her life. When they first met, even though he had no reason to, he had saved her life.

From that moment, her heart had been his. It started off as gratitude, but it had quickly evolved...

She couldn't believe that such coarse hands held such a gentle touch.

Even if others couldn't see it, she could see the beauty of the young man.

She loved him.

She just had no idea how to handle it.

"Shirou...just what do you want me to do...?" She asked to herself.

TAP TAP TAP!

 _"The window...?"_ Kiyome turned to her window, staring curiously.

TAP TAP TAP!

Her mind wandered to the time before the conflict with Kokabiel...Shirou had come to see her from her bedroom window back then too.

TAP TAP TAP!

She wanted to know what the ruckus was, so she rushed over to her window, pushing them open.

"Shirou-!" However, the moment she peered outside, her words were caught in her throat.

The blonde youth standing outside her window, crouching on a hovering magic circle, was most certainly _not_ Shirou.

"Howdy~" He greeted with a cheerful smile.

She opened her mouth, whether she intended to scream or call out unknown before a hand clamped over her mouth.

"MMMPH!"

"Don't worry, lil darlin'~" The youth said in a chillingly cheerful tone. "I'm not going to hurt you~ You have a role to play in the main event~!"

And then Kiyome was taken, dragged through the window, whisked away into the dark of night.

A hostage.

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** Danger Approaches! The Peace Conference Begins!

* * *

 **Ha! I just had to ruin the moment!**

 **I am aware that Kiyome is currently the least popular girl. That's because she hasn't had much time for her character to blossom and that's because her lack of powers prevent her from being involved in major battles.**

 **I still believe their relationship can be salvaged. I'll admit, in the original plans, this arc was where their relationship ended, but I thought that was too heavy and a half-assed move, so here we are.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	50. Chapter 44: The Peace Conference Begins!

**And we are heading for the grand finale! Be prepared for shit shall get real! For shit shall be getting real!**

 **I'm gonna work on getting this volume done so I can do a little work on Delinquency of the Red Dragon or DxD:Neo.**

 **LET'S GO!**

 **Disclaimer: I'm just going to go out on a record and say I don't own a damned thing besides Shirou. High School DxD, High School DxD New, High School DxD BorN, and all related media are the property of Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Funimation, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the official release!**

* * *

 **Chapter 44: Danger Approaches! The Peace Conference Begins!**

Grayfia only felt so relieved when the door closed, signalling the departure of the youth known as Shirou Fujimura.

To say the meeting had been awkward was an understatement.

Even disregarding the fact she had spent the entirety of it dressed in a bathrobe with her husband hiding in the bathroom under the guise of "giving them privacy" while peeking like a child trying to listen in on an adult conversation.

If Shirou noticed him, he didn't give any indication.

What truly surprised Grayfia was the strange request the boy had asked of her...

* * *

 **Earlier...**

 _Grayfia sat on the bed, legs crossed and hands in her lap as she looked on_

 _"Please help me figure out protect the hearts of the two women I love!"_

 _Shirou prostrated himself on the ground before her, head touching the ground in front of her. While possibly over-dramatic, Grayfia concluded that the reason he lowered his head was out of fear of looking up her robe if he hadn't. Grayfia had heard a great deal of the boy's reputation from the people of their town, so she didn't expect him to be quite so...innocent._

 _Even his request alone was enough to throw her for a loop._

 _However, she didn't let it show on her face._

 _"What is the meaning of this?" She asked coldly._

 _This person, possibly the biggest threat to both her and her family, was not to be trusted. However, no matter how heavily she argued with her husband or her sister-in-law, none of them saw reason..._

 _That was what she thought, at least at first._

 _"Look, I don't like you and you don't like me, I get it," Shirou said bluntly, sitting up and looking Grayfia in the eye, "but right now, I'm out of options and I need your help. So please, hear me out?"_

 _Again, Grayfia was given pause, her harsh expression softening slightly._

 _Only slightly._

 _"...And what is it?"_

 _The boy looked at her, such an earnest and pleading look that she could not help but pity him._

 _"Please give me relationship advice!"_

 _Grayfia had been surprised several times in her long life, but this was quite possibly the first time she was at a complete loss of words..._

* * *

"Hahahahaha!" Sirzechs had burst into laughter then too. "So the "terrible omen", "the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven", you were oh-so paranoid about came to see you for relationship advice! Hahaha!" It was never about the fact of how off-base Grayfia's thoughts of the boy had been, but rather, more about how hilariously absurd the situation was from his perspective.

Grayfia narrowed her eyes at her husband, but she didn't retort. Instead, she waited for Sirzechs' fit of laughter to run its course before she felt she had the right to speak.

"Are you done?"

"Not quite," Sirzechs said, holding up his hand to calm her. "..."

"...Please tell me you're not really-"

"Ha!" Sirzechs added.

"Riveting," Grayfia pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing. She loved Sirzechs dearly, but he had the mind of a child sometimes.

Sirzechs' expression became more serious, more somber. "So, after talking with him- _really_ talking with him-how do you feel?" He asked.

"I feel..." Grayfia pursed her lips. "I feel as though I may have made..." She took a small breath, "...a grievous error in judgment."

"He's just a child, Grayfia," Sirzechs said, taking a seat on the bed next to his wife. He wrapped his arm over her shoulder, rubbing her reassuringly. "You shouldn't hold him responsible for the sins of his family. The curse of the Oda Clan, the chaos he is thrust into, the stigmata carved into his being by his peers, having no true identity, the boy had quite a heavy weight on his shoulders to begin with."

Grayfia lowered her head. "He looked so similar that I let my own bias judge him before I could see his value as an individual..." She covered her face with her hand. "...How unbecoming of a servant of the Gremory."

A strong pair of arms pulled her into a warm embrace.

"Don't forget. You are not just a servant of the Gremory," Sirzechs whispered soothingly, "you are also a strong, independent woman as well as my wife. Even you, with all of your perfection, are entitled to an error or two." He sighed. Grayfia normally wore a frown or, at best, a passive expression, but there was a stark difference between that and the genuinely saddened look on her face. Even though she had been in the wrong, he didn't enjoy seeing her look down on herself. He grasped her hand in his, holding it tenderly.

Things were awkward and rough at first, but once Shirou and Grayfia had started to talk, they seemed to become more at ease around one another. Not a large margin, but enough that Grayfia could see how misguided she was.

Shirou was...scared. Worried. Anxious. He genuinely needed her help.

That was what really struck her.

Nobody could fake that degree of emotion.

"Perhaps, at a later date, you two could make amends," Sirzechs suggested. Grayfia nodded weakly. "After all..."

Grayfia leaned her head against her husband's shoulder.

 _"...he is family."_

* * *

 **The Next Evening...**

"Well, time to go..." Rias said.

It was time.

The tension could be felt in the atmosphere of the Occult Research Club.

Rias turned to her servants. "If by chance something happens in today's conference, if the conference breaks down, this place might become a battlefield…..Be prepared for any outcome."

"Oh stop being such a pessimist, Buchou," Shirou said, waving off Rias's very poor attempt at reassuring them. "I've spoken personally with each and every one of the leaders and every one of them are suing for peace. As long as we don't rock the boat, there's no worries, right?"

"Perhaps," Rias agreed. "It's mostly the Fallen Angels we have to worry about. They aren't exactly trustworthy..."

Shirou stared with half-lidded eyes before smiling calmly. "Oh, that reminds me." Shirou calmly walked up to Rias and raised his hand-

SLAP!

"Ow!" Rias rubbed the red, hand-shaped mark on her face, a tear in her eye. She shot Shirou a sharp look. "What was that for?!"

"That's for always talkin' shit about Fallen Angels in front of Akeno, you insensitive prick!" Shirou then brought the back of his hand across Rias's face before grabbing her by the collar. "Do you even KNOW how sensitive Akeno is about that!?" Another slap. "Let me just say now that if you EVER make another jab at Fallen Angels or hurt Akeno's feelings, I will cut you, do. You. Get. Me?!"

Rias raised her hands in submission. "OK...!"

"OK?"

"Yes, just-just be cool."

"I am cool! You be cool!"

Akeno appeared beside them, gently prying Shirou's hands from Rias's collar with an apologetic smile on her face. "OK, I think you made your point..." She said calmly, "Shirou, darling, I love you, but you're making a scene. All our friends are here." Akeno pointed to the rest of the ORC's member, staring in wide-eyed terror/shock as Shirou assaulted their master and friend.

Shirou turned to Akeno, blinking. "You're right," He agreed in apparent comprehension before turning to them. The expression of annoyance returned to his face. "Do any of _you_ have problems with Fallen Angels!?"

They all shook their heads.

"No! We're good!"

"I don't mind Fallen Angels at all!"

"The Lord does preach forgiveness, Shirou-san."

"I hunted them once, but it was never personal."

"Uwaaah! Shirou-senpai's so scary!"

"It's a Senpai thing..."

There was a long, tenuous silence that followed, everyone getting an inkling when Akeno wrapped her arms around Shirou's side, hugging him affectionately.

Issei was the first to get the courage to speak up, "Is something... _up_ with you two?"

Shirou blinked, as if remembering something. "Oh yeah," He draped an arm over Akeno's shoulder, hugging her body against his. "Guys, I thought you should know this," He glanced at his senior. "Akeno's my woman now." Akeno blushed, a small smile appearing on her face. "We are probably going to fawn over one another significantly more often, so you had all better grow accustomed to it quickly."

Everyone stared, searching Shirou's face for some sign of deception or joke.

"You really know how to make a girl blush," Akeno said teasingly, looking rather pleased that a man just claimed ownership over her. Actually, it seemed to excite her.

"I don't believe you," Issei said, staring with envy and hate towards Shirou. "You're way too comfortable and my fragile reality can't comprehend how popular you are with girls."

"Not to agree with the pervert," Koneko added, "but you're uncharacteristically confident tonight."

"It does seem abnormal," Kiba agreed.

"You don't believe me?" Shirou reiterated as a question before turning to Akeno, tilting her face upward and pressing his mouth against hers, engaging their mouths in a circus that could, in the mildest vocabulary possible, be referred to as French-kissing. The slurping, sucking, and moaning sounds as they engaged in what would, in other situations, be considered foreplay, only made everyone's faces redder...

All except Xenovia who was eagerly taking notes with a pen and paper with keen eyes.

After five minutes, the couple finally pulled away, only a trail of saliva connecting their mouths.

Everyone remained silent, noting what had just happened...

"Uwaaah! I can't see! What happened!?"

All except Gasper, who was shoved back into his box with the flaps pushed down to keep him from seeing.

"...What the Hell was that!?" Issei shrieked, red-faced and looking as if he wanted to strangle Shirou.

"Do you need another demonstration?" Shirou asked with a taunting smile, holding Akeno lovingly in his arms while leaning in as if teasing to kiss her again.

Rias was the only one to remain calm. If anything, she seemed far happier than the others. "So, you've finally made your decision?"

Shirou returned her smile. "That's right," He answered. "I've been running blind for a long time, but now I've never seen more clearly."

"What are you going to do about Kiyome?" Rias asked, as if testing him.

"I'm going to do as a Devil does," Shirou said, "and learn to live selfishly." He raised a fist into the air. "I'm going to become...A HAREM KING!"

Everyone stared blankly.

"Hey, at least I didn't do that with that shitty pose Issei does," Shirou argued at the disturbed looks on the others' faces.

"Hey, you can't just steal my dream like that!" Issei cried, pointing an accusing finger at Shirou.

Shirou shrugged. "It's not exactly an exclusive dream if you're a Devil, Issei," He pointed out. "Even if it was, the main difference between you and me is that the only reason I'm resorting to the harem solution is because I love the two girls in it and I want to make them happy while you're building a harem because you're a blue-balls virgin who wants to get some snizz on the rake. It's not as though I'm going to go picking up every hot girl I see."

"..." That struck more than one nerve with Issei. "...Ah." However, he was giving Shirou a piercing glare as if Shirou had become his mortal enemy. "By the way, you're no longer part of the Pervert Quartet."

"Huh?" Shirou raised a brow.

Tears started leaking from Issei's eyes. "Good-looking guys popular with girls are not welcome!" He covered his face before running out the door. "Damn yoooooooou!"

Rias sighed, smiling softly and longingly after him before turning to Shirou. "What did Kiyome have to say about it?"

From the awkward laugh Shirou gave, his answer was pretty obvious. "I...haven't really told her yet-Not for a lack of trying, mind you," Shirou added quickly. He sighed. "She must have still been steamed at me coz she wouldn't pick up my calls, so I'll try talking to her in-person after the conference."

"Compared to a meeting involving 3 of the most powerful beings in existence, it seems you have quite the trial ahead," Akeno teased, giving him a peck on the cheek. Even though she was teasing him, it wasn't as though she was wrong. Shirou knew full-well that trying to get Kiyome on board was like...it was as though...

Oh who was he kidding? He was totally fucked.

He knew what he was going to say, he had memorized it a dozen times, but no normal human being would ever agree.

Granted, Kiyome raised supernatural beasts for a living, but that was beside the point.

However, Rias had quickly moved on to other matters...

"Gasper, behave yourself while we're gone." Rias said to the Gasper Box.

"OK," The voice inside the Gasper Box replied.

"I don't mean to scold, but if you activate your power, it will stall negotiations," Rias expained, "and we don't want that. I hope you understand."

Gasper popped his head out of the box. "Yes, ma'am."

"So cuuuuute~" Shirou cooed at Gasper's gesture. He walked over to Gasper and knelt down in front of him. "We're counting on you to hold down the fort here with Koneko, mmkay? I promise we'll be back soon. You should have enough snacks and games to last until the conference is over. When we get back, I promise I'll whip up something extra tasty for you, okay?" Shirou petted him on the head affectionately, smiling.

"OK, Shirou-senpai!" Gasper said, smiling brightly. He still suffered from agoraphobia, but it had weakened significantly since his talk with Shirou and, with Shirou, he felt okay with speaking freely. It was the first step at least.

After final preparations were made, Rias addressed her servants one final time.

"Alright, everyone: Let's go!"

[Yes, Buchou!]

* * *

A knock on the door.

"May we come in?" Rias asked through the door before opening it, leading the Devils of the Occult Research Club into the room.

The tension was so thick that one would need a chainsaw to cut through it at some point.

On the Heavens' side, there was the Seraph, Archangel, and God of the Christian Mythology, Michael. Beside him was...

"Irina...?" Xenovia gasped quietly. Her former partner and friend, here as Michael's bodyguard, Irina Shidou. Irina met Xenovia's gaze, eyes widening in recognition before narrowing her eyes in displeasure, turning away.

"You okay, Xen?" Shirou asked. Xenovia gave a weak nod, clearly not okay. Irina was literally the closest thing she had to a friend before becoming a Devil. It couldn't have been easy. Not to mention, it was hard to figure out whether or not Irina knew about God's death already. Would it make her more resentful of Xenovia for lying to her? Would she continue acting as she did? Would she blame Xenovia?

These were probably questions going through the blue-haired girl's mind.

On the Fallen Angels' side, there was, of course, Azazel. Kneeling beside him as if a loyal soldier was Alma, his or her expression and gender just unreadable as always. On either side of Azazel were the Vanishing Dragon, Vali, and...

"Mordred..." Shirou growled, a vicious scowl on his face. The upbeat youth noticed Shirou's expression, waving and blowing him a kiss. Only they two knew what it really was: A taunt. Shirou hadn't forgotten what Mordred said to him and he sure as Hell wouldn't let his grudge go anytime soon. Still, it was no reason to disrupt the peace conference. He would settle his score with Mordred at some point in the future.

"You okay...?" Akeno whispered in his ear.

"Yeah...I'm fine," Shirou answered, just as convincing as Xenovia was.

Present on the Devils' side, aside from the ORC, were Sona and her Queen, Tsubaki Shinra. More prominently, there were Serafall Leviathan and Sirzechs Lucifer sitting at the meeting table with the leaders, Grayfia standing politely by his side.

"Everyone's here," The crimson-haired Maou declared, "This is my sister, Rias, and her retainers. They're the ones who fought Kokabiel during his surprise attack a few days ago."

"That is a rather impressive feat," Michael praised. "I thank each one of you for all of your hard work."

"Once again, I apologize," Azazel said lightheartedly. "It seems one of my boys caused you a bit of trouble." Alma reached over and pinched his cheek fiercely. "Owsch! Shtop it!"

"Apologize like you mean it," Alma commanded with a level but heavy tone. "Even if Kokabiel acted alone and against orders, you failed in your job as his supervisor."

"Alwight, I'm sowry!" Azazel apologized, eventually having his cheek released by his office-wife/husband(?).

Even though there were three separate armies outside the window, ready to fight each other to the death at a moment's notice, the event unfolding before their eyes took quite a bit away from the serious atmosphere.

"Now that all of the participants are represented, let the summit commence," Sirzechs stated, not trying very hard to hide his amusement.

* * *

"...The rest of the details regarding the incident between Kokabiel and my household can be found in my official report," Rias said, concluding the debriefing of the incident for the leaders.

"As a witness," Sona said, "I confirm the veracity of the report given by Rias Gremory."

There was a small silence during which Shirou heaved a quiet sigh of relief. Sona clearly still had no real knowledge of Nobunaga's awakening and Rias had chosen not to inform everyone. They all knew Shirou was of his bloodline, no doubt, but it was unclear if they knew how unstable his power was inside of him. As far as he knew, only Devils of the Occult Research Club were aware of Nobunaga's role in the events that transpired...

"That will be all," Sirzechs said. "Thank you very much." He leaned forward, a glint in his eyes giving the impression he was expecting something else. "Is there anything else?"

Rias and Sona appeared confused by the question, but both shook their heads.

"No, sir."

"Nothing."

"I would like to give some input regarding the incident," Mordred said, stepping forward with a sheepish grin on his face. "As the ones who were dispatched to handle Kokabiel on behalf of our faction, Vali-kun and I observed an incident that just so happened to be omitted from the Lass Gremory's report~"

"Oh?" Sirzechs asked, curious...However, Shirou couldn't help but feel his curiosity was _fake_. "And what would that be?"

Mordred blushed playfully giving a shy "get outta here" gesture before speaking, "Oh, just the homicidal pseudo-god hanging around inside Shirou-kyun there~"

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Michael said, his perpetual smile replaced by a confused frown.

And, just like that, Shirou's insides made a jump up his throat, his face paling.

In that split-second, Mordred had outed him.

If he ever got the opportunity, assuming the leaders didn't execute Shirou right then and there, he was going to wring Mordred's neck.

Mordred smiled. "During the incident with Kokabiel, Vali-kun and I observed the final stages of the conflict, during which Shirou-kyun suffered an otherwise fatal injury. This caused his latent power as a descendant of the Oda Clan to react and awaken, manifesting the soul of said Demon King, Nobunaga Oda~ Ooh~ But it gets better," He said, either ignoring or taking pleasure in the horrified looks on the faces of the Occult Research Club members. "He actually raised a hand to his own master, can you believe it~? He reasserted control, but not before severely injuring your beloved sister's Queen, Herr Lucifer~ I just thought, in the spirit of cooperation, I should help Rias-chan remember certain details she forgot~"

Just as Shirou had finally coped with the guilt and remorse, it gave back in reverse just to run him over again. He covered his face, lowering his head in shame.

"Shirou..." A soft hand grasped his, causing him to look up, Akeno staring worriedly at him.

He managed a weak smile before turning his terrified gaze back to the meeting where the leaders were pondering the new information granted by Mordred.

All eyes weren't on him, but, rather, they were all on Rias, as if accusing her of withholding information.

"Is this true, Rias?" Sirzechs asked.

Rias lowered her head, accepting the shame with grace. "That is correct, Lucifer-sama," She confirmed politely. "During the incident, my servant lost control of their power and inflicted some injury to our side. I did not see it as relevant to the matter regarding the incident with Kokabiel and the Excaliburs, so I saw no reason to include it in the report."

"Oh, please~" Mordred waved off, still smiling. "That's just the rationalization of what was clearly an irrational motive~ You just didn't want your lil' buddy to get in trouble~"

Rias looked as though she wanted to rip that smile right off Mordred's face. Shirou was strongly tempted to help her.

"Your opinion on the matter is duly noted, Mordred," Azazel said, narrowing his eyes at his subordinate, "but do remember you are here only as a guest and bodyguard. Your permission to be present can just as easily be revoked."

Mordred raised his hands. "Just makin' sure everyone's aware of the danger in this room~ Sorry, Boss," He said unapologetically. Kalawarner shot him a dirty look at his disrespectful behavior.

His lack of remorse clearly irritated the Fallen Angel Governor, but he didn't retort. However, it was clear that Mordred was there mainly due to his skills as a bodyguard rather than for his personality. "Disregarding that little outburst, I would like to just put out there that the recent incident was caused by actions taken by Kokabiel alone. I sent Vali and Mordred here to deal with the situation, but, by the time they arrived, Kokabiel had already been given the death penalty."

That did not go unnoticed by Shirou. Mordred was also supposedly there too?

At what point...?

However, the talks continued before Shirou could further consider the implications of this.

"What I find most troubling about his attack is his motivation," Michael said. "It seems he was rather dissatisfied with the status quo."

"Yeah," Azazel agreed. "The war ending halfway through really stuck in his craw. What he wanted was perpetual combat. But at this late stage in the game, I have very little interest in a war."

"The seeds of discontent..." Serafall muttered, narrowing her eyes at Azazel.

"Hmph. That behavior is hardly exclusive to my faction," Azazel pointed out, causing Serafall to pout.

"I ask that we stay focused on the matter at hand," Sirzechs said sternly. "After all, that is why we convened here."

Azazel waved off Sirzechs' serious demeanor. "Spare the verbosity, won't you? Let's just make peace and be done with it." He said casually.

Everyone stared, eyes wide at Azazel's suggestion. It was not even the fact that it had been said, the thought being on everyone's mind, but, rather, it was how easily he said it aloud.

"That's the purpose of this grand summit, isn't it?"

SWAT!

Alma slapped Azazel on the back of the head. "What have I told you about being blunt and tactless...?" He/She scolded calmly. "It's because of this inelegant behavior that you're the least respected of all of the leaders."

SNIFF SNIFF

"Too mean," Azazel said, feigning hurt.

SWAT!

"Whatever," Azazel quickly got over it. "Our perpetual three-way stalemate is getting rather old and it's hardly doing the world any favors. I assume we're all in agreement over that? Just as a great man, greater than any of us, had once before, I choose to sue for peace between the three factions."

Michael nodded. "God and the previous Maous are gone. Both of our war generals have been annihilated." He said solemnly.

"We have a..."complication"," Azazel said. "Once again, it's not either of our three powers. But these forces are equally if not more destructive. The Red and White Dragon Emperors. I'm interested in hearing their thoughts on this."

Vali smirked. "I just want to fight the strong." It was a brief yet honest answer.

Azazel let out a laugh. "Yes, but you can still find a lot of powerful opponents without starting a war."

"I suppose," Vali agreed halfheartedly, appearing not to care one way or the other.

Then Azazel turned his attention to Issei, "And you, Red Dragon Emperor? Thoughts?"

Issei seemed surprised at being addressed so suddenly, smiling awkwardly. "Uh...Mmm...I uh...wow! I'm really not good at coming up with stuff on the spot, sooo..." He trailed off, grinning like a dunce.

"I see," Azazel responded, smirking, "then let me put it in a way you can comprehend: If we go to war, you'll be forced to stand on the front lines. Your days of romping around with Rias Gremory will be over. On the other hand, if we make peace, the top priority becomes the propagation of your species. You'd get to work at that everyday with Rias Gremory."

Rias blushed deeply, flustered by the implication. "I'm right here, you know!" Several of the more serious-minded occupants of the room (Grayfia, Alma, and Shirou) sighed at Azazel's behavior.

Azazel ignored her, focusing instead on Issei. "War means no sex for you. Not a hard choice, I'd say. So, what'll it be?"

They all knew that Issei was hooked, lined, and sinker the moment a familiar lecherous smile appeared on his face, his mind no doubt deep in a lewd fantasy.

He gave a big thumbs up. "Peace is #1! Yeah!" He declared. "Peace for me, please! I'M GONNA DO IT WITH RIAS SO HARD!"

Shirou sighed. "Next time you pledge to pop a girl's cherry, make sure their older brother isn't the room," Shirou said tiredly, causing Issei to freeze. "Especially when said brother could erase you with a snap of his fingers."

Issei gasped silently, his expression frozen as sweat began to drip from his face.

Sirzechs seemed to take the whole thing in good humor, chuckling slightly at Issei's behavior.

Rias shook her head at both her servant/love interest's actions and the reaction of her brother. "Both of you are nightmares." That comment was like an arrow through the chest for Issei.

Said pervert cleared his throat. "Bottom-line, dude, I'm not gonna use my power unless I'm helping Buchou or my friends! That's the way it is!"

Everyone at the table smiled at the Red Dragon's resolve. Even though he was known as possibly one of the weakest Sekiryuutei's in history, his resolve was admirable.

"Red Dragon Emperor," The Archangel Michael said, "did you still have a question you wanted to ask me?"

"I do," Issei confirmed. "Although I didn't figure you would remember that."

"I made a promise," Michael said.

Issei nodded. "Alright...You weren't fair to Asia." Said golden-haired nun gasped at Issei's accusation. Even if she had been cast out by the Church, he was still one of the figureheads of everything she once believed in. "I want to know why you guys kicked her out of the Church. She loves God more than anyone!"

"I can only apologize for that," Michael apologized. "After God had been slain, only the system to govern divine protection, mercy and miracles remained. These were the only things we had left to maintain the faith. Even with me as the center, the Church is barely functioning now. Consequently, there was a need to avoid anything that could negatively affect the system."

"So you had to," Issei concluded. "I mean, Asia could heal Devils and Fallen Angels on top of humans."

"Indeed," Michael agreed. "The faith of believers is the reason those of us in Heaven exist. A threat to the system is a threat to our survival. Therefore anything that could negatively affect it had to be removed."

"Of course. That's why I suffered Asia's fate too," Xenovia realized, "as well as others who found out the truth."

"Exactly. It was unfair. You were hardly heretics and we should have discovered another way," Michael admitted mournfully. "I ask your forgiveness." Beside him, Irina's eyes went wide at the realization of the truth behind Xenovia's defection.

"Apology accepted, Michael-sama," Xenovia sad. "It's interesting. I grew up in the Church, so I must admit I do have a few regrets, but to be perfectly honest I am more than satisfied with my life as a Devil." Xenovia paused, her expression showing a hint of sorrow. "I am sad though, for the other believers."

Asia stepped forward. "As am I, and I'm so much happier as a Devil too. I've met people I cherish who also care about me."

"Both of you have forgiving spirits," Michael said, "and I am grateful for that."

Shirou rubbed his eyes.

"Getting a bit emotional, Shirou?" Akeno teased.

"N-No...I...I just got some dust in my eye," Shirou lied. The sentiment Xenovia and Asia expressed drove him to tears. The forgiving way they treated the cruelty they faced from the Church, he couldn't help but wonder...Had he ever once been like that? Could he have ever given a second chance to the humans who once victimized him and put him on a pedestal as a demon? No matter how deeply he searched his soul, he knew he never could have forgiven them, even with the influence of his friends, not entirely at least. In a way, he envied the two former members of the Church for that.

"Oh, I remember her," Azazel said as if a name just came to mind, "as I recall, one of my subordinates gave the one known as Asia Argento quite a bit of trouble a while back. Resulted in a little schism between the operatives I had stationed here." Kalawarner shifted uncomfortably behind him.

"That's right!" Issei declared, stepping forward. "You should be apologizing! That Fallen Angel bitch murdered me, hurt Asia, and, in the end, she tried to murder her _too_! Not to mention those other creeps working for her! They tried to murder Shirou and Kalawarner when they tried to help us!"

"I don't get why you're getting so upset at our side~" Mordred said mirthfully. "You can hardly blame us for the actions of a few pathetic rogue crows~ In the end, they had their feathers clipped instead and Rias Gremory got a new Bishop, so I would say it worked out beautifully for your side~ The Demon King even got Kala-chan as his own personal slave~ I would say an erotic encounter like that would be more than compensation~" Kalawarner squirmed uncomfortably. Truly, she was a pervert, but being referred to as an object for pleasure was...disconcerting. "If anything, I would say you clowns owe us~"

"You wanna fight!?"

"What'd you say!?"

Shirou and Issei started to stomp forward before being restrained by their respective ladies.

"Shirou, calm yourself!"

"That's enough, Issei!"

However, Shirou was stronger than Issei and far more furious. He stomped right up to the table, Akeno and tow, and glared at Mordred from across the table.

"Let's get one thing straight, you smiley-faced asshat: I don't give a fuck how you badmouth me or demean me, but if you EVER call Kalawarner a "slave" or mock Asia's suffering or talk shit to ANY of my friends ever again, I will shove my fist so far down your throat that you'll be shitting my knuckles for weeks! My friends' enemy is my enemy! I mean it! I will beat the shit out of every single one of you if I have to! Do you get me!?" Shirou took several deep breaths, slowly coming down from his rage-high long enough to understand how everyone was staring at him. He turned to the leaders, clearing the throat, "With all due respect of course."

There was a small silence and Shirou could just _feel_ Grayfia's disapproval at his behavior.

"Pfffthahahahahahahaha!" Azazel broke the silence with laughter, rocking back in his chair. "Duly noted! I sincerely apologize for Mordred's words and promise that if he even opens his mouth from hereon out, I'll surgically sew his mouth shut. How does that sound?"

Shirou and Issei exchanged glances before forming a consensus.

[Sounds alright.]

"Anyway, I'll take responsibility for all of the actions Raynare's group back then," Azazel said. "So to atone, I will satisfy you in a way only I can."

"How!?" Issei barked.

"Calm down, Issei." Rias said.

 **BADUMP! BADUMP!**

Shirou sensed it before he actually felt it.

The more powerful people in the room tensed up. Every last one of them froze.

First they froze in realization.

Then literally in time.

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** Betrayal at the Conference! The Khaos Brigade's Assault Begins!

* * *

 **Yeah...Decided to go ahead and post another shorty. Easier than letting them drag on! Consider it a gift from a very happy man!**

 **I gave a HUGE chunk away at the beginning of this chapter and I honestly regret it a little. Still, I had no better way of ending that scene.**

 **Been playing Naruto Online...Honestly not that bad. It still suffers from rather flawed game mechanics, but it's not too bad as you get to a higher levels.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	51. Chapter 45: Betrayal at the Conference!

**Things start to pick up! Also, Issei is a bit of a pain in the ass, so expect me to kind of skim over his parts in the chapter after this which is somewhere between a quarter and halfway done.**

 **Disclaimer: I'm just going to go out on a record and say I don't own a damned thing besides Shirou. High School DxD, High School DxD New, High School DxD BorN, and all related media are the property of Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Funimation, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the official release!**

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 **Chapter 4** **5: Betrayal at the Conference! The Khaos Brigade's Assault Begins!**

"...rou..."

SLAP!

"Shirou...?"

"He's not waking up."

"I told you we should try cold water."

"Where are we supposed to get cold water?"

"I can literally create it out of thin air!"

"..."

"..."

"I still say we slap him again."

SLAP!

"Would you stop that!?" Shirou snapped, blinking as he noticed Xenovia and Akeno standing right in front of them, jumping at Shirou's sudden shout. "...What? Do I got something on my face?"

Xenovia stared.

SLAP!

"Xenovia, I swear to Dead-God you're going to lose that hand next time you slap me!" He looked around, immediately noticing something was wrong. Several people in the room were in completely different positions than where he last remembered them being. "Did I pass out?"

Xenovia and Akeno exchanged looks.

There was a sharp slap on his back. "Welcome back to the land of the living, Shirou-kyun," A grating, obnoxious voice screeched in his ear. Shirou turned, shooting a fierce glare at Mordred. "I knew you would snap out of it at some point~ Even with the big, bad wolf inside of you in that dormant state, he was still awake enough to protect you and your woman~"

"Huh?" Shirou didn't even know what happened, so he couldn't tell if Mordred was just telling him what happened or if it was some sort of taunt. "Can someone who isn't annoying explain what the Hell is going on?" He looked around, noticing something else that was off.

At first, he had thought everyone had suddenly moved to completely different positions, but that wasn't quite right.

Only a few of those from the Devils' side were in the same position. Rather, it appeared they were frozen...

"They're frozen in time!" Shirou realized. Asia, Sona, and Tsubaki, they and all of the soldiers of the three armies were completely frozen in time. Everyone else was standing around, those with Sacred Gears and Holy Swords having their weapons out, all but Shirou.

"It appears so," Azazel confirmed. "Fortunately, those of us with superior powers weren't affected."

"Thank the spirits in our Sacred Gears," Vali said, smirking as he referred to him, Issei, and Shirou. "The Heavenly bunch over there were shielded by their Holy Swords." In that regard, he was referring to Kiba, Xenovia, and (unfortunately) Mordred, the latter holding a dagger about the same length as the top of his neck to the top of his skull.

"What?" Irina asked, speaking for the first time since the conference began. "I don't understand."

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "In short, those of us with abnormal power were able to avoid being frozen like the others," He explained, still not fully understanding the situation himself. He understood what had happened, but he didn't understand _why_ it happened. He paused, noticing someone who wasn't a leader, a Holy Sword-user, or a Sacred Gear-user standing dutifully by Azazel's side. "What about him/her? Why aren't they frozen?"

Alma turned to him, her expression more serious than any of theirs. "I was spared, for my power is far greater than your puny, mortal mine could ever comprehend."

There was a long silence, Shirou and Alma having an extensive stare down.

Azazel completely destroyed the tension by rubbing Alma's head like a parent would to a child. "She's joking, but only slightly," He said with a casual tone. "Alma may look young, but Alma could beat even Vali here."

Vali barely raised his head, letting out a small grunt as agreement. "We would know if they would actually fight me..."

"Not until you're eighteen, Vali," Alma said in a slightly different tone Shirou _believed_ was joking. "Then I'm no longer responsible for you or any fatal injury I deal to you."

"Changing the subject," Shirou said, "Why are Buchou and Akeno not frozen either?"

"Probably because they were in such close proximity to you and the Red Dragon," Alma theorized.

"It would make sense," Shirou pondered before noticing Akeno smiling at him. "...What?"

"Nothing," She said, giggling.

When Shirou thought back to it, they _had_ been holding hands before their sense of time went bonkers.

 **DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON! DON!**

The room itself began to shake, only the higher-ups unfazed by what appeared to be an earthquake, even as huge flashes of light shone through the windows. Several of the youths, including Shirou, rushed to the window, trying to figure out just what was going on. Countless magic circles appeared in the air, revealing numerous figures in concealing robes...except for the women. Their robes seemed to emphasize the size of their breasts.

Shirou rubbed his eyes. "Is it just me, or are there cultists shooting laser beams outside?" Something about them seemed... _familiar_.

"They're terrorists," Azazel said, walking over to the window beside him. "In every era, whenever the powers sue for peace, you can be sure there'll be some who get in the way."

"Well, that answers that question, but why are they teleporting in upside-down?" Shirou asked, leading Azazel to a pause.

"They're brats trying to show-off," Alma said, shoving their hands into their pockets. "If you want to be more specific, they're Magicians, probably belonging to some rogue Association."

"Magicians?" Shirou asked. "I don't suppose these are the "Pull a rabbit out of a hat, make the audience laugh" kind of Magicians, huh?"

Alma shook their head. "Centuries ago, the legendary Magician, Merlin Ambrosius unraveled and reconstructed the system of magic used by Devils, resulting in all the other magics in the world capable of being humans. It is through this system created by Merlin that humans are able to wield the same powers as Devils and Fallen Angels, able to rival that of the Church's Exorcists. Even though the barriers are holding up in defending us against the main assault, I would rate their average power at Mid-Class."

"So they've been planning this for a while..." Shirou trailed off, his eyes widening. _"I remember!"_

He knew where he had seen those robes and magic circles before.

Back when he met Heracles and Jeanne after his last fight against Kaido. A group of people in similar-looking robes had appeared along with them to take Kaido back.

He didn't know who they were, but if Heracles and Jeanne were somehow involved with them...

It was _not_ a good thing.

"Something wrong, Shirou?" Akeno asked, staring at him worriedly. He started to sweat a little.

Given the current situation, there was just so much unknown and he couldn't risk letting it slip to Akeno nor did he want to worry her.

"...It's nothing," Shirou said dismissively. "There's just so many of them out there. Are we really going to be safe if we just sit around?"

"Yes and no," Azazel answered, thoroughly examining the situation outside. "Their attacks shouldn't be able to get past the barrier Sirzechs and Michael set up for some time, but, at the same time, we're all stuck in here. With our current forces, we could probably fight, but we would be stuck also protecting those who were frozen while also trying to maintain the barrier that's keeping all of this power from leaking into the outside world."

"How rude," Serafall said, pouting. "I'm a real-life magical girl and they're flat-out ignoring me!"

Shirou stared with half-lidded eyes. "By all means, Serafall, go out there and correct this grievous error." He only realized how easily provoked Serafall was when she ran up to the window, opening it and putting one leg over the sill. Panicked, he ran over to her and yanked her back inside. "KIDDING, Serafall! I was kidding! You're going to get yourself killed...or, at least, very very scratched up!"

"Haaaaaaaaaaaah!" Serafall gasped, eyes sparkling. "Oh, Shiro-tan, you're so nice, looking out for your adorable partner-"

"I NEVER AGREED TO THAT!" Shirou shrieked for what felt like the umpteenth time. He rubbed his temples, wondering how Sona survived an entire childhood of _this_. Serafall sure was cute, but her overwhelming personality would leave anyone fool enough to chase after her feeling very, very regretful of their poor life decision.

"It's a huuuuge clusterfuck out there~" Mordred said, summing up their situation. For once, Shirou couldn't disagree with him. "And, considering how much this time-stopping power is drastically increasing, it's only a matter of time before we're swept up in it too~"

"...Huh?" Shirou raised a brow.

"I'm thinking they forced Forbidden Balor View into its Balance Breaker mode using either magic or a power-transferring Sacred Gear," Azazel stated. "The Balance Breaker form is only temporary, but it would let him freeze everything in sight. The Vampire has quite a bit of potential even if he couldn't freeze all of us."

"So they're using Gasper against his will..." Issei realized, gritting his teeth.

"He has the power to stop time," Sirzechs said, his expression serious. "I think it's safe to say yes, it is him. Gasper has fallen into enemy hands."

"Oh no..." Kiba gasped.

"You gotta be kidding me..." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. The more he thought about it, the more pissed off he got. "Then we have to go rescue him!"

"Agreed," Rias said, biting the tip of her thumb. "These lowly terrorists will pay greatly for kidnapping a member of my household!"

"Easier said than done," Kalawarner interjected. "There are at least a hundred Magicians standing between us and the old school building, and that's on top of other dangers we currently face."

"So you suggest that we sit here and twiddle our thumbs?" Rias accused, narrowing her eyes at the Fallen Angel.

"What I am _suggesting_ ," Kalawarner shot back sharply, "is that we don't recklessly throw our lives away."

"Doing nothing is indeed careless, but charging in without a plan is just as bad," Michael agreed. "With our current forces frozen as well and the enemy teleporting in in droves, our situation is grave. If they're teleporting inside our barrier, it means that someone has connected a gate from the outside to inside the barrier."

"Then can't we use that same connection to get some of our own guys in here?" Shirou asked.

"Unfortunately, no," Grayfia said, earning a curious look from Shirou. Not because of what she said, but because, for the first time, her first expression when facing him wasn't that of a high-class woman looking down on a cockroach. "This method is exclusive to the enemy. All of our own means of communicating with the outside world has been cut off."

"Like cornered rats," Azazel noted.

"Yes," Michael agreed. "Their timing along with the use of Rias Gremory's Bishop could not have been more perfect."

Everyone let it sink in...

"We've been betrayed," Irina vocalized.

Issei's eyes went wide. "You serious!?" It was a frightening thought. One of the people among them was a traitor. Shirou doubted it was someone from the Devils' side. Sirzechs and Serafall would have nothing to gain, Grayfia was Sirzechs' husband, and all of the young Devils were loyal to boot. He knew Kalawarner was also innocent, but he couldn't be sure about Azazel, Vali, or Mordred. He liked Azazel, but he could note the number of things he knew about the Fallen Angel Governor one one hand. And Michael was an Angel; 'Nuff said. He couldn't be too sure about a die-hard Christian like Irina either. It was too soon to make any judgment on her either way.

Still, it would have been just as easy for it to have been one of the countless soldiers frozen outside. There were too many unknowns.

"I recommend we take action soon," Sirzechs suggested. "If they somehow find out how to make Gasper stronger, none of us will survive."

"Is Gasper really that strong?" Issei asked, unable to relate the sobbing, scaredy cat of a Vampire in a box to an unstoppable force of destruction.

"It's because of his Mutation Piece," Rias answered. "With its power, nothing is impossible. In the hands of these terrorists, Gasper's in as much danger as we are."

"So let's stop talking about it and figure out our rescue plan already!" Shirou demanded. "Create a portal, dig a hole with a spoon, anything but sitting here and doing nothing!"

"Calm down, Shirou," Akeno said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We're all just as worried about him as you are."

Shirou punched and kicked at the air in frustration. "I just can't stand it...Sitting here and doing nothing..."

 **DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!**

The room shook, one of the layers of magical defense shattering underneath the brute force of the enemy Magicians.

"Whatever we're going to do, we'd better do it fast," Azazel suggested with a fearless smile. "The longer that half-Vampire kid remains in their control, the more dangerous it becomes to fight back. Any ideas?"

"Onii-sama," Rias said, turning to Sirzechs, "I left an unused Rook in the old school building's storage."

"Hm? A Rook?" Sirzechs raised a brow. A look of realization washed over his expression. "I see, you're planning to use castling, huh?"

"Castling?" Issei asked.

Shirou scratched his cheek. "It's probably a chess thing..."

"It's a move in Chess where the King can switch places with a Rook in one move," Kiba explained.

"It's a good idea," Sirzechs admitted, "but I would prefer you didn't go alone..."

"Gasper is a member of my household," Rias pointed out. "I take responsibility over him, I'll steal him back!"

The room quaked as another barrage of magical attacks hit the barrier, another layer being broken away.

"Whatever we decide, we had better do it fast," Alma said, somehow still calm despite the overwhelming odds against them. "Rias Gremory is the only one of us with a means of infiltrating the Occult Research Club's captured base. If we want to deal with this situation, we're going to need to take a risk at some point. Either we infiltrate stealthily or we risk an all-out assault. Either way, our lives will be in grave danger. You must take some risks if you ever wish to achieve victory, Sirzechs."

Sirzechs stared at Alma, as if deeply considering his or her words. He appeared to care for his/her opinion more than most would think even if they were on different sides. "Grayfia, is it possible to send one more person?"

"If you were to add your power, it should be possible," Grayfia said.

[I'll go!]

Shirou and Issei exchanged glances.

[Oh no, we are not doing this again!]

The two glared at one another.

[Cut it out!]

Shirou raised a fist. "Gasper is my Kouhai, too, Issei! I may be no Dragon Emperor, but I want to rescue him!" He declared. "I promised...I made a promise to him that I wouldn't leave him alone! It's my duty as his Senpai to keep that promise!"

Rias shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't allow that, Shirou."

"Why not!?"

"Because, in your current state, you would be more of a hindrance than an asset. You would only get in the way." The Devils from the ORC stared at their master in surprise. "I know it sounds cold, but you will only be putting yourself and, by extension, me and Gasper in harm's way if I were to allow you to join."

"B-But-!" Shirou clenched his fists. "I promised him...I swore I would be there for him. I just can't sit here and do nothing! I won't abandon him like that!"

"Shirou, when Mikoto died, she left your safety in my hands," Rias said, crossing her arms. She may as well have slapped him across the face. "I refuse to betray that trust she put in me. And there's no point in you going to rescue Gasper if you just get yourself killed along the way and cause him to blame himself." It was that critical blow that left Shirou unable to argue any further. He merely lowered his head, downtrodden.

A reassuring hand patted him on the back. He looked up to see Issei's confident smile.

"Don't worry, bro," He said. "I promise we'll get him back." Shirou didn't meet his gaze for a few moments.

"OK..."

Then Issei turned to Sirzechs. "I'll be the person who goes with Buchou!" He declared. "I promise I will do everything to protect her!"

Sirzechs noted Issei's determination before giving an impressed smile. "You can go with her."

"Thanks!"

"It really would be a lot simpler if we just offed that stupid half-breed~" Mordred said casually, shattering the moment like a pane of glass with a hammer. "One blast from one of you Maou-samas and Angel bosses and-BOOM! He's dead and problem is solved~!"

"What'd you say?!" Shirou clenched his fists.

Azazel sighed, placing a hand on Mordred's shoulder. It was clearly not a fatherly gesture considering Azazel's fierce grip dug into the boy's skin. "Remember what I said about how I would sew your mouth shut next time you said something stupid?"

"I hate to agree with Mordred on anything as a matter of principle," Vali said crossing his arms, "but I have to agree on this point. It would be a lot quicker to blow all of them away."

"Try to be a little more considerate, you two," Azazel reminded them. "Don't forget we're trying to establish peace here."

"Don't make me slap the two of you like I did when you were little," Alma threatened, actually making Vali pause and the perpetual smile on Mordred's face to twitch a little. "I'll bring the buckle of my belt across those pale cheeks of yours." Even though Alma never once raised his/her voice or changed their tone, it was easy to observe the intensity of her threat.

Vali shrugged, hiding a chill. "Sorry, it's hard for me to do nothing like this."

"Hmph. Fair enough. So why don't you go welcome those Magicians?" Azazel suggested. "Upset their ranks some. Seeing the White Dragon Emperor should help."

Vali smirked. "Of course." He summoned his Sacred Gear, Divine Dividing, which took the form of a pair of silvery white and transparent-blue wings. He opened the window to the room, leaping out into the open air and taking to the sky, flying right into the center of the enemy army. "Balance Breaker!"

 **[Vanishing Dragon Balance Breaker!]**

Vali was engulfed in a powerful, silvery-white aura. Shining white armor began to clad his entire body, creating the powerful, knight-like armor Vali wore when they had all first met.

Shirou knew it was powerful before, but, when put next to countless other Magician who had, until a few seconds ago, been the greatest threat in the sky, it seemed all the more intimidating.

"He transformed so fast," Issei said in awe, looking at his Boosted Gear. "If I tried it, it would cost me a body part..."

"What?" Shirou stared at Issei. "What do you mean? You have Balance Breaker?"

Issei scratched his head. "Well, sort-of." He sighed. "A little while ago, Ddraig told me that I could trade parts of my body in exchange for unlocking the full power of Boosted Gear...Even then, it'd only be for a little while. I haven't had a chance to test it out yet though."

"Still sounds like a good deal," Shirou noted, watching as Vali decimated the enemy forces with his magic. "Just one body part for power of that magnitude...The Wolf never mentioned anything like that to me..." And now it was too late...with the Wolf's voice gone and Nobunaga threatening to take over, there was way he could ever attempt something like that alone.

"Don't worry, we're going to get Gasper back safe, I swear it," Issei said to his friends, grasping Rias's hand with his other one.

"Uh, first thing's first," Azazel said, pulling Issei and Rias off to the side, slipping them two rings that seemed oddly familiar...similar to the one he had gotten from Azazel before, the one he wore around his wrist.

Shirou could only watch enviously. He only snapped out of it when Akeno grabbed his hand.

"Shirou, are you alright?" Akeno asked.

Shirou considered lying, but decided he had bigger worries than keeping his sadness to himself. "My friends are off to war again and all I can do is watch from the sidelines as they get hurt again...so no, it's not alright." He stared at his open left hand. "I wanted to become stronger for everyone's sake, but I can't even control my own power. When I'm not watching the people I love get hurt, I'm the one hurting them myself...I can't take this bullshit anymore! I just..."

He was silenced when Akeno wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into an embrace. "It's alright. It's a promise from your Senpai whose life you saved..." She whispered calmly into his ear, soothing him with her voice. He let himself just sink into her affectionate arms. "We're all going to make it through this, Shirou. I promise." She smiled. "You still have to tell Kiyome how you feel after all~"

Shirou smiled weakly. "R-Right...That's going to be barrels of fun," He mumbled sarcastically, his smile almost painful. "Akeno...what am I going to do from hereon out? I don't have the power to fight with you guys anymore...Rias said so herself. Kiyome, Issei, Kalawarner, Ka-san, Gasper. I didn't have the strength to save any of them on my own even before I lost my powers...what can I hope to do now?" Despite everything up to this point, the despair still crept up on him as easily as always. It was pathetic.

Akeno softly petted the back of his head. "You do what you can," was her brief answer.

It took five minutes for the preparations to be completed, Issei and Rias waiting in the glowing magic circle.

"Azazel, before we continue, I must ask you something." Sirzechs said, turning to the Fallen Angel Governor.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"What are you trying to do by collecting Sacred Gears? You've been collecting Longinus-users too, right?" Sirzechs asked. "God is already dead, so I admit it is difficult to discern your true purpose.

Azazel shook his head at that question. "It's to prepare."

"Prepare? An odd choice of words from the person who was the first to ask for peace," Michael noted.

"Consider it an insurance policy," Azazel explained. "In the name of self-defense, this at least has to be a minimum. In case you don't recall, we weren't the only ones after each others' heads. There's a greater, even more dangerous power lurking over the horizon."

"And who would that be?" Sirzechs asked, at least a little skeptical.

"—The Khaos Brigade."

"…Khaos Brigade?" It appeared that Shirou wasn't the only person at a loss. Sirzechs and even Michael appeared to be ignorant as to the subject Azazel spoke of.

"They're the ones responsible for the army outside," Alma stated, shoving their hands into their pockets. "The Vice Governor, Shemhazai-sama, has noticed their activity previously, but it took a while to put together a pattern. It was only recently that we were able to dig up information on their background or their name. They're gathering the most dangerous individuals from each faction to increase their numbers. Supremacists, criminals, pro-war individuals, anyone they could get their hands on regardless of species. From the last reports the Grigori received, they've even gathered quite a few Sacred Gear-users, even a few Longinus."

"In short: Shit be whack yo~" Mordred added. Alma slapped him on the back of the head.

"Do you know what their objective is?" Sirzechs asked.

"Chaos and mayhem. It's that simple, you know," Azazel responded condescendingly, "They don't like this world's peace, so they're willing to do whatever it takes to disrupt it in their favor to the point of bringing forth absolute destruction."

"So cliche anime villains then?" Shirou supposed.

"Exactly."

"The organization's leader is the being who makes the Heavenly Dragons look like mere lizards."

[—!]

The more savvy members of the group stood in shock at this revelation.

"…I see, so they've made their move," Sirzechs said grimly. "The Ouroboros Dragon, Ophis. The Dragon feared by God…The one who has held the title as the strongest being since the world first began."

[Yes, Ophis is the leader of the "Khaos Brigade".]

An emblem Shirou had never seen before appeared before them.

"We have a visitor," Grayfia pointed out, eyes narrowed. "The magic circle of Leviathan."

"Leviathan?" Shirou questioned. "But Serafall's right here." He pointed to the child-like girl who waved, not understanding the reason Shirou was giving her attention.

Grayfia shook her head. "No, the _original_ Leviathan."

"Original?"

"That's right," Grayfia confirmed. "Centuries ago, after the original four Maous died, their descendants, who saw the positions as the leaders of the Underworld as their birthright, attempted to take them by force. Sirzechs-sama as well as the Devils who sought an end to the war between the three factions pushed them and their followers into the furthest corners of the Underworld, allowing the current administration to begin repairing the damage done from the war."

"Oh...um...thanks for the explanation, Grayfia...san...?" Shirou blinked. Grayfia had been polite the previous evening, but that had been outright helpful without provocation.

"You're...welcome," Grayfia replied just as awkwardly. They stood there in mutual awkward silence, actually a little glad when the magical circle radiated a blinding light. Any subject-change was good really.

"I see. So they're the ones pulling the strings!" Sirzechs clicked his tongue before turning to his wife. "Grayfia, transfer Rias and Issei quickly!"

"Yes!"

Grayfia began casting the spell. "Ojou-sama, I wish you good fortune in battle."

"W-Wait, Grayfia!? Onii-sama!"

"I'm leaving Rias in your hands," Sirzechs stated to Issei, "Understood?"

Issei nodded. "Yes, sir!"

And, in a flash of light, the heiress of the Gremory and the Red Dragon Emperor were gone. In their place, a plain-looking Rook piece.

No sooner than they disappeared, the other magic circle's light faded, revealing the voluptuous woman dressed in the clothes of a noble Devils, revealing a fair amount of skin with a slit in the side of her dress. She adjusted her glasses, smirking at the group that had gathered before her.

"How do you do, resident Maou Lucifer," The woman greeted mockingly.

Serafall's eyes widened. "Explain yourself! What are you doing here?"

"You know her?" Shirou asked.

"She's Katerea Leviathan, descendant of the original Leviathan," Serafall answered, not taking her eyes off of the dangerous woman in front of them. It was a little unsettling, the thought that this woman was enough of a threat that even Serafall would get her act together. "Now answer the question!"

Katerea scoffed, shooting a Serafall a dirty look. "How arrogant for the one who stole that which was rightfully mine to question me so, Serafall."

"Katerea..." Shirou didn't understand why Serafall was actually wounded by that taunt, but the fact she was hurt like that irritated him.

"Don't worry, darling," Katerea said, pointing her staff at Serafall. "Once I kill you today, I'll take back the name of the Maou Leviathan for myself!"

"Get over it already!" Shirou slapped away Katerea's staff, mentally kicking himself for daring to draw Katerea's attention and more-so for actually getting within strangling distance of her. However, his mouth moved before his brain could think, "Serafall got the title fair and square! In case you haven't noticed, the majority of people in this world don't want to go through another bullshit war for reasons that don't pan out! You're free to go about murdering each other, but leave us be! It's been-what? A few hundred years? Get over it! Why can't you just do like modern Devils and go fuck off to some huge-ass mansion and leave Serafall alone, you uptight bitch?"

There were a mix of reactions following a short silence.

Akeno, Xenovia, Kiba, and Irina stared with jaws dropped.

Sirzechs smiled.

Michael was uncertain what to say or think.

Grayfia had a look of grudging respect.

Mordred looked on with new-found interest.

Alma stared with half-lidded eyes.

And Serafall was staring at Shirou as if he were her personal hero, eyes sparkling with admiration.

"Hahahahaha! You told her!" Azazel was busting his gut laughing. "See, _this_ right here is why I like you, kid!"

Katerea's eye twitched. "You...INSOLENT BRAT!" She swung her staff with the intent to strike him.

"Eep!" Shirou raised his arms in a futile attempt to block.

CHNNNG!

There was the sound of metal clashing against metal and then the sound of metal clattering against the ground.

It had been so fast that Shirou almost missed it.

Two dagger-like projectiles shooting through the air.

There stood Alma, hand lazily outstretched with fingers extended, his or her other hand in their other pocket. "I never took you for a child with how easily you're provoked, Katerea," Alma said coolly. On the ground in front of him/her were...

Shirou didn't really know what they were.

They looked like long and slender rapier-like swords with blades measuring over one meter, their hilts, in contrast, just barely long enough to fit a hand around.

Whatever they were, all Alma had to do was unzip their jacket and reach their hand in to pull out more, at least four of them in-between their fingers in a fan formation.

"Black Keys...?" Katerea frowned before her eyes went wide.

Shirou leaned over and whispered to Akeno, "What are Black Keys?"

"They're a weapon of choice for the members of the Church," Akeno explained. "However, using them is extremely difficult, so only the elite are capable of wielding them."

"Then, Alma is-?"

"An Exorcist?" Katerea arrived at the same conclusion.

"Former Exorcist," Alma corrected, Shirou, Kiba, Xenovia, and Irina staring at him/her. "I originally worked for the Church, having obtained the title of "Demon-Slayer" during my time spent there."

"Demon-Slayer...?" Katerea's eyes went wider. "Then you're-"

CHNNNNG!

"Stop that!" Katerea demanded, deflecting the two Black Keys. Alma wiggled her fingers, settling her remaining two Black Keys between her index, middle, and ring finger.

"Before we continue, I do have a few questions," Alma said. "First question: Is it reasonable to presume that you're not here just to settle some Devil feud? Rather, this seems like a large-scale coup d'etat."

Katerea smirked. "How observant," She said sarcastically. "If you must know, we of the Old Maou Faction have decided to make use of the Khaos Brigade's cooperation in order to suit our own ends. No one wants a world where the Maous and God's death are covered up, so since the current leaders have clearly failed, we will take this decaying realm and reform it for ourselves instead."

"Usually, when someone says "reform", it's supposed to mean the betterment of society," Shirou pointed out. "You bastards just want to use your power to push your ultra-nationalist agenda for yourselves. I mean-"

Akeno frantically clamped her hand over Shirou's mouth. "Please stop talking!"

"I'm trying!" Shirou hissed, just as frantic. "The urge to retort is too strong!"

"No please," Mordred said, motioning Shirou forward, "keep talking. I'm interested in seeing how fools die~"

"You!" Katerea said it as if it were some kind of curse word. "Who do you think you are, addressing your future ruler in such a manner?"

"My name is Shirou Fujimura!" Shirou declared, his mind screaming something completely different, _"Shut up you fool! Play dead!"_

"..." Surprisingly, it was that that made Katerea go silent, though her hateful gaze didn't cease. To Shirou's even greater surprise, Katerea pulled her staff away. "Hmph. You're spoken for, so I shall refrain from causing unneeded harm... _for now_."

Shirou blinked. "Huh?"

Katerea nodded her head to...someone. "If you wish to make your move, now would be the time," She said, confusing even the leaders present. "I understand your group wants him intact. If the fighting begins now, I cannot guarantee your prize will remain safe."

"Oh very well~" A voice behind Shirou said. "Nighty night, my dear, sweet Demon King~"

"Wha-"

That was as far as Shirou got before there was a heavy blow against the back of his skull.

"Sweet dreams~"

Then there was darkness.

* * *

Everyone stared, shocked-

OK, well, maybe not "shocked", but they were surpri-OK, so they weren't exactly surprised either.

In truth, they were more confounded that it had not happened sooner.

There stood Mordred Pendragon, holding his holy dagger at the unconscious Shirou's throat, cackling menacingly as he backed away. "It's amazing how easily we got away with this shit~!" He said in the same sickeningly pleasant tone he always spoke with. Half of them were focused on Katerea, her body radiating a heavy flow of demonic power, while the other half were focused on slowly cornering Mordred. "Seriously, four big wigs, two princesses, one assistant, an Exorcist, and a bunch of low-class Devils, and not a single one of you figured it out~? Hysterical~!"

"I won't go and say I'm all too cut up about this," Azazel said, shrugging, "but can I at least know the reason, Mordred?"

Mordred smiled, unfazed even as his back hit the second story window, no route of escape seeming possible. "Nope~"

With that one-word response, Mordred slammed his shoulder against the glass window, shattering it entirely and throwing himself and Shirou over the edge into open air, Mordred maniacal laughter still sounding in their ears.

"Shirou!" Akeno was the first of the youths to reach the window, watching as Mordred held Shirou in his arms before a blur she suspected to be a Magician picked them up, moving at incredible speeds.

Even as they disappeared into the brush of forest, Akeno could still see Mordred flipping them the bird, screaming out, "So long, motherfuckers~! Hahahahaha~!"

"Shirou!" She called out, needing to be pulled back inside by Kiba as another spell bombarded the building. She turned to Kiba, horrified, as he helped both of them to their feet. "We have to go after him!"

"Quite rude to presume you're in any position to do anything," Katerea said, pointing her staff, magic circle conjured, at Akeno. "As much as I detest the thought of anyone daring to order me around, I must make exceptions, so I'm afraid I may not allow you to proceed." A huge beam of energy shot from the tip of her stave, but it didn't get very far.

It collided and dissipated against the flat of eight blades in fan formation, the blades subsequently glowing, cracking, and dissipating into dust, quickly being discarded by Alma.

It was the first time since the conference began that they had seen their expression change.

Anger. Determination. Confidence.

That was the gaze Alma directed at Katerea. "It appears that the old Maous' bloodlines aren't above murdering children," They said, drawing out several more Black Keys. "Not a very good trait in a self-proclaimed Maou." Katerea gritted her teeth at the implication of "self-proclaimed".

"Alma-san...?" The normally monotone boy/girl didn't look at Akeno.

"I will face Katerea," Alma said, "You're free to do whatever you desire."

It took less than a second for understanding to hit Akeno, the girl nodding. "Thank you." Without waiting for further confirmation, Akeno spread two wings, one of a Fallen Angel and another of a Devil, and took to the air, doing her best to skillfully avoid the attacks of surrounding Magicians.

"We'll draw the Magicians off of you and this place!"

"Leave it to us!"

"We'll keep'em busy so Grayfia-san can finish her analysis of the magicians' transfer-use magic circle!"

Without permission, Kiba, Xenovia, and Irina rushed out the window after Akeno-

"As if I would let you!"

"No you don't!"

Katerea extended her staff to attack once more only for it to be knocked upward by a slash of the blades between Alma's fingers, blowing a hole straight through the floors above.

The attack having failed, the three youths were free to continue their graceful descent to the ground rather than taking to the sky, beginning their counterattack on the Magicians below. The Magicians immediately changed the target of their attack from Akeno to the incoming youths.

"I will say it clearly," Alma said, pushing against Katerea, the two locking vicious glares with one another, "Those children are our future! I will _not_ allow you to harm them!"

"Get out of my way!" Katerea shoved forward, gathering energy in the top of her staff and swinging it at Alma. Even though they blocked with the Black Keys (which were destroyed as a result), Alma was sent flying out the window from the force alone.

"Is she alri-"

"Wait for it."

Michael opened his mouth to voice concern only for Azazel to raise his hand to silence him.

Alma was flung out into open air, but, despite this, they did not fall. It was as though there was an invisible floor beneath them, illuminated only by the magic circles that appeared in their path.

"Told you," Azazel said, smirking.

Alma sank into a low crouch, one hand on the pseudo-ground and the other hand carrying several more Black Keys. "Permission to engage, sir?"

Azazel considered the request for a moment, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a lance-like golden dagger with a purple jewel at the end of the handle. "I don't know...I really wanted to test this out..."

Katerea took the opportunity to lunge out the window towards Alma, conjuring numerous magic circles and unleashing a heavy barrage of Dragon-shaped demonic blasts.

Alma retracted their Black Keys, extending their hands and quickly creating a barrier. Even though Alma cringed beneath the large amount of weight, the barrier held strong.

"AZAZEL," Their voice was level but forceful.

"Oh alright," Azazel sighed, putting the dagger back. He smirked. "Alma, do the thing."

Katerea raised a brow, looking between Azazel and Alma in confusion. "I'm sorry, "the thing"? What "thing"?"

"This one," Faster than any normal human, Alma reached for their jacket, yanking it off with more speed and precision, throwing it right at Katerea's face, wrapping almost perfectly around her head.

"Ugh! What-What is this!?" Katerea clawed at her face, pulling away the unconventional projectile. "How dare-" However, when she turned to face her foe, the youth was nowhere to be found. "Where did you go!?"

"Up here."

Katerea looked up only for her immediate vision to be occupied by an incoming fist which collided firmly with her face, sending her spiraling to the ground, forming a small crater on impact.

She groaned and grumbled as she stood, using her staff as support. "A sneak attack...? As expected of a cowardly human...!"

"A bit hypocritical from the woman who couldn't accomplish this without help of a traitor and an army," Alma retorted automatically.

There _she_ stood, arms crossed beneath _her_ sizable breasts.

Katerea looked upon the proud form of the human who dared to oppose her, clothed in a sleeveless black uniform with a high collar, gold trim, and the emblem of the Fallen Angels in silver on the chest. The lower end of the uniform split off into four long pieces that nearly extended to the floor. A long, adorned red sash was worn around the waist, this outfit going along with long black gloves with gold trim kept on with red bands on the upper arms as well as long white and gold high-heeled boots. Underneath, she wore a cropped sleeveless white turtle-neck and white boyshorts.

Perhaps the most notable characteristic were the centipede-like segments tattooed around both of her arms and her neck.

In short, Alma looked like a warrior-woman prepared for battle.

"I will protect this world, no matter what. I was once known as the Devil-Slayer, a hunter of the Church," She crossed her arms in an X-shape, spreading out Black Keys in the fan-formation between her fingers, "and you, Katerea Leviathan, _are my prey_."

* * *

Shirou only regained consciousness when he fell against a thick branch head-first and a subsequent fall to the ground with a heavy _thud_.

"Oh what the fuck?!" A familiar, grating voice swore. "You had one job, man!"

"You try carrying two people through the air at once!" Another voiced argued. "I was trained in magic, not physical education! We didn't get that training!"

"Want to know what else they didn't train you in~?"

"Huh? What's that?"

"Dying like a beeyotch~"

"What are you-HYUGH-AAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUGH!"

"Mmmnnngg..." Shirou groaned, weakly raising his head. "...Whatzz...Nnnng!"

A hand cupped underneath his chin, pulling his head up to look at the hand's owner.

"Good morning, sunshine~!" When Shirou saw Mordred, caked in blood, a spine-chilling smile on his face, an appendage he suspected to be someone's bloody throat in his right hand, a a robed corpse laying off to the side, Shirou only had one thought-

"Uuughhh...Am I in Hell?"

"Not quite, dear~" Mordred said, nonchalantly dropping Shirou's head to the ground.

Shirou struggled, pushing himself up onto all-fours. He was overcome by the sensations of nausea and dizziness. "What...What the Hell happened...?" He groaned, getting onto one knee.

"Oh, I just made you go to sleep for a little while~" Mordred said cheerfully. "Nothing to worry about~"

It was only as Shirou finally gained awareness of his surroundings that he realized something was _very_ wrong. "Where are we...? Where are the others?!"

Mordred tapped his chin, dried blood chipping from his face and raining to the ground. "I _could_ make up some bullshit excuse about shit going south and I saved your life, but...that's too much work. I don't wanna~" Mordred said. "Instead, I'll be painfully blunt: You're going to make my dear friend in the Khaos Brigade very, very happy, Shirou-kyun~"

"Khaos Brigade...?" Shirou winced, stumbling to his feet. It was then that a moment of mental clarity hit him like a rock to the face. "You're with the terrorists!"

"Ding ding ding~ Give the boy a prize~" Mordred started pacing back and forth, the smile never leaving his face. "Now, just sit right there~ Our ride will be here any second~"

""Ride"?" Shirou frowned. "What are you talking about? I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"Not even to see your dear big brother~?"

It was those words that made Shirou freeze in place. "W...What?"

The images played in his mind as they had several times before.

The sensation of plunging the knife in felt so real. That, he knew, was not some kind of dream or illusion.

His brother was dead.

Shirou took a fighting stance.

"Oh come now, Shirou-kyun," Mordred sighed, "You remember how this turned out last time. As far as I can tell, your powers have not yet returned and you're still as weak as before." The air around him became colder, his smile seeming far less friendly. "If you try to fight me, make no mistake: You _will_ die."

Shirou gritted his teeth, shooting Mordred a hateful look...He couldn't argue though.

Without his powers, without his Sacred Gear, he had no hope of defeating Mordred. He couldn't even lay a finger on him last time.

"Oh come now, Shirou-kyun," Mordred complained. "Your brother's specific instructions said he wanted to see you in one piece~"

"My brother's dead! I killed him myself!" Shirou shouted for all of the world to see. He lowered his head, as if to try and hide his shame from the world. "You said it yourself when we first met...I'm nothing more than a _brother-killer_. A dirty brother-killer..."

"Did I say that?" Mordred wondered, tilting his head in confusion. His smile immediately returned. "Well, to be fair, in any other situation, that would be an automatic death~ Being stabbed through the heart and all~!"

Shirou's eyes went wide. "H-How did you know that?" There was no way anyone could have known that. Everyone back then...they were all dead! There was no way Mordred should have known about that!...but, then again, Jeanne and Heracles should have been dead too. From what little he could remember...there was no way they could have been there, in those woods with the Magicians.

Mordred tapped his ears, winking knowingly. "I told ya~" He extended his hand. "Just come with us and everything will be just fine~"

Shirou stared at Mordred's hand, slowly outstretching his own...

Then promptly smashing his fist right into Mordred's face, sending the boy tumbling across the ground before slamming face-first into a nearby tree.

Shirou shook his arm back and forth, making sure he didn't sprain his wrist. "I've wanted to do that since we first met," Shirou said, spitting off to the side while ignoring how Mordred's jaw felt like metal when he punched it. "Now get up so I can give you another one. There's no way in Hell I would go with you bastards! Not after you kidnapped Gasper, froze my friends, and tried to destroy my school!"

"Not even for your brother..."

Shirou shook his head. "I don't know why Aniki, if he's even alive, would ever align with the Khaos Brigade, but there's no doubt in my mind that he's playing for the wrong side!"

Mordred spat up a drop of blood, but seemed otherwise unfazed. "Ouch," He said calmly, reaching his hand deep into his mouth, feeling all the way to the back of his lower jaw. There was a small _click_ sound before Mordred pulled his hand out, a bloody tooth between his fingers. He rubbed his jaw with his other hand before flicking the tooth off into the distance. "Bright side, I never liked that tooth to begin with."

The cheerful inflection was gone from his voice. He was still smiling, but it was completely different from before.

It was as though a mask had been peeled away, revealing the true face of the monster underneath.

He sighed, rubbing his temples. "I had really hoped we could do this the easy way, the "family reunion" path," He shrugged. "Oh well. My way works too." With that, Mordred snapped his fingers, a large magic circle appearing on the ground beside him. "I predicted you would be a little difficult, so I prepared a little _incentive_."

A board of some kind rose from the ground...A board in the shape of a "t". A huge cross.

"A cross...?" However, it was only as the six-foot-tall cross came up halfway that Shirou realized, in horror, what it really was.

There were a pair of human arms, either nailed at the wrist against either side of the cross, blood still oozing from the open wounds.

Her legs hung limply, her entire form unmoving.

Her neck was bound to it by a tightly-wrapped rope, her hair, once a golden blonde, now dirty and hanging around her face, blood dripping from her forehead.

She was crucified, barely alive.

Even in her pitiable state, Shirou knew her all too well.

"Kiyome!" Shirou's eyes went wide at the sight of his girlfriend, playing the part of the bound and brutalized prisoner.

"Sh..." The girl weakly raised her head, her hair brushed aside so that Shirou could see more bruises across her face. "Sh...ir..ou..." Even just that effort appeared to pain her. "R...Runnn..."

However, running was the very last thing on Shirou's mind.

The first thought, as he directed all of his rage towards Mordred, was to rip him to pieces. "What the fuck did you do to her!?"

"I knew you would be difficult, so I decided to make her your motivation," Mordred said calmly, still smiling. "Before, I was just offering; now I'm giving you an ultimatum."

"An ultimatum!?"

"That's right," Mordred said, pulling out a dagger, one that radiated a holy aura, and held it against Kiyome's neck. "My demands are simple."

"And they are?!"

"Come quietly... _or the girl dies_."

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** The Second Battle of Kuoh Academy! New Alliance vs Khaos Brigade!

* * *

 **Aaaaand, another chappie cranked out. You all now know what happened to Kiyome and that shit is about to get real...**

 **Ugggggh! Hey, would you guys be alright if I skipped over Issei's battle with Vali? Like, set it up and then just go back to Shirou's battle? It's dull repeating a battle from the canon when fight scenes are already a pain to write. I really just want to get to the final battle between Shirou and Mordred, ya know?**

 **Would y'all be alright with that?**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	52. Chapter 46: 2nd Battle of Kuoh Academy

**Can I just ask you guys something? Why are you so adamant about keeping Issei and Vali's battle? We all know what happens and I don't care for Issei in this story anyway. The only reason I did OC-insert rather than protag-replacement in the first place was because I was wowed by this passionate speech from a friend of mine on why Issei is so great. Now I realize: Repeating the canon is a pain in my ASS.**

 **The only thing that will be different between any attempt at writing Issei and Vali's battle in my story is that it will be significantly less thorough and far less interesting because, as before, we all know what fuckin' happens, you know? Why?**

 **If just one of you can give me a thought-out, legitimate reason as to why I should bother wasting time and frustration repeating a battle from the canon, a legitimate reason that satisfied me, I will do it, no questions asked.**

 **...Sorry if this has come out overly-hostile. It's been a rough week.**

 **Disclaimer: I'm just going to go out on a record and say I don't own a damned thing besides Shirou. High School DxD, High School DxD New, High School DxD BorN, and all related media are the property of Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Funimation, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the official release!**

* * *

 **Chapter 46: The Second Battle of Kuoh Academy! New Alliance vs Khaos Brigade!**

"Come quietly... _or the girl dies_."

Shirou struggled to keep his desire to rip Mordred's heart out under control and out of the way of rational though. No matter how badly he wanted to beat Mordred to a bloody pulp, there was far too much at stake to risk attacking him now.

He had a hostage now.

Even then, Shirou could see Kiyome drifting in and out of consciousness, either from the steady blood oozing out of her body through the holes puncture by the nails in her arms or because of how someone had treated her head as a living pinata. Every now and then, she would groan out something barely intelligible.

"Run", "Don't...", "Get away...", she would keep breathing out things like this, every look she gave Shirou being filled with tears which mixed with the blood staining her face.

No matter what, Shirou knew he had to rescue her somehow, but he couldn't just go with Mordred either. There had to be some way to save her...

"I can see you think, you know," Mordred said, still smiling. He tapped his temples, staring knowingly. "Right now, you're thinking "There has to be some way I can save her", "Maybe I can stall him long enough for someone to come help", and "Is there some way I can get to her before he can hurt her"."

Shirou's eyes widened.

Mordred chuckled in amusement. "You're not as subtle as you would like to think," He said. "I can see every thought you make on your face. I studied this type of thing, y'know. The way your eyes dart around, the way the weight of your breathing increases with each idea you discard, your hope quickly draining into despair as you realize there's not a single thing you can do to save your beloved. It's kind of attractive actually, the way your dread slowly creeps up on you, taking hold of your very being. That expression is the best. Oh, and BTDubs, you have about five minutes to make your decision before I gut this sweetie like a fish."

"Mordred," Shirou grit his teeth, "why are you doing this? Why are you siding with the Khaos Brigade!? They want to destroy the world!"

"And recreate it," Mordred added as if that somehow made a huge difference. "Wouldn't you say this world deserves to be wrecked like your mom last night~?"

"My mom's dead," Shirou said, trying desperately to remember why he wasn't breaking Mordred's nose right now. "Why is it none of you fuckers give a damn about how many people are going to get hurt!? Not just Devils, Fallen Angels, or Angels, but also humans too! Your friends, your loved ones, do you all really think they'll be safe by the end of this!? All you guys are doing is dragging on this war that everyone else wants to end! Why?!"

"Why?" Mordred asked, scratching his cheek without losing his smile. "Why _not_? A lot of us have nothing to lose, others have been carrying grudges for hundreds of years, others, especially the Old Maous, just want power; some, the very rare few, want genuine reform because they perceive dark-aligned races to be the reason for all of the world's problems. Personally, I think that would be religion, but what do I know?"

"And what about you?" Shirou asked, narrowing his eyes. "Why are _you_ with the Khaos Brigade?"

"You want to know about me?" Mordred blushed teasingly waving Shirou off. "If you must know, I'm simply a sadistic sociopath. I live for the thrill of the moment and, blessed by our dear deceased Lord, I was relieved of that disgusting conscience that holds so many of you fools from just living life as you please. Things like consequences and morality, they're all ultimately meaningless anyway, so I see no reason to abide by them."

"You don't honestly think you're going to get away with this, do you?" Shirou demanded, his eyes repeatedly darting between Mordred and Kiyome. "So, what if you succeed? What if you kill Kiyome, kidnap me, and get away with it? What do you think will happen next? Tonight, you assholes have made an enemy of three of the strongest factions in all mythology! You have God, the current Maous, and the Fallen Angel Governor all after your head! Not to mention the Heavenly Dragons, Holy-Demon Sword-user, Durandal's user, and two very pissed-off Devil princesses!"

"How frightening," Mordred replied in a dull, unimpressed monotone.

"You should be scared! One of those Maous happens to be the older brother of my master!"

Mordred barely blinked. "Is that so?" He asked, checking his nails. "Well, we have Ultimate-Class Devils, Cadre-class Fallen Angels, a few mid to high-class Angels, dozens to hundreds of Sacred Gear-users, trained humans with abilities rivaling and surpassing that of the Church's Exorcists, Holy Swords, Demon Swords, a few Longinus-users, and, of course, the Ouroboros Dragon itself, Ophis, whom even the original God could not defeat. Regardless of anything else, Ophis ensures we will win any "Biggest Dick contests". Nice try at intimidation though, kiddo."

Shirou bit his lower lip, trying to formulate some kind of plan or tactic, but he kept coming up empty.

"Sh...rou..." Kiyome whimpered. "Pl...s...run..." The tears never once ceased to run down the sides of her bloody face.

"Oh, which reminds me," Mordred traced his finger down the flat of his blade all the way to the tip, smiling at poked his finger tip with the end. "Time's up~" He brought his dagger into a sideways arc, stopping just at Kiyome's neck, pressing softly enough to avoid any real injury but hard enough that it broke skin and created a thin line of blood.

"Stop!" Shirou called out, reaching out only for Mordred to put a little more pressure against Kiyome's neck, eliciting a soft whine from the half-conscious girl. "Please...Just...Just let her go!"

"You have my terms, Shirou-kyun," Mordred said, not a hint of mercy showing in his twisted eyes. "Because I'm so damn nice, I'll give you another five seconds before I lop your girl's head off. Hey, if you decide you don't give a damn, I can send you her severed head back. Make that mouth of hers good for something."

"Bastaaaard...!" Shirou gritted his teeth so hard that they started to crack.

"Five...four..." Mordred counted down on his fingers. "...Three...Twoooooooo~...One and three-quarters, one and a half, aaaaaand-"

"Wait! I'll-!" However, the moment Shirou opened his mouth, time seemed to slow down.

The world around him seemed to fade away.

 **[I can grant you that which you seek...]**

Shirou's eyes widened. "Nobunaga!" He immediately raised his fists, uncertain what to do against an enemy he could not see or punch. "What do _you_ want?!"

There was a soft chuckle, as if the evil spirit found Shirou's antics amusing.

 **[I wish to make a deal.]**

"A deal?" Shirou parroted.

 **[To make up for the power which you lack, I shall protect your cherished with my own.]**

"I have a feeling I know where this is going..." Shirou said, narrowing his eyes. "What do you want?"

 **[What I have wanted since I first awoke to this wretched world teeming with humans: Your body.]**

Shirou tightened his fists, glaring into the endless darkness that surrounded him, the voice seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere. "You can forget it! There's no way in Hell that's going to happen again!" Shirou barked. "You're just going to use it to exterminate humans and Angels! You're no better than the Khaos Brigade! There's no point if you just end up killing Kiyome anyway!"

 **[It is called a compromise. In exchange for your body, I will spare the one you hold dear to your heart regardless of what action I take.]**

"Like I'm going to believe that!" A soft, invisible hand brushed up against his face.

 **[Then answer me this: What other choice do you have?]**

Shirou couldn't respond. His entire body was paralyzed, either by the darkness or by the realization of his uselessness.

 **[You have no courage, no strength, and, when it all sinks in, no hope.]**

Some kind of tendril wrapped around his neck, holding tighter and tighter, his mind slowly slipping into the void.

His eyes, burning as they turned from a gentle blue to a blood-stained red.

Then he fell.

Falling...Falling...Deeper into the darkness...

* * *

 **With Alma...**

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

Alma narrowly avoided yet another blast of demonic power from the descendant of Leviathan, responding by flinging two more Black Keys in her direction.

"Fool!" Katerea extended her hand, a barrier forming in front of her. "Did you honestly think-Hiiieee!" She flew back as the Black Keys pierced halfway through the barrier, coming so close to stabbing her abdomen.

"Tch!" Alma merely clicked her tongue at her failed attack. "Two weren't enough."

"I see your power is greater than I first thought...No matter!" Katerea created several magic circles around herself, unleashing demonic blasts in the form of several serpent-like dragons.

Using her magic, Alma dived and weaved through the attacks, using projectile Black Keys to deflect or wielding the blades to disperse the blasts through raw force.

It was completely different from a supernatural creature with wings. Perfectly controlling the spells that allowed her to fly in the air while also directing her attacks with the precision needed to deal the most damage was in itself a trial only a genius could overcome. She could move in any direction or reverse direction while also keeping up her guard. Not an enemy to be underestimated.

It would go on and on like this. Katerea would attempt to hit Alma with her magic and Alma would block or dodge, often following with a dive-bomb or pursuit attack in an attempt to achieve a kill before Katerea could counter. It was obvious to almost everyone aside from Katerea that the human girl was not utilizing her abilities to the fullest extent.

Alma held out her hands. "Nothing up my sleeve," She revealed, showing her hands. There was a _clap_ as she smacked them together before suddenly separating them, suddenly revealing a set of four new Black Keys in-between her fingers. She ascended through the air, up to a position far above that of Katerea before engaging in a spinning motion.

"What!?"

Countless Black Keys shot out from Alma's 360 spin in every direction.

Katerea was faster to react than the Magicians who had arrived with her, creating a strengthened barrier to deflect any of the projectiles that flew in her direction. The unsuspecting Magicians who had been unable to react were struck in the back and skull, always vital areas. For every Black Key that flew, another Magician dropped out of the sky like a sack of rocks. Sensing a potential weakness, Katerea raised her staff, three magic circles forming in the air above Alma's head, calling down a bombardment of magical blasts on the youthful-looking girl.

However, the moment the blasts came down, Alma froze in-air, extending her hands upwards and creating a large barrier. While it was blocked, the weight of the attack was powerful enough to make Alma fall to one knee while protecting herself. She broke the barrier early, continuing her bitter battle with Katerea.

Alma extended her hand, creating a magic circle with the emblem of the Fallen Angels, unleashing chains made of dark, misty light that snaked through the air, chasing after Katerea even when she attempted to evade them. When they came close for the third or fourth time, Katerea gathered her magic into the head of her staff and swung at them, breaking them into individual links. Alma extended her other hand, unleashing a blast of energy, immediately drawing out more Black Keys and moving in for a beheading strike.

While arrogant, Katerea was no fool. In terms of raw power, she outclassed Alma. However, in technique, she lost by a few miles. But power was all she needed. She would not be defeated by a lowly human. She swung her staff at Alma's blades-

 _CRACK!_

-only to immediately break under the resounding force of Alma's Black Key's, the recoil sending Katerea gliding back a few feet.

"Damn you! Guaah!" Alma reached out and grabbed Katerea by the throat, using her as leverage to lift herself up, orienting the flat of her feet towards the air, a magic circle appearing above her feet to propel her forward, taking Katerea with her on a one-way trip to the ground, smashing Katerea into her own personal crater.

Alma pinned her against the ground, pulling out another set of Black Keys in other hand, ready to impale the descendant of the old Maous.

Katerea scowled, raising her legs before kicking Alma square in the stomach, knocking the girl off of her. It wasn't a particularly hard blow, but jarring enough to loosen her grip and knock her off.

Alma quickly regained her stance, poised to strike with her blades as Katerea stood from the ground, giving the smaller girl a look of grudging respect.

"For a human, I admit you have fared better than I had expected," She said before reaching into her cleavage, pulling out a vial containing a black...something. It was moving, as if it was alive, "but this is game over!" Without hesitating, Katerea popped out the cork and put the opening against her lips, drinking the contents. She cringed slightly before letting out a malicious cackle. "Now...DIE!"

An explosive black aura radiated from her body, so powerful that the Magicians close to her, who had let their magical defenses drop, were immediately erased by her raw presence.

"Perhaps it's a mercy," Katerea said, smirking, "allowing you to die before all of your precious comrades. That Nobunaga brat, the Maous, and especially that brat of a Vampire the Gremory heiress is so fond of."

"That is where you are wrong," Alma said calmly.

"What?!" It was not just Alma's argument but also the fact she stood there, completely unfazed by the power Katerea radiated, that bothered her.

Alma straightened her Black Keys, taking another stance. "Though we may be weak, though fate may always stack the deck against us, our most valuable trait is our perseverance," Alma said. "That is why, no matter how hopeless the situation seems, we will claw and kick our way to tomorrow. I have faith in everyone. That is why I know that, even if things get tough, Issei and Rias will be able to save Gasper. They can handle this."

* * *

"WE CAN _NOT_ HANDLE THIS!" Issei cried in response to their current situation.

There they were, in the Occult Research Club's meeting room, numerous Magicians surrounding a restrained Gasper and Koneko, one of them holding a knife to Gasper's neck.

"ISSEI, WHY ARE YOU SCREAMING!?" Rias asked, covering her ears in pain. Issei turned to her, staring blankly.

"OH, I'M SORRY! I THINK THE EXPLOSION FROM EARLIER BUSTED MY EARDRUMS!" Issei screamed. "GIVE ME A FEW SECONDS! LET MY EARS POP OR SOMETHING!"

Everyone waited for a few seconds, staring at Issei as he stared at the wall. He suddenly pinched his nose and blew hard, shivering a moment later. After that, he shook his head, turning back to the Magicians. "OK, I'm back. I'm good." Issei blinked, staring at his restrained friends. "Oh shit! Gasper!"

"Issei-senpai! Buchou!" Gasper called out, tears running freely from his eyes.

Rias let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you're okay...Well, _relatively_ okay." Considering the fact he was being imprisoned against his will while having his Sacred Gear forcibly used against his friends, it wasn't a situation that could be called "Okay" exactly.

Gasper lowered his head. "Buchou...I'm sorry. I'm nothing but trouble for all of you..." Tears started to drip from his chin, splashing tiny droplets onto the ground. "President...Buchou... _Please kill me._ I'm better off dying...These eyes cause so much grief...I can't really be friends with anyone...Shirou-senpai put so much faith in me and yet still I...I..."

"Don't be silly. I'd never abandon you," Rias scolded. "Remember what I said when I first made you my servant? "Live for me, but also find a way to live that brings you satisfaction." Remember?"

Gasper shook his head. "...I never found a way. If all I do is cause trouble, my life's not worth anyth-"

"Cut it out!" Issei barked, causing Gasper to flinch. "Nobody sees you as a burden!"

"Foolish..." One of the Magicians chuckled, grabbing Gasper forcibly by his hair. "You'd have been better off brainwashing him and employing him as a tool from the start, you fools."

Issei and Rias glared at her.

"I care too much for my own servants," Rias declared. "Even if I am seen as a villain, I will never stop fighting for their sake!"

The same Magician smirked tauntingly. "So you get all warm and cozy with your servants? It's just as the Old Maou Faction said. The deep love and overwhelming power held by the Gremory Clan are matched only by its stupidity."

Insulting the family of the woman he loved? That was one way to piss of Issei Hyoudou.

"You...!" Unfortunately, Issei could only move one step before the Magician held the knife closer to Gasper's neck, reminding him where they stood. "Tch!"

Gasper lowered his head, seeming acceptant of any fate pushed upon him. "I just don't wanna cause anymore trouble...Just hurry up and kill m-"

"GASPER!" Rias screamed. "Please cause as much trouble as you like! I'll always be there to scold and comfort you! So don't even think of just forfeiting your life here! I won't allow it!"

"Buchou..."

"Gaspeeeeeer!" Issei called out. "Don't run! Don't fear! And don't cry! Your friends will always be right by your side!" Issei extended his Boosted Gear.

 **[Blade!]**

The length of the Dragon-Slayer Sword, Ascalon, protruded from Issei's gauntlet.

"And don't forget what Shirou said!" Without even a shred of hesitation, Issei dragged the sharp edge of the blade against his palm, coating the flat in his own blood. "No matter what hardship you face, never surrender!" He swung his arm, splashing blood in Gasper's direction, spattering across his face near his mouth. "Because, no matter what, life is worth living! So nut up and do what you gotta do! If you really want to change, I'll help you out!"

It was in that moment that their victory was cemented.

Gasper stared, tears of relief and joy flowing from his eyes. "...Right!" He extended his tongue, licking up the blood near the corner of his mouth. "I won't give up!" His eyes began to glow, his Sacred Gear activating. _"Shirou-senpai, please watch over me now...! I'm going to follow the advice you gave me and make you proud! Buchou, and Issei-senpai too! I want to protect them!"_

* * *

 **With Shirou...**

"No..." Shirou raised his head, glaring at the empty void in defiance.

 **[What?]**

"I said no!" Shirou repeated, feeling the tendrils around his neck begin to slowly loosen up as he struggled. Feeling started to return to his limbs as he clawed at the darkness around him. "Even if it may be hopeless, I will fight to my last breath, with my own power! If I give up here, nothing will change and I will only cause misery to the people I love! So get the Hell out of here!"

 **[Fool...you are a child wearing blinders to face the world. You're naive!]**

"No," Shirou denied, watching as the world slowly began to return to normal. "I've seen more of the real world than any child should have to...Maybe not as much as my friends, but I can understand it; The desire to go wild, to hurt others, or to simply fade to nothing to cope with your pain. It's a struggle everyday." He narrowed his eyes. "But it's not alright to just lose control. Everyone has their own burden to carry. Akeno and her heritage, Kiba and the Holy Sword Project, Asia and her excommunication, Koneko and her sister! Gasper and his powers! we've all gone through hardships for one reason or another. It's not right for me to be the one who just ups and quits! So get the fuck out...GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HEAD!"

The darkness shattered, revealing the world just as it had.

And there was Mordred, continuing to countdown as if nothing had happened. "OOOOON-"

"WAIT!" Shirou called out, finally realizing the solution to his problem. "Mordred! There's another way!"

"Hm?" Mordred blinked, cautiously lowering his knife, trying to search Shirou's face for some sign of a lie. "What are you going on about?"

Shirou raised his hands, as if a gesture to signify surrender. "What if I give you something equal in value to my life...? Something the Khaos Brigade could get a lot of use out of?"

Mordred raised a brow. "If you're talking about betraying your friends or whatever, I watched your battle with Kokabiel," He said. "I won't fall for the old "Fake Betrayal" trick."

"No, this is something else," Shirou assured him, peaking Mordred's curiosity further. "Something more valuable than my whole life!"

If there was one thing to be known about Mordred Pendragon, it was that he was a child at heart. Innately curious and just a little bit greedy. If there was something so valuable that Shirou Fujimura claimed it was more valuable than his life, then, at the very least, Mordred had to know what it was. He just had to. And this was the line of thinking that led to his decision.

"What is it?" He asked.

"It's something no other person could give you," Shirou said, extending his hands forward, closing them into fists. "It's the-DEMON LORD'S ROCKET HAMMER!"

Mordred didn't see it coming. The way Shirou's left arm shot forward like some kind of missile, practically caving in Mordred's face and knocking him flat against a nearby tree.

"Just remembered I could do that! Thank you, Azazel!

Shirou didn't waste any time. The moment the Omnipotent Arm made contact with Mordred, he rushed over to the crucified Kiyome, not even attempting to lose a single second trying to untie her. With a small grunt, he put his shoulder against the cross, wrapping his arm around it and pulling upward with all of his strength, grunting further as he pulled the cross free of the soil it was embedded in, hefting it over his shoulder.

"Sorry, Kiyome, but we have no time to stop right now!" Without waiting for a reply from the weak girl, he broke out into a run, moving as fast as his legs could take him while being careful not to bump the cross against anything. The moon was directly overhead, so there was no way to determine his direction orientation. Whichever way was the edge of the barrier around the school or whichever way was the school itself, he had no idea. The echoes of explosions seemed to dance all around him. He couldn't figure out which way he was supposed to go. All he knew was that he had to get him and Kiyome as far away from Mordred as possible.

He was outgunned and outclassed and carrying someone barely conscious.

He just had to get away. That was what his instincts (and common sense) told him to do.

* * *

 **With Alma...**

Her power was on par with that of her ancestor.

In regards to that thought concerning Katerea Leviathan, Alma held no doubt.

It was actually exhilarating even though she did not show it outwardly. Even one misstep or wrong move would result in her death, the ultimate gamble of life. It is only when there was the looming danger of meeting her end that it was possible to feel the most alive. The expression of Katerea Leviathan made it well-known that she felt nowhere close to the same thing. If anything, her inability to wipe Alma out in one attack was only increasing her frustration.

In Katerea's eyes, Alma was just a human. A lowly human who could only make it so far through techniques, years of training, and special tools unlike Katerea who had been born with her immense power, gaining even more through the snake granted to her by the Ouroboros.

She could not comprehend how a mere human could stand up to her...

She clearly had never met Vasco Strada. If she had, he would have easily beaten the arrogance right out of her.

"I don't understand it!" Katerea screeched, unleashing another magical attack that caught several of her Magician allies in the crossfire. "Why won't you just lie down and DIE!?"

 **DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!**

Alma extended her hands, creating a barrier in front of her, another one in front of it, and another one in front of that one. A triple-layered barrier.

If one had ever heard the expression concerning an immovable force meeting an unstoppable object, they would have had a fairly good idea as to what happened.

Alma struggled against the force, her arms trembling against would feel like a speeding truck to a five year old.

"Hrraaaauuugh!"

Katerea smirked, satisfied with finally having the upper hand in their battle. "That's right! Struggle and perish like the miserable insect you are! As you are the verge of death, I will revive you only to subject you to the most excruciating torture possible and heal you once more! Everyday you will be restored only to be driven closer to death! You will suffer until you beg for mercy and-!"

"Oh put a sock in it," Alma said coolly, narrowing her eyes before giving a fierce push. "Your power is just third-rate." She focused all of her mind from stopping the attack to "moving it". "Begone."

Just a simple twist of her hands was all it took. What happened looked like what would happen when you shined a light in a mirror.

The beam of demonic power gathered in a large sphere against Alma's barrier before she suddenly turned, deflecting the high-level attack in a direction that contained none of her allies, reducing a dozen or so unwitting Magicians to something between ground meat and ash.

Alma started panting, rubbing her arms. Just the residual demonic power from the attack was enough to shred her sleeves and give her arms light burns. The barrier itself took a lot of energy to maintain.

Noticing the girl's weakened state, Katerea chuckled. "Is the poor little human all worn out? No more tricks to pull?"

"Just...a few," Alma panted, drawing several more Black Keys out of nowhere.

"Oh, those things again?" Katerea calmly raised a hand, creating a barrier in front of her. "Don't you remember what happened the last time? You couldn't hit me before I increased my power. What could have possibly changed between then and now?"

"Just one thing," Alma said, watching as the Black Keys she threw embedded deep into Katerea's barrier. "I wasn't aiming for you."

"Huh?" It was only then that Katerea noticed the small canisters attached to the bottom of the Black Keys by silvery threats. "What is-"

There was a small _click_ before the canisters started spewing out a misty liquid, forming a cloud that surrounded Katerea. She was stunned for a moment and, for that moment, frozen in apprehension. However, as the mist slowly began to consume her, she laughed, realizing there was no explosion.

"Is this supposed to be your big trump card?" Katerea mocked, laughing uproariously as she was fully engulfed. "Did you really think that-Ow!" She winced as a burning pain suddenly struck her arms. "How did you-?" It was when she looked down at her arms that true dread finally filled her. The burn, the source of her pain, that appeared on her right arm, slowly began to spread. "Augh! What the Hell is this!? No-Augh!" Not just her arm, but her shoulder, her face, every piece of exposed skin slowly begin to burn away as if they had been touched by acid. "Don't tell me-Holy water!? But how!? Aaaaauuuuuuuuughhhh!" The longer she remained in that cloud, the more agonizing the burns started to feel, charring away the beautiful, flawless skin she had always been so proud of, the beauty that had made her the envy of countless Devils.

"Even if you accept the power granted by Ophis, you are still just a Devil," Alma pointed. "No matter how highly you perceive yourself, you will always just be another one of us puny mortals!" With that, Alma lunged through the air at Katerea, blowing straight through Katerea's weakened magic circle and landing a well-deserved punch to her face. "HIYAH!" She rolled forward in a ball until she had reached the right position, suddenly lashing out with her leg and driving her heel down right on the top of Katerea's skull.

Katerea plummeted to the ground like a downward-spiraling missile, collapsing to the ground.

Lowering herself to the ground using magic, Alma looked down at the position where the descendant of the Maou now laid.

"How...?" Smoking, her flesh horribly disfigured by holy water, Katerea screamed in agony with every move she made to stand up. "HOOOOWWW!? You're just a...auugh...A STUPID HUMAN!"

"I was chosen to be Azazel's assistant for a reason, you know," Alma said, casually flipping a Black Key in her left hand repeatedly, looking incredibly disinterested in the sight before her. "Do you think any normal human could ever keep up with that scattered-brained, lecherous, unorthodox, chaos-loving, and very, very trollish leader without going insane?"

Back in the meeting room, the individuals who remained unfrozen turned to Azazel, the Fallen Angel Governor laughing out loud.

"And now it's time to end this," Alma said, flinging the Black Key like a throwing knife, a dull _thud_ heard as it stabbed into the ground right in front of Katerea.

"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Katerea flew forward with the intent of ripping apart the woman in front of her.

That was when the light show happened.

A wall of light rose in front of her, leaving no time to stop and resulting in her smacking face-first into it.

"What!?" Similar walls began to rise around her. "What is the meaning of this!?"

"Did you honestly believe I would miss you so many times? No, it was not that they failed to hit, rather, they were strategic misses. Each Black Key embedded in the earth around you were laid all for this ritual." Alma clutched her right arm with her left, holding it steady as she extended it, a small chain wrapped around her hand attached to a cross in the palm of her hand. "I'm going to erase you entirely so there is no chance at reincarnation."

Only then, did Katerea realize the severity of her situation. She was going to die. Not just any death. A permanent one that not a Devil could never come back from.

"W-Wait! You can't!" Katerea screamed. This wasn't the way it was supposed to happen! Not even against a leader but a...an ASSISTANT! With the barrier around her, there was no hope of even a suicide attack.

"Do you hear the hum of my barrier?" Alma asked rhetorically. "I think that means I can."

"Wait-wait-wait! Please, just a second!" Katerea pleaded, placing her hands against the barrier wall. "I have a proposal to make to you!"

Alma stared with half-lidded eyes. "What is this nonsense all of a sudden?"

"Join us!" Katerea said, smiling panickedly. "If you let me go, I swear I will give you a high-ranked position in the Khaos Brigade! Ophis itself will bestow you with power beyond your wildest dreams!"

"...Power?" Alma raised a brow.

"That's right!" Katerea confirmed. "The same power Ophis gave me, the one that rivals that of my ancestor, it is something it gives willingly and generously! All you would need to do is ask and it will be granted to you! Can you truly say you're satisfied with your current level? Being forced to serve under one of those dirty crows as a mere assistant? In the Khaos Brigade, with your skill blessed with the power of Ophis, you could even become a major leader! Has Azazel ever promised anything of that sort?"

For a moment, Alma paused, rubbing her chin as she pondered a very important thought. "That's an interesting offer..."

 _"That's right,"_ Katerea thought to herself, hiding a vicious smirk, _"It's a tempting offer, isn't it? No human could turn down such an offer. Beyond everything, the thing they fear most is their own mortality and their most condemning trait is their own greed! I'll play you along a string for a little while and then I'll cut you to pieces, bit by bit over the course of several days! That should teach you not to toy with one with blood as royal as mine!"_

"Because of it..." Alma's smile was not one of joy. It was a dark smile...the smile of a monster about to slaughter its prey. "...I only want to destroy you more!" She extended her arm once more, the cross in her hand glowing brilliantly.

"What!? Wait!"

Alma closed her eyes, pouring all of her power into the cross in her hand and the barrier she had erected.

She began to whisper quietly under her breath, the light within the barrier strengthening considerably.

"No, please!"

Alma's eyes opened, a cold, merciless light reflecting in them. "Now begone from this world! Never again stain it with your evil!"

And so Katerea's form vanished entirely, torn apart and burned to nothing within the light.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"

Hellish shrieks...then silence.

After several moments, Alma lowered her arm, sighing. She gave a snap of her fingers, releasing the barrier.

There, in the center of the barrier where Katerea had once stood, was nothing more than scattered ashes.

All that remained of the descendant of Leviathan.

"Lived a fool's life and died a fool's death," Alma said solemnly. "That is what will be carved into your tombstone."

"Well, done, Alma," The voice of the Fallen Angel Governor reached her ears before the man himself walked up to her, an expression of approval on his face. "Considering your opponent, your injuries are understandable."

Alma stared passively at her burned hands before examining the signs of on-going battle around her. "Unfortunately, I could not fight at 100% without risking injury to our comrades." She turned to Azazel and bowed her head slightly. "If the circumstances had been different, I have no doubt I would not be in this unsightly state." Even though her voice remained level, it carried the feeling of a child trying to justify why they weren't as awesome as they could have been.

"Don't be too hard on yourself," Azazel said, petting her on the head. "She had taken in the power of the Ouroboros Dragon. Even a victory like this is remarkable, as expected of my lovely assistant."

"...You're such an old fool," She said, doing her best to keep Azazel from seeing the small smile on her face.

Katerea's offer could never have tempted Alma.

She was perfectly happy where she was.

"Heeeeeey!"

Azazel and Alma turned in curiosity to face the incoming trio of Issei Hyoudou, Rias Gremory, and Gasper Vladi.

"Looks like they're finally back," Azazel noted. "Now it's just a matter of undoing that little time spell."

"Are you surprised?" Alma asked, beginning to root around the area for her discarded jacket.

"Oh yes," Azazel said sarcastically, "I was surprised that a Heavenly Dragon and the heiress of the Gremory clan were able to rescue the Forbidden Balor View-user from some mid-class Magicians. Hah, I'm more surprised they took _this_ long." However, Azazel paused. "Huh?"

That was when a large, white object firmly smashed into him into the dirt like a falling star.

"What the Hell!?" Issei gasped, shielding his face from flying dirt and debris.

Alma stared passively at the crater. "You alive, Azazel?"

Said Fallen Angel Governor clawed his way out of the crater, spitting out dirt he had unwillingly swallowed. "Well that happened," He noted before turning his gaze upward. "Must be losing my edge. Bad, Vali. Very bad." His scolding would have sounded more convincing had he not been wearing a tired smirk on his face.

"Sorry, Azazel," The white-armored Dragon replied. "I just figured this side would be a lot more fun to join."

"So you joined the terrorists then, Vali?" Alma asked, still unmoved. "You do know what happens if I ever get my hands on you, right?"

"You would have to catch me first," Vali taunted, a light hesitation in his voice. "And in your current exhausted state, I doubt you can muster your full power to face me."

"All I need is one night's sleep and I will hunt you to the ends of the Earth." Even though Alma's voice did not change in the slightest, even Rias and Issei could feel the cold shiver go down their spines. "I shouldn't have let Azazel spoil you so much. I will spank you until your bottom is glowing red." Issei rubbed his own bottom, the phantom pains of his punishment from Rias still feeling fresh.

Azazel stood, brushing the dirt off his suit, pulling on Alma's collar to drag her away. Talking would be difficult if she kept threatening him every five seconds. "If you don't mind me asking, why would the Vanishing Dragon submit to Ophis?"

"Don't misunderstand the situation," Vali suggested. "I'm merely cooperating with them for my own interests. Ophis asked if I wanted to fight Asgard and it seemed like a good way to test my strength. I can't imagine you would allow me to oppose Valhalla and the Earth Gods, would you, Azazel?"

"I did tell you to get stronger," Azazel admitted, "but I also told you not to contribute to the Earth's destruction."

"Like I care," Vali retorted nonchalantly. "I just want to fight forever."

"That so?" Azazel narrowed his eyes. "Well, you have come this far by fighting. When I learned that Katerea and the Old Maou Faction had joined up with the Khaos Brigade, I had a sneaking suspicion..."

"What's that mean?" Issei asked.

It was then that Vali turned to Issei, as if only just noticing his existence. "I'm a half-breed born to a human mother as well as the great-grandson of a former Maou."

Issei's eyes widened. "For real?"

"Yes," Vali confirmed, spreading his wings. "I inherited the royal blood of the former Maou while my human side obtained the power of the Vanishing Dragon. If fate and miracles do exist in this world, I am living proof of them. My name is Vali Lucifer! I bear the blood of the old Lucifer!"

Alma stared with narrowed eyes, silent for several seconds before turning to Azazel.

"I told you we should have been more strict with him."

* * *

 **With Shirou...**

There was no way. It should have been impossible.

So much time had passed. He had run so far, he had tried so hard, but, in the end, it didn't even matter.

His smiling face, as taunting as always.

"No way..." Even though he had stopped to free Kiyome, it had only been for a moment. There was no way it should have been possible.

CLAP CLAP CLAP!

He clapped mockingly, smiling pleasantly. "Bravo~! Bravo~! That was totally unexpected, Shirou-kyun~!" Mordred praised. "Still, you probably should've tried a bit harder~! So much effort only to wind right back at square one~!"

Every feature was the same. The landscape had not changed the slightest.

Shirou had run for twenty minutes only to find himself in the exact same spot he had been in when he first started running.

"How...?"

Mordred took a step forward before pausing, turning his eyes towards the sky. "It appears the time spell has been undone...and Katerea's dead," Mordred said. He remained silent for several seconds. "Oh well. I guess that just means I can't play around with you anymore, Shirou-kyun~! Such a shame too. I wouldn't have minded playing with the others either~ Hakuryuukou? Sekiryuutei? Holy-Demon Sword? The God-Killer and Demon King of the Sixth Heaven? It appears a lot of interesting individuals were born into my generation. It is such an interesting story that I can't stand to turn the page! I want to savor each and every moment!"

Shirou held Kiyome closer to him, trying desperately not to think about the blood still flowing from her wrists or the way the color drained from her face.

Mordred sighed. "But, just as the sun must set, every story must end." He turned to Shirou, pointing his dagger. "No more playing, Shirou-kyun." He grinned viciously. "NOW DIE!" He lunged forward.

Shirou shut his eyes, turning to shield Kiyome with his body. He didn't know what to do...

 _"Is this the end...?"_

"Resound! Thunder!"

A huge bolt of lightning forced Mordred to dash-leap away, a blinding light separating him from Shirou.

"Tch!" Mordred clicked his tongue, looking displeased. "It appears we have an interloper."

"Huh?" Shirou gasped, turning his head to face the familiar, S-smile of his raven-haired senior. "Akeno!"

Akeno Himejima extended her hand, electricity crackling around her fingers. "It appears you have been taking care of my adorable Kouhai in my stead," She said, a sharp edge in her pleasant voice. "Allow me to repay you in mind!"

Despite having almost been electrocuted, Mordred smirked.

"I suppose I have the time to play with you too~! It's hard to ignore such a lovely sow~!" He raised his dagger, the blade radiating a dark aura...it was certainly a holy blade, Shirou's Devil blood could tell that, but something about the aura seemed...off. "This blade I hold in my hand is the legendary Carnwennan, the dagger once wielded by King Arthur! My name is Mordred Pendragon, and I carry the blood of the original wielder of Excalibur!"

He extended his dagger, smiling savagely.

 _"Let's play!"_

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** Shatter The Illusion! The Demon King vs the Knight of Treachery!

* * *

 **We are so close! I predict that the chapter after next will conclude the fight! I truly hope you will all remain patient!**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	53. Chapter 47: Demon vs Knight of Treachery

**To 800+ reviews! It's just a shame that it won't reach 1K reviews before volume 1 is finished.**

 **Also, to the reviewers who keep telling me to go fucking kill myself...you need to talk? I don't know what in your lives makes you so angry, but I'm here and willing to talk. You're probably misunderstood.**

 **That or your the type of people who make League of Legends one of the most toxic video game communities.**

 **Disclaimer: I'm just going to go out on a record and say I don't own a damned thing besides Shirou. High School DxD, High School DxD New, High School DxD BorN, and all related media are the property of Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Funimation, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the official release!**

* * *

 **Chapter 47: I Will Shatter This Illusion! The Demon King vs the Knight of Treachery!**

"Let's play!"

Mordred was a predator.

As a predator, his first instinct was to go after the most vulnerable prey.

Considering Shirou was weakened and carrying a defenseless human girl, Mordred made the obvious choice.

"No you don't!" Akeno appeared in front of Shirou, barrier erected in front of her. Mordred's dagger bounced right off of it, forcing the dagger-wielding sadist to back away from the magic-using sadist. "Now take this! Resound! Thunder!" A stream of lightning shot out from Akeno's open hand, lashing out like a whip in the area surrounding Mordred.

"Hahaha! I'm loving this!" The way Mordred seemed to move around hurt Shirou's eyes. Even though he was just a human, and even with the eyes of a Devil, Shirou couldn't even see a blur as he moved from one place to another, as though he were teleporting. No matter how quickly Akeno changed the direction of her attack, Mordred would always be one step ahead. "I admit, I never expected such power from a servant of that Gremory brat~! Maybe I should play with her too~!"

Akeno narrowed her eyes. "You will _not_ lay a hand on my master!" She extended her other hand forward as well. "Resound! Thunder Storm!" Even with the additional magic power, Mordred slipped through the attacks as if he were butter. _"Something's wrong here..."_ Her eyes wandered over to Shirou, sitting there in awe with Kiyome in his arms. "Shirou, Kiyome needs immediate medical treatment. You have to take her to Asia."

Shirou jumped, as if remembering where he was. He would have objected if he had not looked down at the limp body in his arms, Kiyome's face like that of a vulnerable child. "B-But what about you?" They still had no idea what power Mordred was packing. He had the sinking feeling that there was more to Carnwennan than first meets the eye, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

"I'll be fine," Akeno said, trying to reassure him.

That was when Mordred's dagger began to glow that same ominous light before he dragged it through the air, leaving violet, glowing after images in the air. However, these images didn't fade away. If anything, they intensified, as if corresponding to the aura around Carnwennan. Mordred snapped his fingers, causing the daggers to fly straight through the air.

Akeno erected another barrier-

"Aauugh!"

The daggers flew straight through, as if the barrier wasn't even there, one stabbing into Akeno's arm, another into her side, and the rest grazing her arms and legs.

"Akeno!" Shirou's eyes went wide.

"That reminds me~" A chill went down Shirou's spine as a voice yapped into his ear. He turned in terror to see Mordred's familiar smile. "I think this belongs to you~!" Holding Shirou's Omnipotent Arm in his hand, Mordred smashed its closed fist against Shirou's face, sending him tumbling, doing his damned best to use his body to cushion Kiyome's.

Shirou groaned, leaning back up against a nearby tree, cradling Kiyome with his forearm while reattaching his left arm. "Damn it..." He glared at Mordred, the youth rushing to drive the knife in-

Akeno ripped the knives out of her body, wincing as she endured the pain. "Your fight's with me!"

Mordred let out a yelp as he was struck in the side by a bolt of lightning. However, the moment he was thrown through the air, he vanished.

"What?" However, no sooner than the Thunder Priestess speak did the descendant of the King of Knights appear next to her, slashing and stabbing violently at her. While not a close-combat fighter like Kiba, Issei, or Shirou, she was still able to manage her footing enough to avoid fatal blows albeit at the cost of being cut several other times. Mordred tackled her to the ground, straddling her as he drove the knife downward towards her chest. Akeno grabbed his arms, trying to push him off.

"You know what they say," Mordred cackled menacingly, "a bird in the hand is worth a knife in your heart! I'm paraphrasing obviously~ Now just let me slide it through your chest!"

"DEMON LORD'S ROCKET HAMMER!"

Mordred ducked just in time to avoid the jet-powered fist flew over his head. He turned to Shirou, flipping him the bird while smirking. "Nice try, fatboy!" Mordred taunted. "There's only the element of surprise once per trick~"

"Like this?" Akeno asked, grabbing Mordred's wrists before he could fight, electricity crackling off of her hands and giving Mordred a hard jolt before shoving him off of her and creating some distance. She turned to Shirou as his arm finally returned to its socket. "Why are you still here!?"

"I-"

"Shirou! Go!" Akeno ordered. "If you don't, Kiyome will die!"

That was enough to get Shirou back onto his feet. He started to run, shouting over his shoulder, "Just hang on, Akeno! I'll be back for you! I promise!"

Akeno gave an acknowledging nod before turning her attention back to the threat in front of her.

"Brrrr!" Mordred stood up, shaking his head as smoke rose from his lightly cooked body. However, he didn't look fazed. If anything, he looked excited. "Whoo~! What a wild ride! Let's do it again!" It was hard to tell whether he was taunting Akeno or if he was just that masochistic. However, it was only when he noticed Shirou getting away that his smile faded. "Ah shit, I was supposed to get that guy. Right. Sorry, but I'm going to have to cut this play date short~! So die please~!"

Again, Mordred swung Carnwennan through the air, not once, but several times, creating over a dozen images which then flew through the air.

Akeno didn't make the same mistake as she did last time. She spread her wings and took to the air, maneuvering to avoid the daggers. The moment the last one cleared, she extended her hands again. "Resound-AUGH!" That was when at least seven of the image-daggers stuck her in the back, causing her to lose focus and almost fall right to the ground, only extending her wings at the last second to avoid a painful impact. She tried to stand up only to receive a kick to the face, knocking her back.

Mordred tilted his head to the side, still smiling. "Sorry, hun, but Carnwennan isn't too keen on people escaping its power." He grabbed Akeno by her pony tail and whispered into her ear, "This is my reality." He threw her across the ground, stomping on the Queen's back when she tried to stand up. "Oh, by the by, I'm still a little pissed for that little shock you gave me, sooooo-" Mordred pulled his foot back and kicked Akeno as hard as he could in the side, knocking her onto her back.

Panting, Akeno took aim at him, pointing her finger as electricity was discharged through the tip.

"Lame," Mordred muttered before deflecting the blast with Carnwennan. "Do you have ANY other tricks? You get boring really fast." He snapped his finger, suppressing a curse. "That's right, I keep forgetting that Shirou-kyun is the only reason I'm here to begin with~! You're disposable~!" He extended Carnwennan, the dark, holy aura surrounding it intensifying. "It's too boring to just kill you so, tell you what: You lure Shirou-kyun right back here and I swear I'll let you live~ How does that sound~?"

Akeno sat up and spit in his face.

Mordred blinked, wiping the spit from his face. "I think you didn't hear me. I said I would let you _live_ ," He repeated as if it made a difference. "Come on, it's a good deal~"

"Things may be different in that terrorist organization of yours," Akeno spat, "but those of us of the Gremory would never betray our comrades! Someone like you could probably never understand what it means to have a bond with someone, to trust someone with your very life! I would never betray the man I love!"

"Love and bonds, hm?" Mordred raised a brow before letting out a deep breath. "Why do you have to go and bring up annoying, abstract concepts like that out of nowhere...?" He tapped the tip of Carnwennan against his chin before his eyes widened, as if an idea came to mind. "Well, if you're so close to Shirou-kyun, maybe I should leave another present for him~!" The moment Mordred extended his dagger, the aura almost blinding, Akeno extended her hands to cast either a barrier or an attack. "Don't worry, my dear Queen~ I'm not gonna hurt you~ I'm just gonna have you take a little trip to nightmare land~ Nighty night~!"

Akeno's eyes widened in horror as the aura surrounded her.

A bloodcurdling shriek ripped through the air.

* * *

Shirou couldn't have been sure how long he had been running when he heard the scream that filled the night air.

He skidded to a stop, almost tripping over himself and taking an outright tumble.

He turned back, only able to see glints of light in the distance. "Akeno?" He hesitated, looking between the direction he had come from to Kiyome in his arms. If he didn't go back, there was a chance Akeno would fall prey to whatever dangerous situation she was in, but if he _did_ go, there would be no time to save Kiyome. The uncertain danger that had befallen Akeno or the certain danger that would befall Kiyome if he didn't hurry her over to Asia.

...

At this moment, the peril Kiyome was in was far more immediate. He knew that, but...

He just couldn't shake the distinct feeling something was wrong.

Something about Mordred's power felt abnormal. The way he dodged, the way he attacked, he couldn't detect any kind of magical power. His senses had weakened considerably with the loss of his demonic power and Sacred Gear, but Mordred's attacks lacked any kind of real presence whatsoever, which was abnormal for someone who appeared to get off on killing people. If he could somehow mask his blade and his attacks, he should not have been able to mask that level of killing intent. Every time he thought about it, it made less and less sense. He knew killing intent, and Mordred had a lot of it, but when he struck using his Carnwennan's abilities, the attacks lacked that same killing intent.

It was puzzling.

It irritated him to no end, being forced into a corner, made to run away while leaving Akeno with such an uncertain situation.

And that scream...

He shook his head, trying to shake those thoughts out of his head before he started running again.

It would be significantly harder to get away if he kept letting thoughts like that sneak their way into his mind.

"Sh...rou..." Shirou looked down at the young woman in his arms. "Shir...ou..." She raised her bloody hand up, tightly grasping his sleeve to pull herself up.

"Don't strain yourself!" He said in a panicked tone. "Kiyome, you're hurt. Just relax for now. I promise you will feel better as soon as we get you patched up!"

"No..." She panted, looking dizzy. "We...We ha..ve...to go back..."

Shirou paused, taking a few moments to remember Kiyome was likely delirious from blood-loss. "...Can I ask why you would suggest that absolutely idiotic idea? Or have you forgotten there is a man back there who was orgasming at the thought of dissecting you?"

"It's...Ak..eno..." Kiyome whispered, wincing as she almost collapsed against Shirou again.

"What...?" Shirou was only half-focused, focusing the rest of his attention as he struggled to balance Kiyome while also reaching into his pocket for his cellphone. He dialed in the number instinctively, praying to whatever deity oversaw fortune for Devils to cut him some slack just once. "Come oooooon! Come ooooooon!"

[Hello...?]

"Oh, Rias, thank the Buddha!" Shirou let out a sigh of relief, holding the phone between his ear and shoulder by leaning his head to the side. "Listen-"

[I didn't think we COULD get reception inside a magic barrier! I never tried it!]

"RIAS, FOCUS!" Shirou snapped, lacking the patience to put up with any bullshit. "Look, I can't explain, but Kiyome's really injured! I'm not sure we'll be able to make it, so I need you to send Asia to meet us halfway! Send someone fast like Kiba or Xenovia to carry her!"

[Wait-what's Kiyome doing-]

"NO TIME, RIAS!" Shirou barked, panting heavily. "TELL THEM TO GET THEIR ASSES IN GEAR!" He had to pull his ear away as the sound of an explosion rang out from the receiver. "What the fuck...?" It was only when he looked up that Shirou saw them. Even from the thick brush beneath the trees, he could see the flashes of red and white clashing through the air. "What the fuck's going on over there?!"

[Vali turned traitor! Issei is fighting him with Balance Breaker, but...]

Another explosion. He saw a red flash being smashed into the earth.

[We have Magicians and the Vanishing Dragon to deal with! We could really use Akeno!]

"Akeno is..." Shirou lowered his head, gritting his teeth. "Look, can you send Asia or not!? This is a serious situation! Kiyome might die!"

Rias sighed.

[OK, I'll send them on their way. I can't spare Kiba or Xenovia, so you'll have to settle with Alma-san! She should be able to escort Asia to a midway point.]

"That's fine!" Shirou replied, wincing as he heard another explosion followed by another flash that illuminated the sky. "Just get it done!"

There was another explosion and the line went dead.

"Oh that really feels like a bad sign..." Shirou mumbled, focusing on running- "FUCK! I should have asked Rias if I could promote! Damn it! Could have promoted to Knight!" He decided to put off kicking his own ass for that HUGE oversight for until after he has gotten Kiyome to Asia.

"...G...o back..." Kiyome whimpered, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.

"I think we went over this, Kiyome," Shirou said, sighing in frustration. "We would just get in the way and Akeno-"

"-is going to die...!" Kiyome argued, letting out a hiss of pain when she tried to sit up in Shirou's arms. "...She's going...to die...Shirou!"

Something about the urgency in her voice caused him far more concern than before. "...What do you mean?"

"We ne...eed to go back...!"

"Not until-" That was when Kiyome longed forward, biting him on the neck. "OW! FUCK!" He skid to a stop as Kiyome's teeth pierced the skin of his neck, just deep enough that the smallest red dots of blood began to show. "Fuck! I can't believe that turns some people on! What's going on with you...?"

"It was horrible..." Kiyome started trembling more strongly, and Shirou had a feeling it was not due to shock. "...for an entire day...he showed me things...it was like...my worst nightmares..." She started breathing deeper, either due to terror or because it was becoming harder to do-so. "The physical pain...I could block out...but I couldn't...escape the inside...of my own head...He made me see it...over and over again...There was no end. No one else...should ever have to go through that..." Kiyome clutched the sides of her head, her eyes trembling in their sockets as her forceful tears flowed around them. " _It's Hell..._ "

* * *

 _Akeno could not quite figure out what had happened after she opened her eyes._

 _The walls, the doors, the hallways, they all shared the same traditional theme._

 _"No...!"_

 _Akeno blinked, her eyes darting around the area, unable to see the source of the voice. She frowned._

 _Something about this place felt...familiar._

 _Something about where she stood felt like deja vu._

 _Ominously so._

 _However, no how deeply she thought on it, the answer refused to come to mind. She knew she had one somewhere, but it was as though there was some kind of barrier, something keeping her from realizing this place's importance._

 _"Not my daughter...Please...!"_

 _An ache pained Akeno's heart, causing her to cringe and almost fall over. "What is this...?"_

 _"You can't do this! She's just a little girl!"_

 _That voice..._

 _"No..." Akeno's eyes widened in realization. She half-ran/half-stumbled down the hall, unable to stop the pain that ripped through her chest._

 _The hall seemed to move past her, as if an unseen force was dragging her forward..._

 _Then she was there._

 _In the room that haunted so many of her nightmares._

 _"Please stop!"_

 _The man, the sword in his hand._

 _A sword made for exorcising the unholy._

 _The woman and her daughter, held protectively as the mother shielded her with her own body._

 _"Her father and I love her more than life itself!" The woman cried. "Please just leave her alone!"_

 _"No...No!" Akeno shook her head. "Why...Why am I seeing this again...?"_

 _"What a pity," The man said coldly. "It seems your heart has been tainted beyond recovery by the darkness and evil of the Fallen Angel. I'm afraid it can't be helped."_

 _"Please...No! Please no!" Akeno cried. When she opened her eyes, she was right there. From the girl's eyes, she saw the man bring down his sword. "LEAVE HER ALOOOOONE!"_

 _Blood..._

 _"Ka-samaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"_

* * *

 _Akeno could not quite figure out what had happened after she opened her eyes._

 _The walls, the doors, the hallways, they all shared the same traditional theme._

 _"No...!"_

 _Akeno blinked, her eyes darting around the area, unable to see the source of the voice. She frowned._

 _Something about this place felt...familiar._

 _Something about where she stood felt like deja vu._

 _Ominously so._

 _However, no how deeply she thought on it, the answer refused to come to mind. She knew she had one somewhere, but it was as though there was some kind of barrier, something keeping her from realizing this place's importance._

 _"Not my daughter...Please...!"_

 _An ache pained Akeno's heart, causing her to cringe and almost fall over. "What is this...?"_

 _"You can't do this! She's just a little girl!"_

 _That voice..._

 _"No..." Akeno's eyes widened in realization. She half-ran/half-stumbled down the hall, unable to stop the pain that ripped through her chest._

 _The hall seemed to move past her, as if an unseen force was dragging her forward..._

 _Then she was there._

 _In the room that haunted so many of her nightmares._

 _"Please stop!"_

 _The man, the sword in his hand._

 _A sword made for exorcising the unholy._

 _The woman and her daughter, held protectively as the mother shielded her with her own body._

 _"Her father and I love her more than life itself!" The woman cried. "Please just leave her alone!"_

 _"No...No!" Akeno shook her head. "Why...Why am I seeing this again...?"_

 _"What a pity," The man said coldly. "It seems your heart has been tainted beyond recovery by the darkness and evil of the Fallen Angel. I'm afraid it can't be helped."_

 _"Please...No! Please no!" Akeno cried. When she opened her eyes, she was right there. From the girl's eyes, she saw the man bring down his sword. "LEAVE HER ALOOOOONE!"_

 _Blood..._

 _"Ka-samaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"_

* * *

 _Akeno could not quite figure out what had happened after she opened her eyes._

 _The walls, the doors, the hallways, they all shared the same traditional theme._

 _"No...!"_

 _Akeno blinked, her eyes darting around the area, unable to see the source of the voice. She frowned._

 _Something about this place felt...familiar._

 _Something about where she stood felt like deja vu._

 _Ominously so._

 _However, no how deeply she thought on it, the answer refused to come to mind. She knew she had one somewhere, but it was as though there was some kind of barrier, something keeping her from realizing this place's importance._

 _"Not my daughter...Please...!"_

 _An ache pained Akeno's heart, causing her to cringe and almost fall over. "What is this...?"_

 _"You can't do this! She's just a little girl!"_

 _That voice..._

 _"No..." Akeno's eyes widened in realization. She half-ran/half-stumbled down the hall, unable to stop the pain that ripped through her chest._

 _The hall seemed to move past her, as if an unseen force was dragging her forward..._

 _Then she was there._

 _In the room that haunted so many of her nightmares._

 _"Please stop!"_

 _The man, the sword in his hand._

 _A sword made for exorcising the unholy._

 _The woman and her daughter, held protectively as the mother shielded her with her own body._

 _"Her father and I love her more than life itself!" The woman cried. "Please just leave her alone!"_

 _"No...No!" Akeno shook her head. "Why...Why am I seeing this again...?"_

 _"What a pity," The man said coldly. "It seems your heart has been tainted beyond recovery by the darkness and evil of the Fallen Angel. I'm afraid it can't be helped."_

 _"Please...No! Please no!" Akeno cried. When she opened her eyes, she was right there. From the girl's eyes, she saw the man bring down his sword. "LEAVE HER ALOOOOONE!"_

 _Blood..._

 _"Ka-samaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"_

* * *

 _Akeno could not quite figure out what had happened after she opened her eyes._

 _The walls, the doors, the hallways, they all shared the same traditional theme._

 _"No...!"_

 _Akeno blinked, her eyes darting around the area, unable to see the source of the voice. She frowned._

 _Something about this place felt...familiar._

 _Something about where she stood felt like deja vu._

 _Ominously so._

 _However, no how deeply she thought on it, the answer refused to come to mind. She knew she had one somewhere, but it was as though there was some kind of barrier, something keeping her from realizing this place's importance._

 _"Not my daughter...Please...!"_

 _An ache pained Akeno's heart, causing her to cringe and almost fall over. "What is this...?"_

 _"You can't do this! She's just a little girl!"_

 _That voice..._

 _"No..." Akeno's eyes widened in realization. She half-ran/half-stumbled down the hall, unable to stop the pain that ripped through her chest._

 _The hall seemed to move past her, as if an unseen force was dragging her forward..._

 _Then she was there._

 _In the room that haunted so many of her nightmares._

 _"Please stop!"_

 _The man, the sword in his hand._

 _A sword made for exorcising the unholy._

 _The woman and her daughter, held protectively as the mother shielded her with her own body._

 _"Her father and I love her more than life itself!" The woman cried. "Please just leave her alone!"_

 _"No...No!" Akeno shook her head. "Why...Why am I seeing this again...?"_

 _"What a pity," The man said coldly. "It seems your heart has been tainted beyond recovery by the darkness and evil of the Fallen Angel. I'm afraid it can't be helped."_

 _"Please...No! Please no!" Akeno cried. When she opened her eyes, she was right there. From the girl's eyes, she saw the man bring down his sword. "LEAVE HER ALOOOOONE!"_

 _Blood..._

 _"Ka-samaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"_

* * *

 _Akeno could not quite figure out what had happened after she opened her eyes._

 _The walls, the doors, the hallways, they all shared the same traditional theme._

 _"No...!"_

 _Akeno blinked, her eyes darting around the area, unable to see the source of the voice. She frowned._

 _Something about this place felt...familiar._

 _Something about where she stood felt like deja vu._

 _Ominously so._

 _However, no how deeply she thought on it, the answer refused to come to mind. She knew she had one somewhere, but it was as though there was some kind of barrier, something keeping her from realizing this place's importance._

 _"Not my daughter...Please...!"_

 _An ache pained Akeno's heart, causing her to cringe and almost fall over. "What is this...?"_

 _"You can't do this! She's just a little girl!"_

 _That voice..._

 _"No..." Akeno's eyes widened in realization. She half-ran/half-stumbled down the hall, unable to stop the pain that ripped through her chest._

 _The hall seemed to move past her, as if an unseen force was dragging her forward..._

 _Then she was there._

 _In the room that haunted so many of her nightmares._

 _"Please stop!"_

 _The man, the sword in his hand._

 _A sword made for exorcising the unholy._

 _The woman and her daughter, held protectively as the mother shielded her with her own body._

 _"Her father and I love her more than life itself!" The woman cried. "Please just leave her alone!"_

 _"No...No!" Akeno shook her head. "Why...Why am I seeing this again...?"_

 _"What a pity," The man said coldly. "It seems your heart has been tainted beyond recovery by the darkness and evil of the Fallen Angel. I'm afraid it can't be helped."_

 _"Please...No! Please no!" Akeno cried. When she opened her eyes, she was right there. From the girl's eyes, she saw the man bring down his sword. "LEAVE HER ALOOOOONE!"_

 _Blood..._

 _"Ka-samaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"_

 _Again and again, it never ended..._

* * *

Mordred looked down at the girl, nudging her face with the tip of his shoe, staining it in the tears that rolled down the side of her face.

There was not even a speck of light in her eyes.

"Hehehe~" He brought his foot back and kicked her head as hard as he could. "Sorry~ Just a little leftover frustration from being hit by you earlier~ Had to get it out of my system~"

The girl didn't even seem to notice, the broken look on her face refusing to change.

Mordred narrowed his eyes before letting out an annoyed sigh. "It's annoying if you're not even awake to feel it," He growled out. "I wonder how many iterations you've gone through. It took Kiyome-chan 74 times before she started begging for death~ The only question is when I should let you out~ I can't tell if it would be more fun to kill you while you're trapped or make you beg for it~ I can never decide~"

The almost comatose Devil on the ground didn't respond.

"...Maybe I should decide after I go to fetch Shirou-kyun~?" Mordred considered, twirling Carnwennan in his hand. "Hmmmm-Nah~ I won't have time to come back later, so I'll just finish you off now~ How does that sound?"

Akeno didn't respond.

"Ugh...Leave it to a girl trapped in her own Hell to suck the fun out of things," Mordred complained to no one in particular. "And you're already trapped in the nightmare, so there's little Carnwennan can do to you now...Uggghhhh! I almost don't want to do it...buuuuut it would cause Shirou-kyun a lot of pain if he were to come back and find you dead on the ground...Hmmm-Yes!" He paused. "No..." He paused again. "Yes!...No...Yes!...No-Yes-No-Yes-" He frowned. "Maybe I'll flip a coin." He rummaged through his pockets, searching for some form of loose change. "Oh, that's right, I never keep money with me when I'm off to kill somebody. Poor planning on my part. DAMN YOU, HINDSIGHT!" He shrugged. "Ah to Hell with it!" He raised his dagger, grinning menacingly as he flipped it upside-down, blade pointing down. "In the words of your people: Sai~Yo-Nar~Ah~!"

The blade came down.

Blade pierced flesh.

Blood spattered across the ground.

The one thing that went wrong was the part of the scenario where the person who was stabbed was not the half-Fallen Angel on the ground in front of him.

"You won't lay another hand on her, fucker!" Shirou growled, showing no reaction to the dagger stabbed all the way through his forearm raised above his head.

"Oh, it's the washed out Devil kid," Mordred said, unimpressed. "Look, I appreciate it that you like to play the hero a lot, but would you mind getting out of the way so I can kill her?"

Shirou glared at him.

"Oooh-the death glare..." Mordred rolled his eyes. However, it was only as he scanned the area that something hit him. "O-M-G! Hahahaha! You actually did it!" Mordred suddenly burst into laughter. "You actually abandoned Kiyome-chan~! What, did she tell you the fun we've had ever since the other night~? Did she tell you about the truth behind my power~! And I'll bet you abandoned her and came back to save your other girlfriend you abandoned~?"

"I didn't abandon ANYONE!" Shirou barked, Mordred's comments clearly getting under his skin. "We...made a contract!"

* * *

 **Earlier...**

 _Shirou stared at Kiyome, horror in his eyes as she relayed her story to him. "Kiyome..."_

 _She gently caressed his face, smiling. "Go to her. You only have one chance to save her. Shirou...I know. I know how you feel about her...and I'm telling you now that, if you don't go, you're going to lose her. That Hell...I only survived because Mordred got bored. But Akeno...she won't make it...You have to go."_

 _"I don't-" However, Kiyome put a finger to his lips._

 _"It was one of the worst thoughts that came to mind...the thought of losing you..." She whimpered. "...Every time, I see her...the snake...Every time, she was cutting me apart...Then, even though I was dead...I would still see her with you...Then we would trade places...I would die...then I would watch you die...then I would die. Then you. Then me. Then you all over again...Again and again. Once. Twice. Three times. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eventually I stopped at twelve. I couldn't keep count..."_

 _Shirou eyed Kiyome, finally comprehending her words._

 _"I can't..." Kiyome buried her face against his chest. "I don't want to lose you...Why should you be...the person who has to risk it all...Why should I be stuck...waiting to know if you live or die...In the end, I couldn't face it...I hurt you..."_

 _"It's fine," Shirou said, wishing she would be quiet and focus on conserving her energy._

 _"No, it's not..." Kiyome whined. "I...I couldn't reach you...I get the feeling...it wasn't the first time..."_

 _Shirou lowered his head. "No...it's my fault too..." Kiyome looked up weakly at him. "I couldn't bring myself to tell you anything...because I was afraid. I never became this close to someone before. I didn't know how to handle it, so I thought keeping you in the dark as much as possible would have been the best way to protect you. Really, all I did was push you away too. In the end, I'm still so indecisive. I...I kissed Akeno, Kiyome." If the news surprised her, Kiyome didn't show it. "I...I...I love her too. It's not some cheap fling or some attempt at cheating. I do...It's like you said. I love her. But I love you too...God, this really isn't how I imagined doing this..."_

 _"Is there...a good way?" Kiyome moaned out._

 _"...Touche."_

 _Kiyome closed her eyes. "...A pact."_

 _"Hm?" Shirou raised a brow._

 _"Stop here..."  
_

 _"I thought I told you-"_

 _Kiyome sat up and bit him on the neck again._

 _"AAAUUGH! FUCK!" Shirou skidded to a stop, shooting Kiyome a sharp look. "STOP DOING THAT!"_

 _Even though she was weak, Shirou couldn't help but feel she was enjoying this. "Make a pact...with me. Devils live off of human desire...no?"_

 _"What pact?" Shirou asked._

 _"Leave me...and save Akeno..."_

 _"But-"_

 _"Not done..." Kiyome panted. "After you save her...I want you to come back to me."_

 _"Kiyome...?"_

 _"You have to promise..." She said. "...to come back to me no matter what. You don't have to win...just...both of you...come back alive..."_

 _Shirou hid his eyes underneath his bangs. "...And what will you give up as payment for this pact?"_

 _Kiyome smiled._

 _"My life..."_

* * *

"So, you see," Shirou raised his fist, "I can't lose here. I made a promise. That's why I'm going to save Akeno, return to Kiyome, and then have a long, painful, and very awkward conversation with both of them about me building a harem! So suck it!" However, in the back of his mind, he was panicking non-stop. _"Alma, Asia, please get to Kiyome soon..."_

For once, the bandages around his left arm came in handy. He had take them from around his arm and used them to tightly bandage Kiyome's bleeding wrists. He didn't know what else to do. He tried to stay, but Kiyome kept biting him until he left.

The reason behind Kiyome's panic, the method Mordred use to instill that horrible nightmare in her, it terrified her to her core.

No person should suffer that kind of Hell, was what she had said, so she sent him to rescue Akeno.

Mordred's power, he still couldn't fully understand what it was. The power of the dagger, Carnwennan.

"So, what?" Mordred said, shaking his head. "I still don't see what the Hell could possibly have changed between now and the last time I danced around your hungry fists~"

"..."

"That's what I thought~!" Mordred teased, smirking. "What a pity~ Even though you came back to save your beloved half-breed, you still aren't able to do a single thing~ It's far too late~"

"What?" And that was when Shirou finally got a good look at Akeno, the glazed look in her empty eyes. He stared, but all he saw was a void. "Akeno...? Akeno! Wake up!"

"Don't bother," Mordred said, twirling Carnwennan in his hand while chuckling. His voice sounded darker than before. "Your voice can no longer reach her where she is. Try as all she might, she will never find a single speck of light in that darkness. Every single second of our time is another iteration of the most horrific, most painful moment in her life. Ooohhh, she's such a cliche, you know?" Shirou could see the red in Akeno's eyes, wet tears mixing with the dry ones on her cheeks.

"...What!?"

Mordred struck a theatrical mournful pose. "Oh woe is me~ Woe is me~ Mommy, please don't die~ Leave her alone~! Boo hoo hooooo!" Mordred rolled his eyes, laughing mockingly. "How pathetic...Watching your mother die over and over again is such a cliche nightmare~ Even more boring than Kiyome-chan~ Dying repeatedly at the hands of some Stray, she was a mess~ I really don't get what you see in those bitches~ Course, I guess you don't need to really love someone just to get your rocks off~ Come ooon, be honest, Shirou-ky-ugh!" Mordred's eyes widened as a hand wrapped around his neck.

He didn't see it. There had not been a sign of movement, but then he was there, right in front of him.

There was only way to describe the expression of absolute fury on Shirou's face:

Murderous.

It was the expression of a raging Asura.

The bracelet around Shirou's wrist cracked.

"Keep talking," Shirou dared in a low growl, "because every last word IS FUEL ON YOUR FUNERAL PYRE!"

Mordred was lifted off of the ground, his legs dangling in the air.

"Now, let's not do anything too hast-~"

"Raaauuuuugggh!" Shirou tightened his grip before smashing Mordred into a crater in the ground, almost crushing his throat.

"Augh!" It was the first real show of pain Mordred revealed since they met, shock mixing in with his open-mouthed gasp.

"How DARE you!?" Shirou drove his fist as hard as he could into Mordred's abdomen, eliciting another gasp of agony. "HOW DARE YOU!? Another punch. "Nobody makes my girls cry and gets away with it! NOBODY!" A blow to the face. "Who the fuck do you think you are, you piece of shit!?" Another punch, to the face. "I'll fucking kill you!" Another. "THAT'S FOR KIYOME!" And another. "THAT'S FOR AKENO!" And another. "AND THIS IS FOR _REALLY_ PISSING ME THE FUCK OFF!" One more.

"Enough of this!" Taking the time in-between Shirou's blows, Mordred lashed out with Carnwennan, Shirou having just enough time to raise his arms to guard, the blade carving a painful, bloody line through his right arm and a line of torn circuitry in his left. "Get offa me!" Mordred raised one foot before kicking Shirou square in the face, knocking him off. He noticed blood trailing from his nose, wiping it off with his sleeve. "You may have gotten a lucky shot, but-"

That was when Shirou appeared in front of him again, decking Mordred in the jaw, sending the youth sprawled across the ground. "Get the fuck up."

"What the Hell happened...?" Mordred winced, rubbing his jaw as all sense of mirth and amusement left his voice. "I _know_ you weren't this fast before and you didn't promote. I don't detect the Demon King's presence either...what the fuck happened?"

"Fuck if I know," Shirou admitted. "All I know is that I'm going to make you pay in blood!" He rushed forward, raising his left hand. "Buzz-saw Mode!" The Omnipotent Arm's hand separated into segments, forming a metallic plate with sharp teeth that began to spin at high-speeds. It was the first time Mordred had to exert actual effort to dodge, watching as the saw narrowly missed his body. "I'll kill you!"

"You first!" Carnwennan started glowing the same dark light as before. Dark-violet daggers materialized in the air around Shirou, only taking a second before moving on their own, embedding themselves in various parts of his body.

"Auugh!" There was nothing quite like magic knives in one's kneecaps to remind them of their mortality. Despite this, Shirou still extended his hand forward.

"Not this trick again," Mordred rolled his eyes.

That was when Shirou's arm shot out of his socket...this time attached to a metal line. The open hand shot over Mordred's head, closing its fingers around his skull.

"What the f-" The line suddenly retracted, pulling Mordred forward at incredible speeds-

Right into Shirou's right fist and being sent tumbling again.

Mordred clicked his tongue. "I've had enough of this!" He met Shirou's charge, his dagger meeting Shirou's left arm. "I hope you enjoyed it while it lasted, coz you won't get another shot again!"

Shirou recalled a flash of light, then a sudden loss of weight on his left side.

When he turned, he saw what must have been over a hundred fragment of his artificial arm being flung through the air, Mordred's dagger continuing unobstructed on its path to his chest.

It stopped only a centimeter from the area where his heart laid.

"Wait!" Mordred took a step back, tapping his dagger against his chin. "I forgot I _wasn't_ supposed to kill you. Hehehehe~ My bad!" However, his smile immediately vanished, being replaced by a viciously angry expression. "You just irritate me so much!"

SSSCHHLLKKK!

That was when two spear impaled Shirou from behind, causing him to cough out the sudden rush of blood that was filling his lungs.

SSSCCHHLKK!

Two more from the front.

"Aaaauuuuugh!"

Mordred cackled, grabbing Shirou by the hair and yanking his head up, forcing Shirou to look him in the eye. "You're so cute, but I just can't understand you," He said, sighing. He snapped his fingers, a new spear shooting out of the ground and impaling Shirou's arm, holding it straight out from his side. "You could have escaped to the protection of the leaders. Katerea's dead, our assassination had failed, the entire mission was a failure. You could have escaped and made it a complete one."

"Because, unlike you assholes, we don't abandon our friends!" Shirou snapped, butting his head against Mordred's.

"Gaugh! Fuck!" Mordred rubbed his bruised forehead. He angrily gripped the spear in Shirou's arm, shaking it violently to induce more pain. Shirou grit his teeth and growled in pain, but he did not give Mordred the satisfaction of screams. "See, that right there. It's more of that "friendship and bonds" bullshit you normally only hear in Shounen anime. I really don't get it. You can clear it up for me?"

Shirou glared, but remained silent, still struggling against the spears. Unfortunately, whenever he tried to move himself off of one, he only moved himself deeper onto another. Blood leaked from his wounds.

"Oh, you should probably _not_ do that," Mordred noted passively. "Carnwennan's power is absolute and I am a master of torture. 'Course, Kiyome-chan didn't break either until I threw her into the nightmare...Either I'm losing my touch or this generation is a lot more strong-willed. Even after I made her swallow and pass nails, she didn't-"

CRACK!

Shirou threw his arm forward, shattering the spears embedded through it.

"What!?" Shirou grasped the side of Mordred's head, bashing it with his own as hard as he could.

Mordred grasped his bloodied forehead as he stumbled back, pointing Carnwennan as Shirou with a grimace. "Stop doing that while I'm talking!"

"I'm going to rip your face off, Mordred!" Shirou screamed as he tried to rip the spears out of his chest. "I'm going to rip your face off and shove it down your throat!"

CRACK!

Shirou crushed the two spears in piercing through his front, groaning as he slid himself off of the ones behind him. "I'm going to kill you! I'm really going to kill you!"

"UUUUGGGGGHHHHH!" Carnwennan radiated its aura again.

SSSCCHHLKK! SSSCCHHLKK! SSSCCHHLKK! SSSCCHHLKK!

There was the sound of flesh being pierced over a dozen times, spears shooting out of the ground to impale Shirou in his thigh, groin, legs, arms, chest, and throat.

Shirou wasn't quite sure how he was still breathing, not that the intense pain left him enough of a mind to think about it.

Mordred tiredly tapped Shirou's on the face. "I really don't get it. You're a loser. Yet you keep trying, for a girl. You people keep going on about bonds and friends and comrades, but look at where those kind of thoughts have landed you," Mordred said, pointing at Shirou with his dagger. "These "bonds" of yours have only brought you closer to death. They make you weak. You're better off surviving on your own. So tell me, what the Hell are these bonds even worth? In the end, you will die, the half-breed will die, Kiyome-chan will die, and once my boss has their way, everyone you know and love will die. All because you came back for Akeno-chan~"

"Someone like you can never understand..." Shirou hissed out, "...what it means to have a bond with another person...to live...to live for someone...To die...to die for someone...I was just like that once... I _pity_ you..."

Mordred's eye twitched. "And _that_ is how a fool dies," He raised his dagger before sighing, "is what I would be saying if you weren't important...BUT, there's nothing in my orders saying I couldn't put you to sleep for a little while~"

Shirou scoffed. "Go ahead and use that nightmare magic thing..." He said. "...it won't do anything to me. I suffer the same nightmare every night...Hit me with your best shot."

Mordred scowled. "..." It was clear that Shirou had just taken the wind from his sails. The cocky smirk wasn't helping. "Tch! It doesn't matter as long as you stay asleep!"

Carnwennan started to glow again.

Shirou felt a sense of weightlessness.

Falling...Falling through the darkness...

* * *

"Uwaah!"

He sat up, his heart beating hard against his rib cage.

Sunlight poured in through the window.

It was a bright and beautiful day outside, he had never felt better, and the world looked so full of hope.

Shirou was immediately suspicious. He looked around, searching for some sort of danger, but found himself completely and totally alone.

He looked for some sort of bandage or wound, finding nothing.

Another bad sign even though it should have been otherwise. Last he checked, he had quite a few spears plunged deep into his abdomen, upper and lower body.

By all means, he should be dead...

Unless this was Heaven, but he had no idea why Heaven would look like his bedroom let alone why it would accept a Devil's soul in the first place.

"Just what the Hell...?" And that was when he realized something else about where he was. The room was so... _normal_.

It was _his_ room. His _real_ room.

The one he had long before he ever became a Devil. Before it was destroyed during the attack by the Fallen Angels and rebuilt by Rias.

That was enough to jar Shirou out of bed, dressed in striped boxers and a plain, cotton T-shirt. He ran over to a nearby mirror, trying to get a better examination of himself. He lifted his shirt, but didn't even find any scars. There was no cause or reason or any sign of the girls, so there was no way his injuries could have been healed as they were.

The smell of food certainly wasn't helping him focus...

 _"Food...?"_ Shirou turned towards the door to his room. "Is Kalawarner back...?"

Sliding on a pair of pants out of fear of the Fallen Angel's molest-y ways, Shirou cautiously stepped out of his bedroom. He stretched his arms as he made his way downstairs.

Something stunk, but he couldn't quite figure out what...

It certainly wasn't the breakfast. _That_ smelled amazing.

It had more to do with the fact he was not walking through the walls of an over-sized, high-class mansion, but the normal walls of a normal two-story house for the middle-class.

He made his way downstairs, rubbing his eyes. He was either crazy or Rias had completely redesigned his house.

"Did Rias send someone to remodel the house?" He called out to the kitchen's occupant.

" _No_ ," A voice replied. " _I wanted to call someone to do something about these cabinets, but I have to save up money for it._ "

Shirou stopped rubbing his eyes. He froze. Even his heart seemed to stop completely.

He sprinted to the door, ducking his head into the kitchen.

"Breakfast is almost done~" She said, eggs and bacon sizzling in the pan in front of her.

Shirou's jaw dropped. "No way..."

"Westerners have some delicious breakfasts, you know?"

"...What..." Shirou clutched his death, trying to slow his panicked breaths. "What are you doing here...?"

"Um, I _live_ here," She said, smiling in bemusement. "Are you alright, Shicchan?"

He stared at her. "But you...you..."

"Geez, you act like you've seen a ghost or somethin'," She laughed.

Her white hair was tied up in a big, blue ribbon and she was clothed in a pink sundress with an apron worn over that. Due to her small stature almost smaller than that of a ten to twelve year old, she had to stand up on a chair to be able to work at the stove.

"You're supposed to be _dead_!"

He stared into the confused face of Mikoto Fujimura.

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** The Blissful False Reality! The Wolf's Second Awakening!

* * *

 **Dun dun dun! Another chap bites the dust! Another chap bites the dust!**

 **I know it's pretty obvious what's going on now, but bear with it! We're almost done!...I might actually be able to end this chapter with an even fifty chapters...hopefully. It would be so cool if I did.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	54. Chapter 48: The Blissful False Reality!

**I won't lie. I don't know what I was trying to achieve with this chapter. Just be glad it's over.**

 **Disclaimer: I'm just going to go out on a record and say I don't own a damned thing besides Shirou. High School DxD, High School DxD New, High School DxD BorN, and all related media are the property of Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Funimation, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the official release!**

* * *

 **Chapter** **48: The Blissful False Reality! The Wolf's Second Awakening!**

"Who the FUCK are you and what are you doing in my house!?"

"Shicchan, you had _better_ have a good explanation for this," Not-Mikoto warned, narrowing her eyes, "or you will be in BIG trouble!"

Shirou's first instinct upon seeing the girl in his kitchen had been to pin her against the wall, resisting the urge to throw her straight through it.

Shirou narrowed his eyes, glaring daggers at the child-like girl in front of him. "You can't fool me!" He said. "And you're going to get a beatdown! I can handle a lot, but this is just _sick_!"

SLAP!

"Shirou Seamus Fujimura, I am your _mother_ , and you will stop this right now!" The look in her eye...the cute way she looked when she was trying to look seriously angry. No person could replicate it so perfectly. Every last mannerism was identical. "Shicchaaaan, down. _Now_."

Too stricken by shock to consider otherwise, Shirou lowered the short woman to the ground. He stumbled backward, tripping over his own feet and falling to the ground, hitting his head against the corner of the nearby dining table. Shirou clutched his head, feeling as a huge knot formed from the force of the blow against his skull.

Suffice to say, it hurt like a bitch.

"Augh!" Shirou groaned. "That hurt like a bitch...so I can't be dreaming, can I?" He paused. "Wait, my middle name's "Seamus"?"

"OMG, SHICCHAAAAAAAAN!" Mikoto(?) ran to his side, kneeling next to him with a terrified look on her face. "Are you alright!? Are you bleeding?! OHMYGOD YOU'RE BLEEDING! How many fingers am I holding up!? Is your vision going blurry!? For the love of God, DO NOT head towards the light! Oh, Shicchaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan! DON'T DIIIIIEEEE!" The short woman threw herself into Shirou's arms, hugging him tightly as she sobbed into his chest.

Shirou sweatdropped. _"Yeah...this is Ka-san..."_ And that was when it hit him. He comprehended his own words which had run through his mind. "This is Ka-san..." He looked down at the little woman-girl in his arms. The reality of the situation sank in. He reached out his hands and tugged the sides of her face, as if to assure himself that she was real. "...This is Ka-san..."

"Why do you keep saying that, Shicchan? Mikoto asked, brow raised. Her eyes widened in horror. "OMFG, YOU'VE GOT BRAIN-DAMAGE! Get in the car! I'll take you to the hospital! Let's go!" She grabbed Shirou's hand and tried to burst into a sprint, only to knock herself off of her own feet as Shirou's weight kept her from picking him up.

"Um...I'm fine..."

"That's good," Mikoto said, popping her head up, "because I just realized we don't have a car."

"...It's really you..."

It was only then that Mikoto got a good look at Shirou's face. "Huh?" She tilted her head to the side. "Shicchan?...Why are you crying?"

"It's really you..." He couldn't stop them, the tears that rolled down his pale-white cheeks. Every time he wiped his tears away, more fell in order to replace them. It felt as though his heart was tearing apart just from looking at her. "Ka-san...Ka-san, Ka-san, Ka-san...!"

"Ssshhhh," Mikoto hushed, embracing her adopted child in her arms. "It's alright...It's alright, Shicchan. You don't have to cry. I'm here..."

"You...You died, didn't you?" He asked, unable to discern what was real or fake. "You died...fighting Kokabiel...?"

Mikoto stared at Shirou in pitying confusion. "Shicchan, what are you talking about?" She asked, causing Shirou to feel more confused. "Who's this Kokabiel?" Her eyes widened, her expression changing to one of fury. "Is he a bully?! Is someone picking on you!?" She grabbed Shirou by the collar, looking him dead in the eye. "Where is he?! I'll kick his ass!"

Something was most certainly wrong.

"How can you not remember Kokabiel?" Shirou gasped, exasperated. "You know? Kokabiel! Cadre-Class Fallen Angel from the Bible who almost started another Great War between the three factions that would have most likely resulted in the extinction of all species and the end of the world as we know it?! He stole the Excaliburs and we ended up fighting him at Kuoh Academy! Leveled the entire school!?"

Mikoto chuckled. "That sounds like one crazy dream you had, Shicchan," She said, smiling as she patted Shirou on the head. However, her laid-back, easy-going response only furthered his frustration.

"How can you not remember that?! He blasted a hole through my chest!"

"If he blasted a hole through your chest, then how are you alive?" Mikoto pointed out, placing her hands on her hips.

"Duh! The evil spirit of a long-deceased daimyo possessed my body and restored the damage done to it," Shirou explained. "He used this burning black aura to fill the hole in my chest and then Asia used her Twilight Healing to fix me up after I took my body back!"

Mikoto raised her hand. "I'm sorry, who's this Asia now?" She asked.

Shirou face-palmed. "She's like...ummm...She's this former nun who became a Devil!" Shirou screamed. "Soft-spoken, kind to everyone, you liked her the most out of all of my friends aside from maybe that perverted guy?"

"Wait, so, let me get this straight," Mikoto said, rubbing her temples. "A nun-turned-Devil, an evil daimyo, and a Fallen Angel from the Bible were all came to your school? Sounds like the start of some poorly-phrased joke."

"You were there too!" Shirou pointed out. "You used your trump card, your Sacred Gear, and, in the end, you...you gave everything to help save us all...And you..." He choked up, unable to recall aloud. What he said was enough for Mikoto to comprehend what he was saying, especially when he started crying again. "I saw you disappear...you were gone forever..."

"Oh, Shicchan..." Mikoto tightened her embrace around her son. "It was just a dream. You're alright now. Everything's fine. There's no need to cry anymore."

"But how can it be...?" Shirou shook his head. Even if the events of the peace conference were all just a figment of his imagination...

Mikoto stared worriedly at him. "Shicchan, I'll...I'll call up a psychiatrist and set up an appointment." She left the room in a hurry, going for a phone.

"I don't need a psychiatrist, I-!" Shirou stood up, face-palming again. "What the Hell is going on here...?"

DING DONG!

The doorbell.

"Who-?"

"Oh, good," Mikoto said, popping her head in, "it must be your friends here to pick you up! You're going to be late for school! I'm busy arranging an appointment with Dr. Eskowitz. Try not to freak your friends out with these weird dreams, Shicchan. It's not healthy for your relationships."

Shirou waved her off the moment he was out of her line of sight.

"Good," He sighed out. "Maybe one of the others can explain to me what the fuck happened while I was out." He made for the door, his headache intensifying the more he tried to think about it. And the more he tried to think about it, the harder it became to remember the details. He could only remember vague details of recent events...and events before that became fuzzier the harder he tried to think about them. "Is it a concussion...?...Well, I did just hit my head on a table."

He just needed to focus.

Figure out what the Hell happened with Rias and Issei now, question everything else later.

He trudged to the door, trying to make sense of what was going on.

"Hey, you guys," He greeted, rubbing his eyes, "listen, I know we don't have club activities until later, but-"

"Geez, Onii-chan~" A pleasant voice, a tinge of a French accent, teased. "You really look like you were hit by a truck."

"Well, can you blame him?" A gruffer voice questioned, chuckling. "It's not easy being him."

Shirou paled, his eyes going wide.

For the moment, he was silent. He had to bring his hand _hard_ across his face to make sure he wasn't imagining things.

So a giant and a French woman came to his house...

This was not a joke.

Standing in front of him, dressed in the student uniforms of Kuoh Academy, were a giant and a French woman. Not just any giant and French woman.

He knew these two. Even if a few weeks ago was the first time in years he had seen them, he couldn't mistake them even if he tried. They did stand out quite a bit.

"Heracles...? ...Jeanne?" He stared so wide it felt as though his eyes might have popped out of their sockets. "What are you two doing here!?"

The two youths exchanged looks, smiling as if Shirou was telling some kind of joke.

"We came to pick you up for school, _Cheri_ ," Jeanne said, poking Shirou in the face. "We had better get going if you don't want to be late."

"B-B-B-But-But-But-But-" Shirou's head was beginning to hurt a lot more than before. "WHAT THE FUCK!?"

"Whoa, language," Heracles scolded. "What's up with you?"

Mikoto popped her head out from the kitchen. "Shicchan hit his head, had a bad dream, and now I think he's gone crazy!" Then she disappeared before Shirou could retort.

Shirou shook his head. "Wh-What happened with the Khaos Brigade?" He asked, receiving, to no surprise, more blank stares from the two. "Don't tell me you two don't remember? The Magicians? You left with them after you took Kaido with you! They were part of the Khaos Brigade and, by that reason, so were you!"

"...Who's Kaido?"

"What's the Khaos Brigade?"

"Is that some kind of team in an online game?"

"Are you feeling well?"

"Did you get enough sleep?"

"Did you have sweets before bed?"

"Have you gone crazy?"

Shirou's eye twitched. "I'M NOT CRAZY!" He snapped, tightening his fists at his side. "Why are you two here and why are you not related to terrorists!?"

The two exchanged more confused glances.

"Don't stare at me like you don't know what I'm talking about!" Shirou barked. "You two...you died, but then you weren't dead, and then you were terrorists, and then you almost kidnapped me, and then I fought Kokabiel, and-and-and-" He stumbled when Heracles gave him a hard pat on the shoulder.

"If you need to talk, we're here for you," He offered, as if Shirou was making some kind of silent plea.

"Raaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuggghhhh!" Shirou screamed. "Has everyone gone insane!?"

Jeanne nonchalantly examined her cellphone. "Do you need any more time to be crazy?" She gestured over her shoulder. "Because if we don't leave now, we're going to be late."

Shirou opened his mouth to retort, before pausing.

 _"Kuoh Academy,"_ He realized. _"If there was some kind of trick or spell or if we lost...or something, there should be some sign in the ORC building!...Course, on the off-chance the..the...Khaos Brigade! Right, the Khaos Brigade! If they...they won the...that battle, then there'd be some sign, right?"_ Shirou blinked, frowning as he noted his own sluggish train of thought. Confirming his decision, Shirou turned to his two "friends", managing a joking smile. "Sorry. I just had some really crazy dreams last night and my mind's just a little bit fuzzy. I would love to walk to school with you, Heracles and Jeanne, my friends from school."

The two exchanged looks, brows raised.

"Sure thing...?"

"Yeah, we'll wait for you here, Shirou, our friend from school...?"

 _"Way to not seem suspicious, Shirou,"_ Shirou thought to himself with half-lidded eyes. Shirou looked down at his hands. "Just give me a sec to get dressed..."

* * *

Everything was exactly where it had been prior to his misadventures as a Devil.

Everything down to the last detail was correct. Nobody, not even himself, could have copied it with such perfection.

That only made Shirou more suspicious.

Mikoto being alive, Jeanne and Heracles not being affiliated with terrorists possibly, and the fact he had not run into a single gang on the way to school. There was no way it was all coincidence.

...Wasn't it?

Nobody else seemed to notice anything out of the ordinary.

For a while, Shirou considered the possibility that _he_ was the crazy one, but, from he had gathered from Jeanne and Heracles, he hadn't been in any sort of accidents lately and they didn't give anything away as to whether or not something was out of the ordinary. If they really were terrorists and had somehow manipulated everyone around him, they were doing a very good job of hiding it.

They spoke so casually in a way he would normally have expected from his friends in the ORC.

Not only that, nobody stared.

Every day. Every single day, he could not ignore the hateful stares of every person he passed.

Today, there were none.

Highly suspect.

"There he is!"

"It's Fujimura!"

"Get him!"

"Don't let him get away!"

Shirou let out a sigh of relief. _"At least some things haven't changed...I'm actually a little scared that this makes me happy."_ He closed his eyes, accepting the mob of students that lined either side of his path. He raised a fist, smirking. "You wanna fight? Come get some, you savages! I'll take on anyone who wants to start somethin'!"

[Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa~!]

Shirou blinked, frowning. Those were screams, but not exactly the ones he expected. They were...weird.

"Um...hi?"

[Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa~!]

Shirou jumped back in shock, arms raised. "I...Huh?"

"Oh my God~! I can't believe Shirou-sama looked at me~!"

"He's so dreamy~!"

"That's our home-boy! You rock, Shirou!"

"Kick ass!"

"Please be my boyfriend!"

Shirou's eye twitched. "...Did I...Did I miss something?" He scratched his cheek. "Did I slip into a coma for several weeks that nobody remembers and that's why everything's so crazy now? Why is everyone acting like they saw Kiba but with me?"

"Hahaha!" Heracles laughed, patting Shirou on the back. "It appears like Mr. Boxing Star still isn't able to cope with his popularity!"

"I guess he's still half-asleep," Jeanne mused. "Celebrity status is probably tiring for a high school student."

"Celebrity?" Shirou scratched his head. "...You mean...people don't see me as a literal human piece of shit who serves no purpose but to die in the slowest, most painful way possible?"

Jeanne and Heracles stared at him.

"Haha! Nothing!" Shirou added, laughing awkwardly. "So...why am I a celebrity again?" He panicked again when Jeanne and Heracles stared at him. "I-I just wanted to know if _you guys_ knew is all!"

"Well, duh," Jeanne rolled her eyes, "it's because you're the star member of the Boxing Club!"

"Boxing Club?"

"Not a single person, on or off-campus, can beat you!" Jeanne cheered. "Even this hulking mass of flesh!" She was gesturing to Heracles while she said this. "You're the champ nationwide, even being considered for a scholarship for one simple reason: You got mad skillz."

"I-" Shirou paused, pointing to himself. "I'm really that cool?" Something was certainly wrong, but it wasn't as though the reputation displeased him. Jeanne nodded in response to his question. "I see...Am I popular compared to Rias or am I just normal popular like Kiba?"

Jeanne stared blankly. "I'm getting the feeling you've seriously underplayed your mental illness."

"Huh?" Shirou scratched his cheek. "So I'm not? Well, I guess those two are some cool cats. Hard to beat them when they have things like natural talent and good looks."

"Onii-chan...I don't know about you, but none of us know anyone by those names."

"...What?"

"You can check the roster, but there is nobody at this school by those names."

"How can that be?!" Shirou asked. "How can you not remember..." He frowned, wincing as a headache pained his head. "That...That girl! She was like...um...some red-head. Crimson hair I think...bad attitude honestly and...uh...and the other guy was like this annoying prince who...uh!" Their faces became fuzzier and fuzzier in his mind.

Jeanne rolled her eyes. "Right. You go ahead and wake up," She gestured to the school building, "we'll go ahead and go to class, Rock Star."

"But..."

And then Shirou was alone, surrounded by a mob of admiring fans. People he barely knew, who loved him.

...It was...amazing. Still...just as happy as he felt in that moment, there was that other feeling...

Nothing about this was right.

* * *

Things were feeling wronger and wronger.

Students loved him.

His former friends weren't terrorists.

His newer friends didn't exist.

The teachers _expected_ things of him.

He couldn't comprehend it.

No matter who he asked, nobody knew the names Shirou spoke. The members of the Occult Research Club like...

He frowned. Whenever he tried to recall details of previous events, they became foggier and foggier.

The faces of the people he knew seemed to slip away...

Something was wrong. He could remember that much. No matter how much of his memories faded away, he knew that something was wrong.

He had to do something. Something. He didn't know what that thing was yet, but when he knew it would be awesome and fairly important once he figured out what it was.

The names he previously spoke, nobody seemed to remember. He tried writing them down, but, as time passed, the meaning behind the letters that spelled the names became blurry.

"Just what the Hell is going on...?" He groaned from the pain of his migraine. "OK, Shirou, try to remember why you're here and what happened up to this point..."

Minutes went by.

"FUCK!" Shirou banged his head against the desk in front of him. "Why can't things ever be simple!? Why can't I remember!? There's someone I need to remember...I...R...A...AAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGH!" He flipped his desk upside-down, screaming out towards the Heavens. "WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER WHO THE FUCK I'M SUPPOSED TO REMEMBER!? There was someone important..."

The harder he grasped at the memory, the further it faded from his mind.

He knew he was forgetting. That was enough to alarm him.

"Could it be this certain someone is your girlfriend?"

Shirou turned to the young woman standing in the doorway, almost tripping over his chair at the sight of the blonde-haired beauty. "...It's...It's you...?"

The girl smiled. "It's me," She agreed, making her way towards him. She crossed her arms behind her back, smiling. "So glad you remembered~"

Shirou scratched his cheek, blushing. "Yeah, sorry...I've just been going through a lot, Kiyome." He paused, blinking as he realized something. "I remember your name...?" His eyes widened. "I remember your name!" He rushed over to Kiyome, grabbing her by the shoulders. "I remember you, Kiyome! I know you!"

Kiyome looked around awkwardly. "Well, I would hope so," She said, shrugging Shirou's hands off of her. "I am your girlfriend after all."

Shirou wasn't quite sure what to say as Kiyome reached out, gently caressing the sides of his face. "What are you doing?" He asked, eyes darting between her and the fellow students around them who were beginning to take interest. "People are watching."

"Good," Kiyome said cheerfully. "I want them to see this~" She grasped Shirou's face, pressing her lips against his.

Shirou instinctively pulled away, staring at Kiyome as if she were crazy. "What are you doing!? You know we can't do stuff like that here-" He turned to the other students. "Just a show! She's kidding, guys!" He turned to Kiyome, eyes wide. "You know we're supposed to keep us a secret!"

"Well, if it's a secret, then it's a poorly kept one," Kiyome teased. "I mean, considering everyone knows."

Shirou stared blankly. "Wut?"

"Shirou," She whispered into his ear, "I want everyone to know you are _mine_." And then she kissed him again.

That time, he didn't fight back.

Kiyome slipped into his embrace, pressing her breasts firmly against him, slipping her tongue into his mouth. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly.

When he thought back to what little he could remember...he had only held her like this a handful of times...

But that didn't seem right...

No, this felt a lot more right.

He could hold the woman he loved.

He was loved by all of his peers.

People expected things of him.

He had his best friends...

Shirou pulled away from Kiyome. "No, fuck this," He said, deadpan, "this is all wrong."

"Excuse me?" Kiyome placed her hands on her hips. He knew he had just pissed her off with his poor wording.

"Yeah, I'm not falling for it!" Shirou said, pointing at her. "There's something wrong with this place, and I think I know what!"

He shoved Kiyome aside and dashed out of the room...

* * *

SLAM!

He kicked the door to the old school building wide open.

"Hello!?"

However, not a soul answered him.

"Guys!?" Shirou called out again. Still no response. "Look, I'm sorry I forgot your names, but I could really use some help here!"

The building...it was dilapidated.

Not just outside, but the inside too. The elegant, noble interior he had felt he was accustomed to was nowhere to be seen.

Only dust, rotting wood, cobwebs, and bugs laid there.

He searched each and every room.

It was all the same, the sense of wrongness intensifying the more he looked.

Even if their names became fuzzier, even if their faces were nonexistent in his memories, he knew for a fact he was forgetting someone.

Kiyome, Jeanne, Heracles, Mikoto, they were all wrong.

This was all wrong.

He knew it, he just couldn't remember why.

There was a fight...a fight somewhere, with someone, over something...

Devils. He could only remember it had something to do with Devils...something about Devils.

It was important. Something he couldn't forget.

"Just why...why can't I remember...?"

" _Shicchan?_ " Shirou almost leaped out of his skin. "Shicchan, what are you doing here?"

He spun on his heels to face the owner of the voice, the white-haired loli staring at Shirou with an expression of curiosity. "Ka-san?"

Mikoto approached him, stepping warily over the rotting floorboards. "Kiyome-chan called me...she said you were acting really weird." She tugged on Shirou's sleeve, staring at him with with the familiar adorable eyes that made his heart ache for reasons he couldn't remember. Everything about her was perfectly normal...and that was wrong. If he didn't hurry, he had no doubt he would forget everything soon. He had to find the solution to his problem before even the feeling began to fade from his mind. "Is everything alright?"

Shirou paused, trying to figure out the best way to word his response. "...No," He said. "Everything is _not_ alright! Everyone loves me, I'm popular, and I have a future here! So everything is most certainly not alright!"

Mikoto blinked. "I don't understand. That seems pretty alright to me..." She tilted her head to the side. "If anything, that seems perfect..."

"Exactly!" Shirou agreed. "Everything's _perfect_...and that's wrong." He looked at his left arm, as if worried it would disappear in any moment. "Even if it's faint, I still know the feeling...my life...It's not meant to be perfect. It's not meant to be a world where I'm loved by people I barely know or care about. Of that, I have no doubt! I was born from nothing, and I lived as nothing! None of this is right!"

"Shicchan...you're scaring me..."

Shirou turned to the loli woman and ran up to her, grasping her by the shoulders. "This world...it's everything I ever wanted...Everything I ever dreamed about," Shirou admitted. "If I had to disappear here, just let all of my feelings slip away, my memories turn to nothing, there's no doubt that my final moments would be ones of bliss..."

Mikoto gently caressed Shirou's face, eyeing him worriedly. "...Then why not stay? Why not embrace this world?" She asked. "Me, Jeanne, Heracles, Kiyome...it's everything you ever dreamed about, isn't it?"

"Yeah..." Shirou lowered his head. "...It took me a while to figure it out, but that's just what it is. It has everything I ever dreamed about, it doesn't hold any of the things I care about and it's full of things I could never have. That's why it will always remain what it is: _A dream_..."

* * *

Mordred poked Shirou's head with the tip of his dagger, the comatose boy falling limply to the side.

"Huh..." The young Pendragon said, tapping his chin with his dagger. "That was actually rather anti-climactic..." He shrugged. "Oh well~ Time to go kill a half-breed~"

He wandered over to the downed Akeno, smiling as he stood over her.

"You and I still have a little date, doll-face~" He flipped his dagger, holding it upside-down as a twisted smirk took root on his face. "In Hell~!" He paused, frowning. "No, that was lame. Do-over!" He rubbed his chin, tapping his foot against the ground as he tried to figure out something better to say in this situation. "Hmmmmmm...Have fun joining your momma in Hell~!" He frowned again. "Close, but no cigar...Maybe something related to Shirou-kyun...ugh! It would be so much easier if I had someone to intimidate. It's sooooo dull when you two aren't even awake to enjoy it~!"

Shirou had put up a decent fight (although the half-Fallen Angel didn't exactly set the standard very high), but the outcome was as expected.

Before the power of Carnwennan, neither of them stood a chance.

No barrier or spell or weapon could have protected them from its power. Even the leader of the Hero Faction didn't know what its true abilities were, as far as Mordred knew. It was a secret protected by the Pendragon family for centuries. Nowhere near as powerful as the Holy Swords Caliburn or Excalibur, but no other sword from the Round Table could ever hope to match it.

Neither of them would be able to escape the dream.

"...Come to think of it, why am I even bothering with this?" Mordred asked to himself. "I either kill her now or leave her to be forever trapped in the nightmare which would be akin to eternal damnation...ugh, but if I leave her alive, there's a chance they might be able to free her...on the other hand, she'll realize Shirou-kyun is gone forever and likely fall into endless despair...Ugh, but the Boss will get pissed at me for leaving a Queen of a high-ranked Devil alive...OK, I'll kill her~"

He raised his dagger into the air, cackling.

"It's been _knife_ knowing you!" He froze. He scowled. "Ugh. Even I feel that was in poor taste..."

" _Then try this one on for size!_ "

"Huh?" Mordred instinctively backpedaled out of the way just before a spear of light embedded itself in the ground where he had once stood. "Is it Azazel? Is it Shemhaza? Is it Barakiel?" He looked up, resisting a laugh at the blue-haired woman with black, feathery wings slowly descending to the ground. "Oh no! It's just some low-ranked pest! Ha! For a second, I thought you might have been a threat! But it's just some hag~!"

The Fallen Angel Kalawarner grit her teeth. "Keep laughing. I'll shove my spear of light up your ass, you snot-nosed brat," She threatened.

"Ooh~ You got Shirou-kyun's fire in you~" Mordred teased. "I wonder what else he put inside you~ Painting your pure-black wings white, huh~?"

"Oh trust me, I tried to drag him into it," Kalawarner sighed out. "But no."

...

Mordred wasn't quite sure what to say to that. That wasn't the response he expected.

"Ahem!" He cleared his throat, trying to regain momentum. "I really don't see what you hope to accomplish here, Fallen Angel~ Both Rias Gremory's Queen and your so-called "Demon King" have both fallen by my hand~" He extended his dagger before gesturing to the two unconscious Devils. "You will join the half-crow in death and then my Boss will finally get their hands on Shirou-kyun!...Just as soon as my ride gets here..." Mordred frowned, scratching his head. "Come to think of it, what's taking them so long? It's been like an hour or somethin'. They should have been here by now." He shrugged. "Oh well~ Leaves me plenty of time to deal with you all~"

Kalawarner looked between Shirou and Akeno. "What did you do to them?"

Mordred raised his dagger. "I just put them both to sleep~ However, I can imagine Shirou-kyun is having a significantly better time than Akeno-chan~" He taunted. "As long as he stays asleep, it doesn't matter how sickening I find the sweet dreams I gave him~ Not Akeno-chan~ Right now, she's going through Hell~"

"Huh?" Kalawarner turned to Akeno. "What do you mean by that?"

"It's called [Dream Eater]," Mordred explained, Carnwennan again radiating its dark aura. "With this, their minds are literally like pudding in my hands!"

"What do you me-It's putty by the way-What do you mean!?" Kalawarner demanded.

"It's...Wait, "putty"?" Mordred blinked.

Kalawarner nodded. "Yes. The expression is "PUTTY in my hands". "Putty", not "pudding". You said "pudding"."

"Oh God!" Mordred slapped himself in the forehead. "Have I been saying that wrong all this time!? And NOBODY corrected me?!" He scowled, growling. "Oh I'm cutting some people up when I get back to HQ." He shook his head. "Anyway, the ability Dream Eater, one of Carnwennan's two abilities, allows me to manipulate their subconscious! Putting them to sleep is easy, manipulating their dreams even easier! Shirou-kyun and Akeno-chan are trapped in the dream and they will _never_ escape! Akeno-chan, for however long she has left to live, will experience what feels like eternal torment while Shirou-kyun will never want to leave his dreamworld paradise~""

Kalawarner stared. "And you just told me its ability...because?"

"Well, duh~" Mordred said as if it were obvious. "It doesn't matter coz you're gonna die here, silly~ Hehehehe~!" He pointed Carnwennan at Kalawarner. "You never should have come here! Now prepare to-Hey! I'm talking here!" He started to bark angrily when Kalawarner seemed to completely disregard him, losing interest before walking over to Akeno and picking her up bridal style. "What are you even doing!? Planning to try and run away?! Carnwennan will stop you in your tracks!" Kalawarner continued completely disregarding Mordred despite his threat. "Hey! Stop fucking ignoring me! I'll cut you to pieces!"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Kalawarner said insincerely. "You just sound so much like a psychopath that used to work for my former superior. He died. So did she. They're both dead. And you pissed off the people who were responsible for both of their deaths."

A mocking laugh passed through Mordred's lips. "Are you trying to scare me, you pathetic crow?" He asked. "I do wish you would remember who was holding the magic knife here~"

Kalawarner held Akeno in her arms, stepping back as if to make room for something big. "Anyway, are you going to say something new, or are you going to keep repeating how great you are like a child with no friends?"

"And why would I need those pathetic "friends"?" Mordred asked.

"Because, as you are, you are nothing more than an insignificant bug compared to my own friends," Kalawarner insulted bluntly. "And you always will be."

Mordred's eye twitched. "How dare you...? Who do you think you are, you miserable bitch!?" He snapped. Kalawarner smirked at how easily she got under his skin. "Do you know who you're talking too!? I am a son of the proud Pendragon bloodline! You are nothing compared to me! You think you're just so much better just because you have those stupid bonds?! Look at Shirou! Look at the half-crow! That's where their pathetic "bonds" got them! And you-STOP WALKING AWAY!" Halfway through Mordred's rant, Kalawarner turned to leave with Akeno again. "I mean it! With Carnwennan's power, I could kill you with a single thought! Why don't you show a little more fear!?"

Kalawarner stared blankly. "Because you're not scary. Violent and sadistic, but not scary. Really, there's not a single intimidating thing about you. You can't do a single thing on your own without that dagger of yours. Even defeating and capturing low-ranked Devils is a chore for you. You think highly about yourself," Kalawarner said, "but you've clearly never met Shirou Fujimura."

"You mean the guy I just beat?" Mordred just couldn't comprehend her. He was a Pendragon, she was a low-ranked Fallen Angel. By that logic, she should be terrified of him, but she wasn't. It didn't make any sense. And here she was praising some pathetic beast he had soundly beat into the dirt? He could only control himself by imagining all of brutal ways he could carve the Fallen Angel open. "In case you already forgot, HE'S. NOT. WAKING UP. EVER!"

"If that's what you think, then you don't know a damned thing," Kalawarner taunted. "He's secretly a crybaby who tries to act tough, but if there's one thing about Shirou to admire, it's his unbreakable will. Even if you claim he cannot break free of your magic, he will. He is the boy who sticks to his naive ideals and shatters all impossibilities. Someone like you could never defeat him." Kalawarner pointed at Mordred. "Shirou Fujimura is going to wake up any second now, and, when he does, he's going to knock your teeth in."

* * *

"This place, it's a world where I never suffered," Shirou said, still holding Mikoto by the shoulders. "A place where the trials I underwent never occurred."

"What "trials", Shicchan?" Mikoto asked. "You're not making any sense!"

Shirou smiled softly. "Even if this power erases them from my mind, they cannot erase them from my heart," He said. "No matter how hard that fucker tries, no matter how badly I wish I could, I can't forget everything that happened."

The ground around them began to tremble, causing Mikoto's to dart around erratically. "Earthquake...?"

However, Shirou ignored it, tightening his grasp on Mikoto's shoulders. "Back when we first met, in that hospital room seven years ago, you gave me my identity. You grasped my hand and told me "From hereon out, it's you and me. We're family now!" In that empty world, you showed me light for the first time. Since I first awoke, you were there for everything, good or bad. When I needed you, you were there for me. Through all my screw-ups, through all of my worries, you were there, giving me a push while I always reached for your hand. I always held onto it like I never wanted to let go, so you would never leave..."

Mikoto managed a weak smile. "Yeah, I remember that...your hands were a lot smaller back then," She teased. "So adorable~" However, she noticed the smile slip away from Shirou's face.

"But now...it's finally time to let go," Shirou lowered his head, hiding his eyes behind his bangs. "Because, no matter how much I want it to be otherwise...you're not real. _None of this_ is real."

Mikoto's eyes began to water as she stared at Shirou, searching for some sign of a joke. "Don't say that, Shirou...Please..." She wrapped her arms around Shirou's neck, hugging him tightly. "You're scaring me."

"It's true," Shirou repeated with a trembling voice. He hesitated before returning her embrace. "I'm sorry...I don't mean to scare you...You're everything I ever could have asked of for a mother. You were my family when I had nobody else...but you can't be here. You- _this_ you-died...a week ago. You died and left me alone...there's no force on Earth that can ever change that."

The trembling began to shake the building again.

"Shicchan..." Tears rolled down Mikoto's cheek as she tightened her embrace.

"To be loved by everyone...to never suffer again...to have the people I love most by my side," Shirou couldn't choke back his sobs for very long. "I want it...More than anything, I want to be able to live a life like this...but it's too late now. This-all of this-it's only a shadow of what could have been. An illusion. But I have...responsibilities. I have people waiting for me to come back. And, the only way I can go back to see them is...by letting go."

The quakes become increasingly violent, rupturing the already rotten wood around them, glass shattering, walls crumbling.

Shirou pulled away to look at Mikoto's tear-stained face. Her form was "glitching", her body beginning to fade to nothingness. "Shicchan..." She shook her head, wiping her eyes on her nonexistent arms. Despite her current state, she managed a joyful smile. "I'm p-proud...to call you my son."

Shirou leaned forward, planting a soft kiss upon her forehead before softly pressing his own forehead against hers. "I love you..." He tightened his arms around her. "...and I promise I'll never forget you."

The woman known as Mikoto Fujimura faded away...vanished, as if she had never existed to begin with.

He fell to his knees, burying his face into his hands. "I'm sorry...but I have to go back to them. Issei, Rias, Gasper, Koneko, Asia, Kiba, Kalawarner, Xenovia, Kuroka, Akeno, and Kiyome." He raised his head, wailing out towards the heavens.

The world around him crumbled...crumbled away to nothing.

Only the void remained...

* * *

And then he was there, like he always was.

 **[It appears you've finally awoke, Devil-pup.]**

Shirou halfheartedly stood up on his feet, turning to face the beast that addressed him. "..."

 **[Before you, there are two paths: The path of a man and the path of a beast.]**

"..."

 **[There is only one way forward. By denying that which has restrained you for so long, you have taken the first step. Now choose.]**

"Choose...?" Shirou parroted. He looked up, staring.

The darkness that always obscured the Wolf's appearance was gone, the raw presence he had once radiated nowhere to be seen.

Powerful, but not debilitatingly so.

He was a giant wolf with ash grey fur, standing at about 10 meters tall, two big yellow horns jutting out of his shoulders. He sat on his hind, piercing yellow eyes gazing at him, like the look of a predator waiting to pounce on his prey the moment it let down its guard.

 **[I have seen many great warriors rise and fall. Either they were consumed by power and a lust for battle, becoming beasts of war, or they failed to become powerful and died as humans. You may have only one. This path will determine where you go from here.]**

"One path..." Shirou repeated, not looking up. He stared at his open left hand...only to immediately realize it was no longer there. "I've lived so long as a beast...it was the role I became accustomed to."

The Wolf closed his eyes, as if expecting such an answer.

"However," Shirou continued, causing the Wolf to eye him curiously, "after meeting Kiyome, Akeno, and the others, I learned what it meant to truly feel like a human...so I began to fear turning back onto the path of a beast...for fear of losing the last shreds of light I had left. My Sacred Gear, my Demonic Power, the things that made me inhuman. I began to fear them...so I pushed them away. The reason I couldn't use them before was because of _me_. I just...I didn't want to use my powers to hurt anyone...I didn't want to lose control again. I wanted to be able to stay with everyone..."

 **[Have you chosen?]** The Wolf growled passively.

"I...I have," Shirou confirmed, looking up to face the Wolf.

 **[And have you found your answer?]**

Shirou stared, unwavering, at the Wolf. "I have," He answered. "In the end, there is only one path for someone like me. Between the path of a man and the path of a beast, my only choice is... _neither_!"

 **[Hmm...?]**

Shirou gave the Wolf a thumbs down. "You think I would just pick either of those shitty paths!?" He snapped. "What do you think I am?!"

 **[...You really don't want me to answer that question.]**

Shirou ignored him. "If the only choices are to be a beast or to be a human, then I'll pick my own path! The one right down the middle!" Shirou raised his fist towards the Wolf. "It's only because of all of the trials and pain I've gone through up to this point that I realized it! The one thing I wish for above all else!"

 **[And that is?]**

"Back then, Katerea wasn't wrong. This world is decaying. It's rotten to its core, but not in the way the Old Maous think," Shirou explained. "I've seen in the eyes of the people around me, the hardships they underwent due to the twisted ideology of people, of rotten men and women. For their own greed and pride, my friends had to suffer...Akeno and Gasper, who were discriminated against for being half-bloods; Kiba, who watched his friends sacrificed for the Church's selfishness; Asia, who was excommunicated for saving a Devil; and...and Jeanne and Herc...They were part of that twisted experiment just like me...None of them deserved to suffer like that. In the end, the world hasn't changed in the slightest. If it cannot bring about change of it's own, then I'll be the one to do it." Shirou pointed at the Wolf. "For the people I love, I will change this world! But, in order to do that, I must reach a new level! I...made a promise! To my Kouhai! To my Senpai! To my girlfriend! To my friends! I will become stronger, but I won't fall to the darkness! I will survive, and then I will LIVE! The path I choose is my own!"

For a moment, the Wolf was silent.

Then uproarious laughter.

 **[Here I was thinking you couldn't become anymore interesting! A mere pup with the heart of a full-fledged wolf! Very well then! If you have selected your path, then there is but one thing left...!]**

* * *

"What the fuck!?" Mordred's eyes widened in shock as the limp boy slowly got onto one knee, an unfazed look on his face. He narrowed his eyes at him. "I thought I was done with you...!"

Kalawarner's eyes filled with relief as she set Akeno down a fair distance from the conflict, laying her against a tree. "Young Master..."

Mordred shook his head. "I even gave you the sweetest dream too..." Mordred sighed out. "Your heart's deepest desire." He smirked. "The only way for you to leave was to sacrifice it~ It must have felt like tearing off your own arm~"

The boy didn't respond.

"Nothing to say?" Mordred taunted. "Or are you too busy weeping over what you had to give up to-"

"Shut up."

It was only two words, but they carried a disturbing amount of weight.

"Hahaha~ What?!" Mordred grinned maliciously, eyeing Shirou with irritation. "I'm sorry, did you just tell me to shut up~?"

Shirou raised his head, staring blankly. "Yes," He answered bluntly. "I told you to shut your fucking face before I cave your jaw in." He said it without a single change in facial expression, something that almost chilled even Mordred's spine. It was only after a moment, everyone staring in silence, that Shirou burst into laughter. "Hahaha! Nah, I'm just kidding!"

Mordred stared. "What?"

"You see, I should actually _thank you_ , Mordred," Shirou said, earning the shock of Mordred and the disgust of Kalawarner. "I mean it. I'm not even joking. I overcame my fears, I unlocked a new power, got my Sacred Gear back, and I even got to see Ka-san again. Overall: Not bad."

Mordred's eye twitched. "Are you mocking me?"

"Oh no," Shirou said. "I am being absolutely genuine. In fact, just for those unexpected gifts, I'll give you a special deal: Rather than ripping out your esophagus and using it to sodomize you only _before_ I grant you a slow and excruciating death, I'll only beat you half to death with only the slightest bit of esophageal sodomy. I might even put your esophagus back when I'm done, but only if you apologize for all of the shit you've done."

"You want an _apology_?" Mordred scoffed. He walked towards Shirou, butting his head against Shirou's with an annoyed look on his face. " _Make me_."

Shirou smiled. "OK~" He swiped his hand at Mordred's neck, the youth flipping backwards to avoid the blow. Once he was a fair distance away, Shirou extended his hand. "It's time for you to meet an old friend of mine!" The air around Shirou seemed to chill, a glowing light appearing in the air grasped in Shirou's palm. "Let's go! Sacred Gear!"

The bright light began to change shape, taking that of a wintry-white sword.

"Canis Reglia - Fifth Form: Devil's Ice Fang!" Shirou extended his blade. A freezing aura surrounded his sword, Shirou pointing the tip at Mordred. "Arctic Storm!" The freezing aura exploded outward from the blade, directed towards the arrogant blonde. Shards of ice ripped across the ground and brush, tearing apart whatever they could and freezing what they did.

Mordred only barely avoided the attack, eyes widening in shock. He landed on the ground several feet away. "H-How!?" He demanded. "How can you use your Sacred Gear!? You aren't supposed to have _any_ of your powers!"

"Yeah, funny how that works," Shirou quipped. His sword vanished into light, changing into the form of a wolf-themed handgun. "Third Form: Flurry Rifle!" He pulled the trigger, a high-pressure blast of magic firing from the barrel. "Flurry Shot!"

"Damn yoooooou!" Mordred lashed out with Carnwennan, pouring out a massive holy aura to combat that of Shirou's magical. The resulting explosion blinded Mordred for a moment and, when his vision cleared, he stared in shock at the shell of ice encasing the arm that wielded his dagger. "What!?"

"Second Form: Nilfheim Ravager!" Shirou's Sacred Gear changed forms again to that of a bladed gauntlet. Then Shirou vanished, appearing in the air above Mordred, stabbing downward.

"Damn it!" Mordred raised his dagger, Carnwennan radiating its dark aura once again. "Don't underestimate me! I am a member of the noble Pendragon family! I'll make you bow to me! This is my reality, you piece of shit!" A large volley of daggers formed in the air around Shirou, forming an almost perfect dome. "NOW DIE!"

"Young Master!" Kalawarner started forward, but was too late.

The daggers flew.

Every single one stabbed into a part of Shirou Fujimura.

He stood there, stunned, before turning to Mordred. There was silence...the daggers faded away.

* * *

 **Position Music - Kingdom of Avilion (Jo Blackenburg)**

* * *

Blood spewed from Shirou's open wounds, the sudden pain and agony causing him to stumble forward like a drunkard. He tried using his hands to put pressure on the blood-oozing wounds across his front. The blood dripped down his shirt and pants, drizzling across the ground below him. He tried stepping forward, only to almost trip over the dirt and falling back to one knee.

"What are you doing?" Mordred asked, quickly assuming an unimpressed expression.

Shirou keeled over, breathing heavily as blood trailed from the corners of his mouth. "I'm not about to lay down and take it like a bitch..." He coughed out. "...I've come so far. There had to be a reason for that, right?"

Mordred raised a brow, curious. "What are you going on about?"

"You said that you don't need bonds in order to survive. That all that matters is your own survival above all others..but what the Hell is survival good for! Without a meaningful attachment to other people, what's the point!?" Shirou snapped. "Life is meaningless if you don't have someone beside you! The good times, the bad times, the hardships, the joy, the sorrow, they all mean nothing!"

"I don't understand," Mordred said uncaringly. "What you said is terribly irrational. Bonds are just an abstract ideal. You yourself cannot even explain what they are."

"That may be true," Shirou admitted, "but I know they're there and that's enough. Every time I falter, they're there to pick me right back up. And no matter how badly you cut me or torture me, or even if you kill me, that's one thing you'll never be able to take away from me!"

"Enough," Mordred scowled, raising his blade. "Your body will still be useful...even if it's in pieces!" Mordred snapped his fingers, conjuring countless daggers around Shirou.

"Go ahead!" Shirou taunted. "Your power may destroy my body, but it cannot touch my heart. No matter what, I won't be swallowed by the darkness ever again..."

CRACK

Small cracks formed in the sky above them, causing Mordred to stare in shock and horror. He took a few steps, watching as the cracks carves through the entire sky above as if it were made of glass.

CRACK! CRACK!

Shirou closed his eyes. "I will reject this reality of yours...

Shirou opened his eyes, his irises glowing a crystalline blue. Walls of silvery-blue aura rose around him, like the closing petals of a flower in winter.

"-AND SUPPLANT IT WITH MY OWN!"

CRASH!

The dark sky above them shattered like glass, raining down in glowing, ice-like shards which quickly crumbled into a snow-like dust around them. It was like a rain of miniature falling stars. Shirou lowered his had, letting the flakes of light fall into his open hands, blinking slightly before fizzling out. The white light of the silvery moon shone down on them through the leaves of the trees surrounding them.

"I-Impossible...!" Mordred gasped, pointing his blade in Shirou's direction. "Those bastards broke the barrier!?"

"Damn it! This whole operation is going to shit and now THIS!? A Low-Class Devil like you never should have been able to break my illusion!" Mordred screeched. "How did you even know!?"

Shirou smirked, wincing as he stood up straight. "You made it too obvious...Those daggers of yours, your dreams," He chuckled, "they're all fake. Nothing more than illusions. That's why I never detected a hint of killing intent when you attacked us with your other weapons and magic. You can't sense what doesn't exist."

"Oh?" Mordred asked, his glass smile cracking the longer Shirou spoke. "Then how do you explain the pain I caused and injuries you and Akeno-chan sustain..." He trailed off, watching in horror as the injuries across Shirou's flesh slowly began to vanish. "Don't tell me..."

"The power of Carnwennan is that of illusions, but it's so much more than that," Shirou noted. "It's the power to completely control someone's perception, to manipulate the way the five senses react. Even though Akeno and I tried to block and avoid your attacks, they always came back to hit us. They phased through our barriers and defenses because they didn't exist. You only made us believe they existed by slashing our clothes and deceiving our eyes with Carnwennan's illusions, using its power to control our senses to force us to interpret the pain as real. Every single injury is fake." And sure enough, Shirou stood strongly, showing no hint of pain or injury aside from torn clothes. "I've seen right through you.

The white-haired youth raised his head, turning his smiling face towards Akeno, an almost serene look on his face. "It's okay. I'll wake you up soon. Just give me a little more time." The way he smiled at her, there was not a shred of doubt. Not a hint of despair. It honestly made Kalawarner's heart skip a few beats and made her turn green with envy. "It's actually because of Mordred that I finally figured it out..." He looked at his body, not a single trace of blood or injury to be found.

"Figured WHAT out?" Mordred spat, narrowing his eyes.

"No matter what, I'm not alone," Shirou said. "I can hear their voices loud and clear."

[Don't tell me your tenaciousness is this fragile, Dog?]

[Are you really going to let someone like this beat you, Senpai...?]

[Keep fighting, Senpai!]

[We're all with you all the way!]

[You can do it! Beat that asshole into the dirt!]

[Shirou-san!]

[Shirou-chin!]

[Young Master!]

[Stand up, Shirou!]

He placed a hand over his heart, smiling as the aura around him began to brighten considerably, dispersing the dust of light further around the area.

He saw her face as well. He could feel the warmth she shared with him.

[Shirou, no matter what, I believe in you.]

He faced Mordred, a new fire lit in his eyes. "They're telling me to defeat you!" He extended his left arm stump towards the Pendragon, the aura intensifying around where his arm had once been. He turned his head to Kalawarner, the woman flinching as if she didn't recognize him. "Kalawarner, do you still have the tools Ka-san left to me?"

The Fallen maid hesitated for a moment before nodding, reaching out into empty air, a magic circle appearing in from of her hands before she reached into it. Similar to Xenovia's Durandal, what Kalawarner sought laid in its own little pocket dimension. She reached in both hands, dragging out the handle of a chest followed by the whole thing which she cradled in her arms. She leaned forward, whispering a few words.

The chest clicked, the top popping open.

"Young Master..."

"Lemme have it!" Shirou said, grinning cheerfully. Kalawarner paused for a moment before returning his smile, nodding.

"Here weeeee-go!" Kalawarner grabbed the chest by the handle on one side, getting a good spin before throwing the contents through the open chest and into the open air. They flew for several moments before embedding in the ground around Shirou's feet.

Several blades of differing sizes.

The gifts left behind by Mikoto.

Mordred scoffed, readying his blade to fight. "So you broke one of my illusions! Don't get cocky!" The unholy dagger began to glow an unholy light. "No matter how much you struggle, no matter how strong your body is, your weak will is no match for my Carnwennan! I'll shatter your heart and then break your body!"

Shirou laughed. "You're right..." Shirou agreed. "I could keep fighting no matter how badly my body is broken, but it was my spirit that was weak." He coughed, almost vomiting out an ounce of blood. "I was the one always getting saved. No matter how hard I fought, I was always being propped up by someone else. I couldn't win with my own power. Before I became a Devil, I hated everything-no. More like I was scared of everything. All I had wanted back then was to die, sitting alone in the darkness, a shell who could only know despair...Then you all came and showed me the light. No matter how low I felt, you were always there by my side. Akeno, Kiyome, Issei, everyone, I ended up relying on all of them for everything..." Shirou took a small breath. "But not anymore..."

The temperature slowly began to drop, the small lights falling against the ground as if they were solid.

"What?" Mordred gasped, a mist of icy breath coming from his mouth. He swung his arm down, unleashing his projected daggers on Shirou only for them to shatter before even touching his skin. Mordred's eyes widened in shock. "What...What is this?!" He stepped back as the air began to tremble.

"Shirou...?" Kalawarner could only stare as Shirou's expression became more confident, the aura around him beginning to intensify in shape and size.

"I told you that won't work anymore!"

Massive amounts of whitish-blue aura began to pour off of Shirou's body, freezing the moisture in the air into icy mist. The sparkling lights that fell to the ground became sheets of ice around his feet, growing, expanding. They consumed the blades embedded around him, turning them into crude sculptures of ice. Shirou stepped forward, his footprints seeming to leave a new epicenter around which more of the ground would freeze like permafrost.

"I want to be strong...I'll become someone who isn't always relying on others. I'll become the person they'll be able to rely on instead..." Light surrounded Shirou's torso and left arm. "...I'm going to protect them-NO MATTER WHAT!"

A massive column of light shot up from the ground, wrapping around his body. Raw power, befitting that of a true Devil, filled the air, causing everything within the barrier to shake violently.

The bracelet around Shirou's right wrist shattered completely.

[This is it, Devil-pup...You've finally reached your pinnacle!]

The corners of Shirou's mouth curved upward into a wicked smirk. "That's right...I've felt this power before! Kiba and Vali...this must be what they felt!"

[Do it, fledgling! Unleash your inner beast! Let not even the divine defy you! Use your fangs to rip apart all who stand in opposition!]

"No problem! Let's do it together, Wolf!"

[Now! Call my name!]

Shirou raised his into the air, letting out a bestial roar.

"Lend me your strength! FENRIR!"

"Raaaaaaaaugh!" Mordred raised his arms, being blinded at the vortex around him which produced a gale filled with sharp flakes of ice moving at typhoon-level speeds.

"Mordred Pendragon, in order to protect that which I cherish, I will defeat you!"

[Balance Breaker!]

And so around them was born a world of ice...

* * *

 **Next Chapter -** The Forbidden Move! Balance Breaker: Nilfheimr Howl Rhapsody!

* * *

 **Originally considered Last Stardust by Aimer for Shirou unlocking Balance Breaker, but it didn't quite fit. Thank you to DarkAkatsuk1 for helping me decide what music to use! You rock, Brokatsuki!**

 **Next chapter will be the conclusion of Shirou and Mordred's fight but Volume 1 of Devil Reborn Redux will conclude in the chapter afterwards.**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	55. Chapter 49: The Forbidden Move!

**IMPORTANT NOTE: I created a poll to decide who trains Shirou for Volume 2. YOU have the opportunity to influence my decision! However, if the top results are painfully close like less than 2 or 3 votes apart, I may take liberties...maybe. Probably not. I'm too lazy and indecisive to make a choice of my own. :P**

 **PS: Bleach Episode 260 is best episode. There are more feels, character development, and emotional moments than the rest of the series put together (which isn't really a lot to begin with). It's moving. The last arc of the Bleach manga suuuuuuuuuuuuucked! Come and get me bitches! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAAA!**

 **Disclaimer: I'm just going to go out on a record and say I don't own a damned thing besides Shirou. High School DxD, High School DxD New, High School DxD BorN, and all related media are the property of Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Funimation, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the official release!**

* * *

 **Chapter** **49: The Forbidden Move! Balance Breaker: Nilfheimr Howl Rhapsody!**

The raw explosion of power.

Over the course of her long life, Kalawarner had only seen it a handful of times. Few enough that she could count them on one hand.

-Balance Breaker.

Kalawarner had to create a barrier around her and Akeno to prevent them from being damaged by its effects and even then the barrier only barely held. Her vision was completely obscured by the rapid-moving ice that erupted forth from the column of magic that Shirou had generated. If Kalawarner had been even a slight less focused, the barrier would have broken.

On the other side, Mordred was showing similar struggles. Unfortunately, due to a lack of ability in magic, he had no real means of defending against the blizzard. There was no choice but to endure the bitter, freezing cold, doing his best to use Carnwennan's aura to keep himself from freezing to death. He didn't take it quietly, but whatever curses and insults he screamed were lost amidst the roaring winds.

It was not much longer until the roaring died down and the light began to fade.

And that was when Kalawarner saw it...

"It...It's..."

 _Beautiful_.

When she was finally able to get a good look around, she immediately noticed how the surrounding area had become completely white, the moonlight reflecting off of the nigh infinite number of ice crystals that had collected on the ground and the leaves of the trees and brush. Several protrusions, spires made of ice, stuck out of the ground.

"What the Hell...?" Kalawarner immediately turned her attention to Mordred.

His entire body was trembling, chilled by the cold, his clothes soaked by the snow that melted from his body heat, only adding more suffering as a result of the freezing temperatures.

" _This_ ," A voice answered, "is the [Wolf's Ode to the Forgotten]."

Kalawarner gasped when she laid her eyes on the voice's owner.

Emblazoned across the back of the biker jacket that replaced his normal attire was the emblem of a wolf. Light-gray fur lined the collar and cuffs. A chain and dagger wrapped around his right arm. Replacing the left arm he had lost was an arctic-blue gauntlet with a violet gem embedded in the center of the back of his hand. A shoulder guard in the shape of a wolf's head adorned his left shoulder, the entire left side of his body radiating an icy aura.

Perhaps what was most notable was his hair. It had changed from a snow-white color to a more silvery shade, practically glowing in the moonlight.

"Properly known as the Balance Breaker of Canis Regalia," Shirou continued, "[Nilfheimr Howl Rhapsody]."

"No way..." Mordred grit his teeth, staring murderously at the youth before him. "This isn't what the intel said...There's no way a loser like you could have been able to unlock Balance Breaker! No more than a few minutes ago, your power was lower than even a Low-Class Devil!"

Shirou simply shrugged. "Don't ask me to try and explain it," He said coolly, surprisingly lax in light of the situation. "Honestly, I have no clue how I got to this point, but here we are."

"Here we are," Mordred agreed, narrowing his eyes at Shirou. This was the first time in their entire exchange that he had ever considered the white/silver-haired youth to be a legitimate threat. "Don't get cocky just because you unlocked Balance Breaker! That was nothing more than a fluke! I still have years of training over you and the weapons of my family cannot be bested by a lowly commoner like you!" Like a breath of air, he was gone, vanished in an instant.

In the split-second after his disappearance, Shirou turned his head to glance at Kalawarner and Akeno from the corner of his vision. It was then that Kalawarner noticed the silver mask covering the lower half of his face, an appearance like that of a wolf's maw.

"Kalawarner, focus all of your magic on protecting yourself and Akeno," He said-no- _ordered_. Kalawarner could only give a stunned nod. "Coz this is about to get a bit chaotic." He lashed out with his gauntlet, just in time to catch Mordred's dagger on the back of his hand, sparks scattering as the sharp edge scraped along the gauntlet.

Six rapid slashes screeched against Shirou's armor, Shirou blocking each attack by a frustrated Mordred. Shirou narrowed his eyes and tightened his left fist.

"Take this!" Its violet gem glowing, the gauntlet around Shirou's left fist collided with the right side of Mordred's face, the blow sending him soaring through the air, crashing through several trees, completely breaking through them. Mordred kicked out his foot toward the ground, the sudden jerking causing him to orient right-side-up and stabbing his dagger into the ground to slow and eventually stop his flight.

It was only after getting a good look that Shirou noticed Mordred's jaw slanting awkwardly to his right. Dislocated.

Realizing his disfigurement, Mordred grasped the top of his head and the bottom of his jaw, pushing fiercely before a satisfying _crack_ was heard. Mordred rubbed his jaw, wincing slightly as if he had just pulled off a band-aid.

"So that gauntlet is more than just defense," Mordred presumed. "It also drastically increases your strength, for your left arm at least." He brandished his dagger, smirking. "If your left arm is the problem, then I'll just have to cut it off again!" He lunged forward again with a savage smile, stabbing forward.

Shirou raised his arm to block the strike again, lashing out only for his left hand to phase completely through the image of Mordred. "Behind me!" Sure enough, Mordred appeared from the air behind him, stabbing his dagger downward at his neck, failing to notice Shirou's right hand reaching out for one of the spires of ice. Time itself seemed to slow in those few seconds.

"Now die!"

Shirou's hand grasped around the spire, a bright light radiating from it.

"No chance!"

He spun full-circle, lifting the spire and meeting Mordred's blade with it.

A crystalline-white sword replaced the spire completely, the clash of the two blades generating a powerful shockwave that ripped through the air like a fierce squall.

Mordred grit his teeth, using Shirou's blade as a vault to push against, flipping himself about in mid-air, just enough that he could orient his leg above Shirou's head before bringing it down. The blow resounded against Shirou's gauntlet, causing him to stumble back a few steps. Mordred back-flipped through the air, landing several meters away.

Carnwennan started to glow with holy aura, Mordred smirked. "Let me give you a taste of Carwennan's holy energy!" Mordred swiped through the air with his dagger, releasing the concentrated holy power in a single blast towards Shirou.

"You're not the only one with cool sword slashes, Mordred," Shirou retorted, gathering his own demonic power into his blade. "Right back at ya!" Releasing magic from the tip of his blade, Shirou lashed out with a powerful concentration of demonic ice to counter Mordred's holy power, both attacks colliding in an explosion. "Is this really the best you got?"

Mordred growled in response. "Suffer and perish!" Mordred gathered the dark aura in his dagger before slashing downward, unleashing a flurry of tendrils with the heads of beasts at him.

Shirou instinctively slashed through them, dispersing the illusion seconds before Mordred appeared in front of him, lashing out violently with his dagger. Hit-and-runs, flurries of blows, heavy swings, Mordred began showing the true extent of his swordplay and footwork. If Shirou had failed to defend against a single one of Mordred's attacks, it would have been fatal. Shirou was lucky to have both his sword and his gauntlet, able to maneuver just right to be able to block a strike from any direction. He attempted to punch Mordred with his gauntlet, Mordred being knocked through the air as he caught the blow with the flat of his blade.

"Not just your strength, but your speed has increased as well. With that Balance Breaker, it's no wonder you're able to keep up with my blows," Mordred noted, appearing several feet away, stance ready to strike again. However, his cautious expression was again replaced by his sadistic grin. "But if that's really all you got, you're royally screwed!" He vanished again, suddenly appearing beside Shirou. "Enough of that sword!"

 _Craaack_

Before Shirou could raise his right arm, there was the sound of breaking ice. His sword had been viciously knocked from his hand into the air, followed by several severe bisections from Mordred's blade as the youth appeared in the air next to it.

"It's over!" Spinning mid-air, Mordred dived at Shirou, the latter taking two calm steps back, extending his hands outward.

There were two small glows of light from the snow-coated ground before two spires, one taller than the other, shot forth from the ground. Shirou wrapped his hands around the top parts...

"Hahahahaha!" Mordred laughed gleefully, going for the decapitating strike-

 _CLANG_

Only for the dagger's edge to be caught between two other blades. One, a giant cleaver with a black back and silvery-white edge, the other, a curved, misshapen dagger of a far less elegant design than Carnwennan.

"What!?" Mordred stared in shock at the two new blades had produced out of nowhere. Furious, he manipulated the holy aura of the dagger, increasing its strength and twisting violently, cracking the edges of the blades that contained it. "Where did you get those two blades from!?"

Realizing the blades were done for, Shirou broke them deliberately against Mordred's dagger, flinging pieces of shrapnel in Mordred's direction. Just enough to distract him.

Shirou extended his hand, an even larger of spire of ice shooting up from the ground, this time completely, and landing in Shirou's hand. The ice began to crack and break away, revealing a large, icy-white zweihander in Shirou's hands.

"It's part of my Balance Breaker," Shirou answered, rushing at Mordred with his heavy sword. Despite its weight, Shirou moved incredibly fast, exchanging blows with Mordred on an equal level. However, sure enough, after a particularly powerful blow that caused a large shockwave to resound from where the blades met, the large blade, too, began to crack. "Again!" Another spire. Another sword. More blows exchanged. Another broken sword. The cycle repeated, Shirou not showing a single sign of wear. Parrying Mordred's strikes and returning with some of his own. "They're _nothing_ compared to the original articles, similar to Kiba's Sword Birth compared to Demon Swords, but I can make as many copies as I want of the items I assimilate into Canis Reglia! The items I've assimilated up to this point, the blades Kalawarner gave me from Ka-san, they're all right here! Beneath the surface!"

More spires shot up from the ground, littering the surface of the snowy wonderland around them.

"Each spire of ice is another blade awaiting its awakening!" Breaking another sword, Shirou rushed forward, grasping another new blade and going on the offensive, striking with enough force to force Mordred to retreat several steps. It was almost like some sort of twisted dance, both of them unwavering in their attempt to stab the other, screeching music produced every time their blades met.

"Get away from me!" Mordred's dagger glowed a dark aura again.

"Augh!" Shirou instinctively stepped away as Mordred's left hand shapeshifted into a vicious cobra's head which swiped at him. "Damn it!"

Mordred retreated several steps, his hand miraculously turning back to "normal". "Make as many swords as you like! They're all just cheap imitations that can't match my blade!" He extended his dagger, unleashing several illusory beasts in Shirou's direction, Shirou viciously slashing them away. His ability to see through what they were severely lessened their ability, however. At the moment, Mordred's illusions would serve no more than momentary distractions. Even then, Shirou could easily cut through them. "In the end, all you can do is make swords? That's such a lame ability~! What a let-down for the so-called power that destroys the world's balance~!"

"Then let me show you some of Canis Regalia's true power!" Shirou retorted, stabbing his sword into the ground. Crackles of demonic power danced off the flat of the blade into the ground.

Cracks began to form across the icy surface, spreading swiftly for meters around.

There was an almost inhuman roar as the ground suddenly broke apart and raged like an uneasy ocean, waves of ices rocking the area. It was like a high-ranked earthquake, throwing huge boulders of ice, including the chunk of land Mordred was standing on into the air.

"Is that it!?" Mordred taunted, regaining his balance and leaping from boulder to boulder in a journey to return to the ground.

"Not quite!" Shirou extended his open hand before closing it. "Nilfheimr Iceberg!"

Mordred's eyes widened as the ice boulders around him suddenly slowed, changing directions before firing forward like icy cannon balls. What he couldn't avoid, he cut in half with his dagger, narrowly avoiding being crushed.

Shirou slashed through the air with his sword. "Splintering Iceberg!" The boulders surrounding Mordred suddenly shattered into what could have been hundreds of pieces of jagged ice surrounding Mordred like a shell. "

Then, as if thrown by an unseen force, the countless pieces of ice shot towards Mordred.

"Screw that!" Mordred leaped from one block of ice, intending to escape towards the ground.

"Hunt, Gleipnir!" Shirou extended his right hand attached to which was a small dagger and chain. By Shirou's command, the dagger began to tremble slightly before launching from his wrist, chasing after Mordred. Mordred attempted to dodge aerially, but the dagger pursued him no matter how fiercely Mordred dodged. It was as though the dagger had a mind of its own, flying through the air and turning at impossible angles before finally slipping past Mordred's guard, wrapping its chain tightly around his leg.

Mordred's eyes widened. "What?!" He only had a second to process what happened before Shirou yanked the chain, dragging Mordred back into the field of jagged ice shards.

"Tundra Burial!

Even from the get-go, it was obvious that Mordred would not be able to block the pieces of ice, but he gave his damned best try, slashing desperately as ice shards flew past him, cutting him severely and shredding a fair deal of his clothing.

"Aaaauuuuuggghhh!" The shards individually were not very wounding or powerful, but over hundreds of them striking simultaneously across every part of his body? It was like wading through a flood of broken glass and razor blades.

Mordred impacted painfully against the ground once the ice stopped flying. Only after a light moan of pain was he able to get back up.

"Damn..." He turned to Shirou with an expression of seething fury. "DAMN YOU!" Again, he dashed forward, suddenly disappearing.

Shirou didn't react. "If it wasn't obvious before, then I'll make it plain," He said, "this whole "world of ice" is my Balance Breaker! Every blade, every ounce of magic, every ice crystal! They're all mine to use! Let me show you!" A harsh wind blew through the air, collecting a mountain of snow from the ground and lifting it into the air. The snow began to separate into dozens of narrow, cylindrical shapes before compressing further, becoming flat with parts being cut out to the point the shapes resembled leaf-like blades. "Have a taste of your own medicine!"

The ice daggers, almost with a mind of their own, flew toward what appeared to be empty air.

Mordred appeared next to Shirou, diving below him and stabbing upward. "I got you now!"

Shirou only closed his eyes, refusing to act as the assailant's blade passed through him... _all the way_ through him, the Mordred next to him nothing more than an illusion.

SSSHHHLLLCCK!

"Raaaaauuuuuuggghhh!" The air shimmered before Mordred returned to Shirou's line of sight, screaming in pain at the blades that pierced his body. He groaned as he ripped them out. "You worthless Devils! Your death will be slow and gruesome for this! So much so that you'll wish you had just vanished into the dream I threw you into! Who do you think you are?!"

Shirou gestured to himself. "The name's Shirou Fujimura; The Demon King of Kuoh, descendant of the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, possessor of the God-Killing Wolf, and the Pawn of Rias Gremory, a Devil! Above all else, I'm the man who's going to kick your ass!"

"Damn yoooooooouuuuu!" Mordred sprinted forward, a mad look in his eye, as if there was no goal in his life besides murdering Shirou. Every time his feet touched the ground, thin tendrils of ice would rise over the top of his shoes, attempting to ensnare his feet.

Dozens of ice spires shot up from the ground to impede his path, but all were cut to pieces except for the rare few that grazed his sides, legs, and arms.

"That's enough," Shirou said calmly, raising his own blade.

There was a flash of light as sparks erupted from the two blades..

Blood sprayed across the ground.

The two swordsmen stood back-to-back.

"Even though I detest you," Shirou grunted, hunching forward, "you're a pretty good swordsman."

"Go...fuck yourself...!" Mordred hissed before blood spewed from an open wound in his shoulder, the pain causing him to drop Carnwennan as a reaction. "Augh!" He felt to one knee, clutching his new wound in agony.

Shirou stood up straight, turning to face Mordred with his blade pointed forward. Mordred tried to stand up, but fell to all-fours. "It's over, Mordred," Shirou declared. "Even if you had the will to keep fighting, your magical power is probably all used up by now. Even if your attacks were fake, the magic it cost to produce them wasn't."

"It's...over...?" Mordred parroted. He reached a hand to a small cut oozing blood, a light graze, on his face. "It's...over...?"

Shirou raised a brow, stepping away cautiously as Mordred's body began to tremble.

"Heh...Heheh...Hehehehehehehe-Hahahahahahahaha!" His laughter, however loud it was, even though it was directed towards the heavens themselves, did not contain a shred of humor. Beneath the apparent good cheer was only one feeling: Rage. "It's..."over"? Don't you fuck with me!" He turned to Shirou, blood oozing from the cuts to his face in larger amounts. "Don't you dare look down on me! You're a pathetic beast! A monster spawned by the lowest forms of pond scum! Don't you ever look down on me! I'm Mordred Pendragon, the second son of the current head of the Pendragon family! I will demand your respect! I will demand your OBEDIENCE!" He stood up from the ground, tightly clutching his dagger. "I'll kill you...I'LL REALLY KILL YOOOOOOUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" The dark aura surrounding Carnwennan intensified to an extent that, even with his awareness, Shirou couldn't help but feel threatened. "No more joking around!" He slashed out with Carnwennan, a terrifying creature that no words could describe shooting towards Shirou.

Despite his instance of fear, Shirou held-fast, raising his sword. He stood unflinching as the beast approached him. "I told you already! Your illusions don't work!"

"You should learn to use your eyes better!" It was Mordred's next words that made him freeze in realization...then in pain-filled shock.

As the beast opened its mouth, Shirou saw a glint of light in its "throat".

Then he barely saw anything at all.

It took a moment before the ungodly pain in his right arm kicked in.

"AAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGHHHH!" Fire inside his own eye socket. That was the pain that Shirou was inflicted with as Carnwennan carved through his right eye, shooting through the air before embedding in a tree that had fallen during the previous chaos. Even though he had shown a resistance to holy power, the blow from Carnwennan proved that a hit from the genuine articles were significantly less harmless.

"I got you!"

Shirou only realized what happened with a large weight thudded against his front, hands tightly grasping his shoulders, the fingers sinking into the lining of his jacket.

"Young Master!" Kalawarner immediately attempted to rush to his side.

"Stay back!" Shirou ordered, clutching his wounded eye in pain and blood dripped from in-between his fingers.

"I admit it!" Mordred cackled maliciously. "I underestimated you! The loser of Kuoh, the so-called "Demon King"! I thought you were nothing more than a joke. I was mistaken~" He extended his hand, an unfamiliar emblem appearing on the front of his chest. His expression showed no single emotion. In the end, it amounted to madness. "But rest assured, I won't make that mistake again! This self-destruction spell will kill the both of us! I won't fall before a lowly common Devil! I'll drag you straight to Hell with me!"

"Bastard! Are you this much of a sore loser!?" Shirou snapped, realizing the severity of his current situation as similar emblems were burned into his shoulders.

"Don't you lecture me!" Mordred barked, laughing in his madness. "I am a member of the noble Pendragon family! Losing to some Devil would be a stain on our reputation! I won't let our name be dragged down by the likes of you!"

"So you're really going to just blow yourself up!?"

"Blow myself up? Noooo~" Mordred replied pleasantly. "The actual process involves me cursing both of our bodies which will then proceed to rot from the inside until the loss of our internal organs cause our bodies to stop functioning entirely. No big deal~"

There was no humor on Mordred's face.

He wasn't joking.

If he completed the spell, both of them would die.

If one of them acted before then, only one of them would die.

"Mordred, I'm giving you one final chance," Shirou warned. "Even if what you've done is unforgivable, you still have the chance to live." Shirou clenched his fists at his side, his arms trembling with each of his words. Mordred either didn't notice or didn't care about the "awoken" blades rising out of the ground behind him.

"What's the point in a life where I live off of the mercy of a pathetic idiot like you?" Mordred spat. "Even if I become a rotting corpse in the ground, I'll be satisfied as long as yours is the coffin next to mine!"

"They don't bury terrorists," Shirou retorted, not helping his situation in the slightest. The blades behind Mordred began straightening in the air, picking their targets. He knew there was only one way, but... "Don't do this, Mordred."

Mordred scoffed. "Begging for your life? Save your breath!"

"If you don't stop now, I'll-"

"You'll _want_?" Mordred taunted. "Kill me? Please, we both know you don't have the balls!" He gave a toothy grin. "Go ahead and kill me if you think you can! I know it'd only be a flick of your wrist~! Come oooon, Shirou-kyun~ Try it~!"

Shirou closed his eyes. The blades twitched in the air, like rabid dogs just waiting to be let off their leash.

He focused on everything Mordred had done to him and his friends.

It was the only way he could completely ignore the living, sentient "person" in front of him.

Calling him "brother-killer".

Insulting his friends.

Kidnapping Kiyome.

Torturing Kiyome.

Torturing Akeno.

Attacking him.

Attempting to murder Akeno and Kiyome.

Aiding the terrorists.

Attempting to murder his friends.

All reasons that Mordred Pendragon... _should die._

Shirou made a motion with his fingers.

There was the sound of metal flying through air.

SSHHHLLLCCK! SSHHHLLLCCK! SSHHHLLLCCK! SSHHHLLLCCK!

"Aaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Thirteen blades flew through the air.

Thirteen blades pierced through Mordred Pendragon's back.

Thirteen blade tips jutted out of his front-side.

The blood from the thirteen holes in Mordred's body leaked down his chest, staining his clothes red.

Mordred's head jerked forward and vomited blood before falling forward, limp. His body slumped back before falling back into the snow.

Shirou remained silent for one second. Then two seconds. Then three. All time spent calming his breathing.

Kalawarner stepped forward slowly and cautiously. "Are you...alright...?" She asked.

Shirou took a deep breath. "I'm-"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Shirou almost tripped over himself backing away in shock as Mordred began laughing satirically. "...!"

Mordred, blood dripping from his lips, sat his head up, still grinning at Shirou. "Don't tell me that was your big murder attempt~? Gaugfh!" He hacked up blood, his good cheer not fading in the slightest. "Thirteen swords and not a single vital point..." He scowled, suddenly seeming displeased. "You're so pathetic...Even with your own life at stake, you can't take someone else's..."

"..."

Mordred sighed. "Whatever..." He mumbled as he dyed the snow red with his own blood. "Honestly, it's only now that I realized it: We were both played for fools."

"Huh?" Shirou stared curiously at the bloody youth on the ground in front of him.

"Tch..." Clicking his tongue, Mordred laid back in the snow. "Nobody arrived at all. Taking you was never the plan...So, in the end, even I was disposable...Heheheheheh~" He seemed to between irritation and amusement at incredible speeds. He sighed again. "So what are you going to do now, Shirou-kyun~...Are you going to kill me? You'll really die if you don't."

Shirou grit his teeth, the ground beneath him glowing as another sword hilt rose to his hand.

He took another breath, trudging forward, dragging his sword through the heavy snow behind him.

"Come on~ Come on~ Come on~ What are you gonna do, Shirou-kyun~" Mordred taunted, laughing manically even in the face of his own possible demise.

Shirou kept moving silently.

"One choice or the other~ What-are-you-gonna-do~?"

Shirou came to a stop in front of Mordred, his blade raised in front of his face.

"..." Mordred smirked at the empty look on Shirou's face. "So, what? You taking this pause for my benefit~? Hoping to make me see the error of my ways?"

Shirou continued staring emptily, but he didn't deny it.

"Well, don't bother," Mordred said. "I told you before: I'm just a borderline-sociopath. I don't feel things like remorse or pity, so you shouldn't feel anything like that towards me." Shirou's arms started to burn as the curse began to spread to the rest of his body. "Just lettin' you know though: Once you take that step, there's no turning back. So come on~ Let me be your first~ Do me~"

"I kind of want to kill you less when you phrase it like that..." Shirou stared at Mordred with a new-found expression of disgust, uncertainly raising and lowering his sword.

However, it was no joking matter. One or both of them would die. There was no doubt.

Shirou thought back to his friends.

The smiling faces he had sworn to protect.

The people he wanted to see again.

He weighed that against Mordred's crimes and, still, he could not find his answer.

It should have been easy, but it was not. Still...

There was no choice.

Shirou raised his sword in the air, aiming the blade downward at Mordred's heart.

"Come on, you coward," Mordred taunted. "I want to see the expression of anguish on your face...Show me the despair of taking a life..." He fell into a fit of coughing, hacking up blood.

Shirou closed his eyes, raising the blade to plunge it through Mordred for the final time.

SSSCCCHHLLLLK!

"Augh!"

A blade pierced through Mordred's heart.

"You..." Mordred's eyes widened for a moment before becoming half-lidded. "...hah...I guess that tasty anguish will exist only in my imagination..." He sighed. "You've won this one, crow-hag..."

Shirou looked up, stunned. "Kalawarner...?"

The Fallen Angel stood at Mordred's eyes, stabbing her spear of light down through Mordred's chest before letting it dissipate. "Your blood isn't worth staining my master's hands," She said calmly.

Mordred cackled. "...Whatever..." He muttered. "I just don't...give a fuck anymore..." He breathed out blood, his head hanging off to the side. "Such power...but you're still so weak, Shirou-kyun...Hahahahahahaha...!"

The cold, twisted laughter was the last noise to ever leave the mouth of the late Mordred Pendragon, second son and third child of the Pendragon family.

Shirou stared, chilled by the sadistic smile that remained etched into Mordred's face even after death.

"Shirou," Kalawarner said softly, placing a hand on Shirou's shoulder, "are you alright?"

Shirou exhaled, his misty breath passing through the openings in his face-mask. "...I'm fine." He turned his back, beginning to walk away. "Let's go wake up Akeno..."

* * *

"RESOUND! THUNDER!"

"AGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGAGA!"

The moment she opened her eyes, Akeno lashed out with her magic, electrocuting the poor soul foolish enough to stand before her until he became nothing more than a soot-covered body in the snow...

Snow?

Akeno sat up against the tree, light reflecting off of the white ground hurting her eyes for a moment.

She couldn't quite recall what had happened. One second, she was facing Mordred in battle. Then his dagger started to glow and, after that, there was darkness.

She remembered something...unpleasant. She couldn't quite remember what it was specifically...but it was painful. Something...horrific.

Over and over again to the point it remained a blank scar on her mind.

A terrible nightmare.

Whatever it was, she couldn't remember.

And when she woke up, she found herself face-to-face with some wolf-looking monster.

Naturally her first instinct had been to attack him.

"...Uuuugghhhhh..." The sooty body on the ground groaned before sitting up, rubbing his head. "That really hurrrrt..."

Akeno's eyes widened. "He's not affected?!" She knew she hadn't held back. She had legitimately tried to kill him!

"What was that for Akeno!?" The body snapped, sitting up.

Akeno blinked. "Huh...?" It was then that she got a better look.

His hair had obtained a silvery shine, his clothes had become a mix of a Digimon cosplayer and a biker thug, and a wolf-themed mask obscured the lower part of his face, but, when she got a good look, there was no mistaking him.

"Shirou...?" He looked so different, without a single injury, that it was an understandable confusion. "What...What happened to you...?" It was only then that she noticed both the snow and the unseasonably cold temperatures given that it was almost summer. "What happened to this place?"

"Balance Breaker," Shirou answered, straight-faced. "Balance Breaker happened."

Kalawarner, whom Akeno had also just noticed, nodded in confirmation. "Shirou unlocked his Balance Breaker while dueling with Mordred in order to protect you," She explained. "It was quite the sight to behold."

It was then that Akeno noticed the blood steadily streaming down the right side of Shirou's face. "Your eye..." She gasped in horror, Shirou raising a hand to cover the wound.

Despite the pain, he managed a goofy grin. "Don't you know, babe? Chicks dig battle scars..." He laughed weakly, trying to downplay the severity. Though he was able to overcome it in Balance Breaker, his depth perception had taken a serious blow with the loss of his eye.

Akeno looked around, detecting a distinct lack of danger in the atmosphere. "...And Mordred?" The sullen look on Shirou's face told Akeno that that was a question better left un-asked.

"Dead," was Shirou's terse answer. Akeno didn't inquire any further. He extended his hand to her, offering to help her up. "Come on. Everyone's probably waiting for us..." The mask on his face retracted, revealing a soft, gentle smile on his face. "Let's go to them..."

Akeno paused, a warm smile of her own as she reached out to grasp his hand. "Right." She tightly grabbed his hand, pulling-

"Uwaaah!" Only for Shirou to fall forward. He couldn't really recall what happened. Things suddenly went dark and there was a pleasantly soft texture pushing up against his face. "...What happened...?" He reached around, cupping the "object" firmly, squeezing experimentally several times before nodding several times, the brush against her areola causing Akeno to blush and whine a little. "Ah, I see..."

She smiled teasingly. "You normally wait til you're alone and in bed to do things like that, Shirou~" However, her amusment was replaced by curiosity as Shirou's armor, his weapon, and his clothes reverted, revealing the same torn and dirty clothes he had been wearing since the start of the battle. The only thing that remained was his silver hair. "What happened...?"

"I dunno..." Came Shirou's muffled voice from betwixt her bosoms. "...but I can't move a muscle. I mean it. This is _not_ an Issei-type thing I'm doing right now. This isn't deliberate and I am sorry..."

"More than likely," Kalawarner said through gritted teeth, biting her lower lip in suppressed envy at Akeno's position as his "pillow", "Shirou ran out of the energy necessary to maintain his Balance Breaker state, so his Sacred Gear reverted to normal to avoid overtaxing him. As it is, he'll probably be unable to do anything for a while."

[She is right.] agreed the god-killing wolf in his Sacred Gear. [In your fatigued state, it was impressive you maintained Balance Breaker for as long as you did. However, it's now taking its toll on you.]

 _"I see,"_ Shirou noted, trying to feel serious when his face was being smothered by Akeno's moon balloons, _"so there's a limit to Balance Breaker then."_

[Aye. But know that the feat of unlocking it to begin with is not one to make light of. Mastery over this skill will only come with time, so be patient, Devil-pup.]

 _"Ah..."_

[For now, rest. The night is not yet over.]

 _"Thanks...Fenrir..."_

As if by some silent signal, Akeno nodded to Kalawarner, both women positioning themselves next to Shirou, holding either of his arms over their shoulders as they supported him.

Shirou smiled weakly, exhaustion finally showing on his face. "Thanks guys..." He glanced up to the sky and opened his ears. "...I don't hear or see any explosions. Let's go see if the fighting's finally stopped..."

Together, supporting one another, the three returned to Kuoh Academy's main campus, leaving behind the corpse of the fallen...

* * *

 **Final Chapter -** The Peace After The Battle! A Summer of Departures and New Beginnings!

* * *

 **And so the battle between Shirou and Mordred comes to a close. In the end, Shirou couldn't make the choice. He didn't have the chance to.**

 **...**

 **Anywho~**

 **Next chapter is the finale of Devil Reborn Redux Volume 1!**

 **Now, I suppose you're all wondering where the concept of Canis Reglia's Balance Breaker, Nilfheimr Howl Rhapsody, originated. I know you're first instinct is to scream "UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS" but that would actually be incorrect. UBW was an influence, but it wasn't the origin of this Balance Breaker.**

 **In the original design of Canis Regalia's Balance Breaker, it was going to take the form of a giant battle spear with a gauntlet. Its primary skill was a powerful throwing skill that involved throwing the spear with enough force via the gauntlet-wearing hand could pierce any defense and impale any foe. This along with his clothes which gained enhanced defensive capabilities as well as increase his magical capabilities.**

 **However, I ultimately came to the conclusion that this was rather bland and lacked the versatility to match that of Kiba's Sword Birth/Blade Blacksmith or Issei's own techniques. I wanted to give Shirou more variety of what to do with his abilities. The base of what led to Nilfheimr Howl Rhapsody's creation was actually a technique from DxD.**

 **Celsius Cross Trigger, the signature (and only listed) move of Serafall Leviathan, was the actual inspiration for Nilfheimr Howl Rhapsody's bounded field. Converting the land to ice. Canis Regalia's Balance Breaker is similar but can only perform such an act on a much smaller scale and only the area around the user freezes upon the Balance Breaker's activation.**

 **If anyone else has questions about Canis Regalia, feel free to ask.**

 **Don't forget to vote on my poll!**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	56. Final Chapter: Summer of Departures

**For the winner...it was a tie. In case you're wondering, it's the obvious two choices. The only two people would possibly pick over Sairaorg-bro and a boss like Vali! However, it seems like such a shame, so I'm going to pick one and do something special with the other so don't be too downtrodden.**

 **For latest news or just to hear me express my thoughts, please follow me on twitter. My twitter handle is the same as my penname and my profile pic is Shirou. Shouldn be hard to miss.**

 **PS: Happy National Donut Day!**

 **Disclaimer: I'm just going to go out on a record and say I don't own a damned thing besides Shirou. High School DxD, High School DxD New, High School DxD BorN, and all related media are the property of Fushimi Shobo, TNK, Funimation, and Ichiei Ishibumi. Please support the official release!**

* * *

 **Final Chapter: The Peace After The Storm! A Summer of Departures and New Beginnings!**

"Shi-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan~"

"Oh I _so_ don't have the energy for this shit right now..."

Shirou groaned, experiencing what felt like hellish torment before he, Akeno, and Kalawarner had even cleared the brush of the woods.

He braced himself in annoyance as Serafall came dashing towards him like a child about to glomp their favorite toy (for no expression could be more accurate to describe Serafall Leviathan). It was only thanks to the timely intervention of Kalawarner stepping in front of him that this situation was avoided.

"Leviathan-sama, I understand your excitement, but the Young Master is in a tender state right now," Kalawarner explained, Serafall looking on in wonder. "It would be best not to overwhelm him."

"Mmmmm..." Serafall fumed silently, but accepted Kalawarner's words after seeing Shirou's wounded state. "Is my adorable co-star going to be okay...?"

"I'll be fine, Leviathan-sama-" Shirou paused upon noticing the annoyed look on the Maou's face. "-I mean...Sera...tan?" Serafall's smile quickly returned. Shirou leaned on Akeno for support, breathing softly. "I'm just a little drained..." He didn't bother fighting her on the "co-star" part. He clutched his wounded eye. Akeno had used some patch-job healing magic to stop the bleeding and prevent further damage, but it still stung a lot.

[A strong She-Wolf desires closer relationships. Only a fool fledgling would spurn her.]

 _"What?"_

[Her interest in you is powerful. Is this not the situation in which a virile pup of your species would seek to mate with the seeking She-Wolf?]

 _"Shut it, dog!"_ Shirou snapped at the voice in his head. _"First off, you're way off. Serafall is a strict siscon lesbian. Of that, I am sure. Second, even if that weren't the case, I'm not going to "mate" with a woman who could destroy my home country just for pissing her off. Third, I don't get why you're calling me a fool. I wasn't the one stupid enough to get sealed inside of a Sacred Gear!"_

[But you were the one stupid enough to get impaled pushing someone out of the way rather than tackling them and avoiding the tail altogether.]

 _"...That was a low blow, Fenrir. Low blow. I think I missed back when you didn't talk to me at all."_

Shirou turned his attention back to the Maou in front of him. "How's everyone else...?"

Serafall gestured behind her, "See for yourself~"

Half-carried by Kalawarner and Akeno, Shirou proceeded forward, over a dozen individuals coming into view. The leaders, Alma, and the young Devils...the Occult Research Club. His friends froze when they finally caught a glimpse of Shirou, immediately rushing to his side.

[Shirou!]

"Shirou-san!"

"Dog!"

"Senpai!"

"Shirou-senpai!"

Shirou raised his hand in greeting. "Yo...!" Akeno let Shirou try and stand on his own, lightly holding onto his arm in case he showed signs of falling. "How's it goin'?"

"You should have seen it!" Issei exclaimed, pumping his fist into the air. "I entered Balance Breaker thanks to one of Azazel's inventions and I totally kicked Vali's ass by being such a badass!"

"By being such a pervert is more like it," Koneko argued, giving Issei's ego a small blow.

"Yeah...?" Shirou raised a brow, smiling. "Sounds like quite the day. Sorry I missed it. Hehe..."

However, the uncertain look on Issei's face made it clear there was something else bugging him. Shirou had the feeling it wasn't such an easy win as Issei let on. "Anyway, what about you? You look like you've been through Hell...and what happened to your hair."

"You could say that," Shirou agreed. "We all kind of did...But we're alive and that's all that matters now. As for my hair...I dunno." Even after his Balance Breaker had deactivated, Shirou's hair had not lost its silvery shine. Akeno said it made him look "sexy". It was then that he noticed Gasper standing next to Koneko, absolutely beaming at him. Shirou's smile widened. "Oh hey, Gasper! You're finally out of your box!"

Gasper nodded shyly. "It-It's easier with my friends around...although I'm still a little scared..." However, he managed to summon a small amount of backbone, standing up straight. "I helped Buchou and the others!"

Shirou nodded. "Good job, buddy," Shirou praised, awed by the cute smile Gasper showed in his joy. Looking at him, Shirou couldn't help but feel Gasper underestimated his own growth. "Is everyone else alright? What about Kiyome...?" It was the question he had wanted to ask first, but he wanted to make sure everyone else was alright too. Kiyome hadn't been in too great of a shape when he had sent the call to Rias.

Asia stepped forward, looking nervous. "Shirou-san, Kiyome-senpai...she...the injuries on the outside of her body were superficial. However," Asia explained nervously, Shirou's heart sinking in his chest, "Shirou-san, she sustained a lot of internal damage over a long period of time. She-"

"She's fine," a green-haired girl interjected, sighing. "Really, for a former nun, you have the worst bed-side manner." The girl turned to Shirou, staring passively. "Kiyome Abe's injuries were severe, but we were able to reach where you left her in time. Asia Argento's Twilight Healing was able to bring her back to a stable condition. She won't be up and about for a few days, but, given time to rest, she will make a full recovery. She just needs to stay off of her feet."

Shirou looked around. "Where is she?" The green-haired girl placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him.

"We transported her home once the fighting stopped," The girl answered. "She's asleep and probably won't regain consciousness for half a day or so. Between severe dehydration, her injuries, as well as physical and mental exhaustion, I wouldn't be surprised if she slept for several days. People from our side will monitor her condition closely for signs of change. You can visit her once she awakes from her slumber."

Shirou nodded, heaving a heavy sigh of relief. "She's alive..." He said in a soft voice. "She's alive..." Tears streamed from his left eye, a bright smile on his face. "Thank goodness...!" He tried wiping his face, but more tears fell faster than he could wipe them away. "Thank you..." Shirou trailed off, staring blankly at the green-haired girl in front of him. "...whoever you are."

The girl stared with half-lidded eyes. "It's Alma, nitwit."

"Holy shit, you're a girl," Shirou breathed out before deciding to change the subject. "And what about the others...?"

"The time spell was undone thanks to the Dhampir," Azazel said, stepping in, petting Alma on the head. "After that, everyone unfroze and helped to take care of the enemy Magicians. Alma defeated Katerea and the Red Dragon Emperor managed to drive off Vali, and I presume you dealt with Mordred...?"

"...Yes," Shirou answered after a few moments, uncomfortable with the phrase "dealt with". "He won't hurt anyone ever again." He continued before anyone could have the time to let that sink in. "So everyone's fine and the enemy's been routed. That's good. It's all over." He looked into the sky, watching as the unfrozen armies of the Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels went to work, removing the bodies of the fallen and repairing the damage done to the school.

Everyone's eyes followed his, smiling.

"Finally," Rias said, "a joint effort between all of us."

"It looks like we really have achieved peace this time, doesn't it?" Akeno agreed, smiling in relief.

Shirou nodded. "To think what only seemed like a dream a few days ago is unfolding right before our eyes in reality."

However, the battle that night caused the question to pop into his head.

There was a whole organization out there filled with the same kind of people who attacked them that night.

How many powerful descendants? How many Magicians? How many Sacred Gear-users? How many _Mordred's_ did they have at their disposal?

It was an alarming thought.

They had gotten lucky, but if they ended up caught unawares again, they may not wind up as fortunate as they were this time around.

The Khaos Brigade was not an enemy they could afford to underestimate.

"Apologies, Azazel," Sirzechs said, approaching the group, "Katerea was one of _our_ internal issues."

Azazel waved it off. "Vali from our side caused a lot of problems as well. It was my mistake for not nipping that problem in the bud a long time ago."

Alma crossed her arms. "I told you you shouldn't have pampered him. Always praising him for blowing things up and attaining new power," Alma pointed out, "but never once scolding him for the wrong ways in which he used that power. But nooo, you would never let me bring out the belt."

"Your belt is studded with spikes," Azazel pointed out, "and blessed with holy water."

"Would have made for decent discipline."

Azazel sighed, brushing a hand through his hair. "Is now really the time for a lecture?"

Alma glanced from him to the leaders, then back to him. "I will drop this for the moment, but when we return home, it _will_ be discussed." Azazel rolled his eyes in response.

Looking at the two of them, they seemed more like an old married couple than a leader and his assistant.

"It appears everything truly is starting anew," Michael noted, hiding his amusement at the antics of Azazel and his assistant.

"Umm, Michael-sama," Issei said awkwardly, earning the Archangel's attention. "I was wondering if I could ask you a favor...?"

"As long as it is within my power," Michael answered reasonably, "anything."

"Do you think you could maybe allow Asia and Xenovia to start praying again?" Issei asked. "It would mean so much to them."

Not just Xenovia and Asia, but even GOD was surprised by Issei's request.

However, Michael's surprise was quickly replaced by a pleasant smile. "Well, ladies?" Michael questioned, turning to the former members of the Church. "Is that the truth?"

[Y-Yes!]

Both girls answered simultaneously.

"Then let me ask you this: Would you still pray even though you know God isn't here anymore?"

"Yes," Asia answered, "even though there is no God, I would love to be able to pray. It brings me comfort."

"Same for me," Xenovia agreed. "I would love to give thanks to God as well as you Chief Michael."

"I'll ask the same on their behalf," Irina interjected. "Please let them pray."

Xenovia stared in surprise at her former/not-former friend. "Irina...?"

"I didn't know the entire story and I was so devastated when I thought you had betrayed us," Irina explained mournfully. "I'm so sorry."

Xenovia smiled. "Well, don't be. There's nothing to apologize for."

"Asia," Irina turned to the former nun, "what I said to you was mean-spirited and just plain cruel."

"Oh not at all," Asia shook her head, "I'm used to it anyway!"

"I hope you can forgive me," Irina pleaded, lowering her head.

"No please," Asia answered obviously, "I wasn't even that upset, really!"

Irina nodded in relief, wiping tears from her eyes before turning to a third, unsuspecting Devil; Shirou.

Shirou stared awkwardly. "...Yo!" He greeted.

Irina lowered her head to him as well. "I suppose I owe you an equally large apology," She said. "I blamed you for both Issei's death and Xenovia becoming a Devil and the things I said to you were totally uncalled for. I can't truly express how sorry I am, especially upon learning that you kept the truth secret for my sake as a favor to Xenovia. She told me the truth about you, about everything, and I...I am _so_ sorry. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Shirou waved it off. "All water under the bridge," He said. "Lucky for you, I don't have the energy to stand up on my own let alone hold a grudge. Hahahahaha!"

Irina nodded in understanding, smiling. "Despite your outer disposition, you have a very forgiving soul."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Shirou responded lightheartedly.

Michael smiled. "Very well. I will fulfill your request as soon as I return to headquarters," Michael answered, turning back to Issei. "Two Devils who don't receive damage from praying will hardly be the end of the world."

"Oh merciful Chief Michael," Irina praised, her eyes watering.

"Yes, thank you!"

"Thank you so much!"

[Dear God-!]

However, out of the three believers, two of them suffered damage from prayers.

Michael smiled apologetically at the pain Xenovia and Asia suffered. "Haha...Please give me a little time. I have to return before I can carry out my promise."

"Oh! That reminds me!" Shirou's eyes widened before he reached for an object stuck into his belt. A dagger. "I wanted to give this to you before you left. I think this belongs to you, Michael-sama." Shirou extended the dagger's hilt towards the surprised Archangel. Shirou smiled shyly, scratching his cheek. "I honestly considered keeping it, but, as much as it didn't belong to Mordred, I don't think it belongs to me either. Carnwennan should be in the hands of the Church beside its fellow Holy Weapons."

Michael gingerly took the dagger from Shirou, holding it in both hands with a look of wonder on his face. "Carnwennan," He mused. "How long has it been since I've had such a good look at it...?" Michael looked up at Shirou. "And you trust that it will be in good hands with our side?"

"Well, considering the only other choices are Devils and Fallen Angels," Shirou joked, earning a small laugh from Michael as well, "I just think it's better that Carnwennan be in your hands."

Michael bowed slightly. "Your gracious gesture will not be forgotten, Nobunaga Oda," He said, wrapping Carnwennan in a holy cloth of sorts.

"Shirou," Shirou corrected. "My name is Fujimura Shirou. I don't want you guys addressing me by _his_ name even if it was the one I was born with the first time. Shirou, that was the name given to me by my mother, the Slash Empress, Mikoto Fujimura. It was the first thing I had gained in this world when I had nothing. It is _my_ name and a memorial to the woman who raised me. Even if she a replica, I want people to remember the person she was and the person she had raised... _sir_."

"As you wish," Michael agreed. However, before he turned away, Shirou could swear there was an emotional tear in his eye, moved by his words.

 _SNAP_

Azazel snapped his fingers, an expression of realization on his face. "That reminds me," He turned to the Maou Lucifer. "Wasn't there something you needed to say to the boy, Sirzechs?"

"Of course," Sirzechs confirmed. "I had nearly forgotten amidst all of the recent excitement." He turned his attention to Shirou, the youth gulping nervously as the strongest Maou approached him. "There was something I wanted wished to discuss with you after the conference. This seems to be as good a time as any."

"Y-Yes, Lucifer-sama," Shirou responded dutifully, standing at attention.

Sirzechs rubbed his chin, thinking deeply. "This was something that has been under consideration for a while now," He said vaguely. "It wasn't easy, but I made a decision regarding this matter. And after meeting you personally, Azazel, Serafall, and even Michael have given their endorsement." He stared at Shirou with serious eyes. "Your actions during the conflict with Kokabiel cannot go without notice or response, so, I am left with one choice."

Just a second ago, the world had been perfect, everything had been happy, but now...Shirou felt like everything was about to fall apart with Sirzechs' next words.

"You're going to lock me up," Shirou guessed, lowering his head, "aren't you?"

His friends gasped, Akeno stepping forward with her arm stretched out in front of him.

"Onii-sama...?!" Rias stared at her brother with wide eyes. She tried to approach him only for Grayfia to block her path, shaking her head. "Grayfia?"

The soft smile on Grayfia's face was...odd. For more reasons than just the fact Grayfia rarely ever smiled when she was acting as a maid of the Gremory family rather than Sirzechs' wife and Queen. "Have faith in Sirzechs-sama for just a little longer, Rias."

Rias blinked.

"I have no choice..."

Shirou closed his eyes in expectation.

"...but to give you a promotion."

"I understand, Lucifer-sama. I know that-" Shirou paused, his eyes shooting open. "Wait...Wait wait...What?"

Everyone aside from the high-ranked officials stared with similar shock.

[What?!]

Sirzechs snorted, covering his mouth with his hands as he drank in the looks on their faces. It could not be said that the Crimson Satan did not have a child-like spirit.

"I apologize for the somber tone," Sirzechs said, smiling. "I had not initially intended to make it sound as though it were something dire. I really am sorry for that. Haha!"

"...WHAT!?" Shirou said, his voice coming out a scream.

Sirzechs cleared his throat, noticing the sharp look Grayfia gave him for his lack of professionalism. "Yes, it was after careful consideration that we had deigned it appropriate to grant you a promotion."

Shirou stared blankly. "I repeat: WHAT!?"

"Sirzechs, he's as dense as the Red Dragon Emperor," Azazel mused, "you're going to have to be thorough on this." Shirou shot Azazel a sharp look, irritated as the Fallen Angel Governor smirked in amusement.

"Of course," Sirzechs agreed before turning back to Shirou. "In truth, we've been examining your progress after becoming a Devil ever since the Rating Game and, for one your age, it is impressive compared to what others have accomplished considering this era of relative peace. From what Rias has told me, you defeated a former-Mid Class Stray Devil on your own, you single-handedly dealt with a large force of rogue Exorcists and Fallen Angels-"

"Again, I would like to apologize on behalf of the people from my side," Azazel interjected.

"You also contributed a great deal during the Rating Game against Riser and, on top of that, you were the one who had the largest role in the defeat of Kokabiel, a rogue leader of the Grigori," Sirzechs said, completing his list.

"But I..."

"I am well-aware of the unfortunate event regarding Nobunaga," Sirzechs said, cutting Shirou off. He gestured to his fellow leaders. "All of us are."

The youths of the group stared again.

[Huh...?]

Azazel chuckled. "Unlike Mordred, Vali was at least a little more honest regarding what transpired. It was all in the report I sent to both Michael and Sirzechs," He stated.

"While a dangerous situation," Michael remarked, "we unanimously agreed you handled it well enough that it needed no intervention on our part, at least for the time-being."

"And, ironically, it was during those strenuous circumstances that you reached your pinnacle," Azazel continued.

"My...pinnacle?" Shirou frowned. He thought back to earlier, trying to figure out what Azazel meant.

"Your Sacred Gear." Azazel pointed at where Shirou's left arm used to be. "I sensed it almost immediately after seeing you for the first time. You were always around great powers like the heiress of the Gremory family, the daughter of Barakiel, the Durandal-user, the Holy-Demon Sword-user, Forbidden Balor View, and the Sekiryuutei, so it's no wonder none of them were able to notice your power. It was like one voice being drowned out in an ocean of screams."

Shirou sweatdropped. "Huh...? I still don't get it."

"Then let me spell it out for you: The reason you were unable to properly sense your Sacred Gear's power or that of others is because your own power was pouring out in drastic amounts. You wouldn't have realized it by just looking at yourself," Azazel explained. "Your friends had powers about on par, so none of you could have noticed it while you were together because it just mixed in with the background."

"..." Shirou stared blankly.

Azazel sighed, shaking his head. "OK, think of it like this: You fill a balloon with water. Naturally, when it becomes too full, it's bound to burst, the water pushing out of the weakest spot or exploding outward altogether," Azazel explained. "Alternatively, you could compare it to a cup being overfilled with water, rapidly overflowing."

"What's with all of the water analogies?" Shirou asked. "You're making me have to pee!"

BAM!

Kalawarner hit Shirou on the back of the head with her fist. "You should speak more respectfully toward the Fallen Angel Governor, Shirou."

Shirou groaned. "So, what you're saying is that I was already at Balance Breaker potential before my fight with Mordred?"

Azazel threw his hands into the air. "He can be taught!"

"Fuck off!"

"The reason you couldn't use your Sacred Gear for these past few days is _because_ it was at its peak," Azazel said, causing Shirou to pay a lot more attention to his words. "It couldn't figure out in which direction it should evolve. Your indecisiveness over your..." He glanced at Akeno and then Shirou. "... _personal matters_ complicated the evolution further. Your conflicted emotional state impeded its progress. And with your power just oozing out like that, I had to do something, so I gave you that bracelet."

"Bracelet...?" Shirou looked at his right wrist, noticing how the jewelry that had been in the envelope from the real Mikoto was gone.

"That was just a device I created." Azazel reached into his pocket and pulled out a bracelet similar to the one Shirou had before. "I used it on you to monitor and regulate your flow of demonic power."

Shirou paused. "...What?" However, it was not confusion that caused his pause. It was a different feeling.

"While your inability to use your Sacred Gear was a result of its ongoing evolution process, the reason as to why you were previously unable to access your normal demonic powers were because of that bracelet."

"Ah..." Shirou said tersely. "...that's what I thought you meant."

.

.

.

.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUGH!" Kalawarner and Akeno instinctively held onto Shirou as he lunged forward. "You sealed my powers away and DIDN'T TELL ME!? You SICK, TWISTED BASTARD! Do you know the Hell I endured thinking I had lost my powers forever!?"

"It was for the best," Azazel responded unrepentantly. "You couldn't control your power and it was important that the Khaos Brigade not know how far along you were."

Shirou stopped struggling against the grasps of his friends to consider Azazel's words. "What...?"

"That was the whole reason Mordred took you to begin with, wasn't it?" Azazel pointed out, his expression serious. "Not just him, but the Modified Humans you faced previously as well. Presumably, they all answer to the same higher-ups and, much like Sirzechs, they recognized your power and your potential. If they had realized you were already on the verge of Balance Breaker, they would have struck sooner and snatched you independently of the operation they engaged in tonight." Shirou considered this, Azazel continuing by saying, "Regardless of what you believe, it _was_ for your benefit. I'm sure you can stomach your hurt feelings long enough to realize that."

Shirou averted his eyes.

"This actually brings me to the second reason for your promotion," Sirzechs said, the atmosphere becoming a bit heavier than it was before. Shirou stared, curious. "With the Khaos Brigade and everything that has happened here, news of your power is bound to leak out to our factions as well as others. When that happens, others will certainly take a great deal of interest in you."

"I detect that that's a bad thing," Shirou noted.

"As a low-class Devil, you are still susceptible to the push/pull of the political world of the Devils," Sirzechs explained. "There are some in our society that not even a Maou's influence can oppose alone." Sirzechs let that sink in for a moment before continuing, "With your Balance Breaker and your untapped power as the descendant of the Demon King of the Sixth Heaven, it makes you a desired target. At your current level, if one of those in the upper echelons of society were to make a move, even I might be powerless to stop them as I cannot extend my authority over a certain individual without reason, even if they are my younger sister's servant-ESPECIALLY if they are my younger sister's servant."

Shirou considered this. "...So if I become a Mid-Class Devil..."

"The threat of this is lessened greatly," Sirzechs stated. "You would still be vulnerable to politicians, but your degree of independence due to your rank would grant you some advantage and you would have a greater amount of freedom in the Underworld. It would give you some cushion as you developed your powers further. With your potential, it is only a matter of time before you are capable of reaching the rank of High-Class."

"...High-Class...?"

Sirzechs nodded. "So what do you say?" Sirzechs asked. "Are you willing to advance to the station of a Mid-Class Devil, o' Demon King?"

Shirou remained silent for a moment, strongly considering the offer.

His friends stared at him in a mix of awe and anticipation.

It was an easy choice.

"I accept..."

"Woohoo!"

"Congrats, buddy!"

"Amazing, Young Master!"

One by one, Shirou's friends started congratulating him only to realize he opened his mouth to speak again-

"-that's what I'd like to say anyway." Everyone, even the leaders, were given pause at Shirou's answer, staring blankly at him. Even Grayfia raised a brow in curiosity at Shirou's response. "However, I humbly reject your offer."

Sirzechs didn't question Shirou's reasoning. All he asked was, "Are you sure?"

Shirou nodded. "Yes."

"But whyyyyy, Shi-chan!?" Serafall cried, puffing up her cheeks. If it wasn't obvious, Serafall Leviathan wasn't known for being the most tactful of the Maous. "Sirzechs-chan and I went through all of the trouble of whipping up this super duper special promotion for you and you just say no? Whyyyyyyy?"

"Onee-sama," Sona scolded, "don't be rude."

All of the attention made Shirou nervous. "Well...um..." He sighed, avoiding everyone's gazes. "I'm grateful, I really am. It's not that I don't want the promotion...I just don't think I _deserve it_ right now." A look of shame briefly flashed across his face. "Even though I"m supposedly this amazing Demon King, I still couldn't do anything against the Khaos Brigade while they hurt my friends. Even with my Balance Breaker, I was still too weak."

Akeno stared at her love with sad eyes. "Shirou..."

"Looking back at it, I've got a looong way to go. If I accept your offer now, it will only be for the sake of politics." He raised his head, smiling apologetically at Sirzechs. "If I advance through the ranks, I want it to be on my own merit because..." Shirou pointed towards the sky, smiling determinedly. "-I am the one who will become Maou and change this world!"

.

.

.

For a brief moment, everyone stood there in stunned silence.

"Hahahahahahaha!" Naturally, Azazel shattered it with his uproarious laughter, much to everyone else's annoyance.

"I'm serious!" Shirou snapped, blushing in embarrassment. "It took me a while to figure it out. I always talk about fighting so my friends can continue smiling, so everyone can live in peace, but I never really knew how to actualize that goal. It was actually thanks to Akeno and Gasper that I finally came to a conclusive answer. I'm going to tear apart the foundation of this broken society and create a better world for everyone! I know it'll be a long road ahead, but I will become a Maou! And with that power, I'll help to build a world where everyone can be happy and know what it means to smile with people they love!" Shirou sighed. "But before any of that, I have to get stronger! I need to surpass myself and become someone everyone will acknowledge all on my own! I can't do that if my promotions are just handed to me! Mark my words! Fujimura Shirou! That's the name of Low-Class Devil who will be Maou someday!"

Sirzechs smiled pleasantly. "With that type of energy, I have high expectations," He mused. Shirou couldn't tell if he was being patronizing or not. "If that is your wish, then I will abide by it. However, should the day come and you feel ready to rise through the ranks, the offer will always be on the table."

"Thank you, Maou-sama," Shirou said, bowing in respect to the leader of the Devils. He rose and prepared to move back before a thought came to mind. "Actually, there _is_ something I was hoping to ask of you and Grayfia..." He glanced at the silver-haired maid. "...-san."

"HMMMMMMMMMMMMM!" Serafall fumed silently in envy, her piercing gaze not going unnoticed by Shirou.

"And you too, Sera-tan," He sighed out reluctantly. Even if he wasn't going to ask her anyway (preferably over the phone where he could hang up the moment she started her high-pitched squealing), he had to at least extend the courtesy.

"Yaaaay!"

Sirzechs nodded. "We will discuss it once you have recovered from your injuries," Sirzechs negotiated, noticing Shirou's body was practically trembling from exhaustion. "Until then, you have my word I will not leave this town."

"That's good..." Shirou extended his hand towards the Maou. "Thank you."

Sirzechs stared at Shirou's hand for a moment. He raised a brow, but his expression changed into a knowing smile, grasping Shirou's hand and giving a firm shake. "A pleasure."

"Well, now that that's all wrapped up," Azazel said, completely ruining the mood again as he let out a loud yawn, "I think I'm going to go ahead and head on home now. Come along, Alma."

The assistant of the Governor noddded. "Yes, Azazel." She followed suit. The two, along with all of the Fallen Angel soldiers, departed from Kuoh, as if they had never been there to begin with.

Once the excitement had died down and the adrenaline wore off, everyone went their separate ways and the peace conference came to a final close.

July 20XX AD—

The representative of Heaven - The Archangel Michael

The representative of the Fallen Angels - Grigori Leader Azazel

The representatives of the Devils - Maous Sirzechs Lucifer and Serafall Leviathan

Between them, a promise etched into mere paper and into the hearts of those who bore witness.

All representatives signed the peace agreement between their three powers.

In the spirit of cooperation, conflicts between the three sides were hereby prohibited.

The treaty adopted the name of the land which acted as the stage for this historic moment - The Kuoh Accord.

* * *

"Careful now."

"Don't push yourself."

"Nice and slow now."

"Don't take big steps. It's not a race."

"Just nice and easy-"

"Would you cut that out!?" Shirou barked, causing Akeno and Kalawarner to back away as they all stepped through the door. The two had insisted on accompanying him all the way home. He told them he had recovered enough stamina to walk on his own, but they had insisted. Kalawarner was concerned that members of the Khaos Brigade could make a last-ditch attempt on his life while Akeno just seemed as though she wanted to be with him. "I said you could come with me. I didn't need you to practically carry me all the way here."

"We did not _carry_ you," Kalawarner argued.

"You LITERALLY tried to piggy back me," Shirou rebutted sharply. "Not to mention, that's really, _really_ creepy, Kalawarner."

"Creepy," Kalawarner muttered, going off to sulk in a nearby corner.

Shirou released a heavy breath, brushing hand through his hair. He couldn't help but brush his hand against his right eye.

There was no saving it.

He attempted to have Asia heal it back to proper condition, but it was completely destroyed by Mordred's Carnwennan. Asia couldn't heal what wasn't there.

One final jab from the late Pendragon.

He had to remember to ask Azazel to whip him up a new eye along with his new arm. Although his gauntlet served as his left arm, it was only effective while he was in the Balance Breaker state. Back to normal, Shirou was pained, exhausted, and effectively crippled with the loss of his arm and his eye. Overall, while the night was a victory, it was still annoying to walk around.

It was hard to adapt to his lacking depth perception, but he made due. Akeno and Kalawarner helped move him when he was about to bump into something (although he incredulously denied it).

"At least we're finally home," Kalawarner sighed out, freezing as if she noticed some sort of mistake she just made.

"Home, huh...?" Shirou walked into the house, tracing his fingers along the crisp, white walls. "Come to think of it...this is the first time I've come back since Ka-san died..."

Kalawarner and Akeno stood at a respectful distance, giving Shirou some time to adjust.

"Back then, before I became a Devil, this house was just four walls and a roof surrounding an empty space. Meaningless," Shirou said emptily. "But when Ka-san came home from her trips, it was like someone breathed life into it. The atmosphere was so rich and joyful that you couldn't help but smile. And then she would leave again. The house became empty. I would always wait, hoping for the day she came back so I could experience that same catharsis all over again...I avoided coming back here for so long because I knew I would just end up experiencing that same anticipation...and then remember she was gone forever."

"Shirou..." Akeno moved forward only for Kalawarner to extend her arm in front of her, shaking her head.

"...I know she's not exactly the person I knew, I know she probably wronged a lot more people than she let on," Shirou continued, "but nothing changes the memories I have of her..." He closed his eyes, thinking back to the days before life became so complicated. "At the same time, I have to learn to move on...That's why I finally decided to come back here."

He removed his hand from the wall.

"This place...it's not home." Kalawarner and Akeno stared in concern as Shirou stood with his back to them. "There's something missing..."

Akeno and Kalawarner turned to one another. While Akeno still retained awkwardness and reluctance towards Kalawarner, they had gained something of a neutral relationship. It was because of this close neutrality that they were able to discuss these matters non-verbally.

" _Nyaaaaaaaaaaaan_ ~" However, the moment they opened their opened their mouths to talk, a loud yawn was heard. "I thought I heard noises. It was hard to sleep..."

A certain black-haired, cat-earred woman chose that opportunity, either by design or by circumstance, to walk down the stairs...

Shirou stared with half-lidded eyes. "Kuroka...why are you naked?"

To say the Nekoshou was naked wasn't entirely correct. She technically was wearing a kimono...It just wasn't closed and there happened to be nothing underneath.

Shirou sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "There it is..."

Again, Akeno and Kalawarner found themselves staring.

[Huh?]

"That's what was missing," Shirou sighed out, gesturing to Kuroka. "The feeling of needing to be on my guard. I've been away from home so long I forgot that I have to constantly be on the lookout for Kuroka's N-Bombs."

"N-Bom-?"

"Nudity Bombs," Shirou clarified. However, he found himself smiled, walking over to Kuroka and petting her on the head. Much to Akeno's surprise, the older woman appeared to relish the affectionate gesture, an almost _excited_ look on her face when Shirou began to pet her in a special spot behind her cat ears. "Sorry I haven't been around to feed you these past few days."

"That's alright," Kuroka said, waving it off, closing her kimono much to Shirou's relief(?). "I usually had your maid cook meals or I ordered out with your credit card~"

"You did WHAT!?" Shirou's eyes almost popped out of their sockets. Kuroka knew she had dun goofed when the petting stopped.

"Yeah, but, Kalawarner was sniffing through all of your dirty laundry and using your photos as fap material," She quickly added in a cool voice, attempting to throw the maid under the bus.

"YOU DID _WHAT_!?" Shirou snapped, even more incredulous at Kalawarner than Kuroka.

Kalawarner narrowed her eyes at the moocher. "Yeah, well Kuroka deleted all of the data on your video game consoles!"

"HUUUUH!?"

"Kalawarner has secretly been going through your albums for pictures of when you were younger and putting them in her "special book"."

"WAHAAHAHAHAAA!?"

"Kuroka slept naked on your bed!"

Shirou stared blankly at Kalawarner following her comeback. "So? Akeno and even Kiyome have slept naked on my bed before...?" He paused, rubbing his chin. "Course, Kuroka isn't...but is she...? Hmmm..." Shirou stared at Kuroka, as if evaluating something. She wasn't sure if she was supposed to feel nervous, amused, insulted, or proud of his attention. It could mean he was checking her out, on the other hand it could mean he was looking down on her womanly figure. It could also mean he was considering taking away her food privileges which meant she may as well go kill herself. "...Kuroka, would you say we're close emotionally...?"

"Huh?" Kuroka blinked at the question. Shirou blushed as if realizing something before shaking his head.

"Never mind..." He paused, thinking. "What were talking about before?"

"Kalawarner engaging in perverse pleasures and Kuroka abusing your home at her leisure," Akeno reminded him, an S-smile on her face as she noticed the horrified looks on Kuroka and Kalawarner's faces.

"THAT'S RIGHT!" Shirou immediately changed back to seething rage. "You...You twooooooooo-!"

"Oh, we're gonna get it noooowww! Young Master doesn't seem to find this to be a good homecoming!"

"No more delicious home-cooked meals! I'll have to go back to eating scraps from the traaash!"

Kalawarner and Kuroka backed away, realizing they may have just awoken a sleeping beast.

Shirou tightly grasped both of them by the shoulders-

"I've missed you so much." Both older women blinked in surprised as Shirou pulled them into a hug. They stared at him, tears of joy leaking from his left eye. "I didn't want to come here because I thought this place wasn't home anymore, but I forgot where home really was. It was with my friends and loved ones. My family."

"What moving words, Young Master!" Kalawarner praised, tearing up either in admiration or to earn brownie points. She wrapped her arms around Shirou, returning his hug.

"Incredibly cheesy and nauseating, but sweet I guess," Kuroka muttered, rolling her eyes. Kalawarner and Shirou stared at her with disturbingly expectant eyes. "Yeah, I'm not a "huggy" person."

"If you don't like eating your meals coming from a recycled can, you'll _humour_ me."

Kuroka immediately returned Shirou's embrace. "Aren't hugs just great?" Sucking it up for a few seconds was worth not being put on cat food. Kuroka could never understand what was so good about cat food. It tasted like garbage and, having actually eaten from the garbage before (they were rough times), she would know. She also couldn't understand the obsession with yarn. That was weird too.

...Not catnip though.

Catnip was amaaaaaziiiiing.

It would be a few minutes before Shirou finally let them go, turning to face Akeno, who had been watching events unfold with an amused look on her face.

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...

"What are we waiting on?" Kuroka asked, staring with half-lidded eyes as everyone around her just stood there with their awkward smiles.

"I don't know," Shirou admitted. "I wasn't sure where to go from there and I was afraid of saying something weird."

*GURGLE*

Shirou blinked, looking down at his stomach before facing the others, blushing lightly. "Hahahaha! With everything going on, I never really had the time to have dinner! Hahaha!" He jabbed a thump in the direction of the kitchen. "I'll go remedy that now!" He turned to Akeno. "Going to stay for dinner?"

Akeno smiled. "I would love to..." However, the smile quickly faded from her face. "...but I have some things to take care of. Things are still settling down after the peace conference, so Rias will probably need my help for a few things."

Shirou frowned. "...You sure?" He asked. "You can stay the night if you want."

"No, that's quite alright," Akeno assured him. However, his unwavering gaze made her falter. "...I suppose I can stay for just a little while."

"Yaay~!" Shirou cheered. "I'll go make Dinner now! Late dinner for everyone!" And he rushed to the kitchen.

"I will help you, Young Master! I shall be your left arm~" Kalawarner said, following after Shirou.

"I could always go for food," Kuroka said too honestly, following calmly after the pair.

In the end, Akeno couldn't help but smile as she watched their antics.

"Family". That was the word Shirou used to describe them.

A dysfunctional family, perhaps, but a family nonetheless.

Kalawarner, Kuroka, Kiyome, and all of the Gremory servants.

They were a family.

* * *

Shirou tip-toed down the stairs with the stealth of a trained ninja-thief.

Akeno was asleep upstairs...naked. She insisted on using "the normal approach" to help Shirou recover from his injuries.

While suggestive, Shirou had spared none of his remaining stamina in fighting off what was plainly an uncomfortable situation.

Kalawarner, meanwhile, was passed out drunk on the couch in the living room, a satisfied smile on her face and a large bottle of sake hugged between her bosoms

As for Kuroka...

" _Goin' somewhere, darlin?_ "

"Uwah!" Shirou jumped, covering his mouth with his hands to stifle his scream of surprise. He covered his mouth as hard as he could, suppressing screams of fright and frustration at the black cat laying lazily against the wall beside the door. "Have you been waiting here just to jumpscare me?"

" _Yes,_ " Kuroka admitted without shame. " _It's been so long since I saw that tasty embarrassed look on your face. I was in desperate need of a refill._ "

"I see," Shirou said, sighing. As usual, Kuroka was one weird kitten. "Gonna follow me out?"

" _No,_ " Kuroka answered, stretching her feline legs. " _I think you've grown up enough that you don't need a babysitter anymore._ "

"Feels like I haven't grown that much," Shirou sighed out. "I got Balance Breaker, but I still have a ways to go before I can properly compete with guys like your boyfriend."

It was hard to tell because of all of the fur, but Shirou couldn't help but feel Kuroka was raising a brow at him. _"Boyfriend?"_

"You know...Vali?" Shirou pointed out. Kuroka stared. "You two seemed pretty close, so I just..." He cleared his throat, blushing as he turned his head. "Know what, this was a subject that never should have been broached. I'm going to go get some errands done. We'll continue talking about this NEVER." However, before he could take so much as a single step, a pair of slender, delicate arms wrapped around his waist from behind, a soft purring in his ears.

"Why such a rush~?" Kuroka purred. "What was all this about Vali? Could it be that you were... _jealous_ ~?"

"What? J-Jealous? Me?" Shirou's blush intensified. "N-No way!" He was being honest, but his stutter made it seem otherwise. He would be concerned if Kuroka were dating a terrorist, but it was her life to do with. "I was just...um...I..."

"I think I would be more interested in a boy like you," Kuroka said, nibbling softly on Shirou's ear. "Young, inexperienced, _willing_ , and the potential for strong children~ The one who bears the god-killing wolf? You may technically be a dog, but I wouldn't mind having brats with that kind of power~"

Shirou's blush deepened as he broke free from Kuroka's embrace, turning and pointing an accusing finger at her. "P-P-Pervert!" He flushed when he remembered how naked she was after changing from cat-form to human form. He turned away and took deep breaths. "Why do you always gotta tease me like that!?"

Kuroka smirked, closing the distance between her and Shirou faster than he could react. "Because I like you~" She tapped Shirou playfully on the lips with her index finger.

"What do you-Hmmph!" Before he could question it, Kuroka pressed her lips against his, effectively silencing him. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it felt like hours to Shirou. "Y-Y-Y-You-!"

"Ssshhh~" Kuroka hushed, still smirking. "If you're not careful, your other lovebirds will hear you, Shirou-chin~"

"Y-You kissed me!" Shirou hissed.

"Yes. Yes I did," Kuroka agreed. She paused before licking her lips, smacking them a few times before staring curiously at Shirou. "You really do still taste like a virgin." She chuckled at Shirou's astonished expression. "Have the expression of one too."

"Don't just say shit like that aloud!" Shirou snapped, covering his mouth with his hands again as he noticed his volume.

Kuroka smirked, leaning uncomfortably close. "Don't tell me, even with foxes like Akeno and that Kiyome girl, you still haven't gotten some~?"

"I don't think that's any of your business," Shirou hissed, his face as red as a tomato. "Anyway, I have to go now."

Kuroka rolled her eyes. "Fine. Just remember one thing."

Shirou sighed, turning around. "What's that?" The slender, soft arms wrapped around his waist again, only, this time, they were a lot more gentle. They carried a somber feeling with them.

"You're _my_ food slave, you got that?" Kuroka said, her tone lacking its usual energy.

"...Kuroka?"

The Nekoshou sighed heavily laying her head on top of Shirou's. "It was pretty boring while you were gone. Even the bird-brain had places to go while I was stuck here all alone. I'll really eat you if you make me feel that bored again." Shirou's eyes widened as Kuroka nibbled on the side of his neck to emphasize her point.

Even Kuroka, he supposed, got lonely sometimes. Though she rarely, if ever, showed it, even she had a sensitive side deep down.

Kuroka released Shirou, scratching her head. "You'd better be back before I get hungry again, or I'll go ahead and follow through on my promise early."

"OK, kitten," Shirou spun on his heels towards her. Before Kuroka could even consider Shirou's action, he snaked his arm around the back of her neck and pulled her in, capturing her lips with his own. It was shocking to Kuroka, to see Shirou initiate something so intimate. More-so because, in this area at least, he had both the technique and the experience to back up his gutsy move. She could only stand there, naked and stunned as Shirou pulled away, a smirk she would normally expect from herself on his face. "I'll try not to disappoint your expectations. Akeno and Kiyome would have a thing or two to say, but I can't just ignore this, can I?"

Kuroka stared, stupefied into silence for what felt like the first time in her life. "Well...damn," She uttered. She smirked. "I guess you graduated from a blue-balls virgin during the days you spent away from here. I'm curious to see how far you can go~"

Shirou stared back. "...Do you mean romantically or sexually?"

Kuroka smirked. "Yes."

There was silence for a moment...

Then Shirou laughed. "Hahahaha! Again, I'll try to live up to your expectations~!"

"Don't get cocky though~ You've only taken a little step~" Kuroka teased. "You have a long ways to go before you can handle a woman as well as you think you can~"

"We'll see," He responded pliantly. "Though, honestly, if Akeno or Kiyome have their way, I'll probably be the one getting handled. Hehehe..."

A scary thought, but not an altogether unappealing one.

With those words, Shirou stepped into the open night air.

There was actually another stop he had to make before heading to his true destination.

* * *

Shirou checked the address one more time to make sure he wasn't mistaken.

"This is still the right place," He said to himself. He turned to his left side, flexing the new arm to replace his old broken one. "Damn, Azazel works fast. I was only in the chair for like ten minutes that time. Crazy..."

Unfortunately, the same could not be said about his eye. Azazel didn't have blueprints for a new eye yet, so Shirou was stuck adapting to his now-flawed vision. It had taken him an hour to get to his destination even though he knew the way solely because he spent most of his time bumping into things.

He turned to the door and proceeded to rap his knuckles against it.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

"Hello?!" Shirou called out as he knocked on the door.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

"Helloooooooooo!?"

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck, looking up and down the hall around him. He checked the piece of paper in his hands to make sure it was the right address.

"This is definitely the right address..." Shirou said before returning to banging on the doors. "Come on! I know you're there! Open the damned door!"

Shirou placed his ear against the door, listening for signs of movement.

There were certainly voices, one of them very displeased. Then the dull thud of footsteps.

Shirou stepped away from the door as they came close, tensing at the click of the doorknob turning. He took several deep breaths.

He froze. "Wait, I think I've gone through this before," He realized. His eyes widened. "Oh wait! I should probably-"

He shut his eyes tight as the door opened.

"Ah, you're here already, Shirou-sama?" It was Grayfia's voice that greeted him at the door and it was only with great reluctance that he removed his hands from his eyes.

After getting a look, he heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh good, you're fully clothed this time." That was, perhaps, the greatest fear he had regarding his return to the hotel room that Sirzechs and Grayfia were staying. "Is Lucifer-sama here?"

Grayfia shook her head. "Unfortunately, he is not in at the moment," She said, examining Shirou closely, "but the question you asked was not for him, wasn't it?"

Shirou heaved a sigh of relief. "Oh good, he got the little note I slipped into his hand during our handshake earlier," Shirou said. "For a while, I considered the thought that maybe it was a bit over the top, but I knew you guys would get it." He scratched the back of his head. "But I was hoping he would be here to discuss it. He is the Maou here."

"True," Grayfia agreed, "but I am also a High-Class Devil and his wife. I have the independence to make decisions such as this on my own."

"...In that case, may I have your answer now?" Shirou took a deep breath, waiting in anticipation.

Grayfia appeared to be pensive for several moments before returning her attention to Shirou. "I must admit, I was a little surprised by your request," She said, pulling out a small slip of paper. "The note you slipped to Sirzechs-sama read "Can Grayfia train me over the summer?". Maybe I ask what brought about this sudden request and why it had to remain secret from Rias and the others?"

Shirou lowered his head. "I didn't want them to worry or concern them in the event my request was rejected. As for why I asked...I mean...you're the Strongest Queen and I'm too weak," Shirou explained. "It's like I said before. I still have a long way to go and, as I am, there's no way I'll be able to win if I end up against an opponent stronger than Mordred. Even against Mordred, I never would have won if I hadn't been relying on Akeno holding him off or Fenrir giving me the power I need. But, more than that..." Shirou grit his teeth, remembering the last words Mordred Pendragon taunted him with.

 _[Such power...but you're still so weak, Shirou-kyun...]_

"Back then, I couldn't take his life..." Shirou said, earning Grayfia's curiosity. "Despite everything he did, after all he did to the people I love, I couldn't stop thinking of him as...a human. A living person..." Shirou tightened his fists at his sides, his arms trembling with suppressed anger and frustration. "Even when he tried to kill me along with himself...No matter what that bastard did, I couldn't put my sword through his heart...I was too weak to take his life. If it hadn't been for Kalawarner finishing him off, I probably would have ended up letting myself get killed by Mordred's final curse. I was too weak. Too weak to kill him and too weak to protect my friends. I can't let myself get caught off-guard like that again...I...I want to become stronger. Strong enough to fight and strong enough to _kill_. Rias, Akeno, Issei, and the others are all willing to do what it takes to protect the people they care about. I don't want to be any different."

"So you desire to obtain power then?" Grayfia asked. "If so, I feel I must warn you. There is a slippery slope between a desire to protect something and a desire for power. Many of us, even the bloodline of the Old Maou, have wandered down this path before. You should never feel eager. It takes just as much courage to spare a life than it does to take one."

"Grayfia..." Shirou lowered his head in shame. The way he worded it sounded...awful. As though he _desired_ to take a life. "I just...I just don't to see anyone cry again..."

That was when a gentle hand placed itself on the top of his head. He looked up at Grayfia, utterly confounded by the soft and gentle look on her face. Completely different from the cold and calm woman he was accustomed to dealing with. A kind smile appeared on her face, further stunning Shirou.

"If you are resolute in your decision, then I have no reason to object to your request."

Shirou's eyes shone like gems, a joyful smile on his face. "That...That's great!" He paused, remembering himself before bowing his head respectfully. "Thank you! When should I be ready by?"

"Tomorrow morning," Grayfia answered, striking a chill down Shirou's spine. "We will be leaving at dawn."

Shirou's eyes widened. "At dawn? B-But that's too soon!" Shirou gasped. "I-I have things I have to do-and school-and I-!"

"Your exams for this semester have already been completed, yes?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

"You have only a few hours left," Grayfia noted. "Sirzechs-sama agreed to stay long enough to have your request heard, but now that it has, I must urge him back to the Underworld. As a Maou, he cannot afford to waste very much time on personal matters and, as his Queen, I must ensure his continued performance of his duties."

"But-"

"Is there something important that you had left to do?" Grayfia asked, causing Shirou to think about it. "The longer you remain, the more hesitant you will be. If you wish to become stronger, you must rid yourself of your hesitation."

Shirou considered Grayfia's words. "...Yes, ma'am." He turned to leave before immediately looking back at her. "You wouldn't mind teleporting me somewhere real quick, would you?"

* * *

Kiyome Abe laid in bed for several hours, not moving a muscle.

That's what the Devil guards hiding in the shadows had told him.

Shirou had opted to avoid climbing up to her window and instead had Grayfia teleport him into Kiyome's room directly. There may have been one or two magical security systems to bypass, but Grayfia was willing to look the other way that time.

Her condition was stable and her recovery was going well from what Shirou had been told so far.

Still, the expression on her face...

It was anxious. Even though she was fine, her expression looked troubled. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

Her body wouldn't stop trembling even though she had a heavy sheet covering her.

 _"I wonder...could she be dreaming about her time as Mordred's captive,"_ Shirou thought to himself. He recalled what Kiyome had told him before...about the nightmares Carnwennan had cursed her with. About being killed repeatedly and watching Shirou being killed repeatedly by Eliade. Shirou had the distinct feeling there was something more to it, but he didn't push the matter on account of the circumstances.

He walked to her bed side, kneeling by her side.

He gently brushed his hand against her cheek in a soothing motion.

Perhaps it was unconscious, but Kiyome stilled at his touch, taking a deep, relieved breath.

If Shirou had to be honest, this was the true reason he refused to keep Carnwennan for himself.

That cursed dagger that put Kiyome into such a pitiful state...he hated it. He didn't want a power like that anywhere near the people he loved. It was only out of respect for Michael and a gesture of peace that he refrained from shattering it into a million pieces if only to make sure it was never used again. With his Balance Breaker, breaking it was not out of the question.

But, in the end, it wouldn't have changed anything.

Shirou continued brushing his hand against Kiyome's cheek while holding her hand in his other one. "I'm sorry I wasn't there for you..." He whispered. "...I should have been there to protect you-No, even before then. I should have realized something was wrong with you...with us. I didn't want to say anything, I didn't want to do anything. Coz...well...you were the first girl I ever loved. I didn't want to lose you, so I avoided talking, confronting. I didn't understand you and you didn't understand me...and now..." Shirou choked, resisting the urge to hit himself for being so pathetic.

Kiyome wasn't even awake and he acted so pitifully when talking to her.

"...You know, back before us...back before everything really, I kind of resented you all...Really, I was jealous." Shirou sighed. "People like you, Rias, and Akeno, you were the epitome of everything the world loved while I was everything it pretended didn't exist. That's...That's probably a big part of why I was always so abrasive. Kiba was so talented and cool and nothing ever seemed to faze Koneko. Even Issei...he was in the same position as I was, detested by just about everyone, but he still found some way to smile brighter than everyone else. You all had everything I didn't and I was just...I was just so jealous. Truthfully, I think I hated Issei the most. Hehehe...It was unfair, it was stupid...that's what I thought when you made me be friends with a guy like that, trying to make me open up. Before, I never wanted to bother with the people around me, but now, thanks to you, because you always tried pushing me in the right direction...I can't bear to ever let them go. I mean..."

It was hard deciding the right and wrong things to say. Kiyome or Akeno would normally correct him or point it out, but it was just him. Alone with Kiyome.

He only had his own thoughts to speak from.

"I just...I wanted you to know that I'm going to try to be better. I made a promise to both you and Akeno," Shirou said, removing his hand from her face and firmly grasping her hand with both of his own. "I...I'm leaving soon. I'm going to spend the summer training with Grayfia so that way...so that way I won't have to see any of you cry again. I hope that, when I come back, you'll be able to understand why I had to leave this time. Why I had to go off on my own without telling you...because...if I had to say goodbye while you were awake, I don't think I could handle it. I'm a pretty awkward guy, you know..." He scoffed at himself, giving a hollow chuckle. "Of course you know...You had to put up with it for over a year trying to get me to notice you."

Kiyome made no movement nor did she give any sign she could even hear him. He thought he saw her eye twitch a little, but it could have just been rapid-eye-movement or just wishful thinking.

"I also hope that...that you don't get upset at Akeno or the others," Shirou continued. "None of them know about this either, so please go easy on them, alright? And it's not like it's some kind of pleasure trip or anything," He added quickly, "coz...coz it's not. I'm going off on my own. It'll be the first time I've genuinely been alone for longer than a day or two since I first became a Devil. Ah, but you don't have to worry...I know I still have my family waiting for me back here and..." Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "And...I...I have to go now. I have to stop by my place and pack some things before Akeno or Kalawarner wake up coz then I'll really be in the dog house...Hahaha...!" He lowered his head. "Good-bye."

However, the moment Shirou turned his back, he felt a large weight bump against him and a pair of arms wrap around him.

He turned around, staring in shock as the golden-blonde sat up abruptly from her bed, hugging him from behind.

"Kiyome...!" He immediately turned around, grabbing her by the shoulders and forcing her to sit back down on the bed. "You shouldn't be up and about!"

"..." Kiyome narrowed her eyes. "..."

Shirou paused. "...By the way, how much did you hear?"

"Oh, only all of it," Kiyome answered passively.

"Ah," was Shirou's awkward reply. "The doctors said you weren't supposed to wake up for a day or two at least."

"Well they were wrong," Kiyome supposed. She raised a brow. "Was your hair always silver?"

"I think it's a side effect of my Balance Breaker."

"Balance Breaker?"

"Yeah, it's a long story and-when did you wake up anyway?"

"I woke up because I felt something on my face and I thought "Oh my God, there's some weird pervert touching me", but it turns out it was just you," She said, leaving Shirou uncertain if she was teasing him or not. "...I'm going with you."

"I-agh-you-You most certainly _are not_!" Shirou sputtered, utterly perplexed by Kiyome's request. "This isn't some kind of pleasure trip, Kiyome! I'm going to be doing some serious training! Who knows what's going to happen?! You could just end up getting hurt again!"

"I don't care!" Kiyome snapped, taking Shirou aback with her steely gaze. She lowered her head. "It was back then...after-well...Mordred...It was after that that I finally realized it. What you guys do. The type of people you fight...Every time you step out of my range of vision, that's what you're doing on your own. Well no more!" Kiyome slid her legs over the edge of her best, using Shirou to pull herself up.

It was obvious she wasn't fully recovered because she could barely stand on her own two feet without wobbling and leaning on Shirou for support.

"From hereon out, if you're going to go do something, I'm going with you."

"I don't know many ways to say "You're crazy and that's not going to happen"," Shirou said. "Live a normal life, try to remember what it was all like before you became the girlfriend of a possibly adrenaline-junkie Devil boyfriend. Just... _anything_ else. Kiyome, you should spend this time getting better! You can barely stand let alone walk!"

"Then you'll just have to carry me," Kiyome argued. "I'm not going to be left behind again!" And Shirou had no doubt she meant it. He certainly wasn't going to let her come, but she was certain as far as she was concerned. "I get you're used to just doing your own thing, but that stops now-!"

"Why does everything have to be one huge fight every time you open your mouth!?"

"Because I LOVE YOU!"

The two sank into silence, panting as they tried to catch their breath from the heated argument up to that point. Kiyome's cheeks were a deep shade of red, her eyes glaring sharply at Shirou.

"You can't keep doing things on your own, Shirou," Kiyome scolded. "You want everyone to rely on you, but you never- _ever_ -take the opportunity to really rely on someone else. Even if I can't do much, just give me the chance to be there for you. Give me _at least_ that. You owe me at least that."

Shirou opened his mouth to retort-

* * *

"I...I didn't even get to argue..."

What had happened was such a blur to Shirou. One minute they were arguing and then the next they were doing exactly what Kiyome asked.

It was significantly less awkward than carrying her piggyback, but some people at the train station were staring at the girl clothed in a very wrinkled and haphazardly-worn tennis club uniform hugging Shirou's arm as if her life depended on it.

When Kiyome heard the small window of time Grayfia had given Shirou to prepare, she had packed up all of her things without time to change into more formal wear. Her tennis club outfit was the only thing she could find. She refused to let Shirou go home on his own out of (very reasonable) suspicion he would just try to leave without her if she took her eyes off of him for even a single second. She knew she had Shirou cornered and she wasn't going to let go of her advantage anytime soon.

"Think of this as a getaway," Kiyome said, smiling more cheerfully than Shirou would have preferred. "Just the two of us."

"Yes," Shirou agreed sarcastically. "Just replaced "getaway" with "hardcore training" and "just the two of us" with "You, me, and Grayfia.""

Kiyome frowned. "Weeeeeeell, maybe not just you, me, and Grayfia..." She averted her eyes.

"Huh?" Shirou raised a brow. "Not just us? Then who-"

The sound of a rolling suitcase was what caught Shirou's attention first.

"Sorry I'm late~" said the teasing voice that could only belong to one of four women Shirou knew. "I just did not know what to bring with me on such short notice~"

"Akeno!?" Shirou's eyes widened, his jaw dropped to the ground.

If things had stopped going according to plan the moment Kiyome forced her way into his trip, then Akeno's arrival was the plan going right off the rails.

"This...This is not what I planned out," Shirou admitted, staring at Akeno approached them, waving her hand in greeting. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?"

Akeno feigned an expression of hurt. "You make it sound as though you don't want me to come?"

Shirou gestured to the woman leaning on him. "I didn't even want _Kiyome_ to come! This was supposed to be journey to become a stronger man and now it's turning into some kind of field trip for my lovers! No! I am putting my foot down!"

"Don't you raise your voice at me," Akeno warned sternly, an oppressive aura surrounding her.

"Yes, ma'am," Shirou squeaked, cowering. He cleared his throat, turning from Akeno to Kiyome. "Is there _anyone else_ you two want to bring along? Maybe you have Kuroka in your suitcase?"

"How'd you know?!" Akeno gasped, unzipping her suitcase enough for a furry head to pop out. "She caught me as I was walking out the door and demanded to come along."

 _"Surprise, bitch,"_ Kuroka greeted and Shirou could swear she was smirking, _"I bet you thought you'd seen the last of me?"_

All three of them stared.

 _"It's funny because it's from the internet."_

Kiyome turned to Shirou. "...Did that cat just talk?"

"NOT IMPORTANT!" Shirou snapped, wondering just how he so quickly lost control of the situation.

[I believe this is what you human pups call "Getting lucky".]

 _"SHUT UP, FENRIR!"_ Shirou snapped mentally. "Why are you all here and why are Akeno and Kiyome not totally pissed off at each other and/or me!?...Answer that last question first!...Oh God, this is the talk isn't it?!"

Akeno and Kiyome stared at Shirou.

[Huh...?]

Kiyome was the first to answer. "What talk?"

Shirou rubbed his temples, still having trouble coming to grips with what's going on. " _The_ talk!...I mean, you DO remember what I told you before...right?" Shirou asked, anxious about any possible hidden intent in the current situation. He exchanged awkward looks with Akeno. "About...me and _her_...? About what I said about me, you, and her? About how I wanted to potentially create a situation where we you, me, and Akeno would enter a sort of relationship where we would be romantic and intimate with one another as a couple would with the same level of affectionate interactions which would-"

 _"Harem,"_ Kuroka interjected, earning looks from everyone. _"Look, I'm sorry, but he was just going to keep droning on til someone said it."_ She turned to Shirou. _"It's a harem. Man up and say it."_

Shirou scratched his cheek. "It's a lot harder to say when _both_ of them are right in front of me," Shirou admitted. He turned to the two girls. "...So?"

Kiyome blinked. "So?" what?" She asked.

"You never responded and this is making me feel anxious," Shirou explained. "...Would you be alright with me building a harem?" Kiyome remained silent. "I mean, it's not as though I'm going to go pick up every attractive floozy I see on the street! I mean more like harems like anime and manga! Only with girls I have romantic attraction to-I mean not that I plan to fall in love with a lot of women deliberately, but if the situation should happen that I start liking a girl as much as I like you, such as Akeno-" Akeno waved, smiling. "-then I would feel a lot better knowing I had your consent to court them as I would you and Akeno." Kiyome stared. "In short...can I build a harem?"

Kiyome kept staring. "...OK."

"Look, I know that it's not a good situation and it's hard enough adapting to-" Shirou paused, blinking several times. "-...wait.." He searched Kiyome's expression for some sign that she was joking. "Wait wait wait wait...What?"

"You can have a harem," Kiyome said, Shirou still uncertain if she was being genuine or waiting for him to ask for confirmation only to scream "Are you kidding me!? FUCK NO!" or something along those lines. Even Akeno and Kuroka were surprised by how willing Kiyome was acting. "...I mean it." It was Shirou's turn to stare blankly. "You already told me you loved Akeno-"

"You did?" Akeno asked, a pleased smile on her face. "That's so sweet~"

"-and there's not really much you can do to backpedal from that," Kiyome finished. She sighed. "I can either come to grips with it, dump you, or continue trying to live in deliberate ignorance as a means to cope with the fact my boyfriend wants to see other girls while he's seeing me."

"...Well, when you put it like that, I kind of feel like a cunt," Shirou said, thinking about Kiyome's words.

"I can go with it or fight it and make all of us miserable," Kiyome reiterated. "And, Shirou...I want you to be able to feel happy. That's why I was the one who asked Akeno to meet us here."

"You did?" Shirou raised a brow. "When? You've been unconscious since last night and you've been with me since we left your place? When did this happen?"

"While you were in the bathroom before we left your house," Kiyome answered.

"...Damn my tiny bladder."

Kiyome rolled her eyes. "Maybe it was the kidnapping, maybe it was how I really can't feel mad after hearing everything you said while you thought I was sleeping-" Shirou blushed. "-so, at the very least, I am willing to give this whole "harem" thing a trial run-A TRIAL run." She sighed. "However, in exchange for allowing you to have a harem, I want just _two_ _things_."

"OK," Shirou agreed. "What are they?"

Kiyome held up one finger. "First thing, and I believe you've covered this before, but I only accept girls you have mutual romantic attraction to," She said.

Shirou and Akeno exchanged looks, smiling before Shirou turned back to Kiyome. "That is acceptable," He said. "And the second thing?"

Something about Kiyome's smirk was... _new_. She leaned in and started whispering in his ear.

Akeno and Kuroka couldn't hear what she said. They only knew it was probably something juicy from the way Shirou's eyes became dots, his face turning a deeper shade of red with each passing second. Then his jaw dropped, the only noise coming from Shirou being a long string of "Uwawawawawawawawawawawawah!" They could swear they saw steam coming out of his ears.

Unfortunately, whenever they tried getting close, Kiyome would stop talking and shoot them a sharp look, only continuing to whisper to Shirou after the pair returned to their previous distance.

After a few minutes, Kiyome finally moved away from Shirou's ear, smiling innocently. "So what do you think?"

Shirou took a moment to calm himself, his face returning to normal except for the heavy blush on his face. "...I have never been more turned by you than I am right now." Kuroka and Akeno's eyes widened at the sudden declaration. If they weren't curious before, they certainly were after that. Kiyome smiled bashfully. "...Are you sure though? I mean-"

"I can't let my guard down, so I want to get something you can't give to anyone else," Kiyome said.

"O-OK...I...That sounds pretty pleasant actually," Shirou said, Akeno and Kuroka gaining a small grasp on what was just discussed. "So...how-how do we do a harem?"

Kiyome stared blankly, as if believing he was joking for a moment. "You don't know...?"

"No," He admitted freely. "I honestly did not believe I would get this far. I was certain you would neuter and/or kill me." He paused. "So...do we just...divide my week between you and girls in my harem? You get Fridays and Thursdays and Akeno gets Mondays and Tuesdays or something?"

 _"If that's the case, I got dibs on Shirou-chin on Wednesdays and Saturdays,"_ Kuroka piped up, earning a confused look from Kiyome.

"OK," Shirou agreed readily, shrugging.

"What?!" This was not something Kiyome accounted for. "But you can't-That's not! No!"

Kuroka scowled in displeasure. _"And why not?"_

"Yeah, Kiyome," Shirou agreed, "why not?"

"Because she's a cat!"

"Actually," Shirou said, placing a hand on Kiyome's shoulder, "Kuroka is a woman in a cat's body."

Kiyome stared. "...What?"

"I don't mean in that transgender way-I guess trans-species in this case," Shirou clarified. "She is literally a woman who transforms into a cat and back into a naked woman when she wants to fluster me. And, you know, she's been with me longer than the rest of you. I didn't know it, but she was always there. I mean, she should have a fair say too."

It was probably the "changing into a naked woman" part that made her uncomfortable. It was clear that this was a lot harder for Kiyome to accept than the "harem" part. She took a deep breath, trying to cope. "Pushing it, but I can deal as long as our conditions are kept." She eyed Kuroka and then Shirou. "You two haven't done anything... _freaky_ have you? I mean, she's technically a furry and you really like animals...I mean, you didn't like take more of a interest in her cat form, right?"

"Hugh!" Shirou covered his mouth, giving Kiyome a disturbed look. "If you're saying if I stuck my thing in her feline **** while ****ing on the **** and ****ing her ****, then you have a sick, perverted mind."

"What were those bleeping noises?" Kiyome asked, looking around.

Shirou held up a small device like a garage door opener. "It was something I found in the items Ka-san left me. Turns out there were a lot more things than just blades." However, before Kiyome could question him, he quickly changed the subject. "If you're worried, don't be. I'm still a virgin."

 _"Three gorgeous women with you for summer vacation? I doubt that status will stick for very long,"_ Kuroka snickered. _"I say it should be first come, first serve. I'll take Shirou-chin for the first night, and then you two can have the remains. I mean-"_ Kiyome stared with half-lidded eyes before moving for Akeno's bag, pulling the zipper all the way around to shut it.

"And that's how you get the last word," Kiyome said confidently.

Shirou pursed his lips. "Lock her up...Why did I never think of that?" A yowl of annoyance came from Akeno's suitcase. "I'm kidding!" He chuckled at her predicament for several moments before turning his attention to Akeno and Kiyome. "And you two are absolutely sure you want to come with me? I mean it! This isn't going to be a pleasure cruise! We're going to be roughing it in the wilderness for what could be weeks!...I think. Grayfia was honestly a little vague about what we would be doing. I PRESUME wilderness though. You think of training, you automatically think of isolation in the wilderness."

Both girls stared at him.

"I raise beasts for a living," Kiyome said, slapping a hand against her chest. "I lived in a forest for two months because a Hellhound I nursed back to health was domesticated to the point it was terrified of the outside world."

Akeno raised her hand. "I actually lived in the wilderness for a fair amount of time during my childhood." She frowned when Shirou raised a brow. "It's...It's a long story." She desperately wished she hadn't opened her mouth by that point. "The point is, we can take anything this "wilderness" has to throw at us."

 _"I don't,"_ Kuroka whined. _"If we're going to be living among animals, I'm gonna opt out."_

"But Kuroka, you _are_ an animal," Akeno pointed out.

 _"...I'm going to go ahead and pretend that didn't sound as racist as it was,"_ Kuroka sniffed. _"You people don't understand our struggle."_

Shirou laughed lightly, brushing a hand through his hair. "Well, if you guys are going to be this pushy, there's not really anything I can do, is there?"

[Nope~]

All three girls responded in perfect unison much to his (albeit amused) chagrin. "This kind of stuff always happens to me. Doesn't it seem like that?"

[There you are!]

The trio (technically quartet) turned to face the pair that addressed him.

One was a handsome man with crimson hair, dressed in a stylish business suit; Another was a curvaceous yet short woman with black hair tied into twintails, (thankfully) dressed in normal business attire as she had during the Peace Conference, a donut held affectionately in her hand; and then there was the silver-haired maid.

"It appears you're accompanying us back to the Underworld after all, Shirou-kun," Sirzechs noted happily.

Shirou smiled. "I am honored to be be able to be in your presence for this trip, Lucifer-sama-"

"Shirou," Sirzechs raised his hand to stop him, "it's only us few. There's no need to act so formally. You're free to address me casually as you would Rias or Grayfia."

"Whatever you say, Sirzechs," Shirou shrugged. "I mean-Owowowow!" It was at that point that Kiyome and Akeno started pinching his cheeks fiercely from the sides. "Whad ah dooh? Whad ah dooh?"

"You shouldn't act so lax around someone who can erase you!"

"Even if you're being polite, you should still observe proper decorum."

"But ah didn' do nuthin!" Shirou complained, the flesh of his cheeks stretching to unpleasant lengths. "Shirzhecks, cahn yoo say shumthin?!"

"A wittle pweoccupied," Sirzechs said, laughing lightheartedly as Grayfia fiercely pinched her husband's face.

"Apologies for arriving late," Grayfia said, returning Sirzechs' face to him, "but Serafall-sama wanted to stop for donuts."

"I had too!" Serafall cried, chomping down on the pink-frosted sprinkle donut in her hand. "It's National Donut Day! How could I not stop for donuts on National Donut Day!?"

"Serafall, that's an American holiday and it ended several hours ago."

"Awwwww~!"

"If it's not too much of a bother, Lucifer-sama, we will be accompanying Shirou for his training with Grayfia," Akeno said, bowing respectfully before the Maou.

Kiyome bowed as well, forcing Shirou to bow with her. "I promise we won't get in the way. Please take good care of us."

Sirzechs examined the arrangement with great amusement. "I see no problems with it, do you, Grayfia?"

"No," Grayfia answered. "However, I will not be able to accommodate any other training aside from Shirou-sama's."

Kiyome quickly shook her head. "Oh, we're not going for training," She said, hugging Shirou's right side.

"We're more interested in our own _personal_ exercise," Akeno teased, hugging Shirou's left side, the boy between the two blushing. "By the way~...I call first dibs~"

"Huh!?" Kiyome stared in shock at Akeno. "Now hold on! How come you're first!?"

"Because I called it~"

"That's not fair!" Kiyome cried. "He's my boyfriend and I was the one who let you join in!"

"Please~" Akeno waved off Kiyome's argument. "Your consent was never an issue for me."

"Why you-!"

 _"Ah~ Isn't this fun~?"_ Kuroka teased from inside Akeno's suitcase.

Akeno kicked the bag with her heel, eliciting a pained yowl.

Serafall frowned, looking around. "Did anyone else hear that?"

"Oh, Leviathan-sama, we should probably get to the train so you can talk to Shirou about your ideas for his role in your show," Akeno said panickedly, holding her man before he could escape.

"Hiyaaaaaaaah!" Serafall squealed, completely forgetting what she was talking about and dropping her donut. "I have the most adorable idea for your magical girl garments~! You're just going to love them~! Let's go~!"

"What-I-!?"

"Yeah, Shirou," Akeno agreed, dragging him along by his arm, "let's go!"

"Huh!?" Shirou frowned. "I never agreed to anything-Hah! Wait a second!" Shirou stumbled several times as Akeno, laughing in amusement, pulled him along.

"Hey!" And Kiyome was dragged right along with him.

Sirzechs looked on with a nostalgic smile on his face. "He's an interesting child, isn't he?"

"Indeed," Grayfia agreed.

"I'm actually surprised you agreed to his request," Sirzechs mused. "I understand you have become lenient towards him, but, if I didn't know you any better, I would say you've already come to care for him."

"Hmph," Grayfia crossed her arms. However, she was smiling. "It was like you said. He's just a child," She admitted. "...and he _is_ family. When I first met him, I was terrified. That he would be exactly the same as his father or-worse-exactly the same as I used to be." She lowered her head, grimacing as certain memories slowly start crawling to the forefront of her mind. "However, nothing could be further from the truth...He has a gentle heart." She smiled to herself again. "That boy, the Red Dragon Emperor, Rias-ojousama their generation will be the catalyst for change in our world. Of that, I have no doubt."

Sirzechs nodded in agreement. "They are proof that our world can still progress, even without our old leaders," He said. "Even without God, this world keeps moving forward."

"...Did you steal that line from Azazel?"

"No," Sirzechs said too quickly.

"Are you sure?" Grayfia snatched a phone from Sirzechs' pocket. "I can call him and ask. I _know_ you have him on speed dial."

When cornered in an obvious lie by a woman, Sirzechs did what any normal man would do: Laugh it off and change the subject.

"Hahahaha! We shouldn't keep them waiting, now should we?" Before Grayfia could argue, Sirzechs followed after the others.

The silver-haired Devil couldn't help but give a small laugh, following after her husband and their travel party.

It was destined to be quite the interesting summer...

* * *

 _The world is full of many fascinating people and full of many unexpected events._

 _Someone you thought of as "vulgar" and "a bad person" before could turn out to be the kindest guy you ever met._

 _Someone you hated yesterday could become the person you cherish most tomorrow._

 _Everyday brings something new. No one can predict what will happen._

 _To forge bonds, to find love, to make mistakes, to carve their own destiny, it is up to each person to determine that for themselves._

 _For that's what it means to truly be alive._

* * *

 **Devil Reborn Redux Volume 1 - COMPLETE**

* * *

 **...**

 **O_O**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **...Holy shit...HOLY SHIT.**

 **I did it...Oh my God I did it! It wasn't flawless, but I did it! I got past the Peace Treaty Arc in one relative piece!**

 **YES! Cue the Final Fantasy-style victory music!**

 **BADA BAH BAH BAHBAH BAHBABAH!**

 **Wow...I had a lot of things I wanted to say here, but, for the life of me, I can't remember what. I guess I'll go with one list of thank yous to the people who helped me get the story this for:**

 **I would like to thank:**

 **DarkAkatsuk1, toward whom I admit I have mixed feelings in regards to him convincing me to keep Issei in an OC-insert fic. I mean, it'd be one thing if I was just going to do AU Issei, but maybe I made an error in keeping the canon protagonist with my OC protagonist. :P But still, he pushed me along this path. For better or for worse, he's the one who got me to do Devil Reborn Redux as is.**

 **ahsoei, who was always available to beta my chapters when I needed him. Let's give the guy a hand. I have to admit, the constant messaging with ideas for my stories is overwhelming, but I know he means well and I love him, so it's alright. He's great...or she. Never established gender. :P Who cares? They're a great guy. Even wrote Shirou's last battle during the Fallen Angel arc for me. Great guy/girl! If not for them, there's a chance this story might not have made it past the Fallen Angel arc. Thanks, buddy!**

 **Next, Retributus. My bro. My bromigo. Broseph. My brotato with brutter...ah you get what I mean. He was a great source of inspiration. We always have productive conversations with one another and, when I'm in a rut or feelin down, that happy-go-lucky S.O.B. is always by my side! Thanks, man! I was always jealous of how much funnier your story, Highschool DxD: The Tale of a Gutsy Sekiryuutei, was than any other story I've written. Damn you and I love you, bro!**

 **Above all else, I want to thank all of my loving and supportive fan who also pushed me to come this far! Regardless of what else, you were all a major reason I was able to get this done. Even you trolls who posted hateful things. Thanks for boosting my review count~! XD Haha! Suckers! But for the rest of you who were nicer, thank you!**

 **Brokatsuki, ahsoei, Retributus, my fans, Devil Reborn Redux would not exist without all of you.**

 **All of you are the true inspiration for Devil Reborn Redux. YOU are all DRR.**

 **Happy National Donut Day and I love you all!**

 **Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

 **For the last time in volume one...**

 **Bye-Bye~!**


	57. Volume 2 is up, buuuuut (READ)

The first chapter of Devil Reborn Redux Volume 2 is up, but...ugh...Just set low expectations.

It's not very long nor is it very good.

I explained my reasons in the author's note.

But it's done. I can't guarantee future chapters will be much longer.

I just...ugh. Just getting that much done was...ugh.

I'm sorry.

If you read it for yourself, you'll understand.

It's posted at least, so that's something, right?


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